ASUS has introduced two new curved gaming displays that feature large 31.5” VA panels with a 144 Hz refresh rate. The VA326H and VA326N-W monitors have FHD resolution as well as a variety of ASUS’ enhancements designed for gamers. ASUS positions the new products as entry-level models for gamers in budget that also demand a large diagonal, curvature and a high refresh rate.

The ASUS VA326-series displays use 31.5” AHVA panels with 1920×1080 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. General specifications of the monitors are typical for this class of devices: 300 nits brightness, 3000:1 contrast ratio, 178°/178° viewing angles, a 4 ms response time (grey-to-grey) and so on. The main selling points of the two displays are their 144 Hz refresh rate as well as 1800R curvature.

The only difference between the ASUS VA326H and the ASUS VA326N-W monitors is the supported connectors: both come with a D-Sub and a DL-DVI input, whereas the VA326H also has an HDMI 1.4 header. The displays lack features like a USB hub as well as integrated speakers, which is expected for entry-level consumer devices.

ASUS VA326-Series Curved Gaming Monitors
  ASUS VA326H ASUS VA326N-W
Panel 31.5 AHVA
Native Resolution 1920 × 1080
Refresh Rate Range 144 Hz via HDMI, DL-DVI
50~75 Hz via D-Sub
144 Hz via DL-DVI
50~75 Hz via D-Sub
Response Time 4 ms (gray-to-gray)
Brightness 300 cd/m²
Contrast 3000:1
Viewing Angles 178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Curvature 1800R
Inputs 1 × HDMI 1.4 with HDCP
1 × DL-DVI with HDCP
1 × D-Sub
-
1 × DL-DVI with HDCP
1 × D-Sub with HDCP
Audio Audio in/out ports
Proprietary Enhancements Trace Free Technology
Skin-Tone Selection: 3 Modes
Color Temperature Selection: 4 Modes
GamePlus Modes:  Crosshair/Timer/Display Alignment
Low Blue Light: Yes
VividPixel: Yes
GameVisual Modes: Scenery/Racing/Cinema/RTS/RPG/FPS/sRGB
Power Consumption
 
Idle ~5 W
Active 28 W at 200 cd/m²
Detailed Information Link Link

The ASUS VA326-series displays formally belong to the company’s Essential family of inexpensive monitors and are the first curved screens in this lineup. Nevertheless, they support a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz as well as ASUS’ proprietary enhancements like Trace Free, Crosshair, Timer and others, which are valued primarily by gamers. In fact, the combination of a large size, a 144 Hz refresh rate, and curvature, combine into an interesting package for this particular price point and will likely appeal to gamers in budget. These gamers might be focused on eSports, therefore a relatively low resolution of 1920×1080 pixels is not going to be a drawback for them, but will rather be an advantage because they will be able to play with a native resolution with high FPS and at 144 Hz.

ASUS plans to start sales of the VA326H and VA326N-W monitors in early Q1 2017. In the U.S., the company will offer the ASUS VA326H for $399. MSRP for Europe and other countries are unknown, but given the positioning of the displays and their price in the U.S., the ASUS VA326-series monitors will be rather affordable.

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Source: ASUS

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  • Inteli - Friday, December 16, 2016 - link

    31 inch at 1080p, and curved 16:9? That's ridiculous.
  • smartthanyou - Friday, December 16, 2016 - link

    LOL…when I read these were 1080P I knew there would be a large number of the uninformed making comments about how that resolution would be "ridiculous" at these sizes. Thanks for not letting me down!
  • Inteli - Friday, December 16, 2016 - link

    So how am I uninformed despite the standard resolution on monitors 30+ inches being at least 1440p for a decade?

    Oh wait, you can't be serious with a username like that.
  • saratoga4 - Wednesday, December 21, 2016 - link

    >So how am I uninformed despite the standard resolution on monitors 30+ inches being at least 1440p for a decade?

    They're not for everybody, but there is definitely a use for larger 1080p monitors. Not everyone wants to sit up close to a screen.
  • TesseractOrion - Friday, December 16, 2016 - link

    Agreed. These things are barely worth producing IMHO. Who on earth will actually buy this crap? Makes no sense at all...
  • twtech - Sunday, December 18, 2016 - link

    This is clearly not a "productivity" monitor. It makes sense for people who primarily want to play games with their system. For the time being, 1080p is still the best resolution for gaming with less than absolute top-end hardware.
  • Inteli - Monday, December 19, 2016 - link

    1080p isn't my issue. The pixel density is.
  • saratoga4 - Wednesday, December 21, 2016 - link

    >The pixel density is.

    The appropriate pixel density of a monitor depends on the distance from which you view it. A 31.5" monitor viewed from 31% further away will have identical angular pixel density as a 24" monitor of equal total resolution. While personally I prefer to sit close to a monitor too, focusing a little further away on a larger screen can considerably reduce eye strain.
  • flyingpants265 - Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - link

    Pixel density is fine. You're retarded. I'm using 55". I'm sitting about 4-5 feet away. Yes it's quite horrible for my eyes. I've NEVER had a SINGLE THOUGHT about the pixel density. Not ever.

    This is absolutely the BEST value gaming monitor on the market. LARGE 32" screen, 144hz, 1080p, VA. I'd rather have this 32" screen, than a 27" screen. Every single time. 144hz is a requirement. VA panel sounds good.

    The ONLY thing I don't like is the curve. I'm amazed you idiots point out the pixel density and don't mention the stupid gimmicky curve which warps the picture unless you are always sitting dead center, and at ideal distance.
  • rtho782 - Friday, December 16, 2016 - link

    We're in a world where people expect 1440p in a 5.5" screen, but 1080p will do at 31.5".

    Who buys this crap!?

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