Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144
MSRP $1,000.00
“Corsair’s first 4K gaming monitor is great, but there are cheaper options that go toe-to-toe on specs.”
Pros
- Excellent color coverage and accuracy
- iCue integration
- Easy on-screen display
- Multiple cable management options
- FreeSync and G-Sync support
Cons
- Limited HDR
- Local dimming is just too noticeable
- Slightly expensive
- Big and ponderous
Corsair isn’t known for making gaming monitors, however it’s beginning to make inroads into the space. The Xeneon 32UHD144 is the corporate’s first 4K gaming monitor, and even though it’s not quite as much as snuff with the perfect gaming monitors you possibly can buy, it’s still a solid step forward right into a recent market.
It’s not only a retread of other 4K monitors you’ve seen, because it implements a quantum dot layer to enhance color, which works wonders. Integration with Corsair’s excellent iCue software is a giant selling point as well. Where the Xeneon 32 loses out is on HDR and pricing, especially as competing displays just like the Sony InZone M9 develop into more common.
Specs
| Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 | |
| Screen size | 32 inches |
| Panel type | IPS quantum dot |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2560 (4K) |
| Peak brightness | 400 nits (SDR), 600 nits (HDR) |
| Contrast ratio | 1000:1 |
| HDR | DisplayHDR 600 w/ Edge-lit local dimming (16 zones) |
| Response time | 12ms GtG, 1ms MPRT |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz |
| Variable refresh | AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible |
| Curve | None |
| Speakers | None |
| Inputs | 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (Alt mode) |
| USB ports | 2x USB-A, 1x USB-C |
| Adjustments | 25 degrees tilt, 60 degrees swivel, 4.3 inches height |
| Weight | 20.9 kilos |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 28.8 x 23.9 x 12.4 inches |
| List price | $1,000 |
Design and features
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Xeneon 32 is a monster monitor, for higher and worse. It features a large metal stand with loads of cable routing potential, in addition to several cable routing channels on the back of the chunky arm. The highest of the stand even features a mount for the Elgato Flex Arm, allowing you to connect a light-weight or webcam on to the monitor.
I like the goodies, however the Xeneon 32 is just big. A 32-inch screen is already massive, and Corsair went with a stand that eats up desk space. It doesn’t stretch out in front of the monitor just like the stand on Acer Predator X28, however it’s still massive. It’s heavy, too. With the monitor and stand, the Xeneon 32 is only a hair in need of 21 kilos. That’s six kilos heavier than the 34-inch ultrawide Alienware 34 QD-OLED.
Big and heavy isn’t inherently bad, but it’s best to know what you’re stepping into with the Xeneon 32. The excellent news is that the stand is a major contributor to the burden and size, and you possibly can replace it with a monitor arm due to the display’s 100mm x 100mm VESA mount.
Ports and controls
For ports, the Xeneon 32 has the fundamentals down pat. The 2 HDMI 2.1 ports take point, wenabling 4K at 144Hz, unlike older HDMI 2.0 ports. Most PC gamers will use the DisplayPort 1.4 port as a substitute, however it’s nice to see HDMI 2.1 for prime refresh rates on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. You may as well hook up the display over USB-C with the identical specs because the DisplayPort, though most graphics cards don’t have a USB-C output lately.
You get a four-way joystick for controlling the monitor, and Corsair’s on-screen display (OSD) is clean and arranged. I never had any issues navigating it, but you don’t have to regulate the monitor this manner. You truly have three additional ways to regulate the monitor, though I imagine most individuals will use Corsair’s excellent iCue software.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
I even have to say that iCue is my favorite peripheral app, and it’s a giant reason I rate peripherals just like the Corsair Sabre Pro so highly. The Xeneon 32 will show up in iCue identical to peripherals would, and you possibly can adjust every little thing you’d normally see within the on-screen display (OSD). That features all your picture settings, but in addition settings just like the audio source and when you want the LED power indicator on.
The app also enables two other ways to regulate the monitor — through Elgato’s Stream Deck or the Corsair iCue Nexus. Each include a more limited range of settings, like your input source, picture mode, and gamma, but they’re nice to have. You would like one in all these pieces of hardware to unlock this functionality, and the Xeneon doesn’t make an argument to purchase one. For those who have already got a Stream Deck or Nexus, though, it’s a pleasant perk.
You’ve got a superb amount of bandwidth within the settings, and Corsair doesn’t bathroom down the experience with a messy on-screen display just like the MSI Optix MPG 32. Corsair provides several picture modes, including sRGB, AdobeRGB, and DCI-P3 modes for creative employees, and you possibly can access settings just like the local dimming toggle even with HDR turned on.
Image quality
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
There’s one reason the Xeneon 32 looks so great: quantum dot technology. This extra layer boosts colours way beyond what typical IPS panels are able to, and it allows the Xeneon to attain excellent color coverage and accuracy. HDR isn’t great, as I’ll dig into in the subsequent section, but quantum dot meant I used to be high quality leaving HDR turned off.
Let’s get the outcomes out of the way in which: You’re getting 100% coverage of the sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces, and the Xeneon 32 has dedicated presets for every of those modes to limit the colour coverage. You furthermore may get 95% coverage of DCI-P3 based on my results, and the monitor is shockingly color accurate out of the box — I measured a Delta E of 0.81, which is suitable for skilled color work.
