ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM Monitor Review

In this review, we are taking a closer look at the Swift PG32UCDM. This is a flagship gaming monitor from ASUS ROG, featuring a 32″ 4K UHD QD-OLED panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate. The monitor retails for $1499 USD, or about ₱93,190 PHP locally – shipping and taxes considered.

Disclosure: ASUS sent the ROG Swift PG32UCDM for the purpose of this review. As usual, the brand did not ask me to say anything particular about it.

Technical Specifications

Display
Panel Size	32 in
Panel/Backlight	QD-OLED
Surface Treatment	Hard-Gloss
Resolution	3840 x  2160 (16:9)
Pixel Density	137.68 ppi
Refresh Rate	240 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate	Adaptive-Sync
Brightness	450 cd/m2
Contrast ‎Ratio	1,500,000:1
Response Time‎	0.03 ms (GtG)
Color Coverage	N/A
Color Depth	10-bit
Connectivity
Display	2x HDMI (2.1), DisplayPort (1.4)
USB	USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode + PD 90 W), 3x USB Type-A, USB Type-B (Hub)
Audio‎	3.5 mm (Headphone-out), S/PDIF
Ergonomics
VESA Mount‎	100 x 100 mm
Pivot	-5°/+5°
Swivel	-15°/+15°
Tilt	-5°/+20°
Lift	0-80 mm
Anti-strain	Low Blue Light
Dimensions
Length	718 mm
Width	74 mm
Height	430 mm
Weight	6 kg (w/o stand)

Packaging and Accessories

The Swift PG32UCDM comes in a huge box, housing its parts and accessories in a molded cardboard packaging. The monitor could be accessed by removing the cardboard section.

Scope of delivery are as follows:

• ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM
• DisplayPort cable
• HDMI Ultra High Speed Cable
• Power adapter
• Power cord
• Quick start guide
• ROG pouch
• ROG sticker
• USB 3.2 cable
• USB-C cable
• VESA mount kit
• Warranty Card

It is a rite of passage to receive an array of bundled accessories with any ROG products. You even get a pouch to store the cables along with the paper work.

Design, Build and Connectivity

The PG32UCDM follows the design elements of the ROG Swift monitor line-up, featuring the same tripod base design but with a few improvements. That includes the shorter rear pod for better desk clearance, along with the chin-mounted OSD joystick and buttons.

The rear-end looks similar to the PG27AQDM – which is yet another OLED gaming monitor. This design allows the monitor to look thin on certain angles. Functionally, this serves as the cover for the controller board and the passive heatsink for the QD-OLED panel. I was told this also comes with a graphene sheet as a thermal interface material.

The OSD navigation is again, chin-mounted, simplifying access to the PG32UCDM’s settings. Regarding inputs and outputs, the monitor boasts DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, dual HDMI 2.1 ports, a Type-B port to connect Type-A ports for KVM functionality, a headphone jack, an S/PDIF out, and a PD 90 W capable USB Type-C/DP Alt port. For those with an Intel Thunderbolt-enabled notebook, the PG32UCDM serves as a single-cable solution for both power and display extension.

The build quality, design, and connectivity options are excellent. Given its price of $1499 USD, such features are expected. However, it would be beneficial if it included a built-in speaker or perhaps a smaller power adapter, as the current one is quite bulky.

OSD

The PG32UCDM’s On-Screen Display features familiar settings, as well as some unique to its OLED nature. Among the eight main menus, Gaming is is one of the most important ones. This menu allows you to select the presets or profiles via the GameVisual sub-menu.

The Image menu allows you to adjust the brightness, contrast, and other basic settings. However, the availability of these options depends on the selected profile. For an instance, some settings may be inaccessible when HDR mode or sRGB mode is enabled.

The Color menu is yet another vital feature in the PG32UCDM’s OSD, offering options like Display Color Space, Color Temperature, Saturation, and Six-axis Saturation, in addition to the fundamental Gamma level adjustments. Some of these settings are only found on pro-level display panels.

System setup is the location for most firmware-level settings. For instance, the KVM can be configured here to automatically detect its connection type, – or have it set manually.

The OLED protection settings can be found in the same menu. New to me is the Screen Saver option, which enables the display to automatically dim after a few minutes of inactivity.

