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Gigabyte M32Q Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Jul 20, 2021 at 11:05 am
Latest change: Retest Apr 18, 2023 at 10:53 am
Gigabyte M32Q Picture
7.8
Mixed Usage
7.8
Office
8.5
Gaming
7.4
Media Consumption
8.0
Media Creation
6.3
HDR

The Gigabyte M32Q is a great monitor with a 32 inch 1440p IPS screen. It has wide viewing angles, good peak brightness, and good reflection handling. This monitor delivers an amazing gaming experience, with an outstanding response time, superb low input lag, and a few great gaming features. It supports FreeSync and G-SYNC variable refresh rate technologies for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. There's an optional black frame insertion feature (BFI), and unlike most monitors on the market, it even supports BFI with a variable refresh rate, meaning you can get the best of both worlds. It also has a few unique extra features, including a built-in keyboard, video, and mouse switch (KVM), allowing you to control two sources at once with a single keyboard and mouse. Of course, due to the IPS panel, it's not as well-suited for a dark room, as it has low contrast and bad black uniformity, but overall, it's a great monitor for pretty much any usage.

Our Verdict

7.8 Mixed Usage

The Gigabyte M32Q is a great monitor for most uses. It's great for office use, with wide viewing angles, lots of screen space to work, good peak brightness, and good reflection handling. It excels as a gaming monitor, with some great gaming features, an incredibly fast response time, and of course, low input lag. It's also a good choice for watching videos, and a great choice for media creation, with an impressive color gamut and outstanding accuracy out of the box.

Pros
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Outstanding response time.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
  • Stand can't be rotated to a portrait orientation.
7.8 Office

The Gigabyte M32Q is a great office monitor. It has good peak brightness and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue. It has wide viewing angles, great for sharing the screen with someone else, and has excellent gray uniformity. The 32 inch, 1440p screen is great for multitasking. The stand can't rotate to portrait orientation, though, which might be limiting for some users, and blacks appear gray in a dark room, so it's not great for working late.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
  • Stand can't be rotated to a portrait orientation.
8.5 Gaming

The Gigabyte M32Q delivers an amazing gaming experience. It has an extremely fast response time, delivering clear motion with little blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has low input lag, and it supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) technologies. It also looks great even in a bright setting, with good peak brightness and good reflection handling. Also, it has an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce blur, but unlike most monitors, this feature is even available when VRR is enabled.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Outstanding response time.
  • Low input lag.
  • Versatile BFI feature that works with VRR.
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
7.4 Media Consumption

The Gigabyte M32Q is very good for watching videos. The relatively large size and high pixel density deliver a clear, sharp image, and the image remains accurate at an angle, great for watching with a few other people. It has good peak brightness and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue, but it's not great for watching in the dark, as it has low contrast and bad black uniformity.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Outstanding color accuracy out of the box.
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
  • Bad black uniformity.
8.0 Media Creation

The Gigabyte M32Q is a great monitor for media creators. The large screen makes it easier to see more of your work at once, and the wide viewing angles make it easy to share your work with someone else. It has outstanding accuracy out of the box, and a superb SDR color gamut, with great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. It has amazing gray uniformity and superb gradient handling, so you don't have to worry about dirty screen effect or banding. It's not great in a dark room, though, as it has a low contrast ratio and bad black uniformity.

Pros
  • Good reflection handling.
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Excellent gray uniformity.
  • Outstanding color accuracy out of the box.
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
  • Bad black uniformity.
  • Stand can't be rotated to a portrait orientation.
6.3 HDR

