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More people must be contemplating going pro in gaming, because there is an increasing number of monitors arriving to cater for their serious intentions. Latest to grace our testing desk is the ZOWIE XL2730 from BenQ. This is a 27in screen with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, 1ms response and 144Hz top frequency. So it ticks the right boxes where headline features are concerned.
There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about the technology used by BenQ. Like most gaming screens, this is a TN panel, so the image stats are de rigueur. The typical brightness is 350cd/m2 and contrast 1000:1. There’s a claimed 72 per cent of the NTSC gamut. Adaptive Sync is available as well, providing variable frequency to match what your graphics card can deliver, so long as it supports this standard.
There’s a good array of inputs including DisplayPort 1.2a and HDMI 2.0, but also legacy DVI-DL and even VGA. There are convenient audio connections and a USB 3.0 hub, although only two downstream ports for the latter. A welcome addition is the S switch Arc, an external menu controller that connects to the monitor via mini USB, providing similar facilities to the Quick Switch of AOC’s AGON AG271QX.
In fact, with a similar specification to the latter, the XL2370 could be seen as a direct competitor. But BenQ expects you to pay a little more than AOC. Let’s find out if it’s worth the extra outlay.
Specification:
Screen size: 27-inch, 16:9 aspect
Native resolution: 2,560 x 1,440
Refresh rate: 144Hz
Panel type: TN
Contrast ratio: 1000:1 (typical)
Brightness: 350cd/m2
Response time: 1ms
Display inputs: 2 x HDMI (one HDMI 2.0 only), DisplayPort 1.2a, DVI-DL, D-Sub
USB hub: Yes
Tilt: Yes
Raise: Yes
Swivel: Yes
Other: Headphone jack, microphone jack
Retail Price: £456.02 (inc. VAT)
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