Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 review

Our Verdict

75%

A more than capable gaming display with great build quality, but you can get a similar spec for much less money elsewhere.

As one of the biggest PC gaming peripheral manufacturers around, Corsair entering the gaming monitor market got plenty of people excited, and its first and so far only model is the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165. It’s a fairly high-end display with a price to match. For its hefty $800 MSRP you get a large 32-inch IPS display with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a 165Hz maximum refresh rate.

Those figures aren’t exactly ground-breaking, with the likes of the LG Ultra Gear 32GP850 offering the same screen size, resolution and refresh rate for nearly $200 less and the AOC U28G2XU providing a 4K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and 28in screen for $100 less. However, the Corsair goes some way towards justifying its price with its build quality, color reproduction, and extras.

The 32QHD165 is built like a tank, with a solid extruded aluminum piece used for the leg of the fully-adjustable stand, and an equally hefty arrangement of aluminum parts making up the sizeable base. Combined with the 32-inch screen size, you end up with a display that really dominates most desks. However, we found the stand a little less obtrusive and desk-hogging than the very long-legged, V-shaped bases used on some monitors.

A couple of cable tidying clips slide up and down the aluminium leg, making for a simple but effective cabling system, while the ports all face down from the central bump on the back of the display. These consist of one DisplayPort 1.4 input, two HDMI 2 ports and a USB Type-C port for video input, along with a two-port USB 3 hub, headphone output and barrel socket for the external power supply. There are no speakers, which is disappointing on a display this size and price.

A single mini joystick on the rear of the panel is used to control the pleasingly concise onscreen menus. You get all the key image quality and gaming performance controls you need, but none of the superfluous extras you find on some displays.

Turn on this display and you’re immediately hit by its dazzling extended color gamut. With its 98 per cent DCI-P3 color space coverage, this monitor is essentially as colorful as you can get for a conventional computer display. What’s more, the default color temperature (6,962K), gamma (2.22), and average Delta E color accuracy (0.15) are decent, so although colors can look oversaturated, the balance is spot on.

If the oversaturated look isn’t for you, an sRGB mode is on hand to rein in the color gamut, although with a colour temperature of 7,097K, its balance could be better. As for HDR content, with a fixed backlight limiting contrast to a peak ratio of 1,045:1, you do get the dazzling colors required but not the range in brightness.

When it comes to gaming, though, the 32QHD165 impresses with a snappy response time combining with the fast refresh rate to make for a sharp-looking image during fast movements. There’s also a decent backlight strobing blur reduction mode to further sharpen up the image in fast motion. It’s a solid if unexceptional screen for gaming performance.

Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 pros and cons

Pros

• Fantastic build quality
• Dazzling colour gamut
• Snappy gaming performance

Cons

• Contrast too low for good HDR
• Expensive for the spec
• Warm sRGB colour balance

Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 specs

The Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 specs list is:

Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 price

The 32QHD165 is undeniably expensive, and while it justifies that somewhat with a premium build and a few features like an extended color gamut, other displays offer much better value.

Price: Expect to pay $800 / £800

Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165 review conclusion 

With its large screen and dazzling color reproduction, the 32QHD165 makes quite an impact in games and video. It also has snappy gaming performance, a decent range of features, and solid build quality. However, its HDR reproduction is let down by modest contrast and it’s quite expensive for the raw resolution and refresh rate it delivers. For more gaming monitor recommendations check out our best gaming monitor list.