Pros
Cons
  • Blacks appear gray in a dark room.
  • No local dimming.
  • Bad black uniformity.
  • 7.8 Mixed Usage
  • 7.8 Office
  • 8.5 Gaming
  • 7.4 Media Consumption
  • 8.0 Media Creation
  • 6.3 HDR
  1. Updated Apr 18, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
  2. Updated Sep 20, 2022: We bought and tested the HP X27q, which is a similar budget gaming monitor. We added a few relevant comparisons to this review.
  3. Updated May 02, 2022: We tested the monitor with the PS5's new variable refresh rate feature and confirmed that it's not compatible, since the PS5 only supports HDMI Forum VRR.
  4. Updated Apr 08, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
  5. Updated Jan 13, 2022: Checked an error with the OD Sidekick software.
  6. Updated Aug 04, 2021: We tested the DisplayPort Alt Mode capabilities of the USB-C port.
  7. Updated Jul 20, 2021: Review published.
  8. Updated Jul 15, 2021: Early access published.
  9. Updated Jun 29, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  10. Updated Jun 25, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  11. Updated Jun 17, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 32 inch Gigabyte M32Q, which is part of Gigabyte's 'M' Series gaming monitors, designed with productivity in mind and all feature a built-in KVM (keyboard, video, & mouse) switch. It's also available in a 27 inch size, but the smaller size has a slightly different panel, so our review here isn't valid for that size.

Model Size Native Resolution Max Refresh rate Panel Type
M34WQ 34" 3440x1440 144Hz IPS
M32Q 32" 1440p 170Hz IPS
M32U 32" 4k 144Hz IPS
M28U 28" 4k 144Hz IPS
M27Q (rev. 1.0) 27" 1440p 170Hz IPS
M27F 27" 1080p 144Hz IPS

If you come across a different type of panel or your Gigabyte M32Q doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.

Our unit was manufactured in April 2021; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The Gigabyte M32Q is an impressive gaming monitor, and it's one of the few 32 inch monitors available with an IPS panel. It has a few extra features that help it to stand out against the competition.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 32-inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.

Gigabyte M32U

The Gigabyte M32U is a bit better overall than the Gigabyte M32Q. The M32U has a higher resolution screen, resulting in better text clarity thanks to the higher pixel density. The M32U has two HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a better choice for Xbox Series S|X or PS5 gamers.

Gigabyte G32QC

The Gigabyte G32QC and the Gigabyte M32Q use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The G32QC uses a VA panel and is a better choice for a dark environment, as it has much better contrast. The M32Q uses an IPS panel, and it has much better viewing angles. The M32Q also has better ergonomics, as the stand can swivel, and it has a better height adjustment range.

LG 32GP850-B

The Gigabyte M32Q and the LG 32GP850-B are nearly identical, with only a few minor differences. The Gigabyte has better vertical viewing angles, but the LG has better horizontal viewing angles. The Gigabyte has a slightly better stand, and it has a unique KVM feature that allows you to work with two sources at once with a single keyboard and mouse.

LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B

The Gigabyte M32Q is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B. The Gigabyte has better vertical viewing angles, slightly better ergonomics, a more versatile black frame insertion feature that's available over a wider range of refresh rates, and it has a larger screen. The Gigabyte also offers slightly better connectivity, with a built-in KVM and USB-C port.

Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0)

The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the Gigabyte M32Q are very similar overall, but the M32Q is slightly better for most people. The M32Q has better ergonomics, with a stand that can swivel and a wider height adjustment. The M32Q also uses a more standard RGB subpixel structure, whereas the M27Q uses a suboptimal BGR structure, which can cause some text clarity issues in certain apps.

MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD

The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and the Gigabyte M32Q offer very similar performance overall. The biggest difference between them is in their design. If you prefer a larger screen, go with the Gigabyte, but if ergonomics are more important to you and you don't plan on VESA mounting the monitor, the MSI might be the better choice.

Gigabyte G27Q

The Gigabyte M32Q is a bit better overall than the Gigabyte G27Q, and much better for gaming. The M32Q has a much faster response time, especially when gaming at 60Hz. The M32Q also has better ergonomics, a larger screen, and a more versatile black frame insertion feature that works across a wider range of refresh rates, and it can be used concurrently with the variable refresh rate feature.

Gigabyte M34WQ

The Gigabyte M32Q and the Gigabyte M34WQ offer very similar performance but have slightly different designs. The M34WQ has an ultrawide aspect ratio, which delivers a more immersive gaming experience, and it's better for multitasking. The M32Q is also slightly better for gaming, as it has a faster response time, especially when gaming at 60Hz.

Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T

The Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T and the Gigabyte M32Q use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Samsung uses a VA panel and is a better choice for a dark room, as it has much better contrast and better black uniformity. The Gigabyte has much better viewing angles and a unique KVM feature that allows you to work with two sources with one set of keyboard and mouse. There's also a significant design difference between these monitors, as the Samsung has a fairly aggressive curve, whereas the Gigabyte is flat.

