The BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q is, in many ways, the very model of a modern mid-range gaming monitor.
Its 27-inch size is a good fit for most gaming setups, it delivers a sharp but not burdensome 1440p resolution, and provides an enhanced 165Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium certification. BenQ even throws in a sturdy stand and decent speakers.
There’s just one problem: the monitor retails for $599.99 (currently $499.99 on Amazon). That’s undeniably expensive for a 27-inch, 1440p, 165Hz gaming monitor, and distracts from the monitor’s allure.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Design
The EX2710Q is part of BenQ’s Mobiuz sub-brand, a competitor to other sub-brands like Asus’ Republic of Gamers and Dell’s Alienware.
Mobiuz lacks the recognition of its competitors, but it doesn’t lack quality. This monitor looks unique without crossing into gaudy. Alienware and Samsung monitors are still my top pick for design, but I prefer the look of the Mobiuz sub-brand to anything recently released by Acer, Asus, or LG.
Your eyes may be drawn to the monitor’s large soundbar-looking chin. Here’s a surprise: it’s not a facade! The BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q packs a pair of two-watt speakers and a five-watt woofer that deliver enjoyable sound. It won’t match a great PC speaker and subwoofer set, but it’s a big improvement over the weak speakers often found in monitors (when they’re included at all).
The monitor’s quality extends to the sturdy stand which adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel. It doesn’t pivot into portrait orientation, however, which could be a downside when using the EX2710Q as a secondary display.
The stand’s legs are a bit wide for a 27-inch monitor and take up significant room on your desk. Standard VESA 100 x 100 millimeter mounting is used, so you can swap the included stand for a third-party monitor arm, or wall mount.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Features and Menu
The BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q has two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4. This is the typical array of options for a 1440p monitor. There’s no reason to worry about HDMI 2.1 in a 1440p monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate.
A pair of rear USB-A ports are available and driven by a single USB-B upstream connection from your desktop or laptop. This too is typical for a 1440p gaming monitor, though it is starting to feel a bit old-fashioned. BenQ could better justify the EX2710Q’s price with additional USB-A ports or support for USB-C.
The monitor’s on-screen menu is controlled by a joystick and several buttons on the right flank. I found the controls a bit confusing. Buttons are located both above and below the joystick, with the lower button turning the monitor off. I often hit this button by accident while making adjustments.
The monitor’s menu design is awkward, and you won’t find many common adjustments immediately available. They’re instead buried in the Color Mode settings. You can adjust some settings quickly in the shortcut menu that appears when the joystick is first pressed, and the monitor lets you customize which settings are included in this menu. Still, I prefer easy access to the full list of options.
At least BenQ doesn’t skimp on details. The monitor’s Custom mode provides settings for color vibrance, temperature, and gamma, a large number of options for each. These can tune the monitor’s look to your preference or be used to precisely calibrate the monitor. There’s also a dedicated sRGB mode.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Gaming Performance
The BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q goes above and beyond in its design and feature set, but the same can’t be said for its image quality. It looks fine but doesn’t stand out from other high-end 1440p gaming monitors.
The monitor’s greatest strength is arguably its color gamut, which in my testing covered all of sRGB and 98% of DCI-P3. This monitor has the over-saturated, ultra-colorful look common to gaming monitors with a wide color gamut. Color accuracy is just okay out of the box, but I think most gamers will like what they see.
These traits serve the monitor well in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, a game that makes up for its dated graphics engine with excellent art design and presentation. The EX2710Q’s oversaturation lets dramatic vistas pop and adds flair to meticulously crafted outfits.
The EX2710Q is an edge-lit monitor with an IPS panel and suffers the problems common to monitors of this breed. I recorded a maximum contrast ratio of 820:1, which is lackluster, and saw noticeable backlight bleed in three distinct spots. The monitor’s black levels reach no deeper than a distracting, hazy gray.
The monitor supports HDR10 and has VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, the lowest level of certification offered by VESA. The monitor reached a maximum sustained brightness of 420 nits in my testing. This, combined with the wide color gamut, can deliver extra visual omph in flashy HDR games. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5, both of which lean on bright, sharp, colorful graphics, looked exceptionally alluring with HDR on.
The monitor’s contrast ratio remains a limitation, however, and it delivers less impressive results in scenes that have small, bright highlights against a dark background. Night flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator was a disappointing experience that suffered a hazy, washed-out look. I felt HDR made the situation worse, as the monitor can’t increase the brightness of cockpit instruments without also increasing the brightness of the entire scene.
The monitor’s 1440p resolution works out to 108 pixels per inch. This is not impressive compared to other modern displays but reasonably sharp from three feet away. More importantly, this resolution doesn't require a cutting-edge GPU to deliver acceptable performance.
Overall, the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q offers good but unexceptional image quality for an IPS gaming monitor. It’s punchy in bright scenes, especially those that support HDR, but struggles in darker games. The monitor holds up best in fast-paced games and falls short in slower, more atmospheric titles.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Motion Performance
The 165Hz IPS panel in the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q has great motion performance, especially at high refresh rates.
Motion clarity at 165Hz is excellent in the standard mode, with minimal motion blur and no ghosting. This is among the best motion clarity that can be found without opening your wallet for a more expensive 27-inch, 240Hz display like the Alienware AW2721D. Competitive gamers will be pleased.
Blur Reduction, BenQ’s black frame insertion feature, is available. I saw an increase in clarity and the double-image effect typical of black frame insertion was subdued. However, motion performance is already great with the feature off, so the difference was minimal in real-world gaming. Also, Blur Reduction is unavailable with HDR turned on.
The monitor is AMD FreeSync Premium certified, but I tested it with an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti graphics card. The Nvidia card detected the monitor as G-Sync compatible and G-Sync worked well. I saw no flicker, stutter, or other sync issues in my time with the monitor.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Console Gaming
I don’t recommend the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q for console gaming. The monitor’s 1440p resolution is a poor match, as only the Xbox Series X|S supports this resolution. The PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch will output at 1080p and lack sharpness as a result. The 165Hz refresh rate is overkill, as well. Console gamers unwilling to fork over for a 4K monitor with HDMI 2.1 should save money and stick to 1080p resolution.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q – Day-to-Day Performance
The BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q has a few perks in day-to-day use. The wide color gamut, which covers most of DCI-P3, is well suited for photographers, digital artists, video editors, and other content creators. HDR support means you can watch HDR movies or create HDR content. And don’t forget the built-in speakers. They’re perfect for throwing up some ambient tunes for a relaxed vibe.
The monitor’s 1440p resolution could be a problem, as you won’t be able to view content in native 4K. That’s a downside when watching Netflix and when creating content. My testing also found that the monitor’s out-of-box color accuracy was average. It was fine for most situations but no better than 4K office monitors sold at half the price.
Brightness was mediocre in SDR. The monitor’s maximum sustained brightness of 420 nits was recorded in the DisplayHDR mode. However, the monitor’s maximum sustained brightness in SDR was just 233 nits. That’s enough for most situations but may look dim if the monitor sits opposite a large window. The monitor has an anti-glare coat that’s effective at reducing glare.
It’s worth noting that the BenQ EX2780Q, which I reviewed in August of 2021, beats the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q in several areas. It had much better color accuracy, a higher contrast ratio, and superior SDR brightness in my testing. This comes at the cost of inferior HDR performance and a lower refresh rate. The EX2710Q is better in fast, competitive games, but the EX2780Q will look better overall (and it’s less expensive).
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/3ttDHIA
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