If you’d rather control the OSD from your Windows desktop, Gigabyte offers a free software utility called OSD Sidekick, which requires a USB connection to work. It brings all OSD functions into Windows, so you never have to reach for monitor's joystick. OSD Sidekick has an unlimited number of configuration files so you can go beyond the three custom modes if you wish. The software also lets you design your own crosshair with an integrated editor.


From the quick menu, you can select Game Assist, which provides aiming points (one preset and three custom designs), a refresh rate indicator, countdown timers and alignment marks for multi-screen setups. The ability to create your own crosshair designs is something unique we haven’t seen before, though some gaming laptops do include it.

Gigabyte G32QC Calibration Settings

The G32QC’s Standard picture mode is accurate enough not to require calibration, but a few tweaks will make a worthwhile improvement.

he main issue is gamma, which runs a bit dark (though this isn’t a big deal considering the VA panel’s extremely high contrast). After a few changes to the RGB sliders in the User color temp mode, gamma moved closer to the 2.2 mark, and color was slightly more saturated.

The monitor covers over 85% of DCI-P3 natively and includes an sRGB picture mode, which will appeal to purists.

Here are the settings we used for our benchmark and hands-on tests:


Gaming and Hands-on

The G32QC is a versatile monitor that worked equally well for work and entertainment. It provided a lot of screen real estate for spreadsheets and word processors, and also proved to be great screen for graphics or video editing. In that regard, it’s more useful than an ultra-wide. The 1500mm curve didn't add to or detract from the ability to get through workday tasks either. Color and contrast, meanwhile, are ideal for just about any computing endeavor. Watching video was a pleasure too, as most material is in the 16:9 aspect ratio and can, therefore, completely fill the screen. When sitting 3 feet away, it was almost like having a personal IMAX on our desk.

Pairing a 16:9 aspect ratio with a curved panel is a little unusual, though it has become more common of late with a large number of 27-inch curved screens hitting the market. In the 32-inch size, a curve has a greater impact, and when you consider the screen’s height, it makes sense. The G32QC is a jumbo panel, and from a typical 3-foot viewing distance, it filled our cone of vision in the horizontal and vertical planes.

Switching to HDR mode didn't make Windows 10 look different, thankfully. The picture certainly got brighter, but since Gigabyte left the brightness control available, you can equalize the luminance level between HDR and SDR. You could even leave the G32QC in HDR mode all the time because you won’t be looking at a searing image.

SDR games like Tomb Raider looked fantastic with bold color and deep contrast. Underground environments were rich in shadow detail and true blacks. Highlights popped brilliantly, thanks to that impressive contrast ratio. Though we played using the extended color gamut, the picture never looked overblown. sRGB is available but it doesn’t really look that great and there is no color adjustment available to improve it. At least the brightness slider remains unlocked, so you don’t have to look at a dark picture. But we suspect most users will simple stick with the Standard mode like we did.

To play Call of Duty WWII, we engaged HDR and tweaked the in-game level sliders to achieve a brilliant picture. Its backlight doesn't employ the HDR gold standard tech, full-array local dimming (FALD), but opts for the next best thing, edge-lit dimming. Not only was HDR color vibrant and saturated but contrast was visibly deeper than with SDR content. The fact that this is achieved without any dynamic trickery is pretty cool. We never saw any artifacts or flickering -- just deep detailed shadows and sharp, specular highlights.

We had no issues running FreeSync or G-Sync Compatibility. We left overdrive at its Balanced setting, which reduced blur to almost nothing without causing ghosting. Both FreeSync and G-Sync worked flawlessly with HDR engaged. We enjoyed 165 Hz when our tests PCs allowed us to reach frame rates at or near 165 frames per second) and didn't encounter any screen tearing otherwise. Game detail was set to maximum in every case. Input lag was also non-existent.

Admittedly, I am partial to 32-inch monitors. For work tasks, there’s enough desktop space to put two pages of a document on the screen or 35 columns of a spreadsheet. Watching movies is fun too; when you sit close, it’s amazingly theater-like. Add some quality near-field speakers, and you could build a home cinema right in your office. This also holds true for gaming. A 32-inch 16:9 screen is wide and tall enough to completely dominate your cone of vision when sitting 3-4 feet away. Add a curve, and the sense of immersion increases. Gigabyte’s G32QC delivers all that, plus solid gaming performance courtesy of its 165 Hz refresh rate, both Nvidia and AMD flavors of Adaptive-Sync and HDR.


Gigabyte has included one of the best VA panels we’ve tested with contrast around 5,000:1 without any dynamic manipulation. It also delivers accurate DCI-P3 color; although sRGB mode has room for improvement. And with some of the best black levels we’ve seen from an edge-lit VA panel, the G32QC has tremendous image depth and detail.

The monitor's QHD resolution provides a great balance between speed, response and detail. Pixel density is 93 ppi and while we prefer numbers north of 109 ppi, but there was no time during our gameplay that we wished for more. When frame rates stay solidly over 144 fps, the action was super-smooth with excellent motion rendering, plus an effective overdrive.

Among value-oriented monitors, the Gigabyte G32QC stands out. If you’re looking to go jumbo, it deserves serious consideration.