KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz Review: The Budget QHD King We Didn’t See Coming

For years, we’ve been chasing the elusive “sweet spot” in PC gaming. It’s that perfect intersection of resolution, refresh rate, and screen size that delivers breathtaking immersion without demanding a second mortgage. I remember the dilemma vividly: do you sacrifice the silky smoothness of a high refresh rate for the crisp detail of a 1440p panel? Or do you settle for a smaller screen to keep both, losing that cinematic, all-encompassing feel? It often felt like an impossible triangle of compromises, where grabbing one feature meant letting go of another, especially when working within a sensible budget. The frustration is real; you build a powerful rig capable of pushing beautiful pixels at lightning speed, only to feel let down by a display that can’t keep up. This search for a no-compromise, high-value display is what led us to investigate a brand that’s been making serious waves in the budget sector, and specifically, to the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz.

What to Consider Before Buying a High-Performance Gaming Monitor

A gaming monitor is more than just an item on your desk; it’s a key solution for unlocking the true potential of your gaming hardware and your own skills. It’s the window into the virtual worlds you explore, and its specifications directly impact everything from your competitive performance in a fast-paced shooter to your sense of awe in a sprawling RPG. The primary benefit of a monitor like this one is immersion. The combination of a large, curved screen, high resolution, and fluid motion pulls you into the game in a way a standard office display simply cannot. It solves the problems of screen tearing, motion blur, and lack of detail that can plague gamers on lesser hardware, providing a tangible competitive advantage and a far more enjoyable experience.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the exact dilemma we described: the PC or console gamer who has a capable machine (think RTX 3060/RX 6700 XT or higher, or a PS5/Xbox Series X) and wants to upgrade from a standard 1080p/60Hz panel to the glorious world of QHD high-refresh-rate gaming. It’s for the enthusiast who craves that cinematic immersion for single-player titles and the fluid responsiveness for multiplayer battles, but doesn’t have the budget for a top-tier OLED or a flagship model from a legacy brand. Conversely, this monitor might not be suitable for those who are professional graphic designers or video editors requiring perfect colour accuracy out of the box (as VA panels have different characteristics than IPS panels). It’s also not for gamers with very limited desk space, as a 32-inch monitor has a significant footprint.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: A 32-inch curved monitor is a substantial piece of kit. You’ll need a desk that is not only wide but also deep to accommodate the screen and maintain a comfortable viewing distance. Measure your space carefully. The good news is that its VESA mount readiness means you can use a monitor arm to free up desk space and achieve perfect positioning.
• Capacity/Performance: This is the heart of a gaming monitor. The key specs here are the trifecta of 2560×1440 (QHD) resolution for sharp images, a 170Hz refresh rate for incredibly smooth motion, and a 1ms response time to minimize ghosting. Also, consider the panel type (VA, in this case, known for great contrast) and adaptive sync technology (FreeSync Premium), which prevents screen tearing.
• Materials & Durability: At this price point, you’ll typically find a plastic construction for the chassis and stand. While not as premium as metal, modern plastics can be very robust. Pay attention to the stand’s stability and adjustability; as some users note, budget monitor stands can sometimes be a weak point, making a VESA mount a worthy future upgrade.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Consider the connectivity options—this monitor’s inclusion of a DisplayPort and two HDMI ports is excellent for versatility. Also, think about the on-screen display (OSD) controls; are they intuitive to navigate for changing settings like brightness or gaming modes? For maintenance, a glossy screen finish may offer more vibrant colours but can be more prone to reflections and fingerprints than a matte finish.

Keeping these factors in mind, the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz stands out in several areas, particularly in its performance-to-price ratio. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Unboxing an Unexpected Contender

Pulling the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz from its box, the first thing we noticed was its surprising sturdiness. We’ve handled plenty of budget monitors that feel flimsy and delicate, but this KOORUI model, the 32E6QC, felt solid. Assembly was straightforward, involving attaching the two-pronged base to the stand neck and then screwing the stand into the back of the monitor. The entire process took less than five minutes. A major plus was the inclusion of a DisplayPort cable in the box, ensuring we could hit that 170Hz refresh rate right away without needing a separate purchase.

