We have finally entered the era of gaming where affordable and fast 4K monitors come together. But as the Gigabyte M32UC proves, you can get a screen for what seems like the right price.

The monitor sells for as low as $600 (open in new tab), a very competitive price for a 4K gaming monitor of this size. Gigabyte offers two HDMI 2.1 ports, 1ms MPRT, FreeSync Premium Pro, and even a USB 3.2 hub, combining very good features for such a price.

The M32UC runs at a perfectly reasonable frequency of 144Hz right out of the box, and a powerful graphics card is required to take full advantage of this at 4K. However, if this monitor is connected via DisplayPort 1.4, the panel can be overclocked via the OSD. The refresh rate can be boosted to 160 Hz, which may be excessive for most people, but is an appropriate option if you are looking to bulk up the rest of your rig (or if you plan to purchase a powerful next-generation GPU in the future).

However, one thing to consider with the M32UC's blend of resolution and refresh rate is that even high-end GPUs don't always get the most out of it, which is why the M32UC's FreeSync feature is so important, as it allows you to set the refresh rate to a level that is more than the maximum refresh rate of your screen. By keeping this panel in sync with the graphics card when the screen is below the maximum refresh rate, screen tearing can be prevented. the M32UC is not officially on Nvidia's list of G-Sync capable monitors, but still, our tests with Nvidia GPUs without any problems.

Speaking of 4K resolution, the M32UC's 32" panel is stretched to 32". The pixel pitch is 0.181 mm. From a practical standpoint, when using this screen on a Windows PC, it would be better to enable scaling on the desktop. Even though the panel is larger, the 4K resolution is not crushed as on smaller panels.

It is absolutely possible to go larger than a 32" panel to minimize this, but I would suggest not going over the 42" mark. Any larger than that and you will feel like you are staring wide-eyed at a portal on your desktop. Too big for the average PC and desk setup; 32" is somewhere in the middle.

Not surprisingly, a 32-inch panel running at 4K brings an amazingly crisp image during gaming. I am definitely playing too much "Destiny 2" right now, and the M32UC is a stunning way to experience the game. Fine detail is well preserved, and this panel doesn't struggle with saturation, resulting in a luscious, vibrant image.

Panel performance is also generally excellent on the M32UC, with very little ghosting with the "Smart OD" overdrive setting enabled, and the "Balanced" is excellent. The "Picture Quality" setting also works reasonably well, but has more noticeable drawbacks when the background is dark. However, it is recommended that the "Speed" overdrive setting not be enabled, as it results in a rather spectral image and a large amount of overshoot.

M32U also offers a DisplayHDR 400 rating in the box, but I would not consider it for HDR capabilities. It lacks many of the things needed in a true HDR monitor, such as higher brightness and local dimming. This is not too surprising given a 4K monitor at this price, but the DisplayHDR 400 label on the box can be deceiving.

It's also worth noting that Gigabyte's exterior is rather tasteless. I don't mind it: I've used flashier panels and even duller looking panels. At least Gigabyte has fitted this monitor with a sturdy and sensible stand for the price.

In terms of value for money, Gigabyte has hit the nail on the head with the M32UC. If you look around for competing products in the same price range with similar specs, other gigabyte models often come close, including the often discounted Aorus model. This makes the M32UC an excellent choice if you are planning to purchase a next-generation 4K-ready gaming PC or if you already have a high-end GPU but are not yet getting the most out of it.

And while one would expect a panel of this size at this price to be simplified, with no extras, the Gigabyte does just that with a USB hub, plenty of ports, a simple interface, and easy overclocking.