NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved

NZXT may be best known for its gaming PCs and components, but the company has extended its efforts to cover all aspects of a PC build with mostly positive results. While we didn't love the ultralight NZXT Lift Mouse, the compact Function Mini TKL keyboard impressed us enough to earn an Editors' Choice award. Now NZXT has unveiled a gaming monitor, the $339.99 Canvas 32Q Curved. Its handsome 1500R curve, bold matte color scheme, and 165Hz refresh rate with QHD (1440p) resolution are backed by solid performance across the board. The Canvas 32Q doesn't move the dial forward in any radical way, but it's capable and affordable enough to earn our recommendation as a budget gaming display.

A Canvas Like No Other

NZXT products usually have a bold, stark look to them, and the Canvas 32Q Curved is no different. We opted for a black monitor and stand for this review, but there's also a white option, and buyers can mix and match if they like. The company also offers a flat version at both 27 and 32 inches with similar specs. Whichever model you choose, you'll see an immersive edge-to-edge display with razor-thin bezels on all sides. The clean aesthetic continues across the bottom bezel with just a small indicator light in the lower right corner.

The simple style wraps around to the rear, where you'll find a lone onscreen display (OSD) control joystick and no flashy RGB lighting. The $339.99 price we're quoting reflects both the monitor ($289.99) and its $50 stand; NZXT also sells single and dual mounting arms for $99.99 and $169.99 respectively. If you already have a wall mount, the display can easily be affixed via its VESA 100mm-by-100mm backport.

More interesting than the mounting hardware is the monitor's USB hub, which consists of two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-B, one USB Type-C (that acts as an alternative DisplayPort), a 3.5mm jack, and a DisplayPort 1.2 port (instead of the usual DisplayPort 1.4).

Actually, the DisplayPort difference is nothing to worry about. A 1.2 port has less bandwidth than a 1.4 connector, but because of the monitor's 2,560-by-1,440-pixel resolution ceiling, it's a piece of cost-cutting that won't affect your gameplay. Unfortunately, internal speakers were ditched as well, so you'll need to budget for a pair of external speakers along with the monitor, if you won't be relying on a headset.

While the hardware might lack some modern niceties, the downloadable NZXT CAM software provides an easy-to-navigate peek under the hood of your PC. System specs and monitoring information are available at any time, and there's even an option to help you overclock your system. As far as customization goes, the outlook is pretty bare-bones unless you invest in additional NZXT gear. You'll even need a USB-B cord to access additional CAM monitor settings.

At 16.6 by 27.9 by 4.4 inches and 12 pounds without its stand, the Canvas 32Q Curved is fairly compact despite its 31.5-inch-diagonal screen space. The panel's 1500R curvature (the "R" stands for "radius") means that a ring of these monitors would form a circle with a radius of about 1,500mm. The curvature makes the screen look bigger, reducing glare while delivering deeper perceived blacks. It's a less pronounced curve than that of a 1000R monitor, but it looks great, especially for the size.

What the NZXT lacks in high resolution, it makes up for in performance, with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate for fans of fast-paced shooters who value extra frames over fine graphical fidelity. The Canvas features a VA panel, a technology known for delivering deeper blacks and enhanced shadow highlights and detail at some sacrifice of color accuracy, all of which we'll examine in our testing below.

Testing the NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved: A Budget Brawler

The 32-inch size is a sweet spot for many gaming monitors, curved or no, but looks can't be the only deciding factor in your search for the perfect screen. That's why we run every monitor through a standard gauntlet of benchmarks, using a Datacolor SpyderX Elite calibration sensor and software to compare displays of similar size and resolution. We leave monitors on their factory settings unless otherwise stated.

First, we test the monitor in its default picture mode with an SDR signal. The Canvas hit a brightness of 348 nits with a black level of 0.14, which yields a contrast ratio of 2,520:1—much higher than the 1,000:1 promised by its specs. A higher contrast ratio means deeper blacks and luminescent whites.

Rerunning the same test in HDR mode, we saw a dramatic dip in brightness—just 176 nits registered. The monitor makes use of HDR10 that on paper should deliver 1,000 nits of peak brightness, but that's not the case, at least not out of the box. Further calibration will be needed, and the NZXT lacks robust picture-setting options.

Our next test measures a monitor's color coverage. The Canvas 32Q Curved covered 100% of the sRGB color gamut, 83% of Adobe RGB, and 89% of DCI-P3—great results for a curved display in this price range, though a bit short of the Cooler Master GM34, the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165, and the Gigabyte M27QX.

Our color accuracy test played a different tune, unfortunately sounding worse. The NZXT registered a disappointing uncalibrated Delta E reading of 2.39, perhaps a result of its VA panel. Higher Delta E numbers mean that common colors tend to stray from their purest forms; content creators look for a value under 1 and most mainstream monitor shoppers a value under 2. Will gamers notice? Perhaps not, but if you plan to use this display for creative apps as well as games, just know that you'll have your work cut out for you to optimize your settings.

Gaming Performance

Gamers are as interested in brightness and color results as the next fellow, but the benchmark they care about most is input lag. Using our HDFury Diva, we measured the NZXT's lag at less than 1 millisecond—gaming gold, especially for players of high-frame-rate titles.

At 165Hz, the Canvas is a worthy contender. The display supports FreeSync Premium and is G-Sync compatible, added bonuses for playing at frame rates above 60fps with a compliant graphics card. Fast-paced titles like Rainbow Six Siege looked excellent, without any ghosting to speak of. A few games of Counter-Strike and Hitman were smooth and stable as well.

NZXT Up: A New Gaming Monitor Contender

NZXT's first monitor gets a lot right. While the Canvas 32Q Curved's color accuracy and HDR implementation are letdowns, it strikes a good balance among performance, visual clarity, and low cost and looks good to boot. If you're after a budget gaming display with a subtle curve and high 1440p refresh rate, it's definitely worth a look.