Once on the desk, its aesthetic is clean and modern. The 3-sided “frameless” design features impressively thin bezels, which immediately makes you think about how great a dual-monitor setup would look. The 1500R curve is pronounced but not overly aggressive; it gently wraps the image around your field of view. The stand offers basic tilt adjustment from -5° to 15°, which is adequate but lacks the height or swivel adjustments of more premium models. Powering it on for the first time, the screen came to life with vibrant colours and impressive brightness, immediately signaling that this wasn’t just another generic budget panel.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A spec sheet can only tell you so much. To truly understand a monitor, you have to put it through its paces—from the frantic firefights of competitive shooters to the breathtaking landscapes of open-world adventures and the mundane reality of daily productivity. We spent weeks with the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz as our primary display, and it consistently punched well above its weight class.

Gaming Performance: Fluidity is the Name of the Game

Let’s get straight to the point: gaming on this monitor is a revelation, especially if you’re coming from a 60Hz panel. The jump to 170Hz is immediately and profoundly noticeable. In games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends, aiming and tracking targets becomes almost second nature. The world feels connected to your mouse movements with a one-to-one immediacy that’s hard to describe but easy to feel. There’s simply no stutter, no jitter—just pure, fluid motion. We enabled Adaptive Sync, which our NVIDIA card picked up as G-Sync Compatible, and screen tearing was completely eliminated. The 1ms response time claim is ambitious for a VA panel, but in practice, we found ghosting and motion blur to be very well-controlled. In fast-paced scenes, there was minimal smearing, a common ailment of slower VA panels, confirming that KOORUI has implemented a quality panel with effective overdrive settings. One user mentioned how the “QHD resolution combined with the high refresh rate delivers incredibly smooth gameplay,” and our experience confirms this entirely. The monitor also includes game-centric features in its OSD, like a customizable crosshair and various “FPS” modes, which, while not for everyone, are nice additions for competitive players.

Visual Fidelity: The Beauty of QHD and VA Contrast

While speed is crucial, it means little if the image is dull and lifeless. This is where the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz truly surprised us. The 2560×1440 (QHD) resolution on a 32-inch screen hits a pixel density sweet spot. Text is sharp, game textures are detailed, and you get significantly more screen real estate for productivity than with a 1080p display. The VA panel is the star of the show when it comes to image quality. Its native 3000:1 contrast ratio delivers deep, inky blacks that IPS panels at this price point can only dream of. Playing atmospheric games like Alan Wake 2 or watching dark scenes in movies was a joy; shadows had depth and detail instead of appearing as a washed-out grey. The colour performance is also a highlight. With a claimed 90% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB coverage, colours are rich and vibrant without being oversaturated. Games looked stunningly vivid. The HDR10 support is present, but it’s important to set expectations. With a peak brightness of 300 nits, it’s an entry-level implementation. It can add a little extra pop to highlights in supported games and media, but it doesn’t provide the transformative, retina-searing experience of a true HDR display costing several times more. For the price, however, the overall picture quality is exceptional.

Design and Immersion: Living with the Curve

The 1500R curvature is a key feature that directly enhances the user experience. At 32 inches, a flat panel can sometimes feel like you’re turning your head to see the edges of the screen. The curve brings those edges slightly forward, filling your peripheral vision and creating a more natural, immersive “cockpit” view. This not only makes gaming feel more engaging but also reduces eye strain during long work or gaming sessions, as your eyes don’t have to refocus as much when scanning from the center to the sides. The slim bezels further aid this immersion and, as one user who runs a dual-monitor setup confirmed, make for a nearly seamless transition between screens. The VESA mount compatibility is a critical feature, especially given the stand’s limitations. While the included stand is stable enough for general use, a user review highlighted a potential weakness: “The screw which attaches the screen and stand together doesn’t tighten enough to prevent it from shaking.” For anyone with a wobbly desk, or indeed a curious cat, investing in a separate VESA monitor arm is a highly recommended upgrade for superior stability and ergonomic freedom. Considering the outstanding performance of the panel itself, it’s an investment worth making. If this level of immersion and performance sounds right for you, you can find the best offer on the KOORUI monitor here.

