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 (opens in new tab) 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.
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.
