Philips Evnia 32M2C5500W Review: Elite 32" Gaming Monitor

Pros

• Perfect calibration straight out of the box.
• High contrast.
• Huge refresh rate (240 Hz).
• High brightness for a monitor.

Cons

• Predominantly plastic finish.
• No USB-C port for charging.
• No portrait mode.
• Absence of built-in speakers.

FPS fans caow count on a 32-inch Quad HD and 240 Hz monitor: the Philips Evnia 32M2C5500W. Priced under €600, this curved screen is quite promising.

Philips is attempting a strong comeback in the monitor market with its Evnia range, tailored for video gaming. Earlier in 2023, we tested the Evnia 34M2C8600, a particularly successful QD-OLED model. This time, we're examining a more traditional screen: the Evnia 32M2C5500W. This 32-inch monitor features a curved panel, a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, but primarily, a super-fast refresh rate of 240 Hz. Its brightness is aounced at 500 cd/m², an important value for a monitor that's also FreeSync Premium Pro compatible. The Evnia 32M2C5500W is HDR400 certified, but it's worth noting that in practice, this isn't very significant compared to televisions. This screen is sold for around €500. While there are cheaper 32-inch models on the market (such as the Iiyama GCB3280QSU-B1 we recently tested), this monitor's price is justified by its very high refresh rate. Let's examine it more closely.

Philips usually excels in design for their high-end models, but here we find a chassis made of rough black plastic that's not very appealing around the edges, a characteristic of many gaming monitors. The back of the monitor is a bit more refined, but it's not really the part that interests us daily. The “V” shaped stand doesn't protrude much at the front, but has a depth of 32 cm. The total width is 70 cm, and the screen can be adjusted in height up to 60 cm. With the stand, the monitor weighs 8.3 kg and obviously complies with the VESA standard for wall or other mountings. It can pivot from right to left and be tilted. However, it caot be set up in portrait mode (as is often the case with curved models). Unlike the 34M2C8600, there is no Ambiglow lighting at the back of the monitor, which is a shame. On the other hand, the screen's curvature is pronounced (1000R), which enhances immersion more than a conventional flat screen. This is particularly beneficial for car or plane simulation games, but FPS (first-person shooter) games can obviously benefit from it as well.

Connectivity consists of two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, four USB-A ports, and one USB-B port. We note the absence of built-in speakers, again a common feature of this type of monitor, but players will likely prefer using speakers or a headset. Finally, navigating the menus is done with a small joystick at the back of the screen, which is convenient, given the numerous available settings.

Right out of the box, the Evnia 32M2C5500W is admirably calibrated. The standard mode delivers a Delta E of 2.3, below the threshold of 3 beyond which the human eye perceives colour deviations. The average colour temperature of 6470 K is simply perfect. Similarly, the average gamma stays at 2.2, and the grey levels are therefore well reproduced. For our usual comparison with a brightness set at 150 cd/m², the results are almost identical and still excellent, although very slightly less good. This time the Delta E climbs to 2.4, the average temperature is a bit warmer (6360 K), and the gamma remains at 2.2. By setting the monitor to SRGB mode, it's possible to achieve a better Delta E of 1.3. Unfortunately, this affects the grey levels (average gamma of 2.1), and the colours appear dull, especially in games.

In terms of contrast, VA panels are much better than IPS panels, and here we have measured a ratio of 3770:1. Some competitors have exceeded 4000:1, but this remains excellent in absolute terms, although OLED is still superior in this regard due to its pixel-by-pixel light management. Beware, VA panels offer deteriorated viewing angles compared to other technologies, but on a curved screen like this one, this won't pose a problem since you need to stay directly in front to enjoy it. Finally, we measured a uniformity gap of the panel of 6%. This is a bit higher than other models, but nothing alarming, as the human eye will not perceive a difference.

The Evnia 32M2C5500W is compatible with FreeSync Premium Pro to synchronize images with the graphics card between 48 and 120 Hz and avoid tearing and microstutters. Here, you can anyway climb up to 240 Hz, an impressive refresh rate that will allow gamers to enjoy exemplary fluidity in competitive multiplayer (FPS and MOBA, in particular). However, you will need a high-performance graphics card to reach these 240 fps at the screen's maximum resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). Likewise, this will only be possible on less demanding titles like Counter Strike, Apex, Valorant, and Fortnite. The persistence is very correct straight out of the box, calculated at 9.5 ms. There is no overdrive setting in the menus to improve the result, but it remains very good and ghosting will not spoil the gaming experience. The input lag (display delay) is also very low, as we measured it at 11.3 ms. So, there will be no delay between the action of a mouse or controller and its repercussion on the screen.

At 150 cd/m², the monitor requires 29 W, which is a relative consumption of 102.7 W/m², quite average for monitors we have tested so far. By setting the brightness to the minimum (86 cd/m²), it consumes 25 W, and 56.4 W when it is set to the maximum (538 cd/m²). Our Settings and Measurements We set the Evnia 32M2C5500W by reducing the brightness to 13 in order to obtain a white close to 150 cd/m² in SDR for our measurements, but the standard mode right out of the box is already perfect. Beware, the other modes (FPS, racing film, etc.) significantly impact the rendering. Our detailed results obtained with these settings:

• Contrast: 3770:1
• Delta E: 2.4
• Average Colour Temperature: 6360 K
• Panel Uniformity Deviation: 6%
• Average Gamma: 2.2
• Consumption: 29 W

The Evnia 32M2C5500W will be an excellent monitor for gamers in search of unbeatable fluidity. With its 240 Hz refresh rate and a comfortable Quad HD definition, it allows for good gaming conditions with immersion enhanced by its curved design. This model is a great option for competitive multiplayer, perfectly calibrated, although some ergonomic issues could be addressed.