What Other Users Are Saying

Scouring user feedback, a clear pattern emerges: pleasant surprise. Many buyers, initially skeptical of a lesser-known brand, report being blown away by the value proposition. One user happy with their dual-monitor setup stated, “I was seriously concerned about using an off brand name… However i’m so happy I took the chance! 8ish months into using these monitors and I couldn’t be happier.” Another succinctly praised it, saying they “didn’t expect it to be so good… Definitely worth it and a amazing monitor.” This sentiment of exceeding expectations is the most common thread.

On the negative side, the feedback aligns perfectly with our own minor criticisms and quality control realities of budget electronics. The most credible complaint revolves around the stand’s stability. One unfortunate user noted their monitor “ended up tipping over easily from my cat lightly nudging it” due to a screw that wouldn’t fully tighten, leading to an unfixable damaged display. Other negative reports center on receiving units that were damaged in transit or had defects like a darkened area of the screen. While these experiences are unfortunate, they seem to be outliers rather than the norm and are often covered by the seller’s return policy.

How Does It Compare? The KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz vs. The Alternatives

No product exists in a vacuum. To give you the clearest picture, we’ve compared the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz against three distinct alternatives that cater to different needs and budgets.

1. UPERFECT 15.6 Inch FHD 1080P IPS Portable Monitor

This UPERFECT monitor serves a completely different purpose. It’s a small, lightweight, portable display designed to be a second screen for a laptop on the go, a primary screen for a Raspberry Pi project, or a larger display for a mobile phone. It sacrifices everything the KOORUI excels at—size, resolution, refresh rate, and immersion—for the singular goal of portability. If you are a road warrior, a student who works in multiple locations, or someone who needs a tiny secondary screen for Discord or system stats, the UPERFECT is a fantastic tool. It is not, however, a competitor for a primary desktop gaming experience.

2. CRUA 27 Inch 180Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

The CRUA monitor is a much closer competitor, aimed squarely at budget-conscious gamers. It offers a slightly higher refresh rate (180/200Hz) but makes a significant trade-off in two key areas: screen size (27-inch vs. 32-inch) and resolution (1080p vs. 1440p). This makes it a potential choice for a very specific type of gamer: the esports competitor with a mid-range GPU who prioritizes absolute maximum frame rates over visual fidelity. Running games at 1080p is less demanding, making it easier to hit 180+ FPS. For anyone else, the KOORUI’s larger, more immersive screen and vastly sharper QHD resolution provide a far superior overall gaming and media experience.

3. KOORUI 24 Inch 165Hz Gaming Monitor

This is the little brother to the monitor we’re reviewing, coming from the same brand. It offers a similar high-refresh-rate experience but in a much smaller 24-inch form factor and at 1080p resolution. This is an excellent entry-level choice for gamers with very limited desk space or those with entry-level graphics cards that would struggle to run games at 1440p. It provides the fluid feel of high-refresh-rate gaming at the most accessible price point. However, if you have the space and the GPU power, upgrading to the 32-inch 1440p model is a transformative leap in immersion and image clarity.

Our Final Verdict: Is the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz Worth Your Money?

After extensive testing, our answer is a resounding yes. The KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz represents a turning point in the budget monitor market, delivering a feature set that was, until recently, reserved for displays costing nearly twice as much. It successfully combines the three most sought-after features for modern gaming—a large 32-inch screen, a crisp 1440p resolution, and a hyper-smooth 170Hz refresh rate—into one incredibly affordable package.

Yes, there are compromises. The stand is basic, the HDR is entry-level, and it lacks creature comforts like built-in speakers. But these are intelligent compromises. KOORUI has poured the budget where it matters most: the panel itself. The result is a monitor with stunning picture quality, fantastic gaming performance, and a level of immersion that truly draws you in. For any PC or console gamer looking to make the leap to high-refresh-rate QHD gaming without emptying their wallet, the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz isn’t just a good option; it’s arguably one of the best values on the market today.

If you’ve decided the KOORUI 32 inch Curved Gaming Monitor 1440p 170Hz is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.