BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U review: A gaming monitor with a split pe

Best Prices Today: BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U

BenQ’s Mobiuz EX3210U is one other entry within the more and more aggressive area of 32-inch, 4K, high-refresh screens that concentrate on not simply PC gaming but in addition current-gen consoles. The twist? It additionally packs options for content material creators.  

BenQ EX3210U: The specs  

The BenQ EX3210U has a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports offering 4K/120Hz gameplay when related to a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X sport console. DisplayPort 1.4 is obtainable for PC players and ups the utmost refresh fee to 144Hz. 

• Display dimension: 32-inch 
• Native decision: 3840×2160 
• Panel kind: IPS 
• Refresh fee: 144Hz 
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro 
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 4x USB-A  
• Stand adjustment: Height, tilt, swivel,  
• VESA mount: Yes, 100x100mm 
• Speakers: Yes, plus woofer 
• Price: $1,099.99 MSRP 

In addition to excessive refresh charges, this monitor boasts a particularly huge coloration gamut and a 10-bit panel. This means it might show 1.07 billion colours with out utilizing dithering to simulate colours. That’s nice information for coloration efficiency, although the EX3210U’s picture high quality is much from excellent. 

BenQ EX3210U: Design

BenQ’s Mobiuz gaming sub-brand will not be essentially the most enticing monitor line immediately, nevertheless it’s shut. It has a clear, angular presentation widespread to the gaming house, however pairs this with a particular white-and-orange coloration palette.  

This helps the EX3210U stand out from the group, but stays adequately subtle to slot in with knowledgeable residence workplace. A customized RGB accent gentle is obtainable to boost your gaming house after darkish however can solely be managed manually by means of the monitor’s menus. It’s off by default.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

The monitor is huge and durable, with a weighty stand that gives top, tilt, and swivel adjustment. Build high quality is top-notch, practically on par with Alienware’s greatest. However, like Alienware’s shows, the sheer dimension and heft of the BenQ EX3210U isn’t for everybody. This 32-inch monitor takes up lots of house and does nothing to reduce its footprint in your desk. 

BenQ EX3210U: Features and menu

The BenQ EX3210U has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and 4 USB-A 3.0 ports. This is a stable association for players. You can join a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and gaming PC directly and luxuriate in 4K/120Hz from the consoles, plus 4K/144Hz from a gaming PC.  

It’s good to see 4 USB-A 3.0 ports, however they’re all positioned on the rear I/O panel, which makes them arduous to entry. There’s no USB-C and no assist for DisplayPort-out. The competitors additionally lacks these options. Still, given the EX3210U’s value, it might be good if BenQ served up some extras. 

Matt Smith / Foundry

On-screen menu controls are sturdy however complicated. The monitor consists of a number of gamma and color-temperature settings plus customized coloration changes, although these have imprecise labels. The monitor additionally has a devoted sRGB mode, which is beneficial if you want to restrain the monitor’s huge coloration gamut. However, these options are accessed as sub-menus for particular preset picture-quality modes, which provides an additional step to discovering and utilizing them. 

You may forgive this, nevertheless, as a result of the BenQ EX3210U comes with a distant. The distant can be utilized to entry all on-screen menu controls. It’s a helpful addition that’s faster and extra comfy than utilizing buttons on the monitor. 

The EX3210U has a pair of 2-watt audio system, plus a 5-watt subwoofer within the rear. This setup gives good sound high quality. It has limits—the dearth of stereo separation is notable and treble falls aside at excessive quantity—nevertheless it’s a effective substitute for price range PC audio system. Many competing gaming screens don’t even embody audio system.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

It additionally has a built-in microphone with noise cancellation. The microphone’s high quality is about equal to a very good laptop computer mic and the noise cancellation works properly. I wouldn’t advocate it for recording a podcast, nevertheless it’s effective for video calls.  

BenQ EX3210U: SDR picture high quality

The BenQ EX3210U may be a gaming monitor, nevertheless it has practically equal emphasis on superior picture high quality for content material consumption and creation. This is mostly excellent news, although the monitor does undergo a number of flaws. 

SDR brightness is available in at simply 263 nits, which is considerably decrease than many rivals. This is a bit puzzling as a result of the monitor’s most HDR brightness is considerably increased. It suggests BenQ deliberately limits the brightness of the monitor.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

There may very well be good causes for this. In many instances, viewing SDR content material at a brightness above 200 nits could make darkish scenes look worse. It could even change into uncomfortable over time when viewing in a darkish room. Still, it’s higher to let customers ramp up brightness in the event that they really feel the necessity.  

Contrast is a significant issue for the EX3210U. I measured a distinction ratio of simply 540:1. Gaming screens with an IPS panel, such because the EX3210U, are infamous for disappointing distinction—however the EX3210U’s efficiency is even worse than ordinary. 

An absence of distinction is dangerous information for depth and dimensionality in each video games and flicks. Content usually appears flat in comparison with shows with higher distinction. Black degree efficiency is dangerous, so darkish scenes look hazy with noticeable shiny spots alongside the sides of the display screen. 

