Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165 gaming monitor review — A valiant first effort

For any PC peripheral company, it seems like at one point or another, a monitor will become one of the products it offers. Corsair is the latest to enter that mix with the Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165 monitor.

Available for just about six months now, Corsair’s first entry shows that it means business and expects to be a major player for years to come. But what works and what needs work with the Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165 gaming monitor?

A bulky boy

Immediately out of the box, you realize just how big the whole thing is. I don’t just mean the display, which comes in at 32 inches. I’m talking about the stand and base for it as well. The stand for the monitor is all aluminum and takes up quite a significant portion of your desk space. With its size and the materials used, however, it’s one of the better quality monitor bases you’ll find on the market without spending over $1,000 USD. 

The monitor itself isn’t all that large aside from the expected panel size. The bezels are what you’d expect for a modern gaming display, and its weight is surprisingly light on its own. Setting it up is quite simple, as the base and stand connect via a single screw. The monitor then connects via four screws to a 100mm x 100mm mount, meaning, yes, it is VESA compatible for those with third-party mounts.

The stand has clips for useful cable management to keep everything in order. On the top of the monitor there’s an attachment area for an Elgato mount for your camera, light, or whatever you’d like. While the mount itself is a separate purchase, Corsair makes sure to keep everything in the family with add-ons. Adjustment wise, you can position the monitor height, tilt, and swivel for the best viewing angles depending on your setup.

Ports galore

One of the better parts of most high-end monitors, including the Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165, is the high number of ports on the monitor itself. The Xeneon includes two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, another DisplayPort 1.4 USB-C input, a single 5Gbps USB-C upstream, two 5Gbps USB-A downstream, and even a 3.5mm audio jack for those using wired headphones. Like I said, it’s a lot.

That said, a monitor released in 2021 not including HDMI 2.1 is a bit of a disappointment. For many, it’s not that big of a deal because of the use of the DisplayPort, but for others, it can be a deal breaker. Using HDMI 2.0 instead of true HDMI 2.1 limits the refresh rate of those connected via HDMI to just 144hz rather than the full 165Hz.

The Xeneon isn’t a slouch with available ports. (Credit: Corsair)

Does performance hold up?

Once connected and powered up, you get an immediate sense of the effort that went into the total package.

First, let’s talk about the on-screen display (OSD). Utilizing a five-way controller on the back of the monitor, the OSD offers easy navigation and understanding for all the settings available. From color adjustments to pre-made display modes, it’s quite simple to configure everything. And if you don’t want to utilize the OSD for configurations, you can also use Corsair’s iCUE software to make your adjustments. 

The monitor’s 1440p resolution at a 32-inch screen size does bring its overall Pixels per inch (PPI) down below 100 which, in most cases, could be bothersome. However, with the Xeneon, it’s not that big of a problem because of just how good the colors look.

The HDR isn’t the best, but it’s still solid. The Xeneon features VESA DisplayHDR 400 with a peak brightness of 440 nits. Unfortunately, though, there isn’t the ability for local dimming, which limits the HDR performance quite a bit. Still, when turned on, games do look much better than when off.

In regards to response time, Corsair advertises 1ms MPRT and <3ms Gray-to-Gray (GtG). For the most part, during testing the numbers were pretty close to advertised. The only thing is that there are monitors with a higher refresh rate that offer better GtG response time. It’s one of those things that I chalk up to this being a first release as opposed to anything else. 

Gaming wise, this is one of the better all-around monitors I’ve ever used. No matter the type of game I play, the Corsair Xeneon just looks stellar. Fast-paced games like Rocket League hum along with no real latency to speak of. And more environmentally-intensive games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 5, and others look stunning even without the 4K visuals.

For those that want to utilize consoles on the monitor, there is a built-in “Console Mode.” The mode downscales 4K input to 1440p. It’s not the feature you’ll go to often, but it is nice to have in case you need to move your console away from your 4K TV for whatever reason.

Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165 review verdict

For a first-time entry into the loaded monitor market, Corsair made a valiant effort with the Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165. Some things could’ve been done better, like the HDMI ports and HDR implementation. However, the things it does right are significant. The build quality is among the best at this price point, and the display handles every style of game you can throw at it. This monitor is a sign that Corsair knows what it’s doing, and it will only get better as updated versions of the display are released in the coming years.

While the original launch price of $799.99 USD was a tall ask for a 1440p IPS display, its new retail price of $649.99 USD is a much easier pill to swallow. If you are looking to get a high-quality IPS display with great gaming performance, you can’t go wrong with the Corsair Xeneon 32qhd165 at that price.