Asus ProArt Pa32udcm Monitor Tested: near perfection

For those who want image quality, smooth performance, and connectivity at the same high level, Asus offers a rather rare complete package with this monitor.

There are plenty of 4K monitors of 32 inches or larger, but for professional use, something is always missing: there’s no OLED panel, the refresh rate is disappointing, or there are no Thunderbolt connections. Asus changes that. The Taiwanese manufacturer may have assembled a perfect monitor with its new ProArt PA32UDCM monitor. Or at least one that comes close.

With a price tag of 1,486 euros excluding VAT, it’s clear that Asus is targeting an audience with high and professional demands, both in terms of image quality and connections.

Design

The PA32UDCM is a large, professional monitor with a sleek design. The ergonomic stand of the stately monitor is extremely solid and also feels sturdy and premium. This is also due to the choice of materials: metal and perforated aluminum. The metal is also chosen to cool the interior more efficiently. Asus opts for a neutral silver color that perfectly blends into any office environment. The panel, 8mm at its thinnest, is a mix between glossy and matte. This means not too many reflections and no mirror effect.

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Asus ProArt Pa32udcm Monitor Tested: near perfection

At the back, you’ll find a rectangular block where the power supply, speakers, fan, and connections are hidden. The ergonomic stand is not only narrow, taking up minimal space on your desk, but also height-adjustable and allows you to tilt and rotate the monitor. For those who want to work more flexibly, a VESA mount is neatly hidden behind the stand’s plate. Unfortunately, there is no groove to keep your cables neatly together.

Connections

For those working with multiple devices, this screen is at its best. The Thunderbolt 4 port with 96-watt Power Delivery is ideal for those who want to use one cable to charge a laptop, send images, and transfer data. Additionally, you get HDMI 2.1, USB-C, and some extra USB ports. There is support for daisy chaining via Thunderbolt, although this only works with compatible devices.

What is strangely missing here is a DisplayPort connection. Especially if you provide a refresh rate of 240Hz, it would have been a more than logical addition. However, Asus clearly opts fully for Thunderbolt and USB-C.

This makes the screen perhaps future-oriented, but also a bit less universal. There is also no headphone jack, but this is compensated by the built-in speakers.

Image quality

Although the appearance is also important, the real strength of the Asus PA32UDCM monitor lies in the image quality. The QD-OLED panel has a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and a 4K UHD resolution (2640 x 2160 px) with a refresh rate of 240Hz. This not only gives you razor-sharp images but also a super-smooth experience when scrolling, video editing, and even casual gaming. The response time of 0.1 ms contributes to that speed.

What makes OLED unique are the perfect black levels. Because individual pixels “light up” themselves, no backlight is needed, and you get true black levels without blooming. In our measurement, we logically ended up with a white brightness of about 216 cd/m² and a black brightness of exactly 0 cd/m².

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How do you choose a monitor?

Asus includes a calibration report in the box, but our measurements showed that it’s best to manually adjust if you’re working with applications where color needs to be displayed as accurately as possible. In the settings, we noticed that especially white balance and turquoise/cooler tones needed correction. With the necessary screen calibration, those tones can be adjusted properly.

In our tests, we achieved an average DeltaE of 5.2, with a peak of 8.5 in turquoise. In DCI-P3, this even rose to an average of 7.5, with a peak of 15.8 in white. Normally, you aim for a DeltaE below 2 for professional use. This doesn’t mean the colors are bad, far from it, but they are not accurate enough without extra calibration for, for example, printing or grading in video.

Cooling with a Fan?

An unexpected element of this monitor is the built-in fan. It serves to keep the OLED panel cool during prolonged use or at higher brightness. In quiet rooms, that fan noise is audible, and it can be distracting during concentrated work. It’s not a dramatic hum, but you can hear it.

During normal use, the noise is minimal, but those who often work with HDR or at full brightness for extended periods will notice the fan ramping up. In a shared workspace or quiet office environment, this is something to consider.

Sound and Extras

The built-in stereo speakers are a nice extra. Don’t expect deep bass or rich tones: the sound is okay for video meetings or background music, but nothing more. For professional sound or decent entertainment, it’s better to connect external speakers, which applies to almost every office monitor.

For a screen in this price range that also targets creative professionals who often work hybrid, an integrated camera would not have been a luxury. Especially knowing that other premium screens (like HP “s Series 7 Pro) do offer this, often with Windows Hello or facial recognition. With such” a sleek design, it’s a shame to place an external webcam on top of the screen.

User Experience: a Screen that Keeps Captivating

Anyone using the Asus PA32UDCM immediately notices how beautiful, smooth, and fluid everything feels. The large 4K panel is wonderfully sharp, and thanks to OLED technology, colors look more vibrant than on, for example, LCD or VA panels. Writing texts or editing photos, everything feels direct and responsive.

You also notice this when scrolling or switching between applications: thanks to the 240 Hz refresh rate, everything moves noticeably smoother than with standard 60 Hz monitors.

After all these years, OLED still has some risk of burn-in. Asus builds in security measures for this, such as a proximity sensor and automatic panel refresh, but it’s still recommended to use screensavers and avoid static elements.

Conclusion

The Asus ProArt PA32UDCM is an impressive monitor with a top-quality OLED panel, future-oriented connections, and a smooth user experience. However, it is not suitable for everyone. The colors are good but require calibration for professional use. The brightness is fine but not brilliant. DisplayPort is missing, and the fan makes just a bit too much noise to remain truly invisible.

For those who actively use their screen professionally for editing or assembling images, this is an excellent choice. The combination of OLED with 4K, 240 Hz, and Thunderbolt Power Delivery remains rare, and that Thunderbolt connectivity makes efficient work just that little bit easier. Even though you pay a very high price for that luxury.

Asus ProArt PA32UDCM – 1,486 euros excl. VAT