As a 27” monitor “kinda” guy, jumping into the waters of 32” displays was a bit of a shell shock. The Omen 32q Gaming Monitor steps out of the extremely large packaging, living up to its title, because this thing is quite large. At a price of $399, but often on sale for $279, you may wonder, how much bang is in these bucks? It seems like a lot of display for a little price, especially since the 32q offers 165hz at 1440p, with the ability to even go vertical and/or mounted. Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of the Omen 32q.
Style / Feel / Build / Hardware
The Omen 32q doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel with its build quality or materials for Omen’s monitor line, and that’s a good thing. The monitor is primarily constructed with composite plastics that don’t feel cheap but offer the trade-off that more expensive textures might bring.
What stands out is their toolless stand system, which not only looks sleek but also makes setup a breeze. It’s a practical feature that enhances the user experience, and that’s exactly what I appreciate about it.
Omen does try changing things up to save costs on certain products. For example, the Omen 32q doesn’t have a hollowed-out port on the stand neck for wire management but rather a clip-in loop for threading cables through. It also doesn’t have a headset stand at the top of the monitor like other higher-tier products sold in the Omen line. I only stress these differences to lead into the performance section of my review.
The base of the Omen 32q has strips of fabric, which is unlike what I am used to seeing, but mixed with the small rubber dot in the center, it holds very sturdy when shifting the display left to right. On the other hand, the 32q is very loose in a rotation pattern, and at first, I didn’t like the ability to turn the screen, but then I realized this probably helps it not to fall over if hit firmly on the edges.
Honestly, I even thought it might spin a little when I shook my desk, and that didn’t happen either. The simple nature of the base is also convenient for placing desk clutter on top of it, as it doesn’t disorient with abstract stand shapes.
The Omen 32q’s versatility shines through its adjustable height and angle. With the ability to smoothly lower the display’s bezel to 3.75” from your desk and a height range of 6.5”, the Omen 32q caters to a wide range of user preferences. It can be adjusted to angles ranging from 5 to 20 degrees, further enhancing its adaptability.
But wait, there’s more. The Omen 32q has a vertical feature, which seems a bit scary to perform at first due to firm mechanical notches. But use a little force, and next thing you know, you have a 32” vertical monitor. It’s not often you can see verticality at this display size, and the Omen 32q makes it really sexy.
A small drawback to rotating this size of the screen is making sure you aren’t pulling wires that aren’t long enough, depending on whether you rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. You don’t want the bezel to get in the way of your seamless multi-display set-up, but be cognizant of the extra length you may need if your desktop is in an unfavorable location.
I would have also liked to see a smaller bezel throughout the Omen 32q, as it adds even more size to this large display.
Omen continues to rock the back button and menu controls on the lower right back of the 32q. Instead of the controls being on the bezel, they integrate this reach-around design for a cleaner look, and it has grown on me. Due to how smooth the Omen 32q is, blindly reaching for these buttons is no bother. They also feel firm and clicky, lacking that common “chintzy” experience.
Also, the rear of the 32q hosts VESA patterns of 100×100, located within the back panel and around the ventilation. Don’t forget about your local Omen logo. Underneath, you can find all of your I/O ports. This includes 2xHDMI 2.0 ports and 1 Displayport, along with a convenient backup headphone 3.5mm jack. There are more than enough ports for a 1440p display at this cost, but what would have been nice is the support of a couple of USB ports on the Omen 32q. It would have fit in well, given the size of the unit, so I was a bit upset to see the product lacking in general peripheral support.
Performance / Hands-on-use / User Experience / Analysis / Etc.
To say the least, Omen tends to improve the color accuracy of its monitors year over year. For example, the Omen 25i looks more blue than newer Omen displays. The 32q is no stranger to this improvement, as the display is very accurate in the native color setting and has a great natural white balance.
You can alter these color settings in the built-in menu or use the Omen Gaming Hub to do so. In addition to these color profiles, you can also add your own on-screen crosshair, change brightness, response time, fps counter, and more, but these are not new or unique to the Omen 32q.
Although it is not dim by any means, the Omen 32q could definitely be brighter to enhance the colors a bit, as the saturation levels seem to top out sooner than I would like. Saturation is directly related to brightness and the expansion of the RGB spectrum beyond 8 bit. It really just comes down to price here. I am just pointing out what you are in for.
On that note, the Omen 32q does support HDR, but I prefer a well-contrast and illuminated SRGB profile for most cases. I love the application of HDR color data, but not for day-to-day use or content creation, as HDR is a slippery slope to universal color matching between devices.
On the other hand, the hardware does not include a set of speaker(s), and usually, this does not bother me. Still, after using the counterpart Omen 27U for so long, I started to appreciate having speakers for social situations, and the lack of internal drivers for the 32q shocked my system. You can decide where you stand on this topic.
If you are unsure about making the jump to 32 inches, the Omen 32q excels a bit further away on wider desks. I tend to enjoy sitting right on top of my display, and the 32 inches wasn’t too hard to get used to, but it still remained a bit too large for me. The second I lean back in my chair, the extra surface area really brings an immersive experience to gaming that smaller monitors can’t.