Where the Xeneon 32 struggles is black levels. I measured a peak brightness of nearly 480 nits, well above the rating Corsair advertises. The washed-out blacks meant that the contrast was much lower, though, hitting 660:1 versus the 1,000:1 that IPS panels can manage. It’s not an issue with HDR turned off, but with it on, the contrast stings.
Quantum dot does wonders for color saturation.
Local dimming is out there, each with HDR on and off, however the slow transitions and limited variety of dimming zones make it not an option for most individuals.
I didn’t care about contrast when using the Xeneon 32, though. I used to be all focused on color. Quantum dot does wonders for color saturation, making games, movies, and even the Windows desktop looks far more vibrant. The Xeneon 32 in SDR looks such as you cranked up the saturation dial just before it became an excessive amount of, and I like the outcomes.
The issue is the competition the Xeneon 32 faces. At $1,000, it’s competing against Sony’s InZone M9, which has a lot better HDR, and Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED, which further enhances quantum dot over a contrasty OLED panel. Corsair’s monitor can go toe-to-toe with most 4K monitors in its price bracket, however it doesn’t arise to the cream of the crop and doesn’t offer anything recent within the panel department.
HDR performance
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
HDR on PC is terrible, and a whole lot of that comes all the way down to monitors. Displays just like the Sony InZone M9 are pushing the envelope with Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) and a bigger variety of local dimming zones, however the Xeneon 32 isn’t joining Sony’s ranks.
The display carries VESA’s DisplayHDR 600 certification, which is only a step above the bottom DisplayHDR 400 certification you discover on monitors just like the HP Omen 27c. The certification is vital, however it’s more necessary how the monitor gets there. Corsair uses edge-lit local dimming over 16 zones, which suggests the monitor can adjust how vivid the backlight is over certain sections of the screen to extend contrast.
It just doesn’t hit the mark. Even achieving upwards of 700 nits of brightness with HDR blaring, the blacks continued to look washed-out in gray resulting from the IPS panel. It is a limitation of the panel technology Corsair is using, and without proper FALD just like the InZone M9 offers, you won’t get solid HDR performance.
Gaming performance
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Xeneon 32 hits all of the marks for gaming performance. The 144Hz refresh rate is ideal for many gamers, it really works with FreeSync and G-Sync for variable refresh rate, and a dedicated gaming mode could make response times as fast as possible. With standard dynamic range, the Xeneon is an excellent gaming monitor.
I played Destiny 2, a little bit of Resident Evil 2, and Monster Hunter Rise. All three looked great, but I used to be consistently reminded of the 4K resolution with an RTX 3070. Remember, 4K continues to be demanding in 2022, so be certain that you have got among the finest graphics cards in your PC if you must pick up Corsair’s latest display.
The limited dimming zones and washed-out black levels just didn’t do it for HDR gaming.
Response times and variable refresh rate were solid, but I rarely switched to HDR to play games. The limited dimming zones and washed-out black levels just didn’t do it, even in Destiny 2. Worse, the quantum dot layer isn’t at its best in games with HDR turned on. Turning off HDR and switching to the Game preset ends in far more vibrant colours and a lift in contrast.
I loved gaming on the Xeneon with HDR turned off. Quantum dot does a lot for the colour that you simply’ll forget HDR is even an option, frankly. Good HDR would boost that have further, though. I might’ve liked to see more dimming zones, or possibly even higher contrast with a VA panel, especially given the value Corsair is asking.
Pricing
The Xeneon 32 isn’t too expensive, however it is available in at $100 greater than its most direct competitor — the MSI Optix MPG 32. I believe each the MSI and Corsair monitors are using the identical panel, as they each offer a 32-inch 4K screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, they usually each use quantum dot to boost the colours. At $1,000, the Xeneon isn’t too expensive, however it’s on the sting.
I’ll should see what the monitor actually sells for when it hits the market. At some points, the competing MSI monitor sold for around $1,400. Right away, $100 separates the 2 monitors. Depending on sales and demand, though, I imagine they’ll find yourself selling around the identical price, give or take $50.
While iCue integration is a reason to spend the more money, when you’re only concerned about specs, you possibly can save big. The Gigabyte M32U, for instance, can also be a 32-inch 4K display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and it often sells for $750 or less. It doesn’t have pretty much as good of HDR performance, but frankly, the Xeneon isn’t jaw-dropping within the HDR department either.
Our take
The Xeneon 32 stands out with quality of life features like iCue and excellent color resulting from the quantum dot layer. As displays like Sony’s InZone M9 and Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED develop into available though, the value is a bit high for what Corsair is offering. Gamers will love the boosted color, but when you’re after HDR, there are higher options for around the identical price.
Are there any alternatives?
Yes. Probably the most direct competitor is the MSI MPG 32 QD, which also has a 32-inch screen with a quantum dot layer. For those who don’t mind changing sizes, Sony’s InZone M9 and Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED are great alternatives that supply higher overall image quality and much better HDR performance.
How long will it last?
IPS panels will last for years at full brightness, so you possibly can expect a decade or more of use out of the Xeneon 32 before you could upgrade.
Do you have to buy it?
Yes, assuming the value will come down. Right away, MSI’s offering is cheaper while matching the Xeneon 32 point-for-point. In the event that they find yourself selling for around the identical price, Corsair’s monitor continues to be a greater option resulting from its iCue integration.
Editors’ Recommendations