Dell S3220DGF

The Dell S3220DGF and the Gigabyte M32Q use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends a bit on your needs. The Dell uses a VA panel, so it's best-suited for a darker environment. The Gigabyte doesn't look as good in a dark room but otherwise outperforms the Dell. The Gigabyte has a much faster response time, better viewing angles, and an optional black frame insertion feature, so it's a much better gaming monitor.

Gigabyte AORUS FI32U

The Gigabyte AORUS FI32U is slightly better than the Gigabyte M32Q. The FI32U has a higher resolution screen, better ergonomics, and it supports HDMI 2.1, making it a better choice for next-gen console gamers. The M32Q has lower input lag when gaming at 60Hz, meaning some users might prefer that.

Corsair XENEON 32QHD165

The Gigabyte M32Q and the Corsair XENEON 32QHD165 are very similar overall. The Gigabyte has a better height adjustment and has a better selection of additional features, including a built-in KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch, meaning you can control two computers with a single set of input devices. On the other hand, the Corsair has better colors, with a much wider color gamut in both SDR and HDR, so it's a better choice for some media creators.

LG 32QN55T-B

The Gigabyte M32Q is much better than the LG 32QN55T-B. The Gigabyte has a much faster refresh rate, resulting in a significantly faster response time, so there's very little blur behind fast-moving objects. The Gigabyte also has better ergonomics and better compatibility with consoles, as it can downscale a 4k image and supports 120Hz signals. The Gigabyte is also more feature-rich, as it has a built-in USB hub, USB-C support, and an optional backlight strobing feature to improve the appearance of motion.

HP X27q

The Gigabyte M32Q is a significantly better gaming monitor than the HP X27q. The Gigabyte has much better motion handling thanks to its significantly faster response time, especially at low refresh rates. The Gigabyte also has better compatibility with the Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles, as it can display a downscaled 4k image.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
No
Curve Radius
Not Curved

The Gigabyte M32Q has a simple, subdued design that looks great in any setting. It has extremely thin bezels on three sides, and even the bottom bezel is thinner than most similar displays. The stand is a bit bulky, taking up more space than similar offerings from LG, but it supports the display well and has a great range of ergonomics, but it can't rotate to portrait orientation.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures N/A
7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Gigabyte M32Q has decent build quality. It's entirely plastic but feels sturdy, and the ergonomic adjustments are smooth and feel solid. The glossy finish on the back is prone to collecting fingerprints. We didn't notice any real areas of concern; the bezels seem solid, and we didn't notice any bubbling or issues with the frame.

7.6
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.1" (13.0 cm)
Tilt Range
-20° to 5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
No
Swivel Range
-30° to 30°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The Gigabyte M32Q has okay ergonomics. It has an impressive height adjustment range and a great tilt range, but it can't rotate to portrait orientation, so it's less ideal for a multi-monitor setup. The back of the monitor has a clean but modern design similar to the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0). There's a cutout in the stand for cable management.

Design
Stand
Base Width
19.5" (49.6 cm)
Base Depth
9.6" (24.5 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
6.5" (16.6 cm)
Weight (With Display)
22.9 lbs (10.4 kg)

The stand is a bit bulky, but it supports the display well.

Design
Display
Size
32"
Housing Width
28.1" (71.5 cm)
Housing Height
16.7" (42.3 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
2.6" (6.7 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
15.9 lbs (7.2 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.3" (0.8 cm)
Design
Controls

You can control the OSD using the joystick button at the back of the monitor, similar to most LG monitors. There's also a dedicated button for the KVM switch.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • User manuals
  • DisplayPort cable
  • HDMI cable
  • USB-B upstream cable
  • 3 different power cables (Type B, I, and J)

Picture Quality
6.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,195 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

The Gigabyte M32Q has mediocre contrast, as expected for an IPS panel. This results in blacks that tend to look gray in a completely dark room. If you want a similar model with better contrast, check out the Dell S3222DGM instead.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

The Gigabyte M32Q doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only, so you can see how the backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming.

