Monoprice Dark Matter 43548 Gaming Monitor Review: Big Screen, Small Price

The Monoprice Dark Matter 43548 is a 32-inch QHD/IPS gaming monitor with 165 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and HDR.

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
published
Monoprice Dark Matter 43548
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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.

I’ve reviewed many monitors that process HDR signals correctly with proper tone-mapping but don’t actually look any better than the same image or game does in SDR mode. To get truly impactful HDR imagery, you’ll have to spend a bit more than $320 for a 32-inch QHD monitor with 165 Hz. But if gaming performance is your top priority, there is a deal to be had here.

(Image credit: MonoPrice)

The Dark Matter 43548 is a budget monitor, sure, but it also delivers great value. Though it doesn’t offer extended color or an impactful HDR image, it delivers excellent video processing, fairly accurate color and class-leading contrast. Among IPS panels, it has more image depth than many pricier competitors,.

In addition to its reliable 165 Hz and Adaptive Sync, it has a nice list of gaming features like aiming points, timers and a frame rate indicator. There’s no USB or speakers, nor are there any lighting effects. But at $320 for a 32-inch QHD gaming monitor, there's only so much you can reasonably expect.

I should note that the curved VA version of this monitor, the Zero-G 42891, which I reviewed recently, costs $20 less than the Dark Matter 43548. It has a VA panel, so it has higher contrast and it has the extended color that’s missing here. The 43548 has a better stand, and if you prefer a flat panel, that’s here too. So, if $20 is a sticking point, there’s an excellent alternative available from Monoprice.

The Dark Matter 43548 delivers everything needed for an excellent gaming experience. In the realm of budget gaming monitors, it is a solid contender. Those seeking to save some money should definitely check it out.

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.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • gggplaya
    Can you test this out, as well as all future monitors, with a PS5 and an Xbox Series X to see if they'll take in a 4k60 signal and automatically downscale to 1440p? Some 1440p monitors can do this and some can't. People want a dual purpose monitor and it would be nice to know which monitors can do this.
    Reply
  • blppt
    HDR is nearly useless with IPS monitors. Its basically a grift. IPS by its very nature makes deep blacks impossible.

    In short, you want HDR, you go VA or OLED or maybe MicroLED whenever that comes out.
    Reply