BenQ GW2790QT review: A budget upgrade for your home office setup

Price When Reviewed

$299.99

Best Prices Today: BenQ GW2790QT

Home workplace screens are straightforward to return by, and most carry out properly sufficient: Excel isn’t precisely demanding. But some options, like USB-C connectivity, an ergonomic stand, and a built-in microphone, can show particularly alluring for these residing the work-from-home life. BenQ’s GW2790QT offers all of this at an reasonably priced worth.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best home office monitors to study competing merchandise.

What are the BenQ GW2790QT’s specs and options?

The BenQ GW2790QT’s show is typical of a house workplace monitor, however the leap from 1080p to 1440p decision is value mentioning. It’s common for a monitor within the GW2790QT’s worth vary, but it surely’s a superb enchancment over 1080p.

• Display measurement: 27-inch widescreen
• Native decision: 2560×1440
• Panel sort: IPS
• Refresh charge: 75Hz
• Adaptive Sync: None
• HDR: None
• Ports: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x DisplayPort-Out (MST), 1x USB-C with 65 Watts of Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, 3x USB-A 3.2 downstream
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: Yes, microphone included
• Price: $299.99 MSRP

Resolution apart, the monitor’s most notable options don’t have anything to do with picture high quality. It features a USB-C port with 65 watts of Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, a DisplayPort-out port, built-in audio system, and even a bundled microphone. That’s a superb array of options for a $300 house workplace monitor and assist push the GW2790QT forward of opponents.

How is the BenQ GW2790QT’s design?

Matt Smith

The BenQ GW2790QT is a trendy show. It ditches the traditional black or silver look of most screens for super-white supplies that cowl not solely the stand but additionally the rear panel and decrease show panel. It’s not completely distinctive—some Samsung, LG, and Alienware screens take an identical method—but it surely’s well-executed.

I credit score the sturdy, roughly textured plastics BenQ makes use of on the show. Not all plastic is created equal, and the supplies on right here each feel and look a reduce above a typical funds to mid-range workplace monitor.

Matt Smith

BenQ offers anticipated performance, too, with a hefty ergonomic stand that adjusts for top, tilt, swivel, and rotation. The stand base is probably a tad bigger than it must be, however its flat design means the area it consumes in your desk stays usable.

The stand has a small cut-out meant to be used with a $20 accent known as the “Yogi Pad.” It’s meant to supply an area for holding and charging a smartphone or small pill. The accent was included, so I didn’t have an opportunity to attempt it.

How is the BenQ GW2790QT’s connectivity and menu?

Matt Smith

The BenQ GW2790QT is all about connectivity and, particularly, USB-C. It features a single USB-C enter that helps DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of Power Delivery for charging a linked pill or laptop computer.

It’s not the least costly USB-C monitor—however, given the GW2790QT’s worth, the truth that USB-C is out there in any respect is notable. Just a few options provide USB-C at a cheaper price: the Dell S2723HC and Viewsonic VP2456 are two examples. But these make compromises, since each have a decrease show decision and the Viewsonic offers a smaller 24-inch panel.

BenQ pairs the USB-C port with three extra USB-A downstream ports, HDMI, and DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm audio jack, all of that are typical for a house workplace monitor on this worth bracket.

But BenQ offers a second connectivity shock with help for DisplayPort-out. It can be utilized to daisy-chain video connectivity to a second monitor, successfully permitting the connection of two screens with one DisplayPort enter. This additionally works over USB-C, because it helps DisplayPort Alternate Mode. It’s a helpful characteristic in case your laptop computer doesn’t have two video outputs, and may scale back cable litter.

Matt Smith

The menu system depends on a set of buttons on the monitor’s lower-right bezel. They’re straightforward to seek out, responsive, and provide an intuitive menu with a great array of choices which incorporates a number of gamma and shade temperature modes in addition to easy RGB shade customization. Just a few picture high quality presets can be found however centered on making the picture straightforward to learn or much less straining on the person’s imaginative and prescient. There’s no sRGB or DCI-P3 shade gamut preset.

The GW2790QT consists of built-in audio system and a noise-canceling microphone, so it might in idea be used to take voice calls with no headset or exterior mic. I say “in theory” as a result of their audio high quality fails to impress. Zoom isn’t precisely demanding, although, and I feel most individuals will discover the outcomes satisfactory. I don’t advocate leaning on these options for a everlasting video conferencing resolution, however they’ll do in a pinch.

