I tested BenQ's new monitor for creative pros. Its gaming prowess surprised me!

Monitors meant for gaming and leisure have historically existed in a separate realm from displays for skilled and artistic productiveness. That, nevertheless, has began to alter with the rise of distant work and the proliferation of unbiased artistic professionals who work for themselves—and, consequently, discover themselves on the identical desk each on and off the clock.

The BenQ PD3226G is a monitor constructed for this contemporary imaginative and prescient of labor, because it combines an correct picture and nice colour efficiency with a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz and adaptive sync for easy PC gaming.

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

BenQ PD3226G specs and options

The BenQ PD3226G is a 31.5-inch widescreen monitor with 3840×2160 decision. However, not like many high-end displays meant for skilled artistic work, the PD3226G has a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz and helps adaptive sync.

• Display measurement: 31.5-inch 16:9 widescreen
• Native decision: 3840×2160
• Panel sort: 10-bit IPS LCD
• Refresh charge: 144Hz
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium
• HDR: HDR10, VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with 90 watts of USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort, 1x Thunderbolt 4-out with 15 watts of USB Power Delivery, 1x Thunderbolt 3-out for daisy chain video connection, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 upstream 10Gbps information solely, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps information and as much as 4.5 watts USB Power Delivery, 1x USB-C Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps information and 4.5 watts USB Power Delivery, 3.5mm headphone jack
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio: 2x three-watt audio system
• Warranty: 3 years
• Additional options: Wireless distant, KVM change
• Price: $1,099.99 MSRP (U.S.)

It additionally leans closely into Thunderbolt. Though it lacks the intensive connectivity of some latest Dell displays, which embody Ethernet, it will possibly hook up with a PC over Thunderbolt and gives each Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C downstream ports. It additionally has a Thunderbolt 3 port for daisy-chaining a video connection to a second monitor.

BenQ asks $1,099.99. That’s costly however not unusual for a high-end 32-inch monitor. It locations the BenQ PD3226G in the identical worth vary as 32-inch 4K QD-OLED displays, nevertheless.

BenQ PD3226G design

The BenQ PD3226G is a part of the corporate’s Designer collection. That phrase—“Designer”— speaks to its target market, but in addition describes the monitor’s feel and appear. It’s a slick, elegant, well-built monitor that makes use of silver and white supplies for a contemporary look. The design is refined and doesn’t instantly seize consideration, however the plastics used really feel sturdy when dealt with.

Looks apart, the BenQ PD3226G is practical. It has an ergonomic stand that adjusts for peak, tilt, swivel, and might pivot 90 levels to be used in portrait orientation. While many 32-inch displays on this worth vary can regulate for the primary three, pivot is much less frequent and units the PD3226G aside from cheaper opponents.

The stand has a small, flat base, which implies it doesn’t take up extreme desk house, and the house it does occupy can nonetheless be used. The stand additionally gives cable administration within the type of a clip-on cable information, although it’s a bit finicky and is probably not sufficient to deal with each cable if you find yourself utilizing all of the monitor’s many ports concurrently.  A 100x100mm VESA mount is on the market and makes the show panel usable with third-party monitor stands and arms.

BenQ PD3226G connectivity

The BenQ PD3226G’s video connectivity contains one HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort. That makes for a complete of three video inputs. I might have favored to see a fourth, however three video inputs is sufficient for most individuals.

Thunderbolt connectivity is a key characteristic, and the monitor makes use of it in a number of methods. The Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort additionally contains 90 watts of Power Delivery, so it may be used to energy a related laptop computer. There’s additionally a Thunderbolt 4-out port for information that handles as much as 15 watts of energy, which is sufficient to cost a smartphone and lots of tablets.

A Thunderbolt 3-out is included, too, for daisy-chain connections to a second show. If you join a laptop computer to the monitor’s Thunderbolt 4-in, for instance, you’ll be able to join a second monitor to the BenQ PD3226G’s Thunderbolt 3 port. It’s a helpful characteristic that the majority displays don’t present, though competitors like the Dell U3225QE also offer it.

Additional connectivity contains USB-C upstream and downstream ports and three USB-A downstream ports. A KVM change is included, as nicely, for straightforward swapping between a number of related PCs.

