ASUS ProArt PA32UCXR Monitor Review

ASUS ProArt monitors are designed for media professionals, offering a crystal-clear image with a high degree of colour accuracy. To determine whether this premium display is worth the hefty investment, we tested the ASUS ProArt PA32UCXR, analysing its features, performance, and design.

The PA32UCXR is another addition to the series of ASUS ProArt monitors, with this 32″ display looking to be the ultimate solution for creators and artists. With a 4K IPS panel and several top-tier visual enhancements, along with a number of luxurious features designed to guarantee a high-quality image, the PA32UCXR comes well-equipped to offer standout visual clarity.

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Specification

Unlike gaming monitors, where performance is one of the most important aspects, the ProArt PA32UCXR heavily emphasises visual fidelity. This comes at the expense of response time and refresh rate, which are significantly weaker than those found on modern gaming monitors. However, the 5ms grey-to-grey (GtG) response time paired with a 60Hz refresh rate on the PA32UCXR is amicable for media consumption.

On top of this, plenty of features are aimed at visual quality. For example, the 4K IPS panel is backed by a mini-LED panel, allowing greater brightness, contrast, and colour accuracy. As a result, the PA32UCXR can reach a peak brightness of 1600 nits and boasts a DisplayHDR 1400 rating, the highest certification available for monitors.

ASUS also claims impressive coverage of various colour gamuts. Along with 100% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, the PA32UCXR includes 99% Adobe RGB coverage and 97% DCI-P3 coverage. Both of these gamuts are crucial for tasks such as graphic design and video editing, so a monitor with such a wide berth over a range of spectrums is great for anyone looking to create content.

In terms of connectivity, the PA32UCXR comes with a vast array of ports to choose from. Featuring two HDMI and Thunderbolt4 ports, as well as a DisplayPort, this monitor is extremely versatile, making it easy to connect multiple devices at once. Plus, this display includes multiple USB ports and an earphone jack, making it easy to plug in various peripherals and accessories.

ASUS ProArt PA32UCXR Design

Unsurprisingly, the PA32UCXR has a design similar to that of the previous ProArt monitors we’ve tested. More specifically, this display boasts the same grill pattern on the back and button layout on the front of the ASUS ProArt PA348CGV, a 34″ ultrawide display aiming to balance work and leisure at an affordable price.

This grill design on the back of the display is one of the only eccentric elements in the design, as the rest of the screen and stand adopt a simple matte black finish. A touch of chrome highlights the ASUS logos, but most of the design is fairly reserved, making it suitable for a workspace.

However, the most interesting inclusions are more practical features, such as the integrated colour calibrator and intelligent sensors. Both of these features are located on the left side of the display and are embedded into the design as discreetly as possible.

In a similar fashion, the buttons on the opposite side of the display provide easy shortcuts to adjust various settings. Whilst there are a lot more inputs than what can be found on most monitors, the monotone design blends in well with the rest of the display, making them feel less intrusive.

Moving towards the stand, the PA32UCXR is designed with versatility in mind. With the ability to adjust the height, tilt, pivot, and swivel of the display, this monitor can be easily integrated into a multi-monitor setup. Alternatively, the VESA 100×100 compatibility allows this display to be attached to a wall mount or monitor arm with minimal fuss.

Perhaps the biggest downside to this monitor is the form factor. As a 32″ monitor, the PA32UCXR is naturally on the larger side, but this display is also very heavy compared to other monitors of the same size. Because of this, the PA32UCXR is extremely difficult to move around, which complicates the assembly process.

Speaking of the assembly process, the additional gadgets and features mean you’ll have to be cautious when putting this monitor together. Whilst the design does well to cover sensitive aspects of the display, such as the built-in colour calibrator and removable hood, these elements are still susceptible to damage when not handled with care.

Finally, the large stand also takes up a lot of desk space, which could lead to issues for those with limited space within their setup. Fortunately, the base is flat, giving you the chance to place accessories on it without having to worry about them falling off.

Features We Like

Built-In Colour Calibrator

Arguably, the biggest standout feature of the PA32UCXR is the built-in colour calibrator, designed to optimise the accuracy of the colour output in accordance with various scales and presets. This feature can either be activated at any time through the OSD menu, or be scheduled for a specific time and date to ensure colours are frequently optimised. This is an incredibly useful feature for media professionals, as it helps keep projects looking how they were intended to.

Rear IO & Connectivity

The connectivity options available on the PA32UCXR are quite simply astounding. Featuring multiple Thunderbolt4 and HDMI ports, along with a DisplayPort, there are plenty of ways to connect a PC and other devices, such as a gaming laptop. In addition, the various USB ports provide plenty of connectivity options for accessories and peripherals. That being said, the layout of these ports and the shrouding surrounding them can make plugging in devices more difficult than necessary.

Removable Hood

To ensure the best viewing experience at all times, the PA32UCXR is packaged with a removable hood, which reduces the impact of reflections and environmental lighting on the image being displayed. This is a nice add-on that provides a level of consistency to the content creation process.

OSD & Navigation

Navigation on the PA32UCXR is fairly straightforward, with multiple methods to adjust the on-screen settings. With a combination of a multi-directional joystick and multiple buttons, scrolling through the menus is very simple. Due to the importance of customisation and the sheer amount of settings packed into this display, the easy-to-use OSD menu drastically improves the user experience.

Features We Don’t Like

Very Heavy

As previously mentioned, the form factor is the biggest downside of the PA32UCXR. Specifically, this is one of the heaviest monitors I’ve ever used, providing great difficulty when putting it together or moving it around. Because of this, I’d suggest that anyone looking to pick up this display should keep it in a fixed location or pick up a high-quality monitor arm.

Light & Proximity Sensor

Another premium feature of this display is the intelligent sensors, which react to environmental changes and adjust brightness levels accordingly. This includes an ambient light sensor that automatically tweaks brightness depending on environmental lighting, along with a proximity sensor that dims the screen when no one is in front of the monitor.

On paper, these systems seem like useful quality-of-life features. However, these sensors come with some major caveats. First, they can’t be used simultaneously, which is surprising given that the effects could work together. In addition, changes in brightness are not very convenient, and frequent changes can affect the consistency of the image.

Image Quality & Colour Accuracy

The colour accuracy and overall image quality are the most important aspects of this display, as it is designed with media professionals in mind. Because of this, expectations were high when booting up the PA32UCXR for the first time, and it’s safe to say this monitor didn’t disappoint.

From the initial eye test, the display looked very vibrant and clear, especially compared to the 1440p gaming monitors that accompanied the PA32UCXR on my desk. However, for a more accurate indication of whether this display lives up to the expected quality, we decided to test the colour accuracy with the datacolor SpyderX Pro colour calibrator.

After running a colour calibrator test on the PA32UCXR, the results were mixed but very close to what ASUS claim on the product page for this monitor. Unsurprisingly, the PA32UCXR achieves full coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, which is typical on any modern display.

Additionally, the PA32UCXR provides 100% coverage of the AdobeRGB colour gamut, making this monitor an ideal option for graphic designers. This result is also better than the 99% coverage stated on the PA32UCXR product page, suggesting that anyone using the AdobeRGB gamut will get better colour accuracy than expected.

However, our results suggested that the DCI-P3 coverage is lower than expected. The PA32UCXR only managed 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut instead of the 97% claimed by ASUS. Despite this, the 2% difference here can likely but put down to testing conditions, as the percentage is low enough that we’d consider this within a reasonable margin of error.

Conclusion