7.8
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
328 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
332 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
333 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
333 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
333 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
333 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
332 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
333 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
333 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
333 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
333 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000
Minimum Brightness
56 cd/m²

The Gigabyte M32Q has very good peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough for most environments, even if there's a lot of natural light in your room. There's no variation in brightness with different content, which is great.

These measurements were taken after calibration, in the 'Standard' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.

7.0
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
DisplayHDR 400
Real Scene
445 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
460 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
460 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
459 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
459 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
458 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
458 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
458 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
458 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
458 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
457 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

The Gigabyte M32Q has decent peak brightness in HDR. It's bright enough to show off some small highlights in games, but it's not bright enough for a true cinematic HDR experience when watching movies.

These measurements are taken before calibration, in the 'HDR400' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max and HDR enabled. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.

7.5
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
38°
Color Washout From Right
39°
Color Shift From Left
42°
Color Shift From Right
45°
Brightness Loss From Left
42°
Brightness Loss From Right
44°
Black Level Raise From Left
70°
Black Level Raise From Right
70°
Gamma Shift From Left
38°
Gamma Shift From Right
38°

As expected for an IPS panel, the horizontal viewing angles on the Gigabyte M32Q are good. The image starts to wash out at a wide angle, but most colors remain accurate, except for reds which start to shift. It's not as good as the LG 32QN55T-B or the HP X27q, but the difference isn't very noticeable.

7.9
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
32°
Color Washout From Above
35°
Color Shift From Below
41°
Color Shift From Above
54°
Brightness Loss From Below
36°
Brightness Loss From Above
39°
Black Level Raise From Below
70°
Black Level Raise From Above
70°
Gamma Shift From Below
58°
Gamma Shift From Above
64°

As expected for an IPS panel, the vertical viewing angles are very good and shouldn't cause any issues. The image washes out a bit at a wide angle above or below the display, but colors remain fairly accurate even at a wide angle.

8.3
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.478%
50% DSE
0.133%

The Gigabyte M32Q has amazing gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are slightly darker than the center, but there's almost no dirty screen effect in the center, which is amazing.

4.8
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.799%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Unfortunately, the Gigabyte M32Q has bad black uniformity. There's a bit of cloudiness on the screen, but it's not too bad. The biggest issue is significant backlight bleed from the corners, which can be very distracting in a dark room.

9.6
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
sRGB
sRGB Gamut Area xy
100.6%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.63
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,625 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.14
Color dE (Avg.)
0.99
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Settings
Default
Gamma Setting
Default
Brightness Setting
35
Measured Brightness
157 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

Out of the box, the Gigabyte M32Q has outstanding accuracy. Gamma follows the target sRGB curve almost perfectly, but some bright scenes are slightly over-brightened. White balance and color accuracy are nearly perfect; the only potentially noticeable issue is highly saturated blues, and even that isn't very noticeable. Note that the accuracy out of the box can vary between units.

Out of the box, the most accurate picture mode is the sRGB mode. Unfortunately, using this mode brings some limitations, as the color temperature settings are locked down and can't be adjusted.

9.6
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Custom 1
sRGB Gamut Area xy
97.5%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.48
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,482 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.17
Color dE (Avg.)
0.46
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Settings
100-97-92
Gamma Setting
2.2
Brightness Setting
15
Measured Brightness
100 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

After calibrating, colors and the white balance are even more accurate, but gamma is slightly worse, and bright scenes are even brighter than they were before calibration. We couldn't correct for the issue with pure blues, but this still isn't very noticeable.

9.3
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
98.9%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
84.2%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The Gigabyte M32Q has an impressive SDR color gamut. It has nearly perfect coverage of the sRGB color used by most desktop and web content, but it falls a bit short on the blues and greens. Coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space is great but might not be good enough for some professional content creators.

9.6
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
97.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
89.8%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The Gigabyte M32Q has exceptional color volume in SDR. Since it can display almost all of the sRGB color space, it's mainly limited by the low contrast ratio, as it can't display saturated colors at low luminance levels. Like most LCDs, blues aren't as bright as pure white or other colors, but this isn't very noticeable.

7.6
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
87.5%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR400
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
64.3%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR400

The Gigabyte M32Q has a good HDR color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the DCI P3 color space used by most current HDR content. Coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space is mediocre, though, so it's not as future-proof.

