Gigabyte G32QCA Review 2022: All You Need To Know

Bottom Line

Gigabyte G32QCA is a reasonably priced 32″ 1440p 165Hz curved gaming monitor with FreeSync, HDR, and more interesting features. It also offers decent design quality and extensive connectivity options. Alas, the pixel response time performance could be better.

Design: (4.0)Display: (4.6)Performance: (4.1)Price/Value: (3.5) 4.1 See Price

The Gigabyte G32QC A is a 32″ 1440p 165Hz curved gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync and entry-level HDR support.

There are many models with similar specifications, but the G32QCA offers some unique features at a competitive price.

Image Quality

Based on a 31.5″ VA panel with a 2560×1440 resolution, the Gigabyte G32QC-A delivers the same pixel density as that of 24″ 1080p displays, that is, ~93 PPI (pixels per inch).

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

You get sharp details and plenty of screen real estate, and because the monitor is so large, you’ll want to sit a bit further away from the screen than you would from a 24″ monitor.

So, at a normal viewing distance, you won’t be able to notice any individual pixels allowing you to fully enjoy the huge 32″ sized screen.

The main asset of VA panel displays is the superior static contrast ratio (3,000:1), which results in deep inky blacks, bright whites, and a strong relation between the darkest and the brightest tones.

Further, the Gigabyte G32QCA monitor has a wide color gamut backlight covering 93% of the DCI-P3 color space (equivalent to ~121% sRGB).

As a result, you get more saturated and vibrant colors. However, this also means that sRGB content (most games and web content) will be somewhat over-saturated.

Some users prefer this extra saturation as it makes for richer colors, but you can also restrict the G32QCA to ~100% sRGB color gamut via the provided sRGB emulation mode for better accuracy. Brightness is adjustable in this mode.

Lastly, the monitor has a peak brightness of 350-nits, which is more than enough even for well-lit rooms.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) is supported with VESA’s entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification.

This means that HDR content gets a slight boost in peak brightness to 400-nits, but other than that, HDR image quality won’t look significantly better.

Performance

Despite the 178° wide viewing angles, there are some minor gamma shifts depending on the angle you’re looking at the screen, but nothing drastic.

Next, the input lag of the Gigabyte G32QCA amounts to only ~4ms. In other words, you won’t be able to notice or feel any delays between your actions and the result on the screen.

Now, the GtG (gray to gray) pixel response time speed of the monitor is not specified by Gigabyte.

The quoted 1ms response time refers to the MPRT measure, which you can only get once you enable the Aim Stabilizer feature.

This is a Motion Blur Reduction technology that uses backlight strobing in order to reduce perceived ghosting in fast-paced games.

However, as a trade-off, the brightness of the monitor is reduced and you cannot use Adaptive-Sync at the same time as Aim Stabilizer.

Back to the GtG response time:

There are four response time overdrive modes: Picture Quality, Balance, Speed and Smart OD.

For 165Hz, you should use the Speed option for minimal trailing visible behind fast-moving objects at the cost of minor overshoot (inverse ghosting).

At lower refresh rates (60Hz – 100Hz), stick to the Balance option for less overshoot.

Due to the amount of visible ghosting and overshoot at 165Hz, we don’t recommend the Gigabyte G32QCA for competitive FPS gaming.

Features

Adaptive-Sync is supported; it provides a variable refresh rate (VRR) for compatible AMD (FreeSync) and NVIDIA (G-SYNC Compatible) graphics cards.

VRR removes all screen tearing and stuttering within the 48-165Hz range by synchronizing the monitor’s refresh rate with the GPU’s frame rates at no noticeable input lag penalty.

While the Gigabyte G32QCA display is not officially certified as ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ by NVIDIA, you can use Adaptive-Sync with compatible GeForce cards.

All you have to do is manually enable ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ in the NVIDIA control panel.

Keep in mind that Samsung’s VA panels, like this one, are prone to brightness flickering with VRR, though there haven’t been any reports regarding this for the G32QCA.

Moving, on the Gigabyte G32QCA packs a bunch of additional useful and unique features.

For navigation through the menu, you can use either the joystick placed at the back of the monitor or the exclusive OSD Sidekick desktop application.

If you connect the USB-B port of the monitor to your PC, you can use the Dashboard feature, which displays your GPU/CPU temperature, usage and other parameters.

You can also display on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker and custom crosshairs.

Other noteworthy features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in darker games), Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes and various picture presets (FPS, RTS/RPG, Reader, etc).

Besides the standard image adjustment tools such as brightness, contrast and color temperature, you can also adjust gamma and color saturation.

The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free (unless Aim Stabilizer is enabled) and there’s a low-blue light filter mode.

Unlike the Aorus branded monitors from Gigabyte, the G32QCA doesn’t support ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) over its headphone jack.

Design & Connectivity

The design of the Gigabyte G32QCA involves ultra-thin bezels, a matte anti-glare screen coating that eliminates reflections, and a height-adjustable stand (up to 100mm).

You can also tilt the stand by -5°/20° or detach it for the 100x100mm VESA mounting pattern, but you cannot swivel or pivot the screen.

The screen has a steep 1500R curvature for added immersion, though not everyone’s a fan of curved screens at this display size.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports (max 144Hz at 1440p), a headphones jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte G32QCA goes for ~$280, which is too expensive.

You can find the KTC H32S25E with a higher 240Hz refresh rate for the same price.

If you’d rather have a 32″ 1440p gaming monitor with an IPS panel for wider viewing angles, faster response time and smooth VRR performance, check out the LG 32GS75Q with 180Hz or the Titan Army P32A2S2 with 240Hz.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

The Gigabyte G32QCA is a great 32″ 1440p 165Hz gaming monitor thanks to its VA panel with a high contrast ratio and wide color gamut paired with affordable pricing.

It’s a good pick if you find it on sale and you’re mainly playing graphically-intensive games and you’re not sensitive to ghosting and screen tearing; otherwise, you should invest in an IPS model for better performance.

Specifications

Screen Size	31.5-inch
Screen Curvature	1500R
Resolution	2560×1440 (WQHD)
Panel Type	VA
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	165Hz
Response Time (GtG)	Not Specified
Response Time (Aim Stabilizer)	1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync (48Hz-165Hz)
Ports	DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	350 cd/m²
Brightness (HDR)	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	3000:1 (static)
Colors	16.7 million (true 8-bit)94% DCI-P3
HDR	DisplayHDR 400
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

• High contrast ratio, wide color gamut
• Plenty of features including MBR and FreeSync up to 165Hz
• Height-adjustable stand and rich connectivity options

The Cons:

• Design lacks swivel/pivot
• Minor ghosting in fast-paced games, mainly in darker scenes

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