'If they took it away, I'd have a heart attack': Award-winning filmmaker waxes lyrical about Asus’s $8000 8K rival to Apple’s Mac Pro display

• Asus ProArt PA32KCX targets professionals seeking uncompromised visual accuracy
• 8K panel reveals production-level clarity far beyond conventional 4K monitors
• The sustained brightness and color depth redefine modern HDR workflows

The ASUS ProArt PA32KCX is the world’s first Mini LED professional 8K monitor, offering capabilities that go beyond most production displays.

Award-winning filmmaker Brett Danton, among the first to receive one, has been testing it across editing, rendering, and HDR workflows.

While his enthusiasm has been clear, the real question is whether the PA32KCX truly offers strong value or simply caters to niche creative pipelines.

A technical leap that aims for precision

The 32-inch display combines technical features that place it in rare company.

It runs at an 8K resolution of 7680 x 4320 and maintains an average ΔE value of less than one, which indicates very accurate color reproduction.

The display covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and delivers up to 1200 nits peak brightness through its 4096-zone Mini LED backlight.

Sustained brightness of 1000 nits and support for HDR10 and HLG give it the dynamic range professionals expect from the best monitors for HDR grading and compositing work.

In fact, this device is already Danton’s main monitor for high-resolution or professional HDR workflows, and he said, “If they took it away, I'd have a heart attack.”

At 275 pixels per inch, it also provides a denser pixel structure than standard 4K monitors, making it ideal for precision editing tasks.

Danton’s workflow combines multiple high-performance systems, including render machines powered by Nvidia RTX A6000 GPUs.

He notes the PA32KCX’s heavier build and improved input layout help manage these setups effectively.

Its integrated motorized flip colorimeter offers automatic calibration, reducing manual interruptions during production.

The monitor’s compatibility with varied HDR metadata and its ability to reflect virtual production pipelines show a deliberate move toward professionals who handle complex, high-resolution imagery.

For users accustomed to switching between multiple business monitor setups, or even those using a monitor for a MacBook Pro, this level of adaptability could be a long-term advantage.

However, at around $8000, the PA32KCX is far from mainstream, yet Danton considers it a strong value compared to reference monitors that cost more than three times as much.

For many people, this device remains a technical showcase that challenges expectations of what a professional 8K display can deliver.

Via Redshark

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