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It's always interesting when an established brand tries something new, and that's exactly what AOC has done with its Graphic Pro U3 series. Comprising three models at launch, today we have reviewed the 32in 4K flagship in the form of the U32U3CV, and I have to say I am impressed with what AOC has brought to the table.
Targeting creative professionals, AOC makes an immediate positive impression with the smart design of this monitor. Forget the gamer-inspired aesthetic of the company's typical offerings, this one is all about clean lines and a minimalistic approach, and I love it. It also helps that there's a ton of connectivity options, including a total of 3x USB-C ports, one which supports 96W power delivery alongside KVM functionality.
Of course, the panel is the most important thing here, and I'm happy to say it's very accurate overall. You will get the best results using one of the many colour space modes on offer – using the sRGB emulation mode, for instance, resulted in an average colour accuracy dE 2000 of 1.53. We also tried the AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 modes and were impressed with both. The results may not be as jaw-dropping as what we saw from the ASUS ProArt PA27JCV in our recent review, but we have to factor in the AOC is a good chunk cheaper at around £500, and it's still delivering great colour accuracy.
The U32U3CV is also Calman Ready, so anyone with an existing Calman Studio or Ultimate license will benefit from the integration. Not only can you use the AutoCal feature for a very speedy calibration, but it's a proper hardware calibration using 1D/3D LUTs, when most screens are limited to calibration via the ICC profile only. We ran through the process start to finish earlier in the review, and as you'd expect, the results are very good indeed.
The monitor is not quite perfect, though, as there's a couple of areas that could be improved. Some of these are admittedly minor points, but I would have much preferred an OSD joystick instead of the 5-way button control. I also think the screen would benefit from being a touch brighter overall – its maximum of 370 nits will be fine in most cases, but plenty of monitors these days can go well beyond 400 nits, even 500 nits, and I think that would help the screen's overall appeal.
I also don't understand why the smaller and cheaper Graphic Pro Q27U3CV offers a quantum dot (QD) layer, but the flagship U32U3CV doesn't. A QD layer would typically help offer an even wider gamut, improving performance with the DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB colour spaces. It's also worth remembering that the U32U3CV won't be a viable option if you want to do some real HDR work, given it's only DisplayHDR 400 certified and has no local dimming. Of course, that is to be expected considering the price – real pro-grade HDR monitors are considerably more expensive – but it is worth pointing out.
Overall, for a pro-grade screen that's on the market for under £530, there is a lot to like about the Graphic Pro U32U3CV. Considering it's AOC's first effort in this space, we have high hopes for the future of the Graphic Pro lineup.
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Pros
- Clean and modern design.
- Tons of colour space modes to work with.
- Very accurate gamma tracking in any mode.
- sRGB mode provides colour accuracy dE 2000 of 1.53, in line with AOC's claims.
- Calman Ready certification allows for fast and accurate calibration.
- Revamped OSD looks the part and is feature-rich.
- Good value considering the features and performance on offer.
Cons
- Lacks the QD layer of its smaller sibling, the Q27U3CV.
- A bump to maximum brightness wouldn't go unnoticed.
- Some would prefer an OSD joystick instead of the 5-way button controls.
- Lacks real HDR support given the DisplayHDR 400 certification.
KitGuru says: AOC's Graphic Pro U32U3CV is an enticing monitor for creatives thanks to its plentiful colour space modes, clean design and modern I/O. Priced around £530, it won't break the bank either.
