There are quite a few gaming monitors now that feature curved displays. There are still debates going around whether they’re better or not than the traditional flat displays, but from my experience, they don’t hurt your experience either. The thing is, you can get curved displays now in different curvatures so if you don’t want something as curvy as a 1000R curved display, you can get a 1500R or 1800R which isn’t quite as curved and is a nice middle ground. The VIOTEK GNV32DBE is just such a monitor and is a 165Hz 1500R 2K curved, suitable for gaming and everyday tasks.
DESIGN AND SPECS
The VIOTEK GNV32DBE isn’t the largest curved display that they make, but it’s plenty big for most people. Its official size is 31.5″ at a resolution of 2560×1440 @165Hz with 5ms response. Again, the curvature of this display as 1500R so it’s not going to be quite as curvy as something like the BenQ Mobiuz EX3210R which we looked at back in November 2021. That display was very curvy and if you have never experienced a curved display, can be quite jarring. The VIOTEK GNV32DBE is more of a subtle curve and is a great middle ground between flat and curved.
Other notable specs include the 250 cd/m2, 3000:a contrast ratio. 16.7M colors, 16:9 aspect ratio, VA display panel, and is VESA mountable. In case you’re wondering too, it also weighs about 6.2kg (13.7 lbs). You’ll want to keep that in mind when looking for a VESA mount. The Viotek GNV32DBE doesn’t have built-in speakers, but it does have an AUX jack for audio. There are also 2 DisplayPort 1.2 ports and 1 HDMI 2.0 port. You’ll also notice a USB port, but it’s mainly there just for firmware updates if this monitor ever has any.
On the firmware side of things, VIOTEK has a Game Plus mode which basically adds onscreen crosshairs, a game timer, and an FPS counter. Other gaming-specific features include the availability of FreeSync / G-sync, Overdrive mode, HDT, DCR, and MPRT.
Now that we got the specs out of the way, let’s move on to the physical design of the VIOTEK GNV32DBE. For starters, the bezel on the monitor is very small, with the largest part being at the bottom where the frame is the thickest. There is an anti-glare coating on the display, which is always a welcome addition and it keeps reflections from appearing while in use. In terms of monitor thickness, it’s mainly thick in the middle and then it tapers off at the edges.
The stand is a tripod-like design and is made of metal. It seems pretty sturdy and offers a good base for the monitor. There is no height adjustment on it nor is there a swivel point. The only thing it has is the ability to tilt up and down (-5˚ – 15˚). There’s also no rotation on the stand, so you can’t use this in portrait mode with the stand. Also missing are any flashy RGB lights on the back that some of these gaming monitors have. Neither of these omissions is really a big deal because I don’t use my displays in portrait mode and I can’t even see the RGBs on the back of the monitor anyways.
Like other Viotek monitors, there are no buttons on the front. There is a combination button/joystick on the back corner that’s easy to reach. This keeps the front of the display looking very clean and minimal. It may not be a flashy monitor but it’s a handsome one.
EXPERIENCE
The setup of the VIOTEK GNV32DBE did not take very long. Basically, you just need to attach the legs to the arm and the arm to the monitor. The legs and arm require 2 screws while the arm to monitor requires none. You just click it into place and you’re good. Again, we’re testing this with my PC rig consisting of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and an RTX 3070 FE. More than enough to handle 2K gaming at high framerate.
If you’ve been using a 1080p ultrawide monitor like I have, then a 16:9 ratio 2K monitor isn’t that much different in terms of resolution. It’s just taller. The width is the same at 2560 with the height increasing from 1080 to 1440. You’ll have no problems viewing two browser windows side by side.
While gaming, the biggest difference you’ll see just how buttery smooth all the action is thanks to the 165Hz refresh rate. While not the highest, 165Hz is more than enough for most people and makes a huge difference when compared to your standard 60-75Hz monitors. In terms of color and picture quality, the color seems spot on when compared to my LG ultrawide and the image quality is very good. If you want to run HDR, remember that you need to turn that on through Windows. Also, you can fine-tune the picture to your liking or use one of the presets.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’ve used both flat and curved displays and while curved displays may seem a bit weird at first, they certainly have their advantages. I can honestly say that it does take a bit to get used to a curved display, especially if you go for something that has a 1000R curvature. However, if you go with something that’s a bit more subtle like in the 1500R range, you can get the benefits of a curved display without having to really get used to it. The VIOTEK GNV32DBE is definitely a good middle ground between flat and curved and I think I prefer it over the extreme curvature of a 1000R.
While it might not have extras like RGB lighting, speakers, or the ability to go from landscape to portrait, it’s a solid gaming monitor for those who want their gaming monitors to do just one thing, and that’s play games really well. You won’t be disappointed. The VIOTEK GNV32DBE is a no-nonsense, affordable 32-inch 165Hz 2K curved gaming monitor that gets the job done.
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