Grayscale, Gamma and Color

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Despite the XG320U’s many image modes, it’s easy to see a great image by just leaving Game Mode on Custom 1 and ViewMode on Standard. Calibration is not necessary, but a very accurate grayscale can be achieved with one minor tweak to the red slider.

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

The XG320U has no visible grayscale errors in its factory default state. All dE values are below three, which is the generally accepted threshold of visibility. Gamma is set to 2.4 out of the box, so I measured against that standard. The actual average value is 2.34. Though slightly darker than the 2.2 standard, I like the picture better at that setting. If you prefer 2.2, that option is available.

After changing the red slider down one click, grayscale tracking is now essentially perfect with every value less than 1dE. Gamma is a tad lighter too, and the image really pops now. This is excellent performance.

The XG320U clearly does not need adjustment in its factory default mode. A 1.87dE average is among the best I’ve recorded for all monitors and good enough for a solid third-place finish in the comparison. The MSI and Eve screens are also strong contenders.

After adjustment, the ViewSonic moves up to second, pipped only by the superb Eve Spectrum I reviewed recently. This is a professional-grade display; it doesn’t get much better.

For the gamma comparison, I calculated the XG320U’s deviation from 2.4 rather than 2.2. A 0.14 range of values is very good, slightly better than all but the Asus. A 3.33% deviation is also very good. Only the Asus and Eve screens score better in this test.

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

For the color tests, I graphed the XG320U’s results against Rec.2020 rather than DCI-P3 as it is closer to the monitor’s native gamut. You can see that most measurements are on or close to their targets until the panel runs out of color near the perimeter. To say that this display is saturated would be engaging in understatement. Color is rich and vibrant no matter what the content.

Calibration tightens up the tracking a bit and lowers the average error from invisible to more invisible. Seriously though, the visual difference is very subtle. If you’re looking for a colorful monitor, there are few other screens that can compare to the XG320U.

It’s a capable group of displays indeed when the last place screen scores 2.14dE in the color gamut accuracy test. That is excellent performance from all, and the XG320U is very accurate. Remember that the error value is calculated against Rec.2020, not DCI-P3.

The XG320U is the third most colorful monitor I’ve tested. Only the MSI shown here and Asus’ PG32UQX score higher and by less than one percent. This is a whole lot of color and it’s easy to see when comparing it side by side with another display. It is unfortunate that there is no sRGB mode because that volume is significantly higher than 100%. How this affects SDR images will depend on the content. Some games and videos are enhanced, but some look a bit cartoonish. If you’re using the XG320U for color-critical work, a software profile is a must.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors.

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