{"id":40,"date":"2021-11-24T14:53:52","date_gmt":"2021-11-24T14:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=40"},"modified":"2021-11-24T14:53:52","modified_gmt":"2021-11-24T14:53:52","slug":"benq-ex2780q-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/?p=40","title":{"rendered":"BenQ EX2780Q Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='booster-block booster-read-block'><\/div><p>The BenQ EX2780Q is a decent mainstream option thanks to solid colours and great speakers \u2013 but it&#8217;s inconsistent elsewhere<\/p>\n<h2>Pros<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Decent colour quality<\/li>\n<li>Fantastic, powerful speakers<\/li>\n<li>Good size and resolution<\/li>\n<li>Delivers a small boost in HDR games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cons<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>HDR still proves underwhelming<\/li>\n<li>Uniformity is poor<\/li>\n<li>Few adjustment options<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"review-key-specifications\">Key Specifications<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Review Price: \u00a3420<\/li>\n<li>27in display (2560 x 1440) IPS<\/li>\n<li>144Hz AMD FreeSync 2<\/li>\n<li>5ms response time<\/li>\n<li>1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, 1x USB-C<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 2.7kg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The BenQ EX2780Q is one of the most ambitious screens I\u2019ve seen for some time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This panel doesn\u2019t just offer a 1440p resolution and 144Hz AMD FreeSync 2 \u2013 it also comes with a surprisingly powerful set of speakers alongside some HDR-based innovation.<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t cheap, though, at \u00a3420 in the UK and $600 in the US \u2013 and not every feature manages to live up to its billing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: Best Gaming Monitors<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"design\">Design \u2013 Eye-catching, and it comes with decent speakers<\/h2>\n<p>At its core, the BenQ is a 27in display with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. That\u2019s a solid start: the resolution means plenty of pixels are available to make games and movies look good, and the density level of 109ppi ensures that everything on this screen will look crisp.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, you\u2019ll get more detail on a 4K display. However, such a display will not only be more expensive, but it will only work well with a smaller and more expensive range of graphics cards.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ uses IPS technology with 10-bit colour, resulting in an excellent reproduction of colour. However, the potential drawback to IPS is underwhelming contrast.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s one minor downside to the colour situation. Connect using DisplayPort, and you can only use 10-bit colour if you run the screen at 120Hz or below. Use HDMI, and you\u2019re restricted to 60Hz. It isn\u2019t a huge issue: if you want the peak 144Hz refresh rate for gaming then 8-bit colour is fine, and you\u2019re unlikely to need the higher rates if you require 10-bit colour for work. However, it\u2019s worth bearing in mind.<\/p>\n<p>That IPS panel is a mainstream choice, and other areas of the specification also reflect this mainstream leaning. The 5ms response time is great for movies and mainstream games, but keen eSports players will require more speed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The 144Hz refresh rate is high enough to ensure butter-smooth gaming in top AAA titles and in the majority of eSports games. The BenQ uses AMD FreeSync 2, which means it works flawlessly with both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.<\/p>\n<p>However, high-level competitive gamers will want a 240Hz panel. To get one with a specification to match the BenQ will cost you closer to \u00a3600 or $800.<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ is one of the only small gaming monitors around to pay attention to audio. Unusually, the EX2780Q features two 2W speakers and a 5W subwoofer with a volume wheel beneath its bottom bezel.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The speakers are some of the best I\u2019ve used on a gaming monitor. The subwoofer provides huge bass punch; elsewhere you get a strong, detailed treble range and enough volume to fill a medium-sized room. The high-end does get a little lost, but it\u2019s a minor complaint.<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ\u2019s speakers aren\u2019t as good as affordable desktop units or using a headset, but they\u2019re far better than virtually every other gaming display \u2013 and they\u2019re perfectly usable for gaming and media.<\/p>\n<p>The extra audio hardware goes some way to explain the BenQ\u2019s aesthetic. This display\u2019s bottom bezel is huge and is decorated with a copper-coloured grille. It\u2019s eye-catching and potentially divisive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: The best free games on every platform<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"osd-and-setup\">OSD and setup \u2013 A bit wobbly, but the joystick works well<\/h2>\n<p>A good specification and eye-catching looks may be a draw, but the BenQ EX2780Q is more limited in some practical areas.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s hardly any adjustment available: it tilts back and forward and works with 100mm VESA mounts, but that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Two HDMI 2.0 ports \u2013 one DisplayPort 1.4 connection and a USB-C port \u2013 are fine for display connectivity, but there are no extra USB ports and that USB-C connector doesn\u2019t deliver power.