A few weeks ago, we tested the NZXT Canvas 27Q. If you remember, in conclusion, we said we wanted to test the big brother, the Canvas 32Q Curved. NZXT noticed and as soon as a monitor was available, they kindly sent it to us.
Released at the same time as the Canvas 27Q, the 32Q Curved is obviously a bit larger. It’s still in QHD format, but this time it’s curved 1500R. This means that you should ideally stand at 1.5 meters from the monitor for a perfect visual comfort.
Starting at 379 $ + 50$ for the stand for the black model with stand, it is currently on promotion at 289 $, which is a reasonable price. Where NZXT is strong is that it is possible to choose the type of legs for its screen, or with a single or double arm, or even mix the colors.
Canvas 27Q specifications:
- VA panel
- A QHD resolution (2560×1440),
- A P3 color coverage that reaches 90% (according to our tests).
- A contrast of 1000:1
- A viewing angle of 178
- A refresh rate of 1ms
- A frequency of 165Hz maximum
- Freesync Premium, G-Sync Compatible
- Anti-glare coating
- VESA 100x100mm
- 2 USB 3.0 ports
- 1x DisplayPort 1.2
- 1x USB C
- 2x HDMI 2.0
Design
The NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved has a sober design, we are far from the gaming look. No RGB LED. The only fancy touch is the purple halo on the control nipple. However, we will notice the white stand with a black monitor, which is perhaps not the best choice.
Ergonomics
The mounting system is solid, the stand is stable and adjustable in height, as is the tilt. However, we will not be able to put the monitor vertically as we can on the Canvas 27Q. Finally, we have a VESA 100 mounting system. Also, you have access to a small USB hub under the screen.
The OSD is simple, the presets are numerous. Everything is controllable with the nipple on the back of the screen. Or via the CAM application from NZXT, and the application is just perfect. 
NZXT arms
We did not receive the single or double arm this time. But they appear to be exactly the same as those available with the Canvas 27Q. So they are very neat, with an all metal construction. 
[nextpage title=”Test Methodology”]Test Methodology
We want our monitor tests to be as objective as possible. Therefore, we do not use subjective remarks for our scoring. The scores are derived from numerical analyses. We use Datacolor’s SpyderX Elite probe to evaluate display quality. And we use a custom-made probe to test input lag at the screen’s maximum refresh rate. These results add extra utility to our tests, allowing us to more accurately compare features. For the tests, we don’t touch the screen’s default settings. We just adjust the brightness for the test of it, as the vast majority of buyers will change the defaults little or not at all and do not have a calibration probe. This also shows how much time the brand spends making the screen look good out of the box. [nextpage title=”Backlight leakage”]
As far as backlight leakage is concerned, nothing noticeable with the screen on a black background in a room with as little light as possible. The result is good. The slab does not suffer from light leakage at all. On the picture, we have strongly increased the contrast to show the uniformity of the blacks. To the naked eye, the differences are hardly noticeable.
Please note: this subjective observation is not taken into account in our rating system, which is intended to be as objective as possible. [nextpage title=”Viewing angle”]
Being a VA panel, the viewing angles are generally good. The Canvas 32Q Curved is no exception to the rule and does very well.
Attention: this observation considered as subjective is not taken into account in our rating system, which is as objective as possible.
[nextpage title=”Ghosting”]
For this test, a certain methodology must be applied, you can do the tests yourself on your screen by following these instructions.
Overdrive
NZXT has included 3 levels of overdrive in the OSD menu. The differences are not obvious. The response time is ok without being great, with obvious blurring. Ghosting is obvious on dark backgrounds.
Attention: this observation considered as subjective is not taken into account in our rating system, which wants to be as objective as possible.
[nextpage title=”Color range & accuracy”]
Color range / Gamut
The gamut is the set of colors that a device can display. Note that any score above 90% P3 is excellent. A high refresh rate and adaptive sync are nice features to have, but don’t sacrifice gamut and color either. The sRGB coverage is 100%, AdobeRGB 83%, DCI-P3 90%, an excellent score.
Color Accuracy
For this measurement, we want a Delta-E as low as possible. An average Delta-E of less than 2 is considered good. The average score of the NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved is 1.75 which ensures good colors. But we notice great variations on the darker colors.
[nextpage title=”Color uniformity / Luminance”]
Color Uniformity
Uniformity varies for tiles of the same production, so always take its values for a trend. We generally want a color variance of less than five on a 24/27 inch screen. The Canvas 32Q Curved gets a decent score, with color degradation at the bottom of the screen, at 4.7.
Luminance uniformity
Luminance uniformity is generally expected with a maximum score around 10%, but the larger the screen the more difficult the task. The NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved shows a maximum of 10%. This is a good result.
[nextpage title=”Brightness levels and contrast ratio”]
We measured 320 nits using the default settings of the screen, which is more than the 300nits announced by NZXT, and it’s the first time that the error is in this direction. As for the whites, they are very well calibrated. VA panels have deeper blacks and lower contrast than IPS panels. We note a contrast of 2450:1 (well above the 1000:1 announced on the data sheet) and a black level of 0.13 at 320 nits which is a good score.
[nextpage title=”Input lag”]
The input lag measurement is very different from the refresh rate measurement. Input lag is the time it takes for the video signal to enter the video port (HDMI/DisplayPort) and display the image on the screen. Few manufacturers communicate on this value, which is however crucial for the player. A refresh rate of 1ms is useless if the input lag is high. It is important to note that the more pixels to display, the higher the input lag. So it will be hard to find very good results on a 4K screen. Another important information, all the pixels are not displayed at the same time, the refreshment is done from top to bottom. So, we will find a much better response time at the top of the screen than at the bottom. We make 3 measurements (top, center, bottom) and calculate the average for our rating.
Rating:
- 5 stars – Less than 4ms lag – excellent, e-sport display
- 4 Stars – 4ms to 8.33ms – equivalent to a 120Hz refresh rate monitor image lag – good for competitive gamers
- 3 stars – 8.33 to 12.33 ms – more than one frame lag at 120 Hz refresh rate – good for most gamers
- 2 stars – 12.33 to 16.66 ms – less than two frames at 120 Hz refresh rate – good for most gamers, not recommended for FPS
- 1 star – More than 16.66 ms – equivalent to more than 2 frames at 120 Hz refresh rate – noticeable lag in everyday use, not optimal for fast games
The NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved gets a good score (4 stars) with 0.8 ms at the top of the screen, 4.6 ms in the middle and 8.2 ms at the bottom. So, we have here a very good reactivity, close to 5 stars which could have made it a good choice for a FPS game if we didn’t have this sharpness problem. [nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
On found the NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved on their website à 379 € without support. Without having reinvented the wheel, NZXT continues to develop of products that we like aesthetically, and functionallyThe Canvas 32Q Curved deserves as its little brother of appear on your list for your next monitor.
NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved
We liked :
- The design
- Excellent input lag
- Very good contrast
- The OSD and NZXT CAM
- The choice of stand
We liked less :
- The sharpness of the images in movement
- The dark colors less well calibrated
- The HDR
To sum up, we choose to award the Canvas 32Q Curved with gold. NZXT offers us monitors that hit the mark, at a decent price. No doubt the engineers have done their job. NZXT is starting to offer us a complete ecosystem of quality products, with service and attention to detail that we appreciate.