Gigabyte FO32U2 Review: 4K 240Hz OLED Gaming Monitor

The Gigabyte FO32U2 is a 32" 4K 240Hz gaming monitor based on Samsung's QD-OLED panel, VRR support, an ergonomic stand and more!

Bottom Line

The Gigabyte FO32U2 offers an exceptional image quality and buttery-smooth performance with plenty of useful features. However, there are a lot of alternatives based on the same panel available, so be sure to check them out in order to pick the best model for you.

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.9)
Performance:
(4.9)
Price/Value:
(3.5)
4.6

The Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 is yet another monitor based on Samsung’s 32″ 3840×2160 240Hz QD-OLED panel – here’s how it compares to its alternatives!

Image Quality

Gigabyte FO32U2

The benefits of Samsung’s QD-OLED panels are probably well-known to everyone interested in monitors at this point! The main advantage, of course, is the infinite contrast ratio as pixels can individually turn off for true blacks without any backlight bleeding, haloing, glowing or other visual artifacts related to LED-backlit LCDs.

Now, while QD-OLED panels have a lower peak brightness specified (250-nits for 100% APL and 1000-nits for < 3% APL) than LG’s W-OLED MLA+ (275-nits for 100% APL and 1300-nits for < 3% APL) panels, these measures refer to white luminance.

When it comes to color luminance, the QD-OLED panels are actually superior, meaning that you get brighter colors, which in addition to the wider 99.3% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage results in an overall higher perceived brightness.

OLED vs QD OLED

There are several HDR modes and settings available.

For viewing bright content, we recommend using the HDR Game Mode as it offers the highest brightness. For darker content, you should use the HDR Default mode with the APL Stabilize option set to ‘High’ instead of the default ‘Middle’ – this mode will offer more accurate brightness in dark scenes.

Overall, the monitor delivers an immersive HDR viewing experience with crisp details, vibrant colors, true blacks and punchy highlights.

Naturally, mini LED displays offer an even higher brightness, which makes them more suitable for watching content in a bright environment, but they also suffer from FALD blooming. So, there are trade-offs with both technologies and it comes down to personal preference.

For SDR content, we recommend either using the sRGB mode if you wish to clamp the color gamut to avoid over-saturation – or the default native gamut in case you prefer a bit of extra color vibrancy. You’ll also find dedicated Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 modes in the OSD menu.

Next, the Gigabyte FO32U2 monitor is factory-calibrated at Delta E < 2, has 178° wide viewing angles that ensure flawless image quality regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen, and lastly, supports true 10-bit color depth for smooth gradients without banding.

Note that this is Samsung’s third-generation QD-OLED panel with the improved diamond-shaped subpixel layout, so fringing on small text and fine details is no longer an issue.

The 4K UHD resolution on the 31.5″ viewable screen of the Gigabyte FO32U2 provides you with a high pixel density of 140 PPI (pixels per inch). As a result, you get plenty of screen real estate with crystal-clear details and text, while scaling is optional.

Keep in mind that 4K is still quite taxing on the GPU, but thanks to the upscaling technologies, you will be able to enjoy smooth frame rates with decent image settings using a mid-range graphics card.

Performance

The Gigabyte FO32U2 has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, providing you with buttery-smooth motion clarity.

On top of that, OLED displays have instantaneous pixel response time speed, so there’s no visible ghosting behind fast-moving objects, which makes the monitor perfect for fast-paced games!

Below, you can see how the monitor handles Blur Busters’ UFO ghosting test and how it compares to some other gaming monitors.

Gigabyte FO32U2 UFO Ghosting Test
Gigabyte Fo32U2 UFO Ghosting Test Comparison

Input lag performance is also excellent with only around 2ms of delay, which is imperceptible.

Variable refresh rate (VRR) is supported as well for tear-free gameplay up to 240FPS. The monitor has AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification but also supports VRR via HDMI 2.1 and ‘NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible.’

As expected from an OLED display, there might be some VRR brightness flickering in darker scenes of games with fluctuating frame rates, but it’s tolerable.

If it bothers you in those rare scenarios, you can simply disable VRR or use V-Sync to prevent tearing if you’re very sensitive to it, though screen tearing is hardly noticeable at 240Hz anyway.

The monitor is flicker-free and there’s a dedicated low-blue light filter mode available.

Features

Gigabyte FO32U2 Monitor Behind
The stand is nice and feels premium

Beneath the bottom bezel of the screen, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu, as well as two dedicated buttons for shortcuts.

Alternatively, you can download the OSD Sidekick desktop application and make your monitor adjustments using your keyboard and mouse. With the monitor connected to your PC via a USB cable, you can also use the Dashboard feature to display your system performance (CPU/GPU temperature, utilization, etc.) on the screen.

Besides the standard image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, color temperature, etc.), you’ll also find some advanced settings, including gamma, sharpness, automatic input detection, PiP/PbP and aspect ratio (24.5″ 1920×1080 screen mode is supported as well).

Gigabyte FO32U2 Tactical Switch
24.5″ 1920×1080 240Hz Screen Mode. You can switch between three positions (top, center, and bottom).

Useful gaming features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature), crosshair overlays, Eagle Eye (zooms in the area around your crosshair), on-screen timers and a refresh rate tracker.

The main drawback of OLED panels is the risk of permanent image burn-in and temporary image retention. Basically, when displaying an image with bright static elements for too long, those elements might become permanently visible as an afterimage.

However, Gigabyte offers plenty of burn-in prevention features, which along with sensible use of the screen and a 3-year burn-in warranty, ensure a worry-free experience.

Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 Review OSD Menu

The OLED Care features include:

  • Pixel Clean – runs every 4 hours of use to ‘refresh’ the pixels
  • Static Control – reduces screen brightness when the image is static for too long
  • Pixel Shift – occasionally moves the image by a few pixels
  • APL Stabilize – adjusts maximum brightness
  • Sub-Logo Dim – reduces the brightness of static logos, such as the taskbar
  • Corner Dim – reduces the brightness at the corners of the screen)

Design & Connectivity

Gigabyte FO32U2 Monitor
The Gigabyte FO32U2 is very thin

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers full ergonomic support with up to 130mm height adjustment, +/- 20° swivel, -5°/20° tilt, 90° clockwise pivot and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

As it’s the case with all 32″ 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitors (except Samsung’s version), the Gigabyte FO32U2 has a glossy screen surface that offers a more vivid image quality since there’s no graininess associated with matte coatings.

Matte vs Glossy Screen Treatment
Anti-glare vs glossy coating reflection handling

However, the screen is also more reflective and since there’s no polarizer, blacks are raised when hit by direct lighting. As long as there’s no light directly pointed at the screen though, this won’t be an issue.

The monitor also has RGB Fusion 2.0 lighting on the rear.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, USB-C with DP 1.4 Alternate Mode and 18W Power Delivery, two downstream USB 3.0 ports, one upstream USB-B port, a headphone jack, a microphone jack and dual 5W integrated speakers.

The monitor also supports HDMI-CEC – if you have a console conected, the monitor will automatically turn on when you power the console. 4K 120Hz mode with both HDR and VRR is supported on the latest consoles as well.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 goes for $1,100.

There’s also the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P model with DisplayPort 2.1, mini-DP 2.1, DP-out for daisy-chaining and a higher USB-C PD of 65W for $1,300 (though it can be found on sale for $1,170 – in which case it offers better value than the FO32U2).

However, considering that DSC (Display Stream Compression) on DP 1.4 is visually lossless, we don’t think it’s worth the extra $200. Additionally, there are no DP 2.1 graphics cards currently available and the cables are limited to ~1.2m in length at the moment.

In the US, we recommend the MSI MPG 321URX based on the same panel instead. It can be found for $950 and offers a USB-C port with a higher 90W PD, as well as built-in KVM. If you don’t need power delivery and KVM, there’s the MAG 321UPX model for $900.

Here’s how all 32″ 4K 240Hz QD-OLED models compare and since pricing varies by region, pick whichever is the cheapest and/or offers the features most suited to you.

 Dell AW3225QFASUS PG32UCDMSamsung G80SDGigabyte FO32U2Gigabyte FO32U2PMSI 321URXMSI 321UPXHP Omen Transcend 32
ScreenGlossy (Curved)GlossyMatteGlossyGlossyGlossyGlossyGlossy
Video PortsDP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1
DP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 90W
DP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1
DP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 18W
DP 2.1,
mini-DP 2.1,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 65W
DP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 90W
DP 1.4,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 15W
DP 2.1,
2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C 140W
Other Ports3x USB-A,
USB-B,
USB-C
3x USB-A
USB-B,
HP, SPDIF
2x USB-A,
USB-B
2x USB-A,
USB-B,
HP, Mic,
2x5W
2x USB-A,
USB-B,
HP, Mic, 2x5W
2x USB-A,
USB-B,
HP
HP3x USB-A,
2x USB-C,
HP, 4x3W
Dolby VisionYesYesNoNoNoNoNoYes
KVMNoYesNoYesYesYesNoYes
CoolingActivePassivePassivePassivePassivePassivePassiveActive
Burn-in warranty3 years3 years3 years3 years3 years3 years3 years3 years
Price (MSRP)$1200$1300$1300$1100$1200$950$900$1,300
Monitors based on Samsung’s 32″ 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel

Note that MSI also offers the MSI MAG 321UP model with a 32″ 4K 165Hz QD-OLED panel for $800.

You should also consider 32″ 4K 240Hz gaming monitors based on LG’s W-OLED panel with the 1080p 480Hz Dual Mode, such as the ASUS PG32UCDP, in case you’re a competitive FPS player.

In case you’re interested in mini LED displays, be sure to check out our BenQ EX321UX review.

For more OLED and mini LED options and information, be sure to check out our best HDR monitors buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Overall, the Gigabyte FU32U2 is an excellent gaming monitor thanks to its QD-OLED panel that ensures an immersive viewing experience as well as fluid gameplay.

As we mentioned, there’s a lot of similar monitors based on the same panel, so make sure you check out the current prices and unique features to see which one suits you the best!

Specifications

Screen Size31.5-inch
Resolution3840×2160 (4K UHD)
Panel TypeOLED
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate240Hz
Response Time0.03ms (GtG)
Speakers2x5W
Adaptive-SyncFreeSync Premium Pro (48-240Hz),
HDMI 2.1 VRR
PortsDisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1,
USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 18W PD)
Other PortsHeadphone Jack, Microphone Jack,
2x USB-A 3.0, 1x USB-B
Brightness (1 – 3% White Window)1000 cd/m²
Brightness (10% White Window)450 cd/m²
Brightness (100% White Window)250 cd/m²
Contrast RatioInfinite
Colors1.07 billion (true 10-bit)
99.3% DCI-P3
HDRVESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • Infinite contrast ratio, decent peak brightness, wide color gamut
  • High pixel density
  • Instant response time
  • Plenty of features, including VRR up to 240Hz
  • Ergonomic design and rich connectivity options; KVM

The Cons:

  • Risk of burn-in (though covered by 3-year warranty)
  • USB-C PD limited to 18W

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.