<\/p>\n<p>The build is mixed too. The base attaches to the stand with a tool-free mechanism, and the weight of 2.7kg is decent. I also like the cable-routing mechanism, which hides wires in a cavity at the rear of the stand. However, the stand has to be attached using awkward screws, and the panel itself is a little wobbly.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The experience is better once the BenQ is set up. Its on-screen display is fast, easy to navigate and well organised. The joystick and buttons on the rear are snappy and sturdy, and the BenQ also comes with a remote control.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: Best gaming laptop 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"image-quality\">Image quality \u2013 HDR fans will be left wanting<\/h2>\n<p>IPS screens tend to display superb colours, but middling contrast and the BenQ is no different in this regard. Its Delta E value of 2.74 is good, which means the BenQ\u2019s colours are easily accurate enough for gaming, movies and media.<\/p>\n<p>The colour temperature of 6534K is excellent, and the gamma average of 2.15 is reasonably close to the 2.2 ideal.<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ rendered 99.9% of the sRGB colour gamut and 95.3% of the DCI-P3 colour space, which means this display can produce virtually every shade required by conventional and HDR content.<\/p>\n<p>A default brightness level of 272 nits is decent, but the black level of 0.25 nits is mediocre. Those figures create a contrast ratio of 1088:1 \u2013 reasonable, and it\u2019s high enough to handle most gaming and media scenarios. However, it\u2019s still only around half as good as a VA panel, which means colours aren\u2019t quite as punchy and black levels aren\u2019t very deep.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Uniformity, too, is mediocre. On the left-hand side, the panel lost 14% of its brightness; along the right-hand edge, the backlight weakened by up to 22%.<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ\u2019s IPS construction also impacted on its HDR performance. The EX2780Q has a system called HDRi, which has different modes for different HDR-focused tasks alongside dynamic backlight adjustment.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, HDRi is inconsistent. It has Game, Cinema and Display modes, but there are issues with all of them: the Game mode is cool; the Cinema option suffers a red hue; the Display option is slightly pallid. Across all three modes, text is so sharp that it looks pixellated. Turning down the sharpness options in the OSD fixed that particular problem, but it isn\u2019t something that should have been required.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also the fact that the BenQ is only certified for DisplayHDR 400 \u2013 an entry-level HDR standard. In its HDR modes, the BenQ reaches a peak brightness of 465 nits, which means it outstrips DisplayHDR 400, but that brightness level is still a long way short of the best HDR displays.<\/p>\n<p>Get past the crisp text and the minor colour issues, and HDR games and movies do get a boost on this display \u2013 there\u2019s a modest improvement to contrast and colours, with bolder shades at the top end and better depth at the bottom of the gamut. The jump isn\u2019t huge, but it\u2019s a better option than other affordable gaming panels that barely meet the requirements of DisplayHDR 400.<\/p>\n<p>This display isn\u2019t the best option if you\u2019re really interested in HDR, though \u2013 it\u2019s still an IPS panel with a relatively weak backlight and relatively underwhelming contrast levels. It makes an impact, but it\u2019s some way short of being transformative.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: The top digital board games to play right now\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"should-you-buy-the-benq-ex2780q\">Should you buy the BenQ EX2780Q?<\/h2>\n<p>The BenQ EX2780Q is at its best when handling mainstream duties. Its size, resolution and decent colour performance help games and movies look great, and there\u2019s enough contrast to deliver ample punch for those scenarios.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, the BenQ has some of the best speakers I\u2019ve heard in a monitor, alongside bold design and a remote control.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond this, the BenQ suffers. Its HDR options are underwhelming, its uniformity is inconsistent, and it offers few adjustment options.<\/p>\n<p>The BenQ EX2780Q is ideal if you want a one-stop solution for gaming and media, without having to mess around with headsets and speakers. For punchier contrast, better HDR or specific gaming features, however, you\u2019d be better looking elsewhere.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"review-trusted-score\">Trusted Score<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BenQ EX2780Q is a decent mainstream option thanks to solid colours and great speakers \u2013 but it&#8217;s inconsistent elsewhere Pros Decent colour quality Fantastic, powerful speakers Good size and resolution Delivers a small boost in HDR games Cons HDR still proves underwhelming Uniformity is poor Few adjustment options Key Specifications Review Price: \u00a3420 27in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[37,11,13,14,15,16,12],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engadget.vip\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}