Asus PA328Q ProArt 32-inch UHD Monitor Review

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OSD Setup & Calibration

The OSD is summoned by pressing any button or by moving the joystick. A second click of the latter brings up the full menu.

OSD Tour

There are seven picture modes, two of which are fully adjustable. The factory calibration is based on the sRGB preset, where only hue is adjustable, but we found nearly equal accuracy in the Standard mode which is also the default.

We’ve seen blue light filters on other monitors and they all work the same way – engaging it reduces blue brightness and warms the color temperature. It’s designed to make the image less fatiguing but in practice a proper calibration can accomplish the same thing. The PA328Q is very accurate out of the box and really doesn’t need additional help.

The Color menu is a gateway to all the calibration options. You get RGB gain and bias controls, a color management system plus gamma and color temp presets. If at any point you get lost in your adjustments, a reset function is provided.

Color temp is adjustable in four steps which measure pretty close to their indicated Kelvin levels.

There are three gamma presets that all provide ruler-flat tracking. And their values match what we recorded in our tests.

Here is the CMS along with RGB gain and bias sliders. Every adjustment starts at center-range so it can be either increased or decreased. This approach allows for more balanced changes that better preserve contrast levels. Even though the Standard and sRGB modes are good enough to use without calibration, we performed one anyway.

The Image menu contains the remaining picture controls. Sharpness has five presets of which 40 is the best. TraceFree alters the overdrive setting and also has five levels. 100 gives the least motion blur but we did see slight ghosting in motion tests. The best setting depends on your particular application and preferences.

Uniformity Compensation is either on or off, there is no middle ground. It takes a slightly different approach than we’ve seen before. Regardless of the brightness setting it locks output at around 218cd/m2. It also raises black levels which in turn reduces contrast. We’ll show you its effects in our brightness and uniformity tests.

The sound menu controls volume for both the internal speakers and the headphone output. You can also select the source by input.

A big screen like this is ideal for PIP and PBP. Two sources can be viewed simultaneously either side-by-side or in one of three window sizes. Said window can be positioned in any corner of the screen.

Remaining monitor options are here in the System Setup menu. ECO Mode reduces power consumption by limiting the backlight level. In the Language sub-menu you can chose from 21 languages for the OSD.

The PA328Q ships with its DisplayPort Stream set to version 1.1. This will limit you to a 30Hz refresh rate with a 3840x2160 signal. Change it to 1.2 to enable 60Hz.

KeyLock disables the OSD buttons to prevent users from making changes. Power Indicator lets you turn off the bezel’s power LED.

Here is the input signal information. You also get the current input and at the top right is the current picture mode.

Two of the OSD buttons can be programmed as hotkeys for the listed functions.

Calibration

We had no trouble confirming the Asus’ test results for the PA328Q. It is extremely accurate out of the box. In the default Standard mode you can change the color temp and gamma presets as well as brightness and contrast. In the sRGB mode the color gamut is even more accurate but you can’t adjust anything at all. Luckily the backlight is locked at a very usable 190cd/m2. To try out the display’s calibration features we engaged the User 1 mode and made a few tiny tweaks to the gain and hue controls. The only drawback to this is a slightly over-saturated red primary which we couldn’t correct.

We recommend choosing either Standard or sRGB and simply enjoying the monitor as-is. If you want to try our settings, we’ve provided them below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Asus PA328Q Calibration Settings
Splendid ModeUser
Blue Light FilterLevel 0
Brightness 200cd/m245
Brightness 120cd/m220
Brightness 100cd/m214
Brightness 80cd/m25
Brightness 50cd/m20
Contrast80
Hue50
Color Temp6500K
Gamma2.2
6-Axis HueYellow 52, All Others 50
GainRed 50, Green 51, Blue 48
OffsetRed 50, Green 50, Blue 50
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

  • JQB45
    To expensive to be interesting.
    Reply
  • eklipz330
    To expensive to be interesting.
    THEN. DON'T. READ. IT.

    IT'S. NOT. FOR. YOU.
    Reply
  • picture_perfect
    Oh my. I'd use this one as a nice digital picture frame. Not gaming because 1080p 144hz gets you much less lag, persistence blur and stutter. These resolutions are really too high for decent gaming.
    Reply
  • JamesSneed
    This isn't a gaming monitor. It inst very high priced for a professional grade 32 inch monitor with 100% sRGB.
    Reply
  • jasonelmore
    i use pro-arts as gaming monitors.. the PA 248Q is what i roll with

    I would have seriously considered this monitor for gaming and creative work, but the lack of adobe RGB on a $1300 monitor kills the deal.
    Reply
  • utroz
    This is a special use monitor for sure.. I bet it would be nice for 4K video playback..
    Reply
  • Trusty644
    I think LG31MU is a better fit for the price. 100% sRGB and 99% Abobe RGB
    Reply
  • Pibee
    If you're going to review a PA Professional grade monitor whose advertizing and promotional claims touts 100% Adobe RGB I would think you would have underscored the fact that it only achieves sRGB as a major issue. Instead you've glossed over it and reviewed the monitor as though such claims were never made and or never existed. Doesn't it say on the box 100% Adobe RGB? And yet nothing about it is mentioned. Not much of a review then is it.

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-proart-pa329q-uhd-display,29225.html

    http://pcdiy.asus.com/2015/06/asus-pa329q-new-professional-4k-monitor-for-image-enthusiasts-editors/
    https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Monitors/PA329Q/
    Reply
  • mosc
    What's all the fuss about 100% coverage of adobe RGB?

    "If you need a 32-inch UHD monitor with a wide gamut only the NEC PA322UHD and the Dell UP3214Q have it."... and they cost twice as much.

    Can you find a 32" 4K monitor for less money that covers more? No. OK then what's your criticism?
    Reply