BenQ PD2770U review: A self-calibrating monitor for pros

Price When Reviewed

$1,699.99

Best Prices Today: BenQ PD2770U

Most screens offered immediately are chasing the identical tendencies. OLED panels are widespread, bringing with them wonderful distinction, and refresh charges have surged into the tons of. These upgrades have led to wonderful shows, however the BenQ PD2770U marches to a unique tune. It is targeted on skilled content material creation and has a number of uncommon options—akin to a built-in show calibration software—that may attraction to the monitor’s viewers.

Read on to be taught extra, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparability.

BenQ PD2770U specs and options

The fundamentals of the BenQ PD2770U’s show panel are nothing to jot down house about. It has a 27-inch 4K IPS-LCD panel with a refresh fee of 60Hz. The backlight is edge-lit LED, so no fancy Mini-LED backlighting right here. Adaptive sync isn’t current, both.

• Display dimension: 27-inch 16:9 facet ratio
• Native decision: 3840×2160
• Panel kind: IPS-LCD with LED edge lit backlight
• Refresh fee: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: No
• HDR: HDR 10/HLG
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt / USB-C with 96 watts of Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, 1x USB-C upstream with 5Gbps information, 2x USB-A downstream with 5Gbps information
• Audio: None
• Extra options: Light sensor, distant management, built-in automated calibration, uniformity mode, show hood
• Price: $1,699.99 MSRP

However, the BenQ PD2770U consists of a number of unusual options. It has built-in picture calibration {hardware} tucked into the highest bezel, plus ambient gentle sensors and a USB-C / Thunderbolt hub that features Ethernet connectivity. It additionally ships with a show hood and wi-fi distant for controlling the monitor’s options.

These options don’t come low cost, although, because the PD2770U carries a excessive MSRP of $1,699.99. Speciality screens meant for professionals have a tendency to hold a hefty value premium.

BenQ PD2770U design

The BenQ PD2770U is a monitor meant for skilled settings, so it gives a reserved and low-key look. That’s to not say it’s unattractive, although. I moderately just like the charcoal-and-gray colorway, which stays knowledgeable tone and is distinct from the matte black look typical of cheaper skilled screens, in addition to the metallic silver utilized by most equally priced rivals.

Build high quality is excessive. As with most shows, plastic is the fabric of selection, however the stand base is steel and the plastics that make up the physique of the show are sturdy. It’s a hefty monitor, as effectively, at practically 20 kilos with stand. That’s heavier than many 32-inch screens.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

A monitor hood is supplied with the monitor. The hood is used to shade the show and cut back the impression of ambient gentle on its floor. It attaches magnetically, too, so it’s not too troublesome to put in or take away. Most house customers are unlikely to make use of the hood, nevertheless it’s useful should you work in an area the place you may’t management ambient gentle as a lot as you’d like.

The included stand has a flat, sturdy base that minimizes its footprint in your desk. Ergonomic adjustment consists of as much as 115mm of peak, 25 levels of tilt, 30 levels of swivel, and as much as 90 levels of pivot (to be used in portrait orientation). None of those changes are exceptional for a premium monitor, however they’re aggressive. A 100x100mm VESA mount can also be obtainable to be used with a third-party monitor stand, arm, or wall mount.

BenQ PD2770U connectivity

Connectivity is a headline function for the BenQ PD2770U. The firm appears to anticipate that the monitor shall be used with a high-end laptop computer, like a MacBook Pro or Asus ProArtwork, and so it gives a Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C port with as much as 96 watts of Power Delivery and DisplayPort video. That makes for simple single-cable connections to any laptop computer that has USB-C with the identical options (which incorporates most trendy laptops).

The monitor additionally gives a second USB-C upstream port, although it helps simply 5Gbps of information. It’s helpful if you wish to join a desktop alongside a laptop computer.

Both USB-C ports broaden a related gadget’s connectivity to a pair of wired USB-A ports, every with 5Gbps information charges, and a single RJ45 Ethernet port. This isn’t essentially the most connectivity you’ll discover from a monitor—the Dell U3225QE, as an example, gives over twice as a lot USB connectivity—nevertheless it’s nonetheless a decent vary, and the inclusion of an Ethernet port is at all times good to see.

