Review: ASUS ProArt 32QCV image-editing monitor
Large high-resolution monitors are not new, in fact, Asus released the world’s first 31.5-inch 4K monitor for consumers back in 2013 (they created it by tiling two 1920 x 2160 panels together).
Despite the easy availability of 32-inch 4K screens though, most photographers still use the smaller 24-inch and 27-inch 4K displays.
Part of the reason is no doubt the price (large, colour calibrated displays are expensive), but another reason could be the effective resolution - as you scale up a monitor, the screen-resolution (PPI, or pixels per inch) decreases, which is why a 27” 4K display will always look crisper than a 32” 4K display.
That is why Asus’s latest monitor could have a lot of appeal for photographers who prefer to edit their images on a big screen.
The ASUS ProArt 32QCV is an affordable 31.5-inch 6K monitor that has a pixel density of 218-PPI, giving it more screen resolution than 27” 4K screens at just 163-PPI.
The advantage in having this level of resolution is twofold; to begin with, it makes it almost impossible to notice the pixels that can be a distraction on older, lower resolution monitors.
Another big advantage though, is that at 697 x 392 mm, this screen gives you more real-estate to work with; programs like Lightroom, Bridge and Da Vinci that are often cluttered with adjustment panels and library windows suddenly become less congested, giving you more room to enjoy your imagery.
In testing
I spent two weeks testing the Asus PA32QCV monitor, and as is often the case, the first day or two was troublesome.
The monitor arrived in eco-friendly packaging and it took less than five minutes to unpack the box, assemble the base and mount the screen.
At this point the monitor appeared very presentable; a thin, barely noticeable bezel wrapped around the display while along the bottom, a thin strip provided safe haven for branding and six menu buttons and a tiny joystick.
Everything was going well until I tried connecting the monitor to my Apple Mac studio with the supplied Thunderbolt 4 cable; and nothing happened.
At first I thought the problem might be my second monitor connected to my computer via USB-C, and it was only after I connected the Asus with HDMI that everything worked.
If at first you don’t succeed though; the next day I tried connecting the Asus using the Thunderbolt connection again, and this time everything worked and I was even able to daisy chain a third monitor off a USB-C port on the Asus.
Getting the Thunderbolt connection working was important because it activates the various USB-C and USB-A ports on the monitor.
You can use these ports to connect memory card readers, SSDs and USB thumb drives to your computer and if you’re using the Thunderbolt cord to display laptop content on the monitor, this same cord will also charge the laptop with 96-watts of power.
Another advantage of the Thunderbolt connection though, is that it lets you use Asus Display Widget Center, (a computer based app) to manage the colour profiles and brightness settings on the display, which is a big bonus for those people who, like me dislike the hassle of using the menu buttons and joystick on the edge of the monitor to nudge adjustments out of the screen.
I used the Display Widget app to select Adobe RGB and adjust the display brightness at which point I was ready to edit some photography work. One big feature of the ProArt 32QCV monitor is the Calman certified factory calibration that ensures the screen will accurately represent 100% of sRGB and 98% of DCI-P3 colour gamuts to a colour accuracy of Delta E < 2.
While it is always recommended that you should custom calibrate any new monitor to your own environment, I found the colours on the ProArt 32QCV looked good straight out of the box.
Supporting the calibration is a built in “Light Sync" system that uses sensors on the front and rear of the monitor to assess the colour of the ambient light and then tweak the screens white balance as lighting conditions throughout the day and evening.
Also making the Pro Art 32QCV a joy to use is the LuxPixel AGLR (Anti Glare Low Reflection) screen coating that is very effective at eliminating any bright distractions that might be behind their user.
When combined with the flicker-free 60hz refresh rate, it is relatively easy to spend time using this display without having to worry about eye strain.
Other features
There are a some features on the Pro Art 3QCV that I think most of us are unlikely to ever use, like the Auto KVM switch, used for switching the monitor, keyboard and mouse between two computers, and a Picture in Picture mode, that lets you monitor two computer feeds at once.
One feature that might be of use to a few users in the future though, is HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode. For now, HDR means many different things to different creatives, and while most ordinary people continue to view photographs in SDR (standard dynamic range) screens or even in print form, HDR is going to remain a novelty feature mainly used by videographers and gamers.
Another useful function of this Asus monitor is its compatibility with Apple laptops. When you connect a MacBook, you can then turn the colour calibration settings to M Model-P3 mode and the monitor will synchronise with the colour settings on the laptop. You can even use the brightness keys on the laptop to change the brightness of the monitor.
The wrap-up
In all, the Pro Art 32QVC is a great monitor, particularly given its price point of just $2,499.
It is also worth noting that for now there is only one other 6K 32-inch monitor on the market that is suitable to editing photography and video work and that is Apple’s 32-inch Pro Display XDR.
Despite having being on the market for six years the Apple XDR still costs $8,499 (plus another $1,699 for the Pro Stand)!
Yes, the Apple XDR display does offer 1000 nits of sustained brightness and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 compared to the Pro Art 32QCV offers 400 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of 3000:1, but in reality most photographers are never going to need this level of brightness and contrast, unless they are editing photos outside in summer.
Regardless of whether you buy the Asus Pro Art 32QCV or the Apple XDR display I do have a couple of warnings for you.
First, 32-inch monitors are big, and if you sit too close to them you will probably end up with a sore neck as you keep scanning the display (think chiropractor bills). Of more concern though, is the frustration you are going to have as you start looking at your images in a level of detail you have never experienced before.
My hunch is that some photographers will buy this display only to be spending more money weeks later on next level cameras and lenses.
You have been warned!
Results
Set-up and Operation ★ ★ ★ ★
Assembling the base and fitting the screen only takes a couple of minutes, but I did find the Thunderbolt connection had difficulty connecting to my 6K compliant Mac Studio (although we eventually got there). Colour set up is near perfect out of the box although as always you will need to adjust the brightness to suit your viewing conditions.
Features ★ ★ ★ ★
6K HDR displays are rare on the market and in this regard, the basic feature sets on the Asus Pro Art 32QCV are rather special. There are features that most of us will never bother using, including the KVM switch and PiP mode, and dare I say it, the HDR mode.
The menu system on the display is clumsy but the Display Widget Centre app allows you to mostly bypass the monitor controls.
Image quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
With a resolution of 218 PPI, the Pro Art 32QCV provides you a viewing experience that is exquisite. Combine this with an excellent colour gamut and LuxPixel AGLR screen coating and you end up with a very immersive viewing experience that you won’t find on most other monitors.
Value for money ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The original Asus 31.5-inch 4K monitor released back in 2013 cost $5,000, and Apple’s more recent XDR 32-inch 6K monitor costs $8499. I think we can all agree that Asus Pro Art 32QCV is good value for the money!