8.1
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
83.2%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR400
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
61.8%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR400

The Gigabyte M32Q has decent HDR color volume. It's limited by the incomplete color gamut in both DCI P3 and Rec. 2020. Due to the low contrast ratio, it can't display dark saturated colors very well.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.2%
Indirect Reflections
2.8%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.4%

The Gigabyte M32Q has good reflection handling. The matte finish disperses direct light sources well, but bright lights can still be distracting if they're opposite the display.

7.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The Gigabyte M32Q has good text clarity. We recommend running the Window ClearType wizard if you're on a PC; otherwise, there are some text clarity issues with diagonal lines, as shown in the bottom photo. Thankfully, unlike the smaller Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0), this monitor doesn't use a suboptimal BGR sub-pixel layout. The Gigabyte AORUS FI32U has much better text clarity thanks to the 4k native resolution.

9.3
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The Gigabyte M32Q has outstanding gradient handling. Although advertised as an 8-bit panel, it accepts and displays a 10-bit signal, so it likely uses dithering (also known as FRC) to approximate a 10-bit panel, but we don't currently test for this. There's some banding in darker greens and grays, but it's not very noticeable.

Motion
8.6
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
165 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
170 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
170 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
120 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
60 Hz
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
170 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort, HDMI
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes

The Gigabyte M32Q has an excellent native refresh rate, and you can overclock it slightly higher. It supports variable refresh rate technology (VRR), and it has a very wide supported refresh rate range over DisplayPort. Like all monitors, it doesn't support G-SYNC over HDMI, and the maximum native refresh rate over HDMI is 144Hz.

9.2
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
3.5 ms
Total Response Time
6.1 ms
Overshoot Error
0.0%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
5.1 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
9.2 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
0.0%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
offChartTablePhoto
smart-odChartTablePhoto
picture-qualityChartTablePhoto
balanceChartTablePhoto
speedChartTablePhoto

The Gigabyte M32Q has an outstanding response time at the maximum refresh rate of 170Hz. At our recommended Overdrive setting, 'Picture Quality', there's no overshoot and very little blur behind fast-moving objects. The 'Balance' mode is extremely similar, so you should choose whichever one looks best to you. It has a slightly faster rise/fall time but a bit more overshoot. This results in slightly less blur behind fast-moving objects, but you might see some overshoot artifacts instead, also known as inverse ghosting. As with most monitors, the highest setting, 'Speed' in this case, is practically unusable.

There's also a 'Smart OD' mode that's advertised to work similarly to a variable overdrive feature by automatically selecting the best mode depending on the refresh rate. This saves you from having to adjust the Overdrive if you switch to a lower refresh rate. At both 170Hz and 60Hz, it appears to be in the 'Balance' mode, so we're not sure if it's doing anything.

9.1
Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
3.5 ms
Total Response Time
6.9 ms
Overshoot Error
0.6%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
5.1 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
9.8 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
3.6%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
offChartTablePhoto
smart-odChartTablePhoto
picture-qualityChartTablePhoto
balanceChartTablePhoto
speedChartTablePhoto

8.5
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Picture Quality
Rise / Fall Time
3.5 ms
Total Response Time
10.1 ms
Overshoot Error
1.3%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
5.0 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
19.2 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
5.6%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
offChartTablePhoto
smart-odChartTablePhoto
picture-qualityChartTablePhoto
balanceChartTablePhoto
speedChartTablePhoto

The Gigabyte M32Q has an outstanding response time at 60Hz. We still recommend the 'Picture Quality' Overdrive setting, as it delivers the best response time with the least amount of overshoot, but there's a bigger difference between 'Picture Quality' and 'Balance' this time. Unlike at the max refresh rate, there's significantly more overshoot in the 'Balance' mode at 60Hz, and the total response time is significantly slower. Again, 'Speed' is terrible and shouldn't be used.

There's also a 'Smart OD' mode advertised to work similarly to a variable overdrive feature by automatically selecting the best mode depending on the refresh rate. This saves you from having to adjust the Overdrive if you switch to a lower refresh rate. At both 170Hz and 60Hz, it appears to be in the 'Balance' mode, so we're not sure if it's doing anything. Since 'Balance' isn't very good at 60Hz, it's probably best to stick with 'Picture Quality' for any refresh rate.

