3 Top Picks for The Best 6K 32-inch Monitors Today
You’ve made the plunge and scrounge up the hard cash. You’re finally in a good place, both mentally and financially, to shop for a 6K monitor. It’ll need to have a decent amount of real estate, so a 32-inch screen size has been selected. This is no roll of the dice decision; a display of this size creates a super immersive gaming experience and is just right for productivity tasks when a fast-paced entertainment session is over for the night.
Whether you’re working on a color accurate media project, running multiple apps at once, or just want to experience content and game landscapes in stunning clarity, a 6K resolution on a 32-inch screen hits the sweet spot. Your final purchase will need a few requisite features, like sharp imagery, a peak refresh rate, and the option to connect either to a computer or console. Heavily marketed visual candy extras like HDR (High Dynamic Range) and adaptive sync are also desirable, then there’s more aesthetics features to covet. An attractive, streamlined chassis is always good, plus an anti-glare coating or a blue light filter.
Gather round now as our expert reviewers check out an elite selection—only three for the moment— of the best 6K 32-inch monitors out there. Scratch that, we’re going further than ‘checking out’ these sweet super HD panels. Our testers are going to put each display through a tech wringer, pushing the performance envelope.
Why 32-Inch Monitors Are Made for 6K
It’s like the home invading fairytale of old says—this one is just right. Only, instead of porridge, we’re referring to the 32-inch Goldilocks Zone. Any smaller, then text and graphics are hard to make out. Bigger, then it’ll take up more space and incur a bigger financial investment. It’s not such a good move from a tech perspective, either. Tiny text makes myopic users turn on the scaling feature in their operating system, so extra cycles of precious CPU and GPU power are consumed just to make things legible.
No, with a 32-inch display, you’re getting optimal pixel density and clear visuals, a good, balanced workspace that doesn’t force your system to overwork or your wallet to take a hit. As a sneaky tip, if you need to open up a second screen interface, maybe to lay out an animation timeline or a preview window, connect a second monitor, reserving the 6K screen for color accurate, high definition editing. Incidentally, just so you know, bigger screens don’t always suit higher resolutions; as the screen grows, pixels expand, taking the edge off crisply rendered graphics.
All of that stated in black and white for readers to ponder, let’s jump right into the action with the Apple Pro Display XDR, a select 6K screen used by professional editors who have deep pockets.
Apple Pro Display XDR 6K 32-inch Monitor
- 32-inch LCD display with Retina 6K resolution (6016 by 3384 pixels)
- Pro Stand and VESA Mount Adapter sold separately
- Extreme Dynamic Range (XDR)
- Brightness: 1000 nits sustained, 1600 nits peak
- One Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB-C ports
Why it shines – Color calibrated Retina display. 1600 nit brightness. Superb contrast ratio. Extreme Dynamic range. Wide viewing angle. Nano-texture glass option. Pro Stand (Optional). Four USB-C connectors. P3 wide color gamut.
Let’s face it, you don’t need a crystal ball to know that this screen is going to figure highly in any review on premium 6K monitors. In fact, it wouldn’t be too much of a boast to say that the Apple Pro Display XDR is the screen upon which all other 6K panels are judged. Its Retina display alone, with an enviable 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 10-bit color depth, makes the monitor extremely popular among pro media editors. Bright and vibrant, the 1.07 billion colors rendered on screen are true-to-life, P3 wide color gamut assured.
The numbers read off the spec sheet fast, causing our Machead staffers to quickly overexcite themselves. The 1600 nit peak brightness lands hard among them, followed by 89° all-round viewing, ideal for collaborative projects around a cramped workstation. Then there’s the fact that 576 zone local dimming enables inky blacks to flash across the screen without washout or color bleeding leaking through from a neighboring patch of fast-moving light. Dolby Vision and HDR10 are standard on this powerhouse display, further deepening blacks and brightening highlights, but it’s the XDR, eXtreme Dynamic Range capabilities that really sets it apart from the competition.