Many of the features available in the OSD can also be accessed through the ASUS DisplayWidget, a complementary software that you can download if you prefer using an application to suit your style better.

Ergonomics

The PG32UCDM comes with a 32 inch panel featuring a native resolution of 3840 x 2160, translating to a pixel density of 137.68 ppi. That said, I find the resolution and panel size combination excellent, especially for productivity where you could open applications side by side without the obvious restriction of smaller screens and resolutions. However, since the PG32UCDM rocks a glossy panel, you have to make sure that it is not placed against a direct light source. With its size, you also have to make sure that your desk is at least 60 cm deep. This is to ensure that you have enough space for your gears, plus enough space between yourself and the monitor.

For those with a more limited desk space or requires to mount their monitor vertically, a third-party monitor mount is advisable. ASUS provides a VESA adapter with the PG32UCDM -though it would also be great if they included the ROG Monitor Desk Mount Kit, which allows the stand to be converted into a mount.

OSD Settings

The PG32UCDM comes with 9 presets, 10 if we also consider the HDR mode. I’ve made a calibrated profile with the User settings, but I just cannot beat the sRGB Cal mode – an out of the box profile made by ASUS from the factory using a Kodak spectrometer. My attempts have come close, but my colorimeter lacks the precision needed to calibrate QD-OLED panels accurately.

Spyder5 ELITE | OSD Settings
Settings	Brightness (cd/m²)	Black Level (%)	Contrast (:)	White Point (K)
Scenery	240.3	0.00	240330:1	6300
Racing	148.0	0.00	148010:1	6600
Cinema	175.7	0.00	175660:1	7700
RTS/RPG	203.1	0.00	203110:1	6400
FPS	219.1	0.00	219100:1	6600
sRGB Cal	91.9	0.00	91880:1	6600
MOBA	203.0	0.00	203040:1	6600
Night Vision	18.6	0.00	18560:1	6600
User	181.9	0.00	181910:1	6600

OSD settings are as follows:

• Preset = sRGB Cal
• Brightness = 53 (120 cd/m²)
• Contrast = N/A
• Color Temperature = N/A
• Gamma = N/A
• Color Space = N/A

Gamut

Coverage is extremely good across the available range of color spaces tested – NTSC included.

Spyder5 ELITE | Gamut, Percent (%)
Color Space	sRGB	AdobeRGB	DCI-P3	NTSC
Measured	100	96	100	94

Tone Response

Gamma level is on the spot at least for the first three presets.

Spyder5 ELITE | Tone Response, Gamma (γ)
Target	1.8	2.0	2.2	2.4	2.6
Measured	1.8	2.0	2.2	2.3	2.4

Brightness and Contrast

The SDR brightness peaks at 279.5 cd/m², which is significantly lower than the expected rating. Nonetheless, this is typically not a concern in SDR mode – unless placed in an overly bright area. Given its glossy panel surface treatment, it’s unlikely that anyone would consider using the PG32UCDM in such conditions.

Spyder5 ELITE | Brightness and Contrast (SDR)
Settings	Brightness (cd/m²)	Black Level (%)	Contrast (:)	White Point (K)
0%	3.0	0.00	3050:1	6900
25%	31.1	0.00	31070:1	6600
50%	93.4	0.00	93420:1	6600
75%	155.0	0.00	155030:1	6700
100%	279.5	0.00	279470:1	6400

HDR mode shows that it could reach 652.32 cd/m² which is now way higher compared to the specifications. While the PG32UCDM is rated for DisplayHDR 400 (400 nits @ 8% center patch), it may be fitting to the DisplayHDR True Black 400 rating due to its local-dimming support, which is inherent to its QD-OLED panel.

Screen Uniformity

Color uniformity is excellent for its class, reaching an average Delta-E  less than that of 2.

Spyder5 ELITE | Color Uniformity, Delta-E (ΔE)
0.4	1.5	1.0
1.2	1.3	0.9
0.8	0.5	0.0

Luminance hotspots are also excellent or rather almost non-existent. I could tell ASUS worked its QA department’s butts with regards to the panel selection process.

