Review Asus ProArt PA32UCX Review: First Mini-LED Monitor Wows

TheDane

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I know it is specified (in a smaller font below the title) but I'd prefer if you didn't use the term "mini-LED 4K HDR monitor" in the main title as this isn't a new type of panel, just an LCD panel with more zones. It confuses some people (like those who don't know that LED display are also just LCD panels with another type of backlighting).
 
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I know it is specified (in a smaller font below the title) but I'd prefer if you didn't use the term "mini-LED 4K HDR monitor" in the main title as this isn't a new type of panel, just an LCD panel with more zones. It confuses some people (like those who don't know that LED display are also just LCD panels with another type of backlighting).

I could see that. Something like "4K HDR monitor with mini-LED backlight" would be much more forthcoming and less confusing imo.
 

strongdc

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I'd like to see this go against Apple's new Pro Display. That also uses mini-LEDs and beats it in every spec.
 

TheDane

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1400 zones vs 576 zone - no not in all metrics.

I'll wait for the microLED TVs/monitors, after using OLED TVs for some time I just cannot see myself use LCD panels again. And microLED looks to have all the benefits of OLED (per-pixel-light) and no potential issues with retention (though my OLED TV still looks fine after 2 years of daily use).
 

setx

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Those on screen controls... are pure cancer as usual. Even with top level hardware they don't bother to make them convenient to use.

After using NEC advanced mode it feels like going from IPS to TN panel.
 
I know it is specified (in a smaller font below the title) but I'd prefer if you didn't use the term "mini-LED 4K HDR monitor" in the main title as this isn't a new type of panel, just an LCD panel with more zones.
I agree, when I first clicked the article, I thought it was going to be a review for a MicroLED screen with individual LEDs making up each pixel element, but quickly discovered it was just another IPS screen, albeit with somewhat more local dimming zones for HDR. Meh. A 24x48 array of backlight LEDs on a 32" screen isn't exactly what I would call "mini".

I guess MicroLED is still a couple years or so away from mass production though, and will probably only appear at low pixel densities initially, like for big-screen TVs. It will probably be a number of years before we see a 32" 4K MicroLED screen.
 

mohammed2006

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toms hardware should have included sony BVM-HX310. to see how close it get to it. i need to upgrade my dell UP2718Q i am thinking ether asus or apple . please do asus vs apple and add Sony BVM-HX310.
 
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crimsonfilms

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toms hardware should have included sony BVM-HX310. to see how close it get to it. i need to upgrade my dell UP2718Q i am thinking ether asus or apple . please do asus vs apple and add Sony BVM-HX310.


What?
The BMV-HX310 is $32K discounted. It does not even occupy the same market space.
 

mohammed2006

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What?
The BMV-HX310 is $32K discounted. It does not even occupy the same market space.
i know they are for different market but want to know how near they are from them and i don't think the HX-310 is discounted and if it is then we can use Canon DP-V3210 monitor. just to see how colse asus is. u never know it maybe like comparing R9 3950x vs threadripper. u think they from different market. but in some pro cases the 3950x is batter.
 
Something tells me Tom's Hardware probably doesn't have a $30,000 monitor sitting around to test, and manufacturers are probably not going to send them one. If you want to donate one to them, I'm sure they'll be happy to benchmark it though. : P
 
Nov 22, 2019
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Asus must have been naughty and shipped a golden sample for review.

I have tried two of these monitors. The out of the box calibration was wildly different for both. But the biggest issue is uniformity .

Without uniformity compensation the first one was horrible. Bluish towards the bottom of the screen and really bad in the lower corners. With compensation on it evened out top and bottom but quite a bit cooler towards the left side than the right and brighter too. Finally there was a horrible weird disco light backlight bleed at the top.

Without uniformity compensation the second one was warmer towards the bottom. Nowhere near as offensive as the first unit. With compensation top and bottom match but like the first one a bit cooler towards the left side However the luminance is very uniform. Minimal conventional backlight bleed at 2 points near the top corners.

What I dont understand is both monitors included calibration charts showing exceptional uniformity measured at the factory. I wonder if these monitors dont travel well.
 

jonpais

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Asus must have been naughty and shipped a golden sample for review.

I have tried two of these monitors. The out of the box calibration was wildly different for both. But the biggest issue is uniformity .

Without uniformity compensation the first one was horrible. Bluish towards the bottom of the screen and really bad in the lower corners. With compensation on it evened out top and bottom but quite a bit cooler towards the left side than the right and brighter too. Finally there was a horrible weird disco light backlight bleed at the top.

Without uniformity compensation the second one was warmer towards the bottom. Nowhere near as offensive as the first unit. With compensation top and bottom match but like the first one a bit cooler towards the left side However the luminance is very uniform. Minimal conventional backlight bleed at 2 points near the top corners.

What I dont understand is both monitors included calibration charts showing exceptional uniformity measured at the factory. I wonder if these monitors dont travel well.
interesting, because while respected reviewers Color Management Guide and Prad.de both found variations in uniformity, they still gave it very high marks.
 
Nov 22, 2019
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interesting, because while respected reviewers Color Management Guide and Prad.de both found variations in uniformity, they still gave it very high marks.

From further tests with my second sample, the centre is a miracle of accuracy for out of the box accuracy especially in terms of white point and gamma. It's the uniformity that isn't quite there. What I found is that the accuracy at 75% IRE and lower is much better than at 100 IRE. Initially all of my evaluations were at 100 IRE. At 75% the colour variation is less than a delta C of 1 with uniformity compensation on. However there is a luminance deviation of + 15% in the top left corner with compensation on at 100 IRE which is too much IMO. The top left corner is hot in all samples measured so far to varying degrees probably based on where the meter is placed. I was using a 5x5 grid.

I am also having issues getting the monitor into Dolby Vision mode. So far I could only get this at lower than 4k60 in games. I haven't got it for any video streaming source at all and no 4k BD player seems to support it yet.

The first unit was so uneven I can only assume it had not been setup correctly at the factory
 

Uniblab

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Was wondering if the response time was measured in all functions. Since I bet that the panel is high end and capable of less than 5ms, and mini leds are virtually instantaneous, it must be pre processing that is adding to the less than optimal time. What if all additional processing was turned off and you just had the mini'leds and panal displaying the picture? Would we now have a HDR capable monitor with a 2-3 ms response time? If not, I bet that asus could create a premium gaming type monitor by just adding a switch to turn off all designing specific features. A "these games cant use these features" so turn them off button. What would response look like then.