The good looks radiated by a 32-inch Apple Pro Display XDR aren’t limited to its display panel. Supported on a subtly manipulated Pro Stand, the svelte screen tilts and locks, rotating from standard landscape mode to portrait orientation without effort. Ports are on the back, of course, with three regular tiny USB-C and one Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C shaped) connector supporting future-proof high-speed device accessories. Back with the glass panel—and it was easy to rotate the 16.5 lb panel—a more expensive nano-texture glass edition blocked office glare.
Where it misses the mark – Expensive for the masses. An extra $1k for the anti-glare glass. Also an extra $1k for the Pro stand. USB-C only. No webcam.
Dell UltraSharp U3224KB 6K 32-inch Monitor
- LED Monitor offers maximum productivity with added dependability
- USB Type-C allows quick transmission of data at a higher rate for your convenience
- 31.5" viewable screen size showcases movies, games, and photos with striking clarity
- View your content easily in well lit areas with 450 Nit brightness
- LED backlight technology offers visual brilliance with maximum efficiency
Why it shines – IPS Black Panel technology keeps shadows inky dark. 99% DCI-P3 color accuracy. Futureproof Thunderbolt 4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity. 223 ppi display density. Project collaborating microphone array and webcam.
Our office editor was an architectural student in his younger days. He commented on how well the 32-inch, 6144 x 3456 rendered his old project files, lifting detail that couldn’t be perceived on inferior screens. ComfortView Plus and Digital Overlap HDR image optimizing took the contrast and color vibrancy higher, yet the tones on these test files never looked oversaturated. Benchmark one, completed, then, this 6K monitor is editor approved, which is just as well, because his office is barely large enough to accommodate its 32-inch chassis.
Speaking of, it’s a gorgeous monitor case. We will say that the top bezel was wider than we liked, but the 8 MP webcam wouldn’t have fitted otherwise. A two-array microphone accompanied the webcam, plus premium 14W speakers. Next, we took a moment to relax, spinning the tilt and swivel capable silver stand so that its connector panel was visible. Two Thunderbolt 4 and four USB-C connectors made their appearance back there, ready to accept any cable or peripheral. A mini DisplayPort 2.1 and ethernet port were also evident. All of these ports worked together as a decluttering hub, our messy snakes nest desktop cables falling into organized place.
An inspection of the connectors was necessary for a sense of completion when writing up our review. What we really wanted, though, was to rotate the silver column stand back so that we could soak up the 99% DCI-P3 true-to-life colors and digital overlap HDR. For that latter feature, Dell engineers had found a way to finetune the screen so that multiple brightness and color gradations merged, brightening highlights and darkening neighboring shadows. The overall effect came across as an explosion of perfectly saturated skin tones, vivid and immersive. We’d switched to a calibrated color space at this point, using a closeup of a 61 MP shot taken on a full-frame Sony Alpha 7R V mirrorless camera to view subtle changes in skin coloration.
Where it misses the mark – Expensive. Bias towards Mac OS systems. Short cables in the box. Speakers and webcam are a waste if not teleconferencing.
LG UltraFine Model 32U990A 6K 32-inch Monitor
Why it shines – Equipped with Thunderbolt 5 high-speed connectivity. Nano IPS Black panel. 98% DCI-P3 and 99.5% Adobe RGB wide gamut color authenticity. Appealing and functional Mac-like monitor stand. Nearly frameless screen bezels.
The phrase “Cutting edge” is overused. As soon as a vaguely new improvement to a device is introduced, it’s marketed as a revolutionary new advancement. Bucking that trend, the LG UltraFine 32U990A nails its features first, leaving the marketing people to play catch-up. The monitor focuses on delivering exceptional color accuracy, solid build quality, and an impressive 6K resolution without resorting to those flashy buzzwords we all dislike so much. Better yet, connectivity has been upgraded to the latest high-speed Thunderbolt 5 data transmission standard.