How is the BenQ GW2790QT’s SDR picture high quality?

The BenQ GW2790QT’s give attention to house workplace use makes picture high quality a bit much less vital than with screens constructed for gaming or content material creation, however a nice, vivid picture stays key to crisp textual content and day-to-day productiveness. Fortunately, the monitor readily clears this bar.

Matt Smith

Brightness is available in at a most of 370 nits which, though a bit decrease than the brightest screens, it’s definitely enough to be used in a house workplace. I usually stored the monitor at simply 25 p.c of its most brightness. The monitor’s efficient matte coat helps, too. I didn’t want to extend the BenQ’s show brightness to beat glare.

Matt Smith

The GW2790T supplied a most distinction ratio of 1170:1. It’s hardly a record-setter, however this result’s good for a monitor within the GW2790T’s worth vary. Dark motion pictures and video games can look hazy and lack element, particularly when considered in a darkish room, however the monitor in any other case offers an affordable sense of dimensionality and depth.

If you’re concerned about watching Netflix between conferences, although, it is best to think about a minimum of upgrading to a monitor with an IPS Black panel, just like the Philips Creator Series 27EF7901 or Dell U3223QE.

Matt Smith

I measured a shade gamut that spans 100 p.c of sRGB, 81 p.c of DCI-P3, and 79 p.c of AdobeRGB. That’s an appropriate, however modest, consequence. The monitor appears to be like vivid in day-to-day productiveness, however the restricted shade gamut can be an issue for content material creators seeking to produce images, video, or digital artwork within the DCI-P3 or AdobeRGB shade gamut.

To be honest, opponents that present higher efficiency are costlier. The BenQ’s GW2790T isn’t marketed for content material creation, and its shade gamut is consistent with my expectations for a $300 house workplace monitor.

Matt Smith

The monitor’s shade accuracy is mid-pack, as properly, however once more consistent with my expectations. Colors look correct, if considerably subdued. The monitor’s shade accuracy is supported by an appropriate default shade temperature of 6600Ok, barely off the goal of 6500Ok, and an on-target default gamma curve of two.2. What do these numbers imply? Put merely, the monitor is nice to make use of out-of-the-box and shows content material in a fashion near what its creator supposed.

Sharpness is powerful, too, because of the monitor’s 2560×1440 decision. That works out to a pixel density of roughly 109 pixels per inch throughout the 27-inch show. It’s nowhere close to as sharp as a 27-inch 4K monitor, which packs in 163 pixels per inch—however that enchancment could be exhausting to note in workplace purposes like Word or Google Docs. 1440p stays a great compromise between sharpness and worth.

I did discover one weak spot, nevertheless: viewing angles. The GW2790T appears to be like washed out when considered from the perimeters. It’s not an issue for the particular person utilizing the monitor, however colleagues making an attempt to look over your shoulder will definitely be dissatisfied.

The BenQ GW2790T’s picture high quality isn’t thrilling, but it surely strikes the correct compromise right here. The GW2790T’s show appears to be like good in productiveness apps and avoids annoying flaws.

How is the BenQ GW2790QT’s HDR picture high quality?

HDR isn’t an possibility on the BenQ GW2790QT. That’s appropriately. While a couple of comparable screens declare HDR help, no monitor on this worth bracket provides the efficiency wanted to do HDR justice. Innocn’s 27M2V, the least costly monitor we are able to advocate for HDR, is greater than twice the G2790QT’s worth.

How is the BenQ GW2790QT’s movement efficiency?

The BenQ GW2790QT isn’t nice for avid gamers or anybody involved with movement efficiency. Its 75Hz refresh charge is a slight bump over 60Hz, however not sufficient to make a distinction for most individuals, and the monitor lacks Adaptive Sync. The Dell 2724D is a price-competitive different for avid gamers, but it surely utterly lacks the house workplace options discovered on the GW2790QT.

Is the BenQ GW2790QT value it?

Shoppers in search of a easy but engaging house workplace monitor ought to strongly think about the GW2790QT. It delivers a practical ergonomic design, intensive connectivity, which incorporates USB-C, and well-rounded picture high quality at an affordable $300 MSRP (that has dipped as little as $280 on Amazon). Many opponents provide a few of its options at an identical worth, however none tick all the identical packing containers.