Another day, another 32-inch, 240 Hz, 4K OLED Messiah monitor, this time from Gigabyte. This is actually the third panel we've reviewed in recent weeks, so it's fair to say we're becoming quite familiar with what was, until recently, a radically new segment of the monitor market.
The basic proposition of combining 4K pixel density with OLED picture quality has been promising something akin to the ultimate in PC display technology for some time now. And neither the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM nor the Alienware 32 AW3225QF disappointed. We love 32 inches of 4K OLED goodness.
So the question is how the new Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 stacks up against its direct competition and what, if anything, it teaches us extra about this brave new world of 4K OLED gaming.
On paper there are few surprises. The only arguable exception is price. Gigabyte screens are typically positioned very competitively and at $1,099 this OLED is no exception. It's about $100 cheaper than the Alienware and $200 less than the Asus.
Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 Specifications
Screen size: 32-in
Solution: 3,840 x 2,160
Brightness: 250 nits full screen, 1000 nits max HDR
Color Coverage: 99% DCI-P3
Response time: 0.03ms
Refresh Rate: 240Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 400 True black
Functions: Samsung QD-OLED 3rd generation panel, Adaptive Sync, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-C with 18W PD
Price: $1,099 | £1,258
It's also worth bearing in mind that there have been some remarkably good deals on the various 49-inch ultrawides lately. Samsung's original G9 launched for around $2,000, but the Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ uses the exact same QD-OLED panel, but is now available for $999. That's a whole lot of monitor, even if the pixel pitch is quite awkward and looks the text looks rather vague.
Like all the other 32-inch 4K OLEDs you can buy right now, the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 uses Samsung QD-OLED panel technology. LG has a 32-inch WOLED in the works, but monitors based on that panel are not yet available.
Anyway, along with 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, you're looking at 250 nits of full-screen brightness, 1,000 maximum HDR brightness in a 3% window, and a GTG pixel response of 0.03 ms. Oh, plus 240Hz refresh. All these figures are identical to the Asus and Alienware alternatives.
Likewise, the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2, like the competition, has a glossy panel coating. Gigabyte, like Asus, has also opted for the flat option, while the Alienware offers a soft curve. Flat or curved is a personal preference and we would be happy with either option in this particular category.
For connectivity, Gigabyte gives you two HDMI 2.1 ports, plus Displayport 1.4 and USB-C. All four will run the full 240Hz refresh and the inclusion of USB-C gives the Gigabyte an advantage over the Alienware, as does the inclusion of audio line-out.
If anything, the USB-C would be an advantage if the power supply wasn't limited to just 18W, which limits usability quite a bit. For the record, there is an alternate FO32U2P model that increases the USB-C power delivery to 65W and upgrades the Displayport interface to 2.1 specs, while also supporting Displayport output and daisy chaining. Even this non-P model also features full KVM switch capabilities, which is nice to see though.
In terms of design and build quality, this is a pretty nicely put together monitor with a fully adjustable stand, including pivoting to portrait mode. That said, the power supply is external, which isn't our favorite and generally adds to the clutter, not to mention the risk of misplacing the PSU.
The styling is a bit on the gamery side, with some unavoidable if somewhat half-hearted RGB lighting accents at the rear. But it's a sleek enough looking thing. Please note that the edges are more medium-sized than super-slim.
To some extent, that's an inevitable consequence of QD-OLED technology and the need for some extra pixels around the edge to accommodate pixel shifting, or to periodically move the entire image slightly across the screen as one of many countermeasures. burn in.
Forget text borders, that's no problem with these high DPI OLEDs.
Speaking of which, this Gigabyte has the requisite submenu in the OSD with OLED care options including pixel shifting, pixel cleaning and much more. The panel also dims slightly if you haven't moved your mouse or pressed the keyboard for a while, which can be a minor annoyance.
As with other OLED monitors, you somewhat feel like you are dealing with beta technology in this regard. Living with and caring for an OLED is definitely more complicated than an LCD. But like the competition, Gigabyte offers three years of burn-in coverage for peace of mind.