Sitting up close, due to 1440p, if you are keen on image sharpness, you can see the pixelation since the Omen 32q hosts a large 31.5” diagonal, stretching the image greater than the average small screen size. The pixel pitch is .27mm, which is actually good for a 32”, but it doesn’t matter in the short throw.
Generally speaking, while gaming, I didn’t experience any burn-in, frame smearing, artifacts… or anything like that. The Omen 32q is a clean-looking display that runs at a high frame rate of 165hz on DP and 144hz on HDMI with no issues. This display is Free-Sync certified.
Although Omen displays have a high ticket price upon release, they often provide a well-built, reliable, high-performing gaming display tailored to gamers first.
I had the time to color correct and edit an entire music video project on the Omen 32q, and not once did I feel like I was being “jipped” of color accuracy. The contrast ratio is 1000:1, which is average, so this lack of image depth can be expected at such a cost. I’m used to my monitor supporting colors up to HDR 400, whereas the 32q only supports 95% of SRGB DCI-P3.
Again, the Omen 32q’s biggest negative factor is the color saturation when viewing up close rather than from a distance. However, I only had this opinion when gaming; content creation seemed quite feasible. Also, the black levels were a bit disappointing, as they were certainly more of a dark gray, so be cognizant if you are a designer.
The excess screen space, or negative space, really clears up my OCD when dealing with cluttered software like Premiere Pro. The ability to spread your windows around brings new thought clarity to your workflow if you are easily overwhelmed by messy situations.
The Omen 32q has a matte IPS panel, rather than glossy, strongly benefiting those who prioritize more of an eye-safe look. The matted screen is overwhelmingly easier to stare at for longer periods than gloss screens, and I never felt irritation while on the native color setting. I tend to find when done well, glossy screens have more vivid colors, granted there is a brightness to back it up, not to say that the Omen 32q has bad saturation, but compared to brighter displays, the colors do look a bit flat.
I will say that the Omen 32q has an amazing viewing angle and color shift tech that really impressed me this time around. Usually, displays let me down in this category, but not this one. The lighting also seems very even, lacking light bleed, although it isn’t perfect. You can see minor leakage if you really look for it around the edges.
Conclusion
The Omen 32q is generally a great monitor, but I find the price more likely when on sale rather than its MSRP at $399. The 32” screen size with reliable high FPS performance, accurate SRGB portrayal, and fair brightness bring a deal to those looking for multiple monitor set-ups, especially due to the versatility of the vertical feature. The Omen 32q doesn’t have to be your main monitor, although it certainly can live up to the name, but it makes a great secondary display for documents, discord, or web browsing in the vertical orientation.
It is also a great monitor for multi-use users, rather than just gamers, but I wouldn’t consider this a professional-level display.
The 32q lacks a bit of that extra edge of picture quality for me to get overly excited about it, but by no means does it look visually poor.
Noisy Pixel is giving the Omen 32q Gaming Monitor a B+.
Simply a great product, but it lacks standout qualities and plays it safe.
Omen 32q Gaming Monitor
As a 27” monitor enthusiast, transitioning to a 32” display was initially overwhelming, but the Omen 32q Gaming Monitor, with its substantial size and packaging, quickly justified its presence. Priced at $399, often discounted to $279, it offers impressive features: 165Hz at 1440p, vertical orientation, and mounting options. The build quality is solid, primarily using composite plastics that feel sturdy rather than cheap. The toolless stand system enhances setup ease, although some cost-saving measures, like the lack of a hollowed-out port for wire management, are evident. The base, featuring fabric strips and a central rubber dot, ensures stability. The monitor's adjustable height and angle, along with the ability to switch to vertical orientation, add to its versatility. However, careful cable management is necessary during rotation. A smaller bezel would have been preferable to reduce the monitor's already substantial size. The rear hosts VESA patterns and various ports, but the absence of USB ports is a drawback. Performance-wise, the Omen 32q excels in color accuracy and smooth frame rates, though it could benefit from higher brightness and better color saturation. The lack of built-in speakers is noticeable for those accustomed to them. While the 32” size enhances immersion, pixelation is evident up close. Overall, the Omen 32q is a reliable, high-performing gaming monitor, particularly suitable for multi-monitor setups, though it falls short of professional-level displays. Despite some limitations, it earns a B+ for its solid performance and versatility, even if it doesn't stand out in any particular area.
The Good
- Consumer Friendly: Affordable pricing, especially on sale.
- High Refresh Rate: 165Hz refresh rate at 1440p.
- Versatile Design: Adjustable height, angle, and vertical orientation.
- Accurate Colors: Accurate color settings and good natural white balance
- Easy Setup: Toolless stand system for convenient setup.
The Bad
- Lack of Audio: No built-in speakers.
- Brightness and Saturation: Could benefit from higher brightness and better color saturation.
- Peripheral Support: Limited peripheral support with no USB ports.
- Pixelation Issue: Pixelation noticeable up close due to 1440p on a 32” screen.
- Black Levels: Black levels are more dark gray, affecting image depth.
