Tested: The best 4K QD OLED gaming monitors | Tweakers

This is a shortened version of an extensive comparison on Tweakers.

Monitor enthusiasts have had to wait a long time for it, but they are finally here at the beginning of 2024: 32″ OLED screens with a 4K resolution and a high refresh rate. Based on previous OLED monitors that we have tested, you can expect perfect contrast and therefore a beautiful HDR display, a wide color range, fast response times, excellent viewing angles and uniformity. In this article we look at the first three of these types of screens available in the Netherlands: the Alienware AW3225QF, ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM and MSI MPG321URX QD-OLED. Given the interest, it is not surprising that availability is still limited.

Anyone who is interested will probably not only have to wait, but can also expect a hefty price tag. The Alienware AW3225QF (1150 euros) is the cheapest of the three monitors, followed by MSI MPG321URX (1400 euros). The ASUS PG32UCDM (1500) takes the cake with the largest price tag. We are curious how the new QD OLED panel performs and which manufacturer has built the best product around it. It is possible that our current winner will soon be overtaken again, because a few more interesting models should appear in the near future.

Compared to the other two monitors, the Alienware AW3225QF has the most distinctive design, which looks futuristic with its black and white color contrast and smooth curves. It is also recognisable; the design fits well with that of other Alienware products. Although the monitor has RGB lighting in the form of an illuminated Alien logo and the number ’32’ on the other side of the back, this monitor looks quite businesslike and does not have the distinct ‘gamer’ look that the ASUS has fitted its PG32UCDM. Of the three monitors, the MSI MPG321URX has the simplest design, with a matte black housing and base.

In terms of connections, the monitors are close together, but there are also a few important differences. The monitors all have two HDMI 2.1 inputs and a DisplayPort 1.4 input. This means that none of the monitors are suitable for an uncompressed 4K/240Hz signal. These ports do not provide enough bandwidth for that. This means that display stream compression must be used. This means that fewer screens can be connected at the same time with some video cards and advanced options such as DSR and DLDSR can be omitted from Nvidia cards. In practice you hardly notice it. From our tests, switching on DSC hardly results in any loss of image quality. Most users will not notice this, especially while gaming.

All three monitors are also a USB hub. The monitors differ somewhat in this regard. ASUS and MSI’s screen then offer a USB-C connection, allowing you to easily switch between a gaming PC or console connected via HDMI or DisplayPort. Unfortunately, Alienware does not offer this option. In addition, it should be noted that both the ASUS and MSI screens have a KVM switch. This allows the screen to switch the connected (peripheral) equipment between two systems without having to plug in cables. Unfortunately, this works much less well with the PG32UCDM than with the MSI MPG321URX. With this you have to dive into the menu a second time to switch the USB hub. So if you switch between systems a lot, it is good to take this into account in your choice.

When you pay more than a thousand euros for a monitor, you are not only looking for a monitor with useful functions, but above all the image quality must be very good. In any case, the 4K resolution of the screens on a 32″ diagonal ensures that you have a large image in front of you. It is advisable to scale your image to 125 percent, otherwise the text will become very small. The 16:9 ratio also makes the screen ideal for gaming on consoles or watching series. There are no large black bars, like on an ultrawide.

The finish of the new QD OLED panel is also unchanged compared to previous screens. A black screen looks purplish gray, while the average LCD or Woled monitor with a matte coating does not take on a purple tint. It is a pity that when there is light, you also see clear reflections in the image, which normally only affects glossy screens, but they continue to look blacker even when the light falls. An advantage that QD OLED screens share with other glossy finished screens is that there is no glittering effect on solid colors, as is the case with many LCD monitors and Woled monitors.

Due to the technology of QD OLED screens, color fringing can occur, with purple and green edges being visible at the top and bottom of transitions between black and white. This was especially visible on previous generations of QD OLED screens and although it is less visible on these new panels, especially during gaming, it has not completely disappeared.

For HDR display, OLED and QD OLED screens have the great advantage of perfect contrast; each pixel is its own light. For example, bright highlights stand out perfectly against dark shadows, where black can look more like dark gray on many common LCD monitors. (QD) OLED screens are at a disadvantage when it comes to peak brightness. Our tests show that the three screens have the same maximum brightness, which is higher than screens from previous years. However, the screen appears to lag behind the first screens of 2024 with the Woled technology that we tested at the beginning of this year. QD-OLED seems to be making smaller steps in this regard. Good HDR display is not just about who is the brightest, but also which manufacturer displays the best colors. The color adjustment is the least on the MSI screen, where the colors are sometimes very saturated. The other two don’t have that.

The Alienware AW3225QF, ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM and MSI MPG321URX QD-OLED are not for everyone, with prices ranging from 1150 to more than 1500 euros. The good news is that each of the three screens offers excellent image quality, which in many areas is better than common (and cheaper) LCD options. The screens offer a high 240Hz refresh rate, extremely fast response times, unparalleled viewing angles, very good uniformity and of course excellent contrast.

Bottom line, we rate the PG32UCDM as the best of the three screens, with the best display and the most functionalities. This makes it the most expensive, but also the ultimate 4K OLED gaming monitor at the moment. The question is whether the screen will be able to maintain that status for a long time. A number of new interesting QD OLED screens will be released in the coming months.