Gigabyte MO32U24 OLED monitor review

Samsung Display’s QD-OLED panels have become something of a known quantity across gaming monitors, and their core performance tends to be quite consistent regardless of the brand wrapped around them. That is largely true of the MO32U24 as well: games show plenty of detail at 4K, colours have the richness I have come to expect from QD-OLED and text remains sharp enough for everyday work. I could comfortably keep several windows open beside one another, while the colour fringing around fine text that affected earlier generations was barely noticeable.

Gigabyte’s ObsidianShield coating is also pretty useful. Not only does it reduce glare significantly and boosts black levels, but it also enhances the hardness of the screen’s surface so that it can handle routine cleaning and everyday wear much better. And using the monitor in a darker room is when the QD-OLED panel really began to show what it could do. The neon-lit streets of Cyberpunk 2077 looked particularly impressive, with brightly coloured signs standing out against deep blacks. Ghost of Tsushima was impressive for a different reason, with its vivid fields, changing skies and fine environmental details looking splendid at 4K and with wide colour range.

It was a similar experience with Netflix too. I played Stranger Things Season 5 and the darker scenes in the series retained plenty of shadow detail, while its brighter lighting effects had enough impact to stand out from the background. The Sandman also suited the panel particularly well, thanks to its mixture of dark, atmospheric scenes and more colourful fantasy settings. This was where I found Gigabyte’s HyperNits feature to be quite interesting. It can increase brightness by up to 30% under in HDR Peak 1000 mode, and with it enabled, smaller highlights looked noticeably brighter without washing out the rest of the image. It cannot completely overcome OLED’s brightness limitations, but I liked the effect enough to leave it switched on.

Gigabyte has included several gaming features, although their usefulness varies. Tactical Switch 2.0 can reduce the active picture to 27 or 24 inches, but it felt strange buying a 32-inch monitor only to deliberately use less of it. The refresh-rate counter and Black Equalizer were informative, while the Eagle Eye magnification window and green Night Vision mode were features I could happily ignore. The on-screen menus are at least responsive and easy to navigate with the joystick beneath the panel,

Connectivity includes two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, two downstream USB-A ports and a headphone jack, together with a KVM function. However, USB-C supplies only 18W of power, which is nowhere near enough for most laptops, while DisplayPort 2.1 would have better future-proof the monitor.

Final thoughts

The thing about the Gigabyte MO32U24 is that it does not do anything particularly out of the ordinary. It is simply a 32-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, joining a segment already filled with monitors that can make almost exactly the same claim. There is no dual-mode 480Hz option, no DisplayPort 2.1 and no elaborate design feature that immediately sets it apart.

And yet, I kept coming back to how little there was to complain about during everyday use. The panel is fast, sharp and very good at HDR, and I like how the ObsidianShield coating better protects the display’s surface. The compact stand and understated styling also mean the MO32U24 won’t look out of place in a work environment. Those who want a higher USB-C power delivery will be disappointed though and could consider options from ROG or AOC instead (these brands have gaming monitors that support up to 90W).

The MO32U24 has a listed local price of $1,799, although it could be found for $1,599 at most online stores including Techyard. At the lower price, I think it’s easy to recommend this Gigabyte gaming monitor if you’re looking for a 32-inch OLED gaming monitor – otherwise you might want to consider this one.