BenQ PD3220U 4K Designer Monitor Review

[@jrbling25]

Thank you for the review! do you use scaling on your macbook when hooked up to this display? and if so, what impacts have you experienced to sharpness, performance, etc.?

[@lsutoob]

Thank you for this review. Question: How does the KVM switch deal with bluetooth keyboards and mice? If they're not connected through the monitor's USB, how does the puck cause the keyboard and mouse to switch from one computer to another?

[@TafadzwaMadamombe]

Great video! what color mode do you use mostly?

[@RobertHranitzky]

Thank you! P3 mostly but depending on project needs sometimes also sRGB.

[@RUBIXRU1]

De que marca es el teclado ???!

[@jonsnow1410]

Great Video! Now I know what KVM means. I always knew what it did but now I know what the acronym means. Thanks. So, how does the Mac look on this monitor? Is it almost as good as looking at a Retina display? Is the headphone out put the out put for which device you are using at the time? I think this monitor is perfect for me but I really want to know the Mac looks good on it. I have a 2K BenQ and my Mac looks OK on it. Probably because its only 2K. I'm a designer so I really want text and graphics to be super sharp on what ever I get. Thanks for the video!!

[@paulmorris4792]

I don't think this monitor will charge the new 16 inch Macbook pro?

[@MartinAaberge]

Nice review with some good quality video. The back of this thing does absolutely not look better than the front of others. Steve Jobs could say that for the original iMac, not something like this. It baffles me that manufacturers don’t give a damn about monitor design. Apple is the only company that seems to care. The MSI prestige is an OK attempt, but that is also all plastic, and the reviews on the panel itself is a bit rough. I am currently considering the BenQ, but I have the back facing out from my office and I do not look forward to putting up something this ugly. If only Apple could make an XDR little sister so we could get some Cinema Display style monitors up again.

[@jankobosch5667]

I see a Mac pro in the video. Have you tried this monitor with the mac pro as well? (using the thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 adapter).

[@MuppetChops]

Is the brightness enough?

[@sergiykravchuk]

Hello. Cell me, please about the video card that is recommended for this monitor / what you use or recommend. Stuffing your system? if you use the windows. I'm leaving with the iMac in 2017 and now I look towards the PD3220U, but I don’t know which way to look at the system unit! Respect your recommendations.

[@zainfadhil2588]

Would you go for dual BenQ 3220s (140cm x 40cm) @ 3840x2160 OR dual LG 38s (90cm x 800cm) @ 3840x1600?

[@jango71]

Thanks for the short review. What about standby compatibility with the MBP? Does it work natively?

[@KennethShinabery]

I have the Hovering Art Director figure as well. I was able to get two from Adobe. One for myself and one to give away at one of my events. It is quite nice. Cheers from Duesseldorf.

[@magicdog5623]

Thanks for the review Robert. I just have a few questions if you dont mind. Firstly i just wanted to know in your experience does the monitor have any image retention issues? And secondly with a maximum brightness of only 300 nits do you think this is a slight deficiency for a monitor at this price point. Id be very greatfull to hear your views. Kind regards

[@RobertHranitzky]

magic dog you’re welcome! To be honest I didn’t specifically test for retention issues when using and testing it (I still use it in my home office). However I didn’t notice any at all, but I can check once I’m back (travelling now!). As for brightness I am happy with it, but yes it would be nicer if it was a little brighter, maybe 350 or even 400. Then again it depends on what area you’re working in. For photo and print related work it is often better to slightly dim to more accurately match print results. It actually comes pre calibrated for specific purposes and adjust brightness accordingly. For video and animation it could be a bit brighter, yes. But 300 is not a show stopper at all.

[@magicdog5623]

@@RobertHranitzky Like you i will use it as my home office - photoshop, cinema 4d. But also it will double up as my entertainment for films and tv. I was wondering if in your opinion the benq was a good all rounder for this. I was also looking at the lg ul950 which is similarly priced but offers more nits. The beng seems to offer more functionality so i wondered if you had a view on both or preference? regards

[@RobertHranitzky]

magic dog I think it comes down to personal preference as the LG seems to be a great product too! I’m very satisfied with BenQ’s Color accuracy and factory calibration, as well as the minimalistic design that neatly matches the space gray MBP.

[@magicdog5623]

@@RobertHranitzky Thanks robert , i do agree on the design. It looks very simple and elegant...definitely look good in the living room. Thanks for the feedback

[@MatthiasDahl]

@@RobertHranitzky Thanks for the video, very much appreciated! I am currently considering this monitor as well, and coming from the LG 27UD69P which has very heavy image retention, I would kindly like to ask if you had time to test your device for it? (e.g. marco.org/rmbp-irtest.html ) Thanks again!

