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.
To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
Among desktop monitors, VA panels are usually not as bright as similar-sized and spec’d IPS displays. It’s more common to see a bright VA television, as evidenced by the 43-inch Asus in the comparison group. But the M32UC is an exception when considering smaller screens. It’s rated for 450 nits in SDR mode, and my sample topped 500.
That’s a lot of light, considering its 32-inch size. Add in those deep VA black levels and you have a recipe for high contrast, 2,381.3:1 in this case. Though some VA screens I’ve tested have a greater dynamic range, like the Asus XG43UQ, this is still more than double the best IPS monitors, and the difference is easily seen with the naked eye.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration cost me a little contrast, but a less than 100-point difference is insignificant. The M32UC still has more than twice the dynamic range of a good IPS panel. Only the Asus boasts more due to its extremely deep blacks
ANSI contrast drops below 2,000:1 but barely. The M32UC is a quality display and performs extremely well for the price.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
Intel reportedly demands all board partners implement Intel Default (Baseline) Profile by May 31 — company hopes to fix issues with some Core i9 chips
'Digital Twins' research gains $285 million in CHIPS ACT funding — virtual chip tech could revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing
Explosive HBM demand fueling an expected 20% increase in DDR5 memory pricing — demand for AI GPUs drives production cuts for standard PC memory
