Design The BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor is a mammoth, when we talk about its size. At 28-inches wide diagonally, this monitor takes a lot of space on the desk, but does give you that much needed premium screen space when you are playing games like PUBG or DOTA 2. BenQ has designed this monitor well. It is simple to look at, yet has elements such as the bottom bar and the stand (dressed in silver), which give it a modern look. The bezels are not too thick nor are they too thin. We know it is the era of bezel-less smartphones but monitors still have a long way to go. The buttons like power on/off, port selection and to control other settings are placed at the bottom right part of the LED monitor. The twin 2W speakers are also located underneath, hidden from the eye view. What they essentially do is amplify the sound, since they are down firing. The rear side of the monitor is curved and has the BenQ branding on top. Here the company has also placed downward facing two HDMI as well as single display v1.4 ports (in case you want to connect a gaming console too along with the PC). Also, there is a headphones port located here too. Coming back to the front of the LED monitor, the BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor also sports a standalone front facing HDR button, which converts the displayed imagery from SDR to HDR. Overall, the monitor did not take any time to setup, in about 5 minutes it was out of the box and on our table with everything attached ready to be evaluated. Performance When it comes to performance the BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor outshines many. Lets quickly talk about its technical specifications first. This LED monitor supports 4K UHD resolution and is built for gamers or video editors who have a lot of fire power inside their PC cabinets. The screen size is 27.9-inches (to be exact) and comes with a native contrast ratio of 1,000:1. Brightness is 300 nits, which is pretty bright for a gaming monitor. You get to see everything clearly on screen thanks to the 1MS response time. It essentially keeps ghosting and frame lag at a bare minimum. The aspect ratio of this gaming thin tube is 16:9 and the refresh rate is 60 Hz. Both are needed when you are playing the latest demanding games. We ran it through the paces and the BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor kept amazing us again and again. The picture quality is very nice and sharp. Colours are brilliant and blacks are deep. The viewing angle could have been better as it only supports up to 170 degree and not 178 degree. But hey, this monitor is built for single viewing experience and not a shared view, so higher than 170 degree really does not matter. Video editors would also love the large display since it gives them a lot of screen area to work with. At 28-inches they do no require a second monitor. The sound output as said before is very loud and is good if you want to enjoy a movie here and there. However, for gaming we suggest a use of a good gaming headphone. Eye care and blue light features are also embedded on the BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor, along with smart focus. This essentially focuses on the area you really need to focus on, on the screen. HDR presets work well and the picture on screen becomes quite vibrant, once turned on. You might want to experiment with the settings according to your game preference. Verdict The BenQ EL2870U gaming monitor is not a power hog and consumes less than 55watts when turned on. Overall, we loved the gaming monitor. Yes, the company could have installed more powerful audio drivers in the cabinet and maybe the price could have been a little lower. Nonetheless, if you have the money to spend go for this gaming monitor without a doubt. Pros Excellent response rate Multiple devices can be connected Superb picture clarity Cons Sound could have been better Price For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
