Iiyama G-MASTER G3266HS-B1 32in Monitor Review

Rating: 8.0.

Gaming monitors are a distinct breed from the ‘average’ kind of monitor, much like sports cars are elevated above the regular, humdrum vehicles most of us tend to drive. And just like luxury cars, premium, high-resolution gaming displays with all the latest and greatest features tend to demand a serious chunk of change.

However, Iiyama offers a nice selection of gaming-oriented monitors that are a bit easier on the wallet, and we’re looking at the largest of these, the 32in G-MASTER G3266HS-B1. Will it turn out to be a bit of a banger or a Ferrari lite?

Launched at around £360, the G3266HS-B1 is currently available at retail for just a penny under £280, and at that price you’re getting an awful lot for your money. Starting off, its 1800R curved 32in panel is of the VA variety, which usually suffers more limited viewing angles than IPS but also offers far superior contrast which can easily reach 2500:1 or more.

On top of that the G3266HS-B1 gives you a low 3ms response time and speedy 144Hz refresh; Iiyama even throws in AMD’s FreeSync to minimise tearing. The cherry on top is the stylish all-metal stand that looks like it belongs on a far more expensive beast, along with extras like a generous selection of connectivity, built-in speakers, and VESA mounting.

Naturally, with all this goodness packed into the G3266HS-B1’s chassis, a few things inevitably had to give. The most obvious is resolution, which tops out at 1920 x 1080, otherwise known in the TV world as Full HD. And while that may be plenty for a television which is viewed from a fair distance, for the average monitor user having such few pixels on a panel this large will result in some noticeable quality compromises, especially if you’re used to a 1440p 27in display.

Other potential drawbacks include the main chassis’ design which is not particularly thin or stylish, no sign of a USB hub, a fairly average 300 nits of claimed brightness without HDR support, and none of the RGB bling that adorns high-end models.

Iiyama G-MASTER G3266HS-B1 Specs

• Screen size: 31.5″/ ~80cm
• Curved: yes, 1800R
• Native resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels (~67 PPI)
• Bit colour depth: 8
• Refresh rate (Hz): 144
• Panel type: VA
• Contrast ratio (typical): 5000:1
• Brightness (cd/m²): 300
• Response time (ms): 3 (GTG)
• HDR: No
• Bezel (colour, finish): Black, matte
• Display inputs: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x DVI, 1x VGA
• Audio inputs: 3.5mm headphone
• Speakers: 2x 2W
• USB hub: None
• Tilt: Yes
• Height: No
• Swivel: No
• Pivot: No
• VESA mount: Yes (100 x 100)
• Power (plug type, internal/external): Kettle, internal
• Cables provided: Power, HDMI, DisplayPort
• Depth on desk (cm): ~27
• Weight (kg): 8.2
• Other: FreeSync

Price (retail): £275.00 inc. VAT at time of review

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