When looking at the best gaming monitors, the Gigabyte M32UC and the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 inevitably both turn up. They both come with that crisp UHD resolution and speedy refresh rate, not to mention 1ms response time, but they differ in a few ways.
The Gigabyte M32UC is a bit cheaper than the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 while coming with a different set of features. For instance, the Gigabyte has KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switching through the included USB hub as well as a set of speakers, even if those speakers are its worst executed aspect.
The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 costs a bit more, but has better color coverage, making it capable of doing creative editing. On the feature side, it also integrates nicely with other Corsair products and comes with a multi-mount arm to mount a camera or mic. Of course, it doesn’t have speakers at all or KVM.
They both fit different secondary needs, so let’s look a little closer on how they differ and which one might work out better for you. You can also take a look at the individual reviews of the Gigabyte M32UC and the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 to dig even deeper on each model.
Despite its lackluster speakers and poorly adjusted out-of-the-box settings, the Gigabyte M32UC has a lot going for it as a 4K @144Hz monitor. To start with, the image quality is actually very good once dialed in. There are plenty of ports, including a USB hub with KVM capabilities. And the price tag makes this a great value.
For
- Great image quality and performance
- Lots of connectivity options
- Great value
Against
- Speakers are terrible
- Base display settings require some tinkering
The image quality on the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 is pretty great, from wide color gamuts to that 4K @144Hz refresh rate. Of course, the HDR is underwhelming and the price tag puts this in more of the premium category. On the brightside, it integrates well with other Corsair products.
For
- Great gaming performance
- Excellent for creatives
Against
- HDR is ok at best
- Expensive
Gigabyte M32UC vs Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144: Price
These two gaming monitors have been out for a few years now, so the MSRP that they go for is much higher than what you’ll actually find through retailers. The Gigabyte M32UC, being the cheaper one, has an MSRP of $799 / £681 (about AU$1,093), which, when released, was about as cheap as one could go for a 144Hz 4K gaming monitor.
Now that higher resolutions and refresh rates are becoming more common, the price has dropped accordingly, and I was able to find the Gigabyte M32UC discounted to $489.99 / £479.00 / AU$859.00 at the time of writing.
The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 has a higher list price of $999 (about £949 / about AU$1,450), but is also discounted, though to a slightly higher price of $799.99 / £949.99 (about AU$1,230). Also worth noting is that this latter model is not available in Australia.
Now, looking at these two monitors side-by-side, the Corsair is obviously more expensive and by a wide margin. As I’ve mentioned and will dig into a bit further, its color coverage does make it the better model for video and photo editing. For some, that might be worth the extra cost.
Gigabyte M32UC vs Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144: Design
Not only are both the Gigabyte M32UC and the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 144Hz 4K monitors, they’re both 32 inches. Where they start to differ is that the Gigabyte has a VA panel to the Corsair’s IPS one.
Each one has a few design points that stand out. The Gigabyte is a curved monitor with a 1500R curvature, if you’re wanting a bit of that wraparound effect to minimize eye strain (the corners are a bit closer to the field of vision). Unfortunately, the plastic frame holding the display feels a bit cheap – probably a result of it being a bit on the cheaper side for what it is. The Gigabyte also has built-in speakers.
The Corsair has bezels that seem thicker than expected. The Corsair’s base is also on the bulky side so adjusting the monitor’s placement takes a little elbow grease. At least, it has cable management in its stand unlike the Gigabyte. It also includes something that you won’t find on most monitors and that’s a multi-mount arm that can hold a camera or mic, a boon for most streamers.
As far as the ports go, they’re both fairly similar. You get two 2.1 HDMI, which allow you to connect a current generation console and get 4K @120Hz refresh rate. There’s also DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C for connecting an Ultrabook or MacBook. They both also have an included USB hub, with the Gigabyte having three downstream USB ports to the Corsair’s two (they both have an upstream port as well). However, the USB hub on the Gigabyte M32UC allows for KVM switching, meaning you can plug a keyboard and mouse into the monitor and it will send the signal from those peripherals to whatever source is currently active.
Gigabyte M32UC vs Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144: Features
The features that stand out most on these two models have already been mentioned, namely the Gigabyte M32UC’s KVM switching, which is a great feature for anyone regularly swapping between two different computers. The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 has that multi-mount arm, which saves you an additional purchase.
Also worth noting is that both monitors sport HDR capabilities with the Gigabyte M32UC capable of HDR400 to the Corsair’s HDR600.
Since these are gaming monitors, they both have AMD FreeSync premium. They both can display a crosshair on the screen, while the Gigabyte also adds in the ability to display an onscreen timer and aim stabilization.
Gigabyte M32UC vs Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144: Performance
Since the Gigabyte M32UC and the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 have the same resolution, refresh rate, and monitor size, how do they differ? For starters, the cheaper Gigabyte actually has a 3000:1 contrast ratio to the Corsair’s 1000:1. However, it has 350 nits of brightness compared to the Corsair’s 400. But that’s negligible.
Where one outshines the other is in color coverage. The Gigabyte M32UC has 93% DCI-P3, which is more than respectable and adequate (but not great) if you need to do video editing. The Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 is better, however, with 98% DCI-P3 and 100% Adobe color gamuts, making this monitor more accurate for editing work.
Of course, if you just want to game, the difference is really not going to be important to you. The Gigabyte’s curved screen maybe also more comfortable to look at for an extended period of time.
We should also discuss audio. While both monitors come with a headphone jack, only the Gigabyte M32UC has built-in speakers. You might appreciate their inclusion even if they sound terrible. Many of the best computer speakers are not all that pricey, not to mention many gamers prefer using one of the best gaming headsets for their gaming audio. I would suggest outsourcing your audio, even if you can technically use speakers on a monitor (they’re almost never good).
Which 144Hz gaming monitor is right for you?
Choosing either the Gigabyte M32UC or the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 comes down to preference, as they both are better in different regards. The Gigabyte has speakers, even if they don’t sound all that great, and comes with KVM switching that the Corsair doesn’t have. It’s also a good deal cheaper so going with the Corsair is not a matter of adding in just a little extra, but a couple hundred extra.
However, the Corsair comes with a multi-mount arm, which would be an extra cost in and of itself, and it has better color coverage, making it better suited if you also plan on doing any kind of editing or content. In terms of pure performance, the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 is better. However, the Gigabyte M32UC does come with more useful features for a general gamer.
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space2occupy@gmail.com (James Holland)
