I wish there was more helpful content on the internet about this topic. After learning so much about the right monitor size myself and now enjoying the setup I have, I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned.
This article is broken down into extremely easy to follow pointers with helpful infographics and original research so you don’t have to spend any more time researching this across google.
I’ve been an avid gamer and work from home employee for almost 5 years now and my monitor has been one of the biggest things I’ve invested in.
But is a 32 inch monitor too big for gaming and work?
As a general rule, a 32 inch monitor is not too big for gaming if youplay single player games, desire to work with multiple windows open, or have a computer graphics card that supports 1440 x 2560p resolution minimum. 32 inch monitors with lower resolution (1080p) will cause more eyestrain due to stretched pixels and having to sit farther away.
This article will give you the following things: a decision tree on what’s right for you, a list of games perfect for a 32 inch monitor, and a chart of proper viewing distances based on monitor size.
Why a 32 Inch Monitor Is Good For Gaming and Work
The types of gamers and workers who benefit most from 32 inch monitors are the following:
- Gamers who play single player, cinematic games
- People who can sit at least 4 feet away from their monitor
- Gamers who have a graphics card of at least RX6650 or better (more on this later)
The types of games you play on your monitor heavily determine what screen size you should get
| Games You Should Play on a 32inch Monitor | Reason |
| God of War | Open world and stunning visuals |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Slower pace of gameplay |
| Civilization 6 | Birds eye view, lots of information displayed on screen |
| PS5 and XBOX Games | Framerate is capped at 60fps, eyestrain won’t be a factor |
The following are games you should not play on a 32inch monitor but rather a smaller size (27 and below):
| Games to Avoid on 32 Inch Monitor | Reason |
| Call of Duty Warzone | Extremely fast paced, motion blur |
| Rainbow Six Siege | Constant, close quarters aiming and screen tearing |
| Rocket League | Slightly decreased response time due to size |
32 Inch monitors are good for productivity and multi-window setups
It’s easier to split two browsers and work simultaneously on them on a 32 inch monitor compared to smaller sizes. You can easily organize your workspace on a larger monitor without feeling like you have to squeeze everything in one small space
Some people still use dual monitors for their productivity setup, but this can slow your computer down if you don’t set it up correctly.
32 Inch monitors provide a more immersie experience with the correct graphics card
Here’s how resolution and screen size affect each other in simple terms:
- 1920x1080p resolution has less pixels than 1440x2560p
- On a 32 inch monitor, 1920x1080p will have pixels “stretched” to fill every corner of the screen, causing a lower quality effect
- 1440×2560 resolution has more pixels condensed producing a sharper image but placing more demand on your graphics cards
In short: 32 inch monitors really need to have a computer to run them on 1440p so the image looks good. Here’s the recommended graphics cards ideal for 32 inch 1440p gaming:
| Graphics Card | Price |
| RTX 3060Ti | $400 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT | $265 |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 | $329 |
What size monitor should you personally get?
I made this helpful decision tree to help you decide what size you should really get.
This is the same thought process I used to buy my first 32 inch monitor for gaming and work.
The biggest elements that should factor in your decision are how frequently you plan to use it for multitasking, ensuring your graphics card is good enough, and if you want to be as competitive as possible for online esports gaming.
A pro gamer tip I got from my friend who plays professional Rocket League also says to slide your monitor to the edge of your desk if you can’t create enough viewing distance.
“If you put your monitor at the edge of your desk you reduce the eystrain effect over many hours of gaming. It also lets you see more content on your screen without having to move your eyes as much”
– Edward T, pro amatuer Rocket League Gamer
The table below are the best distances to use to reduce eye strain for gaming and work:
| Monitor Size | Viewing Distance |
| 22 Inch | 1 Arms length |
| 27 Inch | 3 feet |
| 32 Inch | 4 feet |
Pro Gamer Tip: Get an eyestrain reducing monitor that comes with a Bluelight or Eyecare feature.
This feature doesn’t have to be on all the time but mainly when you want to work for an hour and then play video games using the normal light feature.
How to deal with the drawbacks of a 32 inch monitor
As mentioned throughout this article there’s a few drawbacks to the 32 inch monitor size but here’s a quick list of what to do about them:
- Don’t settle for less than 75hz refresh rate on your large monitor. I wrote an article here about why 75hz is enough for gaming compared to traditional advice that says to go for 144hz
- Save up for a decent 1440p monitor and don’t settle for 1080p resolution. To see a chart with the amount of years different gaming monitors last, check out my article here.
- If you’re a competitive gamer, get a small 22-24inch monitor with 144hz refresh rate or higher. A large monitor with the same kind of refresh rate will be too expensive for most gamers.
To further elaborate on refresh rate, most gamers can tell the difference between a standard 60hz and 75hz. I bought a monitor for myself to test this out as well as asked the gaming community if they agreed:
Additional E-Book Resource
I made a super helpful E-Book with zero fluff that you can get on the right hand top portion of this article. It’s the best of everything I’ve tested myself and researched. If you have any questions or comments, you can reach out to be at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond.
Conclusion
A 32 inch monitor is my personal preference for gaming because I don’t play competitive games. With my 75hz refresh rate, my game looks smooth at 1440p resolution and using my GTX 1070 graphics card.
Thanks for reading! If you have any article recommendations feel free to reach out. Until then, stay tuned for the next article.