Matt Smith / Foundry

The EX3210U will not be alone, nevertheless. Direct rivals just like the Viewsonic XG320U and Asus ROG Strix PG329Q share this situation.  

While the EX3210U stumbles in distinction, it picks itself up with coloration efficiency. It delivers one hundred pc of each the sRGB and AdobeRGB gamuts, plus 95 p.c of DCI-P3. These are wonderful figures that greater than qualify the EX3210U as a wide-gamut show.  

Matt Smith / Foundry

Gamers will usually just like the vivid, oversaturated coloration that outcomes. It seems crisp, vibrant, and punchy, particularly in video games like Valorant or Overwatch. Content creators who need to work in a coloration house past sRGB will respect this, as properly. 

Average coloration accuracy is available in at an error of 1.9, which is sweet, however not implausible. Many competing screens have related efficiency out of the field. This degree of accuracy is okay for gaming however gained’t impress content material creators who care about correct coloration presentation.  

The BenQ EX3210U has wonderful gamma curve efficiency with a number of settings. This is sweet information for each gaming and content material creation, because it helps present an correct and well-balanced picture in a wide range of conditions. 

Matt Smith / Foundry

On the opposite hand, coloration temperature was off at default settings. I measured a coloration temperature of 5400K. This is way hotter and extra reddish than the everyday goal of 6500K. This may be fastened with the monitor’s coloration temperature settings, nevertheless. 

Don’t overlook that the EX3210U is a 4K monitor. Text seems crisp, video games pack great element, and high-res video seems razor sharp. 

Content creators ought to know this monitor has a real 10-bit panel, which will increase the variety of colours it might show with out dithering and reduces coloration banding general. The inclusion of a real 10-bit panel could contribute to its value. With that mentioned, those that don’t have already got robust beliefs in regards to the significance of “true” 10-bit coloration are unlikely to understand this.  

In abstract, the EX3210U’s picture high quality is combined. The monitor’s wonderful coloration and sharpness gives a fantastic expertise when watching or taking part in punchy, detailed content material. If you hearth up darker video games like Diablo II: Resurrected, or a noir film like The Batman, the monitor’s drawback with distinction can be noticeable.  

BenQ EX3210U: HDR efficiency

Turning on HDR boosts the monitor’s most sustained brightness to 512 nits. This is increased than Viewsonic’s XG320U, which maxed out at 463 nits, however beneath the Asus ROG Strix PG329Q, which rose to 529 nits.  

HDR content material doesn’t look nice, nevertheless, and distinction is once more the perpetrator. There’s not sufficient of a spot between the brightest and darkest distinction to spotlight shocking element in both very darkish or very shiny scenes. The monitor presents a dynamic backlight function, however as a result of that is an edge-lit monitor, it doesn’t work properly.  

BenQ’s HDRi preset modes usually are not good. They drastically shift each the colour and gamma in the direction of a brighter however much less correct presentation. The result’s a flatter, much less colourful look that I don’t suppose anybody will want. The monitor’s DisplayHDR mode is the one HDR image-quality preset price utilizing.  

The BenQ EX3210U consists of an adaptive picture high quality function known as HDRi. This sounds good however, in follow, it wants lots of work. Any picture high quality enchancment it gives is troublesome to discern.  

BenQ EX3210U: Motion efficiency

The BenQ EX3210U helps refresh charges as much as 144Hz over DisplayPort and as much as 120Hz over HDMI 2.1, and it consists of two HDMI ports. Motion readability is powerful at each 120Hz and 144Hz. Fast-moving objects present solely minor blur and retain sufficient readability to simply see the motion. Great movement readability additionally retains element while you rapidly flip the digicam, similar to handing over a first-person sport.  

Games additionally really feel clean at excessive refresh charges, which is to be anticipated. A refresh fee of 144Hz may appear meager in comparison with smaller 240Hz or 360Hz shows, however keep in mind: This is 4K. This is sweet because it will get for a 32-inch, 4K monitor.  

BenQ embraces AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for adaptive sync. This is sensible given the monitor’s concentrate on console gaming along with PC gaming, because the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are powered by AMD graphics {hardware}. The monitor will not be formally G-Sync licensed, however G-Sync functioned when the monitor was related to each an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti desktop graphics card and a laptop computer with Nvidia RTX 3060 cellular graphics.  

BenQ EX3210U: Final ideas 

BenQ’s Mobiuz EX3210U is a monitor aimed toward two completely different customers however doesn’t hit the mark with both. 

The inclusion of two HDMI 2.1 ports and a 4K/144Hz panel suggests a concentrate on console and PC gaming, however the monitor’s disappointing distinction ratio limits its attraction. It’s solely ideally suited for vivid, saturated video games.  

Content creators will like its huge coloration gamut and true 10-bit panel, each of which contribute to excellent coloration assist. But the monitor lacks helpful productiveness options like USB-C, and its coloration accuracy is merely effective.  

The EX3210U may very well be a worthy choose for a pair hundred {dollars} at MSRP. Until then, I can solely advocate it to content material creators who need to play 4K/120Hz video games on the identical setup they use for work.