Looking at the stand and display frame, LG designers have made a big effort to emulate the aesthetics of the Apple Pro Display, which isn’t actually a bad thing. If you’re going to imitate a design, you might as well draw inspiration from the most visually appealing monitors currently available. However, the real question is still whether build quality and aesthetics cloning is matched by the quality of the hardware inside the display. Is that 32-inch panel a worthy competitor when placed side by side with an Apple display? To answer, if the addition of a premium quality nano IPS black panel isn’t enough to drive home the overall viewing experience, packed with edge to edge DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color accuracy, we absolutely think its desktop persona will garner a lot of support.
Details will follow as we learn more about this new entry into the 6K 32-inch display space. Potential professional studio purchase managers are probably already chomping at the bit, trying to scrape together nuggets of info on a screen that makes good use of the higher data transmission speed. With Thunderbolt 5 inbuilt, users of high-speed peripherals will benefit from a massive speed bump, boosting data transmission rates from an already solid 40 Gbps to a lightning fast 80 Gbps. In some situations, 120 Gbps is even possible, assuming devices exist to take advantage of the massive increases in data throughput speed.
Where it misses the mark – Thinking about the LG Ultrafine 6K, its trim Apple inspired aesthetic and Thunderbolt 5 speed, is all we can do until it hits stores.
Don’t Fumble the Accessory Formula!
We’re talking about system bottlenecks. You’ve got your new 6K monitor, the 32-inch frame slotting into your desktop setup very nicely indeed. Even your computer is built to take advantage of all of those millions of pixels, shifting them around on a PC with an advanced Nvidia GPU flexing its muscle, or, alternatively, an Apple Mac Mini M4 Pro is providing the graphical muscle. It would be a shame, thousands of dollars of hardware at your disposal, to not get the most out of this hardware. Unfortunately, although it’s nothing to do with luck, that’s what happens when you use the wrong cables and interfaces.
For more display bandwidth, DisplayPort 2.1 is the clear winner, offering performance and superior compression-free image quality at full 6K resolution. It’s less obvious on PC machines, their hardware afflicted by multi-vendor GPU and motherboard data throughput ambiguity. With Apple hardware, however, it’s as simple as heading over to the Mac Mini M4 specs page, where you’ll see DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI battling it out for the display throughput title. DisplayPort definitely has the edge when it comes to bandwidth considerations. Thunderbolt 5, over USB-C, also has a big advantage when used with fast peripheral connections and high bandwidth displays, which is why users are so invested in the LG UltraFine, assuming it’s released into the wilderness soon.
A Trio of Elite 32-Inch Monitors Worth Your Investment!
If the price attached to the LG UltraFine 32U990A 6K 32-inch Monitor falls somewhere between the upper price limit represented by the Apple Pro Display XDR 6K monitor and the lower cost tagged onto the Dell UltraSharp U3224KB, it’s game on for this select group of ultra HD displays. It’s tough having to choose between two, either the Dell or Apple, and we’re still talking about thousands of dollars, but at least a third choice will introduce some much-needed competition. Also, Thunderbolt 5 on the LG monitor makes it a whole new ball game, too. The OWC Envoy Ultra already has a Thunderbolt 5 SSD, then there’s the Kensington SD5000T5 docking station as well. More are bound to follow.
If we’re talking about display quality, and we should when the post is showcasing 6K features on 32-inch screens, then it’s always going to be the Apple Pro Display XDR monitor that wins the race. Still, all things being equal, the Dell UltraSharp U3224KB is no slouch either, boasting IPS Black technology that delivers deeper blacks and improved contrast compared to standard IPS panels. It’s an excellent alternative for professionals who prioritize accuracy without the Apple tax.
As for the LG UltraFine, the third member of this exclusive trio, it’s a case of wait and see, but that’s the beauty of competition. Or is it the bane of competition? It all depends on your perspective. One things for sure, regardless of which 6K 32-inch monitor you land on, you’ll have access to absolute image fidelity, plus speakers, in some cases. That’s a final not so subtle push for the Dell monitor, by the way, with its teleconferencing features offering something just that little bit different.
