Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS review

Our Verdict

80%

Not ideal for high-speed gaming, but this capable gaming display has excellent image quality.

Thanks to its VA panel, the Philips Momentum 32M1N5500’s high native contrast ratio makes it ideal for those seeking an HDR-like image. This display is also stylish, with a stand that has a fetching silver finish, a slim stem, and a minimalist claw-fingered base, while the back is finished in sharp angles that give it a premium business vibe.

Sadly, the stand itself lacks any screen movement options other than tilt. As such, if you want to adjust the height of the screen or rotate and pivot it, you’ll have to invest in a monitor arm and take advantage of the VESA mount on the panel’s rear.

Connection options are typical, with one DisplayPort input and two HDMI outputs, plus none of the USB Type-C frills of some other displays in its class. You do get a four-port USB 3.0 hub, though, with all four ports situated on the back of the panel.

Speakers are included too, and while they’re clear enough at low volumes they lack any heft and are very shrill at high volumes. A headphone jack is on hand for getting a better class of audio piped to your ears.

A single mini D-pad on the right rear of the panel controls the menus, and while it feels robust it lacks the positive click of some such controls. Moreover, it functions differently, with it not pressing in to provide an ok/select button. Instead, you move the control to the right to bring up the menu and to then select options within the menu. It’s a little clunky.

The options here are extensive, though, so you should be able to get the display setup just to your liking. There’s also an sRGB mode for restricting the otherwise wide color gamut, but it sets the brightness to maximum, which renders it rather useless.

Maximum brightness is impressive, though, at a rated and measured 550cd/m². This inherently allows for a far more immersive HDR experience than many competing panels, which is all the more true when you take into account the massive native contrast ratio of this panel that we measured as 4,298:1. The lack of backlight zones to further boost the contrast limits HDR reproduction a little, but HDR is still far more compelling than the competing IPS displays, such as the Dell G3223D.

Also compelling is this display’s overall image quality. Out-of-the-box color balance isn’t quite perfect but good enough for most use, while gamma is spot on and Delta E color accuracy is good too. Switch to the User color mode and you just need to shift the blue down from 100 to 98 to get a perfect color balance. We also noticed no blockiness in very dark grey areas in videos, which we’ve often found to be a problem with VA screens.

Less impressive is the gaming performance. While it supports FreeSync and G-Sync and trots along at 165Hz, its response time is very sluggish. We measure an average initial response time of 13.39ms and average perceived response time of 13.62ms, both of which are results that are around double what typical IPS displays can achieve. This results in very obvious ghostly smears trailing behind moving objects.

Oddly, though, the screen still feels reasonably nippy in use, and switching on its MPRT backlight strobing blur reduction mode tightens up its responsiveness even more. There’s still a lot of visible smearing but aim tracking and responsiveness still holds up.

Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS pros and cons

Pros

• Excellent image quality
• Surprisingly decent gaming experience
• Smart design

Cons

• Stand lacks adjustment
• Very slow response time
• Clunky menu system

Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS specs

The Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS spec list is:

Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS price

The Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS is very competitively priced, though its balance of features is a bit quirky so it may not be for everyone despite its good value.

Price: Expect to pay $400 / £330

Philips Momentum 5000 32M1N5500VS review conclusion

The Philips Momentum 32M1N5500 can’t claim to be the fastest gaming monitor around, but it defies its sluggish response time figures to still provide a nippy gaming experience. Add the dazzling brightness, high contrast, and excellent image quality and you have a display that’s fantastic for work, video and gaming. For more gaming monitor recommendations, check out our best gaming monitor list.