Designer Review: ASUS ProArt PA329CV 4K display

Review unit on loan from ASUS Singapore

The ASUS ProArt PA329CV is a 32-inch 4K display released in late 2021. Price currently on Amazon is USD 559. Here in Singapore from ASUS Singapore online store, it's SGD 1099. Shopee SG and Lazada SG may have it at lower price.

At the time of writing this review, there's actually an update to this model called the PA329CRV which features more USB-C ports and DisplayPort daisy-chaining. Price is SGD 1149 so it almost doesn't make sense to get this older model.

Bottom line

This is a big display that's bright, vibrant and sharp. I measured colour support for 100% sRGB, 75% NTSC, 78% AdobeRGB, 84% P3 and a maximum brightness of 350 nits.

For downsides, I find the anti-glare to be quite aggressive so diffused reflections can affect image quality. The plastic build quality would make squeaky sound when monitor is adjusted.

The main selling point here probably is the huge size which makes watching movies or playing games feel more immersive. For visual content creation, personally for me 27-inch is more than big enough.

Specifications

• Panel Size: 32 inches
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD)
• Panel Type: IPS
• Viewing Angle: 178° (H/V)
• Pixel Density: 138 PPI
• Color Gamut: 100% sRGB
• Brightness (Typical): 350 cd/m²
• Brightness (HDR Peak): 400 cd/m²
• Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
• Response Time: 5ms (GTG)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Backlight Type: LED
• Ports: USB-C with 90W charging, DisplayPort v1.2, 2x HDMI v2, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
• Adjustability: Tilt, Swivel, Pivot, Height
• Weight: 8.3 kg without stand
• Power Consumption: 32.29 W
• Audio: Built-in 2W x 2 Speakers
• Warranty: 3 Years

Things included

• Color pre-calibration report
• HDMI cable
• Power cord
• Quick start guide
• USB-C cable
• Warranty Card
• Welcome Card

Design

This is a good looking display with thin bezels at the top and sides, thicker at the bottom. The monitor is massive and you'll definitely need a big table for it.

The display supports USB-C charging so it's really convenient to connect laptops to it.

The stand is also massive. Stand has a hole for cable management.

Back of the display is made with plastic.

OSD menu buttons and directional toggle are located in front, at the bottom right. OSD menu is easy to navigate and use.

Note that when switching between colour models, certain display settings may be locked, e.g. brightness, contrast.

This display is quite thick. All the ports are located beneath, namely

• 2x HDMI v2.0
• DisplayPort v1.4
• USB-C video with 90W charging
• 2x USB 3.2 gen 1 Type-A

One downside is the anti-glare of the matte surface is quite aggressive. Diffused reflections of strong light sources will become this white haze that affects image quality.

This display does not come with a shading hood nor can it be installed with one. So to get the best visual quality, it's best to use the display in a room where you can control the lighting.

I measured colour support for 100% sRGB, 75% NTSC, 78% AdobeRGB, 84% P3 and a maximum brightness of 350 nits.

The 100% sRGB display does look good out of the box and after calibration. Colour accuracy is good but if you need even better colour accuracy, I don't think 78% AdobeRGB and 84% P3 is sufficient.

ASUS listed this as a 10-bit display but looking at the colour measurements, it's most likely 8-bit + FRC.

4K resolution is sharp and I can't notice pixelation from one arm's distance away, but if I look close I can see pixelation. The ideal resolution for 32-inch is actually 6K.

Using such a big display for visual content work is very satisfying.

Do note that all the low resolution artworks, graphics, photos, videos, scans and even wallpapers that you have in the past are not going to look good on such a high resolution display anymore. I'm glad I started scanning my artworks at 600 DPI the moment I reviewed my first 4K monitor years ago.

FYI, 4K has 4 times more resolution than 1080P. Scaling that 1080P video (above) to fullscreen really shows how soft the video can look.

Biggest selling point of such a big display is how immersive it is when watching movies or playing games.

The other advantage is you can scale the UI to provide more canvas space and still have your tools, palettes and menus look big and sharp.

Conclusion

With 100% sRGB colour support, this monitor actually looks good and would be good enough for creating web content.

If you work with print, you'll need 100% AdobeRGB unless you're not that strict about colour accuracy. For video creators, you'll want 100% DCI P3.

For the price, I opt to look around for smaller displays with even better colour accuracy.

Anyway, with the newer model PA329CRV out and available already, there is much reason to get this older model unless it's selling at a very good discount.

Availability

You can find the ASUS ProArt PA329CV on Amazon, ASUS Singapore online store, Shopee SG and Lazada SG.