If budget is a concern and you're looking for a larger screen size for both productivity and casual gaming, the Gigabyte M32U offers a good mix of features at a lower cost. However, if you're willing to invest more for superior image clarity, color accuracy, and enhanced performance in HDR gaming and media consumption, the Sony M9 with its better contrast and color performance may be worth the extra investment. Keep in mind the Sony M9 also has a slightly smaller screen which could matter for multi-tasking, but it has a denser pixel arrangement which is great for sharpness. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Gigabyte M32U (IPS)
The Gigabyte M32U (IPS) has no clear advantages over the Sony M9 (IPS FALD).
Advantages of the Sony M9 (IPS FALD)
Good for casual gaming
Best in class for productivity
Good for media consumption
Very good text clarity
Very good image clarity
Good contrast
Good brightness
Good color volume
Key differences
Casual Gaming
6.2/10
7.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
1125:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1000:1
350 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
456 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
695 nits
87.0 %
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
67.7 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is good for casual gaming, while the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) is only fair.
Competitive Gaming
4.5/10
5.7/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
7.1 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
8.0 ms
20 - 144 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
24 - 144 Hz
Yes
STROBING / BFI
No
350 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) and Gigabyte M32U (IPS) are both poor for competitive gaming, though the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is somewhat better.
Productivity
8.0/10
9.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
140 PPI
PIXELS PER INCH
163 PPI
Yes
ADJUSTABLE STAND
Yes
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is best in class for productivity, while the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) is very good.
Media Consumption
6.7/10
7.5/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
1125:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1000:1
350 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
432 nits
456 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
695 nits
Matte
COATING
Matte
The Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is good for media consumption, while the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) is only fair.
Cost
$650
$800
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Gigabyte M32U (IPS) has a price of $650 and the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) costs $800.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
No
Yes
The Gigabyte M32U (IPS) is not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption while the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) is suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
Key similarities
Digital Photo Editing
Yes
Yes
Both the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are suitable for digital photo editing.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Print Photo Editing
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) and Sony M9 (IPS FALD) are not suitable for print photo editing.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte M32U (IPS) and the Sony M9 (IPS FALD) compare to other monitors
"The Gigabyte M32U gaming monitor is almost a slam-dunk choice, considering everything you get as part of the package. Gigabyte goes for broke with things like its built-in KVM switch and GameAssist, and those come close to paying off. Add in the well-executed, more familiar offerings, and this is a monitor that deserves serious thought if you’re in the market for what it delivers."
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec monitors team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest monitor information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the monitor team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Monitors Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.