Cooler Master unleashes four new high-refresh QHD gaming monitors
Take you pick from IPS, VA, flat and curved.
Cooler Master is relatively new to the gaming monitor market. Following an initial outing last year with two debut screens, the PC cooling specialist has a quartet of new high refresh 27-inch and 32-inch gaming panels.
Kicking off with the Cooler Master GM32-FQ, it’s a 31.5-inch 1440p IPS model running at 165Hz. The panel’s static contrast ratio of 1,200:1 and response clocks in at 5ms GTG and 1ms MPRT.
Adaptive sync comes in the form of both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible certification and there’s decent colour accuracy thanks to 95 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. The only obvious weakness is a brightness rating of 250nits. Clearly, this is no HDR panel. Pricing is pegged at $499 with a late March launch.
Next up is another 32.5-inch, 165Hz QHD model, the Cooler Master GM32-CQ, this time with a curved 1500R VA panel. With 400 nits of brightness, the GM32-CQ gets entry-level HDR 400 certification and is claimed to be good for 3,000:1 static contrast.
Your next upgrade
Best CPU for gaming: the top chips from Intel and AMD
Best graphics card: your perfect pixel-pusher awaits
Best SSD for gaming: get into the game ahead of the rest
Slightly worrying, Cooler Master isn’t quoting response times for the GM32-CQ, though AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible certification are part of the mix. Again, pricing is set at $499. So, take your pick. A flat IPS panel with accuracy and response versus curved VA contrast and punch.
Moving to the 27-inch options, the Cooler Master GM27-FQ ARGB majors on IPS accuracy and response with ye olde 2,560 by 1,440 pixel QHD resolution. Good for 400 nits, it’s HDR 400 certified, covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 space and hums along at up to 180Hz refresh. Again, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible functionality is included. The GM27-FQ ARGB is yours for $549 and goes on sale in the second half of 2021.
The final piece of the Cooler Master panel puzzle is the Cooler Master GM27-FF, a 27-inch QHD monitor with a VA panel, fully 240Hz refresh but just 250 nits of brightness albeit for just $349 with this model going on sale imminently. All four monitors offer both DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity.
So, there you have it. Nothing terribly radical re specs performance or pricing, but all four are monitors that aim squarely at the high-refresh QHD sweetspot that many gamers currently favour.