One of the best gaming monitors on the market

Jan 25, 2015 22:29 GMT  ·  By

I've been a gamer for more than 20 years now and I've watched how the gaming industry has grown. The technology advanced rapidly in the last couple of years and we, gamers, now have the option to play our favorite games on monitors that are sometime larger than TVs released several years ago.

That being said, I've spent about a month with BenQ's latest XL2720Z monitor, which is aimed at gamers.

Coming from a 21.5-inch monitor (BenQ as well), the upgrade to a 27-inch is huge. So huge that I needed a few hours to adjust my eyes to the large display.

The reason I got this particular display is because the technology embedded recommends it as one of the best gaming monitors on the market.

Technology and Features

The Flicker-free or ZeroFlicker technology makes it the best choice for those who prefer long gameplay sessions because it eliminates the flickering thus reducing eye fatigue.

I reckon that I did not have any fatigue issues with BenQ's 27-inch monitor, even though I've had quite long gameplay sessions (more than 6 hours).

One other thing I was amazed at is the clarity of the image BenQ XL2720Z is capable of delivering. I've played Lords of the Fallen, World of Warcraft, Far Cry 4, Elite: Dangerous and a few other games, and the difference between my old BenQ monitor and the new one is really astonishing.

BenQ XL2720Z is capable of providing a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Even though I was a bit disappointed that such a large display can't offer higher resolutions, I got over it after of few days of gaming.

Another aspect about BenQ's 27-inch unit is that it might just be the perfect monitor for fans of FPS games. Thanks to the Motion Blur Reduction technology, any FPS game you'll play will be free of lag. You can say goodbye to motion blur, lagging or ghosting, and expect the highest image quality and vision performance.

I have fired up Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Far Cry 4 to see what BenQ claims is really true and I can confirm that BenQ XL2720Z does offer a smooth, blur free gaming experience in FPS games.

Speaking of which, BenQ's monitor comes with two FPS modes that are especially optimized for this game genre. In addition, there are three more Gamer modes, which can be customized using the settings you want.

This way you will be able to quickly enable a specific mode when playing a certain game that requires some mingling with the settings.

S Switch accessory
S Switch accessory
In fact, the 27-inch monitor has lots of settings, which make these customizable modes more useful. You can change the aspect ratio of the monitor to 4:3 or 16:9, or choose one of the other 10 ratio modes available.

The touch-sensitive buttons on the right side will give you access to various settings like Brightness, Contrast, Color Temperature, Gamma, Hue, Saturation, Low Blue Light, Color Format, Smart Focus and Black Equalizer. The latter is meant to enhance darker shades, but without having to change the light shade quality.

I should also mention that the BenQ monitor supports D-Sub, HDMI, DVI-DL and DP inputs for console gaming, which means you will be able to attach the display to a PlayStation or Xbox console.

You will be getting a DisplayPort 1.2, one DVI port, a port for the S Switch, 4 USB ports (2.0), and a 3.5mm audio jack. BenQ's monitor also features Nvidia 3D Vision 2 connectivity with the new 3D LightBoost technology, but you will have to purchase the kit separately.

Design

When it comes to design, BenQ XL2720Z looks decent enough, but what I really liked about it is the fact that it features a sliding hinge that will allow you to adjust its height or swivel it to any angle you want.

The monitor can also be hanged on a wall because it features four mounting holes, but you will need to purchase a mounting kit separately if that's what you wish for.

BenQ XL2720Z also comes with an interesting accessory in the package: a specially designed S Switch for faster control on navigation between menus. The S Switch features three customizable buttons and a toggle wheel that allows you to switch between display modes.

The only downside I have to highlight is the fact that the touch-sensitive buttons are a bit unresponsive. You will have to touch a button at least twice before it reacts. On the positive side, the moment you get your fingers closer to the touch buttons, they will start glowing white.

Conclusion

BenQ XL2720Z is tagged as a high-end monitor and judging by its performance, it surely lives up to what I have expected. It offers everything that a gamer would need in term of performance and image quality.

I'm not sure if there are better gaming monitors in the $500 price range, but if there are, then they would have a serious competition in BenQ XL2720Z.

Thanks to its technologies that have been developed in collaboration with pro gamers, BenQ's 27-inch monitor is a dream come true for any gamer.

It's a fast monitor that offers high-quality vision and that's something that we, gamers, expect from our monitors. Backed by a high-performance rig, BenQ XL2720Z has the potential of being the best that gamers can buy in that price range.

BenQ XL2720Z monitor and games screenshots (6 Images)

BenQ XL2720Z front
Slide it in any directionBenQ XL2720Z back side
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