We have experimented quite a bit with our hardware coverage lately, and will measure interest in testing gaming monitors as part of our content.
Here I will probably change part of the article layout as I write more tests.
The first of the screens I have standing is the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710U, a 4K screen of 27 inches with an update rate of 144 hertz. The IPS screen has support for FreeSync, HDR and HDMI 2.1.
This is a screen for those with a fat wallet. You need a powerful computer to get the most out of the panel – and the screen itself costs NOK 12,500.
The screen supports 4K120Hz on console, so it is with PC that you get the best experience. That is also what I have tested the screen with.
Nice design
The EX2710U looks good on the desk. The frames are razor-thin, and there are few signs of a gamer touch other than some light strips on the back with a bunch of different color settings – which you can always switch off if you want.
It is easy to find the right position thanks to the many adjustment options in height and width. Unfortunately, it is not possible to have the screen vertical, which is probably a minus for many who want to use the screen for both gaming and productive tasks.
REAR: The screen has two HDMI 2.1 inputs, one DisplayPort 1.4 input, four USB 3.0 inputs and one USB C input.
All of the properties of the screen are easily adjusted by the buttons on the underside. They are easy to get to, and the built-in software is intuitive enough that you don’t need the user manual to set up the screen.
The screen is available in 32 inches for those who think 27 inches is too small for 4K, then at a slightly lower price.
Mini soundbar
The thick speaker elements are what catch your eye before you turn on the screen.
Gaming monitors don’t usually have quite the big sound, but these deliver high sound quality for being monitor speakers. But there is not much to brag about compared to external speakers or a headset. You can probably afford that if you have enough money for a screen like this.
The screen also comes with a built-in microphone. I’m guessing the speakers and the microphone help push the price up a bit, and I doubt that many people will use the functionality at all.
Big variation
The first impression of the panel itself is that it delivers accurate colours, but the various preset color modes without HDR are too dim for my taste.
It is the standard mode, and not the game modes, that matches the colors best. There are also large variations from game to game as to which of the game modes is best, and this applies doubly with HDR.
THIN FRAMES: The frames around the screen are by no means so thin that you don’t see them.
In the newly renovated role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I find that the HDR modes either have far too much or far too little contrast. Either the high light is so overexposed that all details disappear and the colors become far too saturated, or the image becomes tame and washed out.
This is probably related to the screen’s solution for “local dimming”, which controls the black level and contrast through the background light.
In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I think it is better to play without HDR than with it. Admittedly, there are quite a few differences from game to game.
In games with own calibration of HDR colors, such as Overwatch, you can reduce the effect of a few dimming zones and the HDR experience will be much better.
Conclusion
FreeSync support, low delay (one millisecond), high refresh rate and 4K resolution is a juicy combination for gaming.
The problem for BenQ is that the screen is too expensive. Samsung recently launched a 4K 240hz screen for just a few thousand more – VA panel, not IPS – and there are several 4K screens with a refresh rate of 144 hertz for well under 10,000.
There is little negative to say about the screen other than what I have pointed out in the text above, and the screen is overall brilliant, but it is really not worth that much money.
Although BenQ has equipped the screen with some extra snacks, it is not enough to make it attractive when competing screens have almost identical specifications and performance at far more wallet-friendly prices.