As you may anticipate, the PD2770U gives KVM swap performance. That means you may join two computer systems to the USB-C upstream ports, then join wired units to the USB-A downstream ports, and use the monitor to modify which pc is related to the USB-A units.

BenQ PD2770U menus and options

The BenQ PD2770U’s on-screen menu system will be accessed both with a joystick management on the monitor, or a handy puck-style distant. The puck-style distant is a small, wi-fi dial that’s nice for making fast changes. Alternatively, most monitor options will be accessed by way of BenQ’s engaging DisplayPilot software program, which is offered for each Windows and MacOS.

A protracted checklist of picture high quality changes can be found. These embrace many preset modes that concentrate on particular colour gamuts, akin to AdobeRGB, Rec.709, DCI-P3, DICOM, and extra. The monitor additionally gives exact gamma and colour temperature changes with further colour customization, if desired.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Ambient gentle sensors are included and can be utilized to mechanically regulate brightness all through the day. This can cut back eye pressure and can assist the monitor seem correct in a variety of lighting circumstances.

The jewel within the PD2770U’s crown, nonetheless, is the automated {hardware} calibration software completely tucked contained in the thick high bezel. It can deploy mechanically on a set schedule and runs a hardware-defined show calibration course of (that means no further software program is required to make use of it). Aside from comfort, this function provides worth, as colour calibration instruments usually promote for $150 to $300 or extra, relying on the mannequin.

On high of that, the BenQ gives a distant calibration administration software referred to as DMS Local, which can be utilized to sync colour profiles throughout a fleet of screens and implement obligatory calibration. Of course, I can’t touch upon the specifics of how effectively DMS Local works in knowledgeable studio, however I believed it price a point out.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Overall, I just like the built-in calibration. Calibration usually requires further {hardware}, which you have to join and put into place earlier than calibration can happen. That further problem could make it straightforward to justify placing it off till tomorrow—for weeks on finish. BenQ’s built-in calibration provides you much less purpose to place it off.

Calibration does require roughly 10 minutes, although, so that you’ll should take a break (or use a second show). You additionally have to heat up the show for 30 minutes earlier than it may be calibrated, although the {hardware} takes this under consideration and can mechanically have interaction after the warm-up interval has ended.

BenQ PD2770U audio

The BenQ PD2770U doesn’t embrace built-in audio system and as an alternative gives solely a 3.5mm audio pass-through for connecting a headset or audio system. It is a bit disappointing to see audio system are excluded, although it’s not unusual for high-end screens to lack audio system.

BenQ PD2770U SDR picture high quality

The BenQ PD2770U is a monitor tightly centered on artistic work together with images, videography, and digital artwork. That may lead you to anticipate wonderful picture high quality throughout the board, however the PD2770U as an alternative makes some trade-offs to offer a presentation centered on accuracy and realism.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness, the place the BenQ PD2770U achieved an appropriate most SDR brightness of 351 nits. As the graph reveals, it’s undoubtedly not the brightest picture obtainable, but in addition not dim. This degree of brightness is enough to cowl SDR workflows, as effectively, which generally see brightness calibrated to someplace within the 100 to 200 nits vary.

Though not the brightest monitor round, the BenQ PD2770U advantages from an efficient Nano Matte end and the included show hood. These options collectively make glare a non-issue in most conditions, even in rooms with unusually vivid and uneven lighting. You’ll solely see glare if a vivid gentle supply is straight over your shoulder.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Contrast is a weak spot of the BenQ PD2770U. Though it goals to offer nice picture high quality, it’s additionally a IPS-LCD show, and doesn’t have a dynamic Mini-LED backlight. The result’s a distinction ratio that’s behind even most LCD screens.

It must be famous, although, that enhanced distinction isn’t the target of the show. Rather, the Nano Matte show is supposed to diffuse gentle in a means that gives good colour accuracy and a cushty viewing expertise. I prefer it, although I ought to point out I’m typically biased in the direction of matte over shiny panels.

