Join for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation plus sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
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.
When considering which gaming monitor to buy, one thing is clear: Size matters. Though 27-inch flat panels are one of the most common desktop display formats, there is no doubt that games are more fun on a big screen.
If you don’t have the space or budget for something extreme, like a 49-inch mega-wide or 55-inch screen, a 32-inch curved monitor can provide a lot of that excitement for less money. Pixio’s PXC327 provides everything a gaming enthusiast needs for a very low price, just $310 at present. To get greater performance, you’d have to spend quite a bit more, and you’d likely wind up with a smaller screen.
(Image credit: Pixio)
The PXC327 concentrates on the fundamental elements of what makes a gaming monitor a gaming monitor. It has class-leading contrast, enough pixel density for a sharp picture without the need for a super-expensive graphics card, and video processing prowess where it counts with a 165 Hz refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync.
Image quality in SDR mode is exemplary once you calibrate. Out-of-box accuracy is a bit wanting but with our recommended settings (page 1), you’ll see a significant improvement in both color and contrast. HDR, however, isn’t quite there with undersaturated color that we were not able to correct.
The only video processing flaw we found was a faulty backlight strobe. Gamers looking for that form of blur reduction will want to shop a different display. But if we just used Adaptive-Sync at the overdrive’s High setting, there were no issues.
When considering what’s most important in a gaming monitor, the Pixio PXC327 checks the right boxes. It includes a couple of things (HDR and blur reduction) that aren’t well-implemented, but missing those features doesn’t detract from the gaming experience. So if you can also do without luxuries, like USB ports, a variety of stand adjustments and internal speakers, the PXC327 is a terrific value that’s definitely worth checking out.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
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.