Spyder5 ELITE | Luminance Uniformity, Percent (%)
2	0	2
2	1	2
2	2	2

Color Accuracy

Color accuracy is great, resulting at an average of 1.51 ΔE – with the exception of cyan. With a larger set of colors to test (48), this goes even lower at 1.33 ΔE.

Spyder5 ELITE | Color Accuracy, Delta-E (ΔE)
Patch ID	sRGB	Measured
1E	249, 242, 238	0.28
2E	202, 198, 195	0.09
3E	161, 154, 157	0.48
4E	122, 118, 116	1.15
5E	80, 80, 78	1.48
6E	43, 41, 43	2.37
1F	0, 127, 159	6.40
2F	192, 75, 145	0.73
3F	245, 205, 0	0.28
4F	186, 26, 51	1.43
5F	57, 146, 64	1.99
6F	25, 55, 135	1.41
	Minimum	0.09
	Maximum	6.40
	Average	1.51

Response Time

The PG32UCDM currently boasts the best response time I’ve observed in any gaming monitor, averaging an impressive 0.8 ms. With the variable refresh rate enabled, the response time slightly increases to 0.91 ms, which is still impressive.

OSRTT | Perceived Response Time, Millisecond (ms)
	0	51	102	153	204	255
0		0.5	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4
51	0.7		0.6	0.8	0.9	0.9
102	0.8	0.6		0.8	1.2	1.2
153	0.9	0.8	0.7		0.8	0.8
204	1.1	0.8	1.2	0.8		0.7
255	1.2	0.9	1.2	0.8	0.7

Now RGB overshoot has an average error of 2.03, with a value above 10 RGB at just under 3.33%. That is practically zero overshoot.

OSRTT | RGB Overshoot, Error
	0	51	102	153	204	255
0		3	7	5	4	4
51	0		6	4	3	2
102	0	11		0	0	0
153	0	5	0		0	0
204	0	3	0	0		1
255	0	3	0	0	0

Input Lag

Regarding input lag, the PG32UCDM’s average latency is approximately 2.56 ms, with the lowest recorded at 0.17 ms.

Power

At 120 cd/m², power consumption was measured at approximately 53.21 W. The increase in power consumption is consistent from 0% to 100% brightness level, which is efficient even with power saving modes disabled. Given that power consumption will be higher with HDR mode, the inclusion of a substantial 280 W power brick with this monitor seems appropriate.

Final Thoughts

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM is a top-tier gaming monitor that boasts a 32-inch 4K UHD QD-OLED panel with a swift 240Hz refresh rate. Packed with high-end features and superior build quality, it continues ASUS ROG’s legacy of including a generous array of accessories with their products.

The PG32UCDM boasts the recognizable ROG Swift design, enhanced with a more compact stand to improve desk space. It offers a range of connectivity options such as DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, HDMI 2.1 ports, and a USB Type-C/DP Alt port, accommodating a variety of devices and configurations.

The on-screen display offers an extensive array of settings, including gaming presets, image adjustments, color configurations, and system settings. It would be convenient if ASUS allocated a dedicated main menu for OLED-related settings to simplify the periodic maintenance of the panel.

The 32″ panel with 4K resolution offers excellent productivity potential, though requiring a deep desk space – even with the short stand considered. A VESA mounting adapter is also provided for alternative setup or requirements. For the price, they should’ve included the ROG Monitor Desk Mount Kit to transform the stand into a desk mount. C’mon ASUS, if I’m paying almost two grands – at least locally, please consider it.

Now the PG32UCDM offers excellent out of the box factory calibrated presets with accurate color reproduction across various color spaces. Gamma levels, brightness, and contrast also perform well, with HDR mode exceeding my expectations.

Color uniformity and accuracy are excellent, with minimal luminance hotspots and an average Delta-E of 1.51. Response time is impressive at 0.8 ms, with minimal RGB overshoot to boot. Input lag averages around 2.56 ms, with minimal latency ensuring smooth gaming performance. This QD-OLED display is fantastic for gaming and pretty much any content.

Power consumption remains efficient, with efficient energy usage across brightness levels. While bulky, the inclusion of the 280 W power brick accommodates the monitor’s demands, especially with HDR and the 90 W PD considered.

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM stands out with its high-end features, superior performance, and build quality, justifying its position as a top-tier product with a price to match.