But what about the image quality? As with the 4K OLED competition, the basic combination of good pixel density with OLED panel technology is simply fantastic. Forget text borders, that's no problem with these high DPI OLEDs.
This monitor makes any LCD panel feel dated and slightly clunky in terms of everything from contrast and viewing angles to pixel response. We're really perfecting the art of 2D display technology with these 4K OLEDs. They are damn beautiful.
Gigabyte has calibrated the FO32U2 with a slightly warmer color temperature than other QD-OLEDs.
They're not perfect, however, and despite the shared Samsung QD-OLED panel, there are some differences here. Most obviously, Gigabyte has calibrated the FO32U2 with a slightly warmer color temperature than the other two we tested.
On its own, it's not terribly distracting. But if you sit next to another monitor, like the closely related Alienware, it's pretty obvious. It also seems to be made worse by more ambient light. We've known for a while that QD-OLED has a bit of a problem with ambient light due to not using a polarizing filter and the quantum dots, denoted by the prefix "QD", being excited by incoming ambient light and in turn kicking some light back from the panel, which may cause the panel to appear slightly gray even when turned off.
A consequence of use is that QD-OLED panels can look a bit gray when displaying black tones when there is a lot of ambient light. We wonder if the same problem also contributes to the slightly too warm color temperature of this Gigabyte. Anyway, the problem is that it is not easy to disable using the OSD settings. It can probably be solved with full calibration. But how many gamers have the necessary calibration tools at their disposal?
That said, aside from the slightly wonky warmth, both the standard SDR and HDR modes are otherwise very nicely calibrated. You can use this monitor in HDR mode full-time and still enjoy punchy, largely accurate SDR colors, eliminating the need to jump between modes.
As with other monitors in this class, there's a rather bewildering array of HDR mode options. However, the standard HDR mode produces good results and there is arguably little incentive to play with the others.
If there's an exception to all this, it's that Gigabyte has been a little more conservative about full-screen brightness in SDR mode, which doesn't feel as punchy as the competition. It's probably of little consequence, since we'd be running this panel in HDR mode all the time anyway.
If you do that, there will only be a small difference in brightness if, for example, you resize a mostly white browser window. But it's limited enough not to be a distraction. Ultimately, as with other 32-inch 4K OLEDs - and honestly any other OLED - we would prefer a little bit more brightness on the full screen. But these latest panels are certainly getting closer to the brightness levels we can get behind.
If all of the above sounds like we're a little less excited about this new Gigabyte model than the 4K OLED competition, that mostly reflects the reality of familiarity. You can't be as impressed the third time as you were the first time.
But make no mistake: this monitor is stunning. The HDR experience in the game is out of this world. The light control and contrast are slightly different. Sure, Cyberpunk with HDR and ray-tracing set to full warm-up looks spectacular. But even playing CS:GO is a little special thanks to the pixel response and 240Hz refresh rate.
Of course, you'll need a decent GPU to get the most out of the latter in any remotely demanding game. And in that regard, not to mention the $1,099 price point, this is still quite a niche product.
Buy as...
✅ You want 4K OLED awesomeness for less money: At $1,099, this OLED panel is still pricey. But it's the cheapest 4K model we've reviewed.
Don't buy if...
❌ You expect pixel-perfect calibration: Gigabyte has set this monitor slightly warmer than other OLEDs, and a bit too warm for our taste.
On the other hand, it has quite a bit more usability bandwidth than, say, a 27-inch 1440p OLED. These panels really suffer in text rendering thanks to the low pixel density and non-standard sub-pixel structure. And that makes them a lot less useful as an all-round computing device.
In many ways, this is the pick of the new 4K OLED brigade. You get the same 4K 240Hz QD-OLED technology for less money, while avoiding Alienware's connectivity limitations. It's also flat rather than curved, which we think most gamers will prefer on a conventional 16:9 screen rather than an ultrawide panel.
Our only hesitation is the slightly too warm calibration. It's one of those snags whose meaning can vary on an entirely subjective basis. You hardly notice it in the game. On the desktop it is a little clearer. But either way, it's just enough to keep this otherwise excellent monitor from slotting right at the top of the 4K OLED segment.
