Expert's Rating
Pros
- Good gaming performance
- Curved monitor
- Low power consumption
- Inexpensive
Cons
- No USB interfaces
- Lack of ergonomic adjustment options
Our Verdict
The Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD is a 1080p gaming monitor with a curved 32-inch panel, which will interest a large number of gamers—from beginners to hardcore enthusiasts. It delivers powerful gaming performance and good image quality for a low price. The main downside is the lack of height adjustability forcing you to find alternative methods to adjust the height to suit your needs.
Price When Reviewed
290
Best Prices Today: Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD
The Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD is particularly appealing for newcomers to gaming and hobbyist gamers thanks to its low price. However, the solid performance of the 1080p monitor should also satisfy gaming pros.
Note: This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best gaming monitors. Go there to learn about competing products, what to look for in a gaming monitor, and buying recommendations.
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: The specs
With its maximum 165Hz refresh rate and the fast VA panel response time of 1ms, the gaming monitor is also ideally suited for high-performance gaming. Other important key data points of the Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD are the Full HD 1920×1080 resolution, a nice curvature with a radius of 1500R, and a large 32-inch diagonal screen. The 32-inch model synchronizes with AMD graphics cards via the adaptive-sync technology, but it unfortunately does not support Nvidia models.
| Display size | 32-inch |
| Native resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Panel type | VA / 16:9 |
| Refresh rate | 165Hz |
| Adaptive sync | Yes, with AMD graphics cards only |
| Ports | 1 DisplayPort, 2 HDMI, 1 analog audio jack |
| Stand adjustment | None |
| VESA mount | Yes, 100x100mm |
| Speakers | Yes |
| HDR | Yes, HDR 10 |
| Price | $290 |
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: Image quality
Highlights of the Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD include the incredibly high contrast, which enables rich color reproduction, and the natural and neutral color reproduction. It’s achieved by exceeding the sRGB color space, at 103 percent, which is important for gaming. The curved display is also visually pleasing and does not noticeably take away from the overall image quality.
At the maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, the Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD produces clear images without any errors, such as tearing. It’s sufficient for not only hobby gamers but professionals as well. The 32-inch display also smoothly portrays fast games, such as racing simulations and shooters which require quick reactions, without any noticeable input lag.
Viewsonic VX3218 has excellent performance at a great price.
PC Welt
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: Ports
The Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD only has two HDMI interfaces and a DisplayPort input, whereby the maximum refresh rate of 165Hz is only available on DP, while HDMI only offers up to 144Hz. It seems that in order to keep the price below $300, Viewsonic had to save on a few points—you have to do without USB interfaces. The two stereo speakers deliver a rather meager sound as well. On a positive note, video cables for both interfaces are included with the monitor.
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: The 32-inch display has two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort.
PC Welt
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: Features and menu
The Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD has no ergonomic adjustment options—at least when it comes to adjusting the monitor’s height. It’s honestly a major shortcoming, as almost all modern displays come with adjustment features. This leaves those who purchase the display having to find unique ways of getting your monitor to the correct height for your desk setup (think old-school book stacking).
As for the menu options, in addition to the standard settings for image and sound, the clear and logically structured on-screen menu has special gaming configurations. These include individual presets and predefined modes for various game genres, such as racing, FPS, RTS, and MOBA.
You can control the screen via five buttons, which are located on the right rear of the case. They’re easily accessible and can be operated without issue.
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: The curved monitor is controlled using five buttons on the back of the housing.
PC Welt
Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD: Power consumption
The energy requirement of the curved monitor is just under 30 watts, which is pretty low for a 32-inch monitor. In standby mode, consumption drops to a very low 0.3 watts.
Should you buy the Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD?
The Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD has excellent curvature and image quality and will undoubtedly be enough for most gamers. While the lack of height and swivel adjustment is disappointing, if you can make due with those limitations, you’ll still enjoy spending hours playing games on this display. Combine that with low power consumption and a budget-friendly price tag and you get a great all-around gaming display.
Those who demand premium features such as 4K or ultra-fast refresh rates will need to look elsewhere, but the Viewsonic VX3218-PC-MHD is a solid curved display option for the hobby gamer.
This review originally appeared on PC-Welt, PCWorld’s German sister site.