[Sponsored Review] BenQ EW3270U 4K HDR

[uNi]

BenQ EW3270U 4K HDR

 

We've previously had a chance to review a similar BenQ model, the EL2870U, so apart from being a bigger, is the EW3270U any better?

 

At the time of writing this review you can find online deals for the EL2870U around £280-290 and £380-390 for the EW3270U (Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon AU) what do you get for the extra £100 though? 

 

Design wise, the EW3270U sports the same industrial design from the previous model that we really liked. This bigger model is way heavier at 10KG, which is welcomed since the 28" model tends to wiggle a bit when you use the buttons, the 32" doesn't even nudge. 

The EW32 has 31.5" and arrived packaged within a really big box along a lot of packaging material giving even the worst couriers a bad time. As with the EL28, assembling this monitor is pretty straight forward and included within the box there's all you need to get started.

 

 

 

Both monitors have a maximum resolution of 3840x2160 60Hz with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Where the EW3270U stands out is the panel it is using. Unlike the EL28 that has a TN panel, the bigger model uses a VA (better contrast and image depth) panel.

 

It has some backlight bleeding in the corners, but is not that noticeable. If I could change something in this model, would be an option to adjust the height. Considering the price of this monitor though, there is enough money to spare for a VESA mount.

 

As for IO options, the EW327 offers the same (1x DP 1.4 + 2x HDMI 2.0 + 3.5mm out) but with the addition of a welcomed USB C input. Still rocking the same 2w speakers (here is a sample) and the six buttons layout on the bottom of the screen, allowing you to access the

"On Screen Display menu". The menu is identical on both monitors. Although it's more comfortable on the EL28, I have found the built quality of the buttons to be slightly better. There's only one visible button that can be used to toggle HDR and "B.I+" (Brightness Intelligence Plus

Technology from BenQ) adjusting the monitor settings accordingly to the lighting in your environment. 

 

 

 

Clicking any of the five OSD buttons will open the main menu. The first option gives you the Low Blue Light menu, for brightness presets, the second one is for Picture mode, third one is your source menu, the fourth one is an expanded menu with Eye Care modes and other

tweaks like sound and system settings. The monitor can be tweaked to your liking but the out of the box settings should fit most users.

 

Some of the other noticeable differences between the two models are the native contrast of 3000:1 on the bigger model versus 1000:1, a better viewing angle (178/178 vs 170/160) but a slower responsive time (4ms vs 1ms) which is not really noticeable unless you are into really competitive games.

The color bit is 10 bit for both models, but the dynamic contrast ratio on the EW327 is almost the double (20M:1 vs 12M:1). Both offer HDCP, AMA, Flicker-free technology, Low Blue Light, B.I+, Smart Focus, Super Resolution and FreeSync.

 

The power consumption is obviously higher on the bigger model, with 76W versus the <55W on the 28" model.

 

Hardware wise there is other 4K monitors in the market that are superior, but considering the low price and what you get with the EW3270U, this is a very recommend choice for a very decent sized 4K HDR monitor. 

 

 

	EW3270U	EL2870U
Screen size	31.5"	27.9"
Resolution (max)	3840x2160	3840x2160
Panel Type	VA	TN
Brightness	300	300
Native Contrast	3000:1	1000:1
Viewing Angle (L/R;U/D) (CR>=10)	178/178	170/160
Response time	4	1
Refresh Rate	60Hz	60Hz
Aspect Ratio	16:9	16:9
Display Colors	1.07 billion colors	1.07 billion colors
Color Gamut	95% DCI-P3	72% NTSC
Display Area(mm)	698.4*392.85	620.9 x 341.3
PPI	140	158
Dynamic Contrast Ratio	20M:1	12M:1
Color Bit	10 bit	10 bit
Built-in Speaker	2Wx2	2Wx2
Headphone Jack	Yes	Yes
HDCP	Yes	Yes
VESA Wall Mount	Yes	Yes
AMA	Yes	Yes
Flicker-free Technology	Yes	Yes
Low Blue Light	Yes	Yes
Brightness Intelligence Plus (B.I.+)	Yes	Yes
Smart focus	Yes	Yes
Super Resolution	Yes	Yes
FreeSync	Yes	Yes
Power Consumption	76W	<55W

 

Thanks again to BenQ for sending us this monitor to review!

 

 

[Ash_735]

I recognise that LG HDR Cinematic Jazz video, you aint fooling me! Apart from that, decent write up, though the issue I still have with HDR on PC Gaming monitors is that the nits are still relatively low (makes sense, don't want a screen TOO bright to the point where it's burning your eyes up close) and because of that you're not getting the best out of HDR compared to say a medium range or above TV, it'd be roughly on par with a low end HDR Model on a TV where HDR has this "darker" look to it because the scaling range is a lot more limited and suited for SDR.

 

Though in hindsight it's complaining about an issue which most people gaming won't notice as HDR support on PC gaming is still lacking behind consoles sadly.

 

I am curious however if this panel would allow 1920x1080@120Hz, letting that FreeSync actually stretch its legs and of course be a much more suited feature for competitive gaming and higher frame rate gaming in general (not 3D era GTA though, we all know how bugged they are at higher frame rates :P).

[Dryspace]

On 7/15/2019 at 5:27 PM, uNi said:

...but a slower responsive time (4ms vs 1ms) which is not really noticeable unless you are into really competitive games.

It seems you are mistaking input latency for pixel response time. There is nothing about the competitiveness of a game that would have anything to do with the perceptibility of response time--if it is inadequate it would be observable on any moving content, whether games, movies, or desktop, providing the pixel-to-pixel contrast is high enough. I haven't used LCD for a while, but my understanding is that response time isn't really an issue anymore.

 

Input latency--the total time between the display (or hardware or software) receiving a signal and displaying (or outputting) the signal--is what is referred to when speaking of competitive gaming.