Gigabyte G32QC Gaming Monitor Review: 32 Inches of Class-Leading Contrast

Solid big-screen performance at a more accessible price

Reviews
By
published
Gigabyte G32QC
(Image: © Gigabyte)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Viewing Angles

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Though it is a jumbo monitor, the G32QC is not ideal for sharing. VA isn’t the best tech if you want to plant two or three users in front of the screen. At 45 degrees to the sides, the color shifts to reddish green and light is reduced by around 50%. The top-down view is much the same with reduced delineation between the brightness steps. This will make detail harder to see if you choose to stand above your monitor.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The G32QC has a tight-fitting anti-glare layer that improves sharpness but makes good uniformity more difficult to achieve. Our sample measured 12.9% average deviation from center, which means a little hot spotting is visible. We could see a slight glow in the upper-right corner, but other zones looked fine. Color was uniform at every brightness step. 

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures. 

Image 1 of 2
Gigabyte G32QC
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The G32QC is a fast monitor, but our other candidates are a touch quicker. It posts the same 7 ms draw time as any 144 or 165 Hz screen but has just a touch more input lag. If you can perceive a 4 ms difference, then your reflexes are quicker than ours. We had no trouble racking up the frag count with speedy frame rates and instant response to control inputs.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test Monitors

MORE: All Monitor Content

Christian Eberle
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.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • warezme
    Looks nice for the price. This one is definitely worthy of consideration based on stats. I wish it was 4K but no big deal if it isn't.
    Reply
  • Carlos Enrique
    8 bit, VA, no USB hub...Next, please.
    Reply
  • milleron
    For my money, Carlos, you're exactly right. But I suppose this monitor is pretty good for the US$400-500 range.
    Reply
  • snowlock
    Don't do it.
    I had this thing 35 days before the backlight started failing. Gigabyte refuses to do return shipping on their defective items after 30 days. Return shipping was $300 via fedex. Skip the middleman and just burn your money instead.
    https://ibb.co/6XM72Yb
    Reply
  • BlackHoleBox
    The explosion of VA "gaming" monitors over the past few years is one of the worst things that could happen to people who value image and motion quality.

    Samsung and AUO flooded the market with low grade 32" VA panels leading to countless no-name companies dropping them into cheap cabinets with other substandard components and overpricing them in the name of "gaming" monitors. And since idiots bought them up in droves, the availability of IPS displays shrank and their prices skyrocketed.

    So screw you Samsung. Screw you too, AUO.
    Reply
  • TK31
    Had this monitor for about 3 months now... It's great! Sure the backlight isnt the best in the market if you really squint on a completely white screen but for the purpose it serves me (gaming/movies) its perfectly fine. Its hard to find a 165hz 1440p 32" monitor for this price (in my local market anyway).

    One gripe though is it takes ages for the monitor to wake up. From the time signal is given to when an image appears on the screen.

    I had doubts originally with Gigabyte and how much money I was about to sink in, but it was all good in the end. Admittedly my experience seems rare, or just nobody bothers sharing positive experiences.
    Reply
  • shaolin95
    BlackHoleBox said:
    The explosion of VA "gaming" monitors over the past few years is one of the worst things that could happen to people who value image and motion quality.

    Samsung and AUO flooded the market with low grade 32" VA panels leading to countless no-name companies dropping them into cheap cabinets with other substandard components and overpricing them in the name of "gaming" monitors. And since idiots bought them up in droves, the availability of IPS displays shrank and their prices skyrocketed.

    So screw you Samsung. Screw you too, AUO.
    Nonsense. And calling others idiots because they have different requirements just shows how childish you are.
    IPS with the blooming, pathetic contrast level and light gray blacks is not perfect either. Both have pros and cons depending on the user needs.
    Reply