BenQ PD3226G menu and options

The BenQ PD3226G’s menus and options could be managed with a responsive joystick behind the lower-right bezel. You would possibly by no means contact it, nevertheless, as a result of the monitor additionally ships with BenQ’s distinctive puck controller.

This dial-shaped management (which, with the PD3226G, is wi-fi) gives full entry to menus and settings. You may also bind it to be used in Windows software program (to scroll, for instance). It’s extremely helpful should you’re the kind of consumer who must dig into the choices to customise and calibrate the picture or incessantly use options just like the monitor’s picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture modes. The monitor’s options will also be managed with Display Pilot 2, a software program utility for Windows and Mac.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The monitor’s picture high quality choices are intensive and embody colour temperature values in particular levels kelvin (like 6500Ok), particular gamma modes, 6-axis colour hue and saturation controls, a luminance uniformity mode, and sRGB, DisplayP3, DCI-P3, and Rec.709 presets, amongst different options. These options mark the BenQ PD3226G aside from displays that focus on extra basic skilled productiveness, just like the Dell U3225QE, and from displays that focus on each leisure {and professional} use, just like the HP Omen Transcend 32.

You’ll additionally discover help for a spread of software program utilities designed to assist customers goal particular colour accuracy targets and conform to a selected colour gamut. These embody Palette Master Ultimate (which is used for picture calibration with a {hardware} calibration software) and ColorTalk (which is used for colour matching with out a calibration software). As I’m not an expert designer or artist, I can’t choose these instruments in a lot element. Even so, they’re one other characteristic that units the PD3226G aside from a extra general-use productiveness monitor, which gained’t embody such software program.

What about audio? The BenQ PD3226G features a pair of three-watt audio system that present acceptable sound at decrease volumes however, like most monitor audio system, they sound hole and tinny when the amount is turned up. Most folks will need to use exterior audio system or headphones, and the monitor has a 3.5mm audio jack for passing audio via to those gadgets.

BenQ PD3226G SDR picture high quality

SDR picture high quality is vital for the BenQ PD3226G. Shoppers planning to purchase this monitor don’t simply desire a show that appears good, however one which objectively achieves excessive scores and has nice colour efficiency. The PD3226G delivers, although its opponents are proper there with it.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness, which is a power of the BenQ PD3226G. The monitor can obtain a most brightness of as much as 468 nits, which is excessive for any monitor in SDR, and higher than most opponents.

Brightness this excessive isn’t normally required and, in reality, many customers will want to make use of the monitor at a a lot decrease stage of brightness. I’d even advocate leaving the brightness at a low stage, as an excessively vibrant show could cause eye pressure.

However, a excessive most brightness means the PD3226G stays usable in brighter rooms and lighting situations. That’s helpful in case your room has poor gentle management, or if the monitor can be utilized in an workplace with vibrant lighting.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Contrast, then again, is a weak spot for the PD3226G. It achieved a most measured distinction ratio of 1180:1 at 50 p.c of most brightness. As the graph reveals, that is low for a monitor on this class.

It’s not that the PD3226G’s IPS LCD panel performs poorly. On the opposite, it’s good for a standard IPS LCD panel. However, aggressive panel applied sciences, together with IPS Black and OLED, ship significantly better distinction efficiency. Both the BenQ PD3225U and Dell U3225QE have an IPS Black panel.

In apply, the PD3226G’s restricted distinction is noticeable. The picture can look uninteresting and flat subsequent to some alternate options with IPS Black and OLED panels. I additionally seen important “IPS glow,” which triggered a grayish sheen to look throughout darker photos.

This is a trade-off, nevertheless. The IPS show’s distinction doesn’t maintain up, however going for this panel permits the show to offer higher movement readability, which I’ll contact on later on this evaluate.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ PD3226G strikes again in colour efficiency. It gives colour that spans 100 p.c of sRGB, 99 p.c of DCI-P3, and 92 p.c of the AdobeRGB colour gamut.

As the graph reveals, that is in direction of the higher finish of what’s typical for even high-end displays. The PD3226G’s efficiency in DCI-P3 was notably robust, as only a few displays have ever achieved 99 p.c of DCI-P3 on this check. On the opposite hand, the HP Omen Transcend 32’s QD-OLED panel could be preferable should you intend to work with the AdobeRGB gamut (or Rec.2020).