Those who need extra distinction ought to think about the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM, an exquisite skilled monitor with an OLED panel.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Color efficiency is one thing the BenQ PD2770U must nail and, luckily for BenQ, it scores extraordinarily effectively. The BenQ PD2770U achieved a most colour gamut that spanned 100 p.c of sRGB, 98 p.c of DCI-P3, and 99 p.c of AdobeRGB. That’s among the many finest outcome we’ve ever recorded.

There is one element to notice, although, which is that the monitor can’t show this vary of all gamuts concurrently. For instance, when the monitor is about to AdobeRGB the DCI-P3 colour gamut drops to about 87 p.c (and vice versa). This isn’t of a lot sensible concern as a result of I’ve a tough time fathoming a scenario the place you would wish to work in each colour areas without delay on the identical show, however I believed I’d point out it.

BenQ additionally gives modes for colour gamut requirements I don’t usually check, like DICOM and Rec.709. The vary of supported colour gamuts is wider than what you’ll discover on a typical gaming or general-use monitor—even these offered above $1,000.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ PD2770U delivered a stable colour accuracy outcome that dipped under a mean colour error worth of 1. While not the easiest I’ve examined, any outcome round one (or under) is great, and means the picture will typically look correct and true to the content material being displayed.

Color temperature and gamma are additionally necessary features of accuracy, and right here the BenQ PD2770U scored extraordinarily effectively. It introduced a good gamma curve of two.2 and a colour temperature worth of 6500Ok. Both are the values we anticipate to see at default settings, and the values most screens goal out of the field. These numbers imply the picture seems neither too darkish or too vivid, nor too heat or too cool. The monitor gives a variety of gamma and colour temperature settings, so you may tune these figures to your wants or desire.

Sharpness is great, because the 27-inch monitor packs a decision of 3840×2160. That works out to about 163 pixels per inch, which is as excessive as you’ll discover with out upgrading to one thing extra unique, such as a 5K or 6K monitor. 4K photos and movies reveal a ton of tremendous element, and small textual content stays straightforward to learn.

On the entire, the BenQ PD2770U’s SDR picture high quality is nice aside from distinction, which is modest at finest—and this moderately bluntly defines the PD2770U’s attraction. This isn’t a monitor for having fun with leisure or taking part in video games, however moderately a monitor for skilled work. As such, the accuracy of the picture, and the flexibility to calibrate it, turns into extra necessary than the wow-factor a greater distinction ratio would supply.

Of course, the dream can be to have a monitor with each a high-contrast OLED panel and the excessive diploma of accuracy and calibration that the BenQ PD2770U gives. Monitors like that do exist, however they’re typically no less than twice the PD2770U’s value (and but should still lack helpful options discovered on the PD2770U, akin to automated {hardware} calibration).

BenQ PD2770U HDR picture high quality and movement efficiency

The BenQ PD2770U helps HDR10 / HLG, however HDR isn’t the main focus of the monitor, and it lacks any model of VESA DisplayHDR certification. You ought to think about HDR to be one thing the PD2770U can present in a pinch, however not one thing that shall be correct. This is essentially because of the lack of brightness and distinction, each of that are required to do HDR justice.

Motion readability additionally takes a again seat, because the PD2770U solely gives a 60Hz refresh fee and doesn’t assist adaptive sync. While slower-paced video games look tremendous on the PD2770U, it’s undoubtedly not a sensible choice for extremely aggressive video games.

Should you purchase the BenQ PD2770U?

The BenQ PD2770U is knowledgeable content material creation monitor geared toward creatives who primarily produce SDR content material and wish wonderful, correct colour efficiency. It goes the additional mile with an automated colour calibration software that may function on a schedule and requires no further {hardware} or software program to function.

While {many professional} screens embrace calibration {hardware}, it’s uncommon for that {hardware} to be constructed bodily into the monitor itself. It ought to show helpful should you imply to calibrate your monitor however typically discover it a problem, or overlook to do it on an everyday schedule.

This perk is balanced by the monitor’s barely-there HDR assist and lacking adaptive sync, which imply the PD2770U isn’t nice for leisure and gaming. However, the PD2770U is a good selection should you want a colour correct monitor for skilled work.