Full description not available
J**B
Great for games. Colours are questionable.
Pretty rare I write reviews but as I spent a lot of time debating whether to buy this monitor or not I figured I should do my best to make it easier for others.I originally purchased the monitor due to wanting to experience 144hz, primarily in games. I currently own 2 EIZO monitors which are incredible for colour and depth but the drawback has always been that they run at the traditional 60hz. As I had never really tried 144hz I was sceptical as to how much I was willing to pay to get it. Anyway… On to the review.The monitor is packed great, it came with every cable necessary and was a doddle to set up. The base and stand are both incredibly sturdy and the look and feel of the monitor was 5 star. It took less than a few minutes to be plugged in and ready to go.On original start up I was disappointed. The colours were incredibly washed out and the image quality when sat next to my EIZO was not even half as good. I was immediately debating sending it back and living with 60hz. I refused to load a game until I had made some adjustments. I felt like loading a game would possibly make me ignore some of the other features.I downloaded a basic BENQ ICC Profile and when I applied that a lot of the issues I had were quickly resolved. I made a few extra tweaks using the settings on the actual screen and was far more happy with my purchase. I still don’t think it can compete with the colours/depth of my EIZO, but considering the hardware inside, I guess it shouldn’t. The colour is fine once you have made a decent amount of changes but I’d say that it’s almost unusable straight out of the box if you care about basic colours when browsing.The adjustments for height and tilt are perfect and you’ll struggle to find a viewing angle that won’t suit you with this monitor.Once I had made my changes I loaded up CS GO. If you’ve never experienced 144hz, it’s hard to explain just how good it is. The difference is huge. I have played CS for roughly 12 years and I can’t remember a game looking and feeling as good as this does. It instantly feels like you’re playing with 10000FPS. You feel like every millimetre you move is distinguishable and everything glides effortlessly. I’ve been very naïve in the past when it comes to monitors but this has single-handedly made my game feel so much better than before.I can honestly say that I’d struggle to get used to a monitor with a slower refresh rate after using a monitor which seems so suited to the games I play. My only issue and the reason for giving it a 4 star review is down to the colours. I do think I can probably spend some extra time tweaking them to suit me more but I’m basing this on my past experience with monitors straight out of the box. I’ve never had to spend so long tinkering to give myself a similar look to a previous monitor.If you are debating buying this then I’d push you towards taking the dive. If you enjoy games and a big chunk of what you do revolves around that, then it’s a no brainer.
S**I
Calibration woes but
Calibrating this screen is akin to your first attempt at getting a bra off in the dark while drunk, which is why its a 4 not a 5.PositivesThe stand is amazingHigh level of adjustment in height and tiltGreat connectivity options, most monitors at this end only have DP and DVI-DWhite and Grey shades show up far better than on my old monitor, some sites look very different now.Matte bezel finish, not that glossy crap which causes reflection issues.Monitor has a quick switch device(the remote control looking thing on the stand) so you can toggle between 3 different calibrations instantly. 1 brightness 60, 2 brightness 30, 3 brightness 100. not just brightness obviously.2 USB3 ports and unlike most monitors they are easy to access while not being visibleComes with a screen protector. Bit tacky as its like a deflated beach ball material but it looks nice enough and will protect from dust or if you need to move the monitor it has a cut out to access the handle.which leads to the next point, this monitor has a carry handle which sounds strange, but because of the top notch quality stand and monitor bracket you can use it 99% safe in the knowledge the screen won't fall off and ruin your £450 investment :-)Comes with all cables you need, DVI, DP, USB. There is no HDMI, though you are lucky to get even a DP with some monitors.Monitor does not generate much heat, my old one did as I would feel around the back and it would be hot, this is notIf like me you are moving up from 1080p 22-24", you will not be prepared for how much of a difference those 3-5 inches make in the size of it and then the 1440p, pictures do not do that justice, my old beloved wallpaper was tiny. my average FPS hit in games(tested killing floor 2,dirt rally,stalker) is not as much as I expected considering I am still using an old GTX570Freesync is not a positive unless you have an AMD card and even then you need a new top end one. But its a postive because it means no Gsync, that is a positive because this is £450 instead of the £600 it would be with GsyncOverall it just feels very solid and well made, like they thought of everything.ConsCalibration is a nightmare, a double bloody nightmare full of memories of the first time you attempted that bra clip. When its done you get the reward and its not a problem the next time, but figuring it out that first time is like being thrown to the wolves, just less awkward as its a monitor...Cable management is nothing special, its basically a hole to thread cables through when what you really need is a set of pinch hooks on the back of the monitor. This is true of all monitors though.Packaging wasn't great, most of the protection was on the back end rather than on the front where the screen is which could be an issue if someone drops yours or it gets stabbed by something pokeyDid I mention the calibration?
Trustpilot
3 days ago
1 month ago