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Yes
Maximum Frequency
170 Hz
Minimum Frequency
85 Hz
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
90 cd/m²
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
90 cd/m²
Pulse Width Control
No
Pulse Phase Control
No
Pulse Amplitude Control
No
VRR At The Same Time
Yes

Refresh RateVRRMotion Blur Photo
170HzOffPhoto
OnPhoto
120HzOffPhoto
OnPhoto

The Gigabyte M32Q has an optional black frame insertion (BFI) feature, which can reduce persistence blur caused by the fast response time. There's very little strobe crosstalk, but the flicker can cause duplications in motion.

Unlike most monitors on the market, the Gigabyte M32Q can use BFI even with a variable refresh rate, similar to ASUS' ELMB Sync technology. BFI works across all refresh rates of 120Hz and above with VRR enabled, and it works as expected. It's possible to enable it and change the refresh rate after, and it works, but below 85Hz, the BFI feature is unstable and doesn't work consistently.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The backlight is completely flicker-free, which is great as it can reduce eye strain.

Inputs
8.8
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
4.5 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
5.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
10.1 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
8.4 ms

The Gigabyte M32Q has outstanding low input lag, resulting in a very responsive gaming experience. The 60Hz input lag is a touch higher than usual, but not noticeably so.

7.9
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution
2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Megapixels
3.7 MP
Pixel Density
93 PPI
Measured Screen Diagonal
31.6"
Screen Area
428 in²

The 32 inch 1440p display is great for office work or gaming. It delivers a great amount of screen real estate to work with, and it delivers a sharp image without taxing your GPU as much as a 4k display. If you prefer an ultrawide aspect ratio, check out the Gigabyte M34WQ instead.

7.0
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
No
9.2
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes
Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
2 (HDMI 2.0)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
No HDMI 2.1
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Audio In
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No

Update 08/04/2021: We tested the DisplayPort Alt Mode capabilities of the USB-C port. It supports the maximum refresh rate and resolution of this monitor, including the optional overclock.

There's one USB-C port, it supports a few advanced USB-C features, including DisplayPort alt mode, 15W fast charging for supported devices, and it can be used as a KVM switch (keyboard, video, and mouse).

Unfortunately, the Gigabyte M32Q doesn't support HDMI 2.1. If you're looking for a monitor for PS5 or Xbox Series S|X gaming with HDMI 2.1 support, check out the Gigabyte M32U instead.

Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
3
USB-A Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-B Upstream Port
Yes
USB-C Ports
1
USB-C Upstream
Yes
USB-C Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-C Power Delivery
15W
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
Yes
Thunderbolt
No
Inputs
macOS Compatibility

This monitor works really well with recent MacBooks. There are no issues with sleep mode or closing the window, it recovers quickly, and windows go back to their original position when your computer wakes up. Enabling the variable refresh rate feature works well in games but flickers quite a bit on the desktop, so it's best to disable it when you're not gaming.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
Yes
RGB Illumination
No
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP
KVM Switch
Yes

Update 01/13/2022: We received user reports that the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and Picture-by-Picture (PBP) settings don't work through the OD Sidekick software. We tried it out on our unit, and we couldn't disable/enable the PBP and PIP settings through the software. We even made sure to update the firmware to its latest update. We were only able to enable these settings through the on-screen display. We didn't experience this issue with the Gigabyte M28U and Gigabyte M32U, so it's likely an issue with this monitor alone.

The Gigabyte M32Q has a few additional features available, most of them gaming-oriented. Some of them include:

  • Virtual Crosshair: There are four virtual crosshairs to choose from. Unlike software virtual crosshairs, these can't be detected by your games.
  • FPS Counter: Displays the current number of frames per second received from the source.
  • Black Equalizer: Adjusts gamma to make it easier to spot other players/enemies in shadows.
  • Eagle Eye: Zooms a section of the screen to make it easier to see where you're aiming.
  • KVM: The main feature of Gigabyte's 'M' series monitors, the KVM button at the back of the monitor allows you to quickly switch from controlling one device to another, with just one keyboard and mouse.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)