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ PD3226G additionally does nicely in colour accuracy. While the graph may appear to point out a loss, in reality a median colour error under 1.0 is successfully indistinguishable to the human eye and regarded a particularly good consequence.

As the graph reveals, many high-end displays can now obtain this stage of accuracy. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is the one monitor that falls a lot behind the pack, however it’s additionally by far the least costly monitor on this comparability.

Importantly, the BenQ PD3226G’s nice colour accuracy is matched with nice gamma and colour temperature efficiency. I anticipate a gamma curve of two.2 and colour temperature of 6500Ok, and the PD3226G hit each targets.

However, totally different folks might anticipate totally different targets. Here, too, the PD3226G once more does nicely, because it gives each picture quality control and calibration software program to finely tune the picture to your wants. It’s not unusual for price-competitive displays to supply no less than a few of these options, however the PD3226G hits all of the marks.

BenQ PD3226G HDR picture high quality

The BenQ PD3226G helps HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed. However, it’s not a terrific show for having fun with HDR. This will not be solely due to its brightness, which in my check didn’t exceed the monitor’s SDR brightness whereas in HDR mode, but in addition its distinction, which isn’t any higher in HDR than in SDR.

As a consequence, the PD3226G can’t present the additional luminance element that HDR is supposed to supply, and HDR content material tends to look flat and uninteresting in comparison with a extra succesful HDR monitor.

However, this flaw is slightly frequent to displays within the PD3226G’s class which have an IPS LCD panel, together with displays with newer IPS Black panels (just like the Dell U3225QE and BenQ PD3225U). You’ll have to go for a Mini-LED or OLED monitor for higher HDR efficiency.

BenQ PD3226G movement efficiency

BenQ doesn’t come out and say that the “G” in PD3226G stands for gaming, however it’s a simple connection to make. The monitor’s 144Hz refresh charge is the very best I’ve but seen from a monitor meant for artistic professionals, beating Dell’s IPS Black alternate options, which attain as much as 120Hz. BenQ’s advertising pitch says the refresh charge is optimized for “game development and animation,” amongst different duties. The PD3226G additionally gives official Adaptive Sync and AMD FreeSync help, which is notable, as a result of many displays on this class omit it.

A refresh charge of 144Hz already places the PD3226G forward of most opponents, which usually have a refresh charge of 60Hz to 120Hz, however it’s not the entire story. The PD3226G additionally quotes gray-to-gray pixel response occasions all the way down to 1 millisecond. By comparability, monitors like the Dell U3225QE quote response occasions of 5 to 8 milliseconds. Put merely, a decrease pixel response time means pixels can change colour extra shortly, which reduces ghosting behind fast-moving objects.

The profit is clear. While shows just like the Dell U3225QE supply good movement readability in comparison with a 60Hz workplace monitor, they nonetheless look a bit blurry. The PD3226G’s movement readability gives much more element to shifting objects and considerably reduces ghosting behind shifting textual content. Reading textual content that scrolls on the PD3226G is commonly fairly snug, which isn’t true on many aggressive displays.

This is the silver lining to the PD3226G’s modest distinction ratio. IPS Black panels in displays just like the Dell U3225QE and PD3225U supply significantly better distinction, however I’ve but to see an IPS Black panel that quotes a pixel response time under 5 milliseconds. So, the PD3226G has a bonus in movement readability.

Of course, there’s an elephant within the room: OLED. An OLED monitor just like the HP Omen Transcend 32 can present a refresh charge as much as 240Hz and pixel response occasions all the way down to 0.03 milliseconds. Because of that, 32-inch 4K QD-OLED displays will clearly defeat the PD3226G in movement readability, which makes OLED preferable for PC gaming. Even so, the PD3226G’s movement readability is nice for an expert monitor.

Should you purchase the BenQ PD3226G?

The BenQ PD3226G is one other robust possibility within the firm’s line-up for skilled artists, designers, and content material creators, and it stands out from the competitors in a number of areas. It has a variety of connectivity, good movement readability, many picture high quality options and choices, and top-tier colour efficiency.

These strengths are balanced, although not outweighed, by the monitor’s lackluster distinction and so-so HDR, that are noticeable downsides when in comparison with 32-inch 4K QD-OLED friends.

Even so, the PD3226G is a good selection for individuals who desire a monitor for skilled artistic work that additionally holds up in gaming and leisure.