[@andreb4125]

How big are fonts (menu) and icons in default resolution compared to for example on an iMac or MacPro? Much smaller?

[@RobertHranitzky]

André Bender If you mean on it’s native resolution, then yes. Quite small (but sharp). I’m actually using it in this mode in my home office with the MBP and the same mode on my Mac Pro. Took a bit of getting used to but happy with it.

[@andreb4125]

@@RobertHranitzky Thanks for your reply. Did you try reducing the resulution? With sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool true you can activate HiDPI-Modus and this should show up retina like resolutions. Or maybe some other resolutions show up "normal" sized menu and more retina-like screen?

[@makarioss]

The text when you are reading articles,can be considered as sharply as 4k ultraLG UltraFine 4K Display.

[@SinusPrimus]

Hi, does it make some noise from hum or fans? Greetz from Switzerland

[@RobertHranitzky]

SinusPrimus I can’t hear any noise coming from it to be honest. Quiet as a sleeping baby.

[@SinusPrimus]

@@RobertHranitzky Ich habe gerade gelesen dass du aus Deutschland kommst. Da ich Schweizer bin fällt es mir einiges leichter in deutsch zu schreiben. 😁 Danke für deine Rückmeldung. Ich habe vor ein paar Tagen den BenQ PD3220U bestellt und gestern ein paar Stunden lang getestet. Ich muss dazu sagen, dass ich ein Laie bin. Als Referenz dienten einfach nur mein Paar Augen und ein HP EliteBook 850 G5 mit 4K-15Zoll Display und ein 7 Jahre alter EIZO EV2736W mit QHD Auflösung. Letzteren wollte ich durch den BenQ ersetzen was aber in die Hose ging. Denn das LED-Backlight verursachte ziemlich helle Stellen vor allem an den Bildschirmrändern. Mein EIZO hat dieses Problem auch, jedoch nicht in so einem hohen Masse wie der BenQ. Und mein EliteBook850 ist beiden grossen Brüdern diesbezüglich meilenweit voraus. Dann übrigens macht der BenQ durchaus Geräusche, jedenfalls mein bestelltes Modell. Es ist zwar minimal aber ich bin hier sehr heikel da ich einen praktisch lautlosen DIY-PC gebaut habe mit langsam drehenden Noctua-Lüftern und passiver Grafikkarte... Ich will meinen Monitor sehen, aber nicht hören. ;-) Zudem scheinen Fotos und Filme mit übersättigten Farben, auch im M-book Color Mode. Das hat mir dann noch den Rest gegeben und daher werde ich das Teil retournieren. Zuguter Letzt kann ich mit dem Hotkey Puck nicht auf alle Funktionen zugreifen! Color/ColorTemperature und Color/Advanced/Gamma, Hue, Saturation waren nicht möglich! Da habe ich mich etwas verarscht gefühlt ehrlich gesagt. So konnte ich nichtmal die Farbübersättigung korrigieren. Wie gesagt, ich bin kein Fotoprofi und will es auch nicht werden. Wollte einfach nur einen guten Mittelklasse-Monitor kaufen, anschliessen und weiterarbeiten. Plug-In-And-Play geht mit diesem Teil leider nicht. Schade, denn sonst wäre er für mich praktisch perfekt gewesen! Grüsse aus der Schweiz 😎👋

[@jeffzest8393]

Damn, can someday showcase picture quality, video, web pages, KZbin and text?! When I buy a monitor or TV image quality trumps features every time. Come in reviewers....step up!

[@GmailUnited]

what part of germany are you from

[@psilocybemusashi]

at this price you damn well better be happy with it.

[@RobertHranitzky]

Well, I think it is reasonable for what you get.

[@damir10535]

Thank you for the review, what about color and brightness uniformity? That wast the main problem of their 32" line.

[@RobertHranitzky]

Damir Mihajlovic you’re welcome! Color and brightness uniformity is good and I’m happy with it! In fact I’ve replaced my old LG display for this one in my home studio. I keep using the SW320 as my main display in the studio as this one is still me favorite.

[@francescofdlphotos935]

Thank you for the review. I've a question I've a PC with and usc-c port generation1. Will it possible to use this port to send video, audio, and usb to this screen thaving a USB-c Thunderbolt?

[@RobertHranitzky]

Francesco Fdlphotos You’re welcome! I’m not an expert regarding PCs given that there are endless versions. However if it certainly is a regular USB-C Gen 1 port then it should work! But to be sure it would be best to check with the pc’s manufacturer or manual.

[@francescofdlphotos935]

@@RobertHranitzky Thank you! yes it works :)