My HONEST review BENQ Programming Monitor RD280U

[@Kay-sd8ew]

Thanks for saving me money. I watched multiple reviews of this monitor, this one was the best and actually an honest one. You've got a new subscriber. 🤝 Tip: add timelines at the bottom of the video, so people can skip back and forth between parts of the video, that are important to them.

[@TechwithJono]

Appreciate the donation and the tip. I'm glad the video helped!

[@sergeyberezovskiy8921]

The extra vertical space is not for extra lines - it's for the terminal, output windows, and other similar things that are useful for coding. With 16:9 aspect ratio, you get only about 30 lines of code visible with an extra panel at the bottom of the screen. So 7 additional lines of code are actually about a 25% boost which is a lot.

[@nspattak1]

i hit this looking for reviews on this monitor and the first comments i hear are "it is squear and heavy" . how on earth are this negative criticism? the only reason i am looking at this monitor is that it is 3:2 and weight might very well be quality parts but anyway, who cares if it is 3.5 or 7kg?

[@sid8323]

you gotta super fancy VESA compatible arm to support it

[@IsayanBros]

this might be a shock for you, but this video is not made specifically for you. other people might be interested in the weight of the product. I suggest thinking before commenting next time.

[@SXZ-dev]

me cause my stand can only take 8kg

[@nspattak1]

@SXZ-dev it is up to you to choose 400€+ monitors based on your already owned cheapo arm.do you realize how rare that is?

[@SXZ-dev]

@@nspattak1 It's not the only factor i look at, but there are cases where there two equivalent displays with the same characteristics but one is 2kg heavier and makes it so i need to buy another arm on top of the display which is annoying and in that case i'd go with the lighter one which saves me that extra unnecessary hassle It's valuable information, that's why it's part of the technical specs of every monitor you wanna buy

[@RockTo11]

I have a 3:2 aspect ratio screen on my laptop (Microsoft SLS) and it's not just the extra height that helps.... it is for me, that my focus is more centralized. I also have a 34" ultra-wide (2.1:9 / 2.4:1) display, and a 16:10 display. I've been using those for almost ten years, but I find that I'd prefer either a narrower display, or two separate narrower displays. However, I recall back it the day, using 4:3 or 5:4 monitors seemed to allow me to be more productive than since the introduction of 16:9. Removing periphery areas just helps a focus IMHO. Even with the ultra-wide having a curvature (to keep the extremities more perpendicular to my eyes) is not as good. I write sophisticated graphics software in C mainly, and I refer to expert-level books rather than online documentation/tutorials/forums.... so I'm not even sure how much I would use two windows tiled sideby-side. But I do use a two-column layout in 10X editor for the .c and corresponding .h file.

[@erikwallebom]

I agree! I use a LG Dualup vertical monitor at work and I get more focused. I think it is better for my neck too, no need to turn my head. I have an ultrawide at home and I mostly put the web browser etc only in a part of the center of the screen.

[@bren.r]

I am so tired of manufacturers thinking high refresh rates are exclusive to gaming. For goodness sake $1,100 for a monitor with 60 Hz is an atrocious value compared to other monitors on the market. This monitor is all marketing...

[@ryanhanson3365]

The problem is most monitor manufacturers, including BenQ don't make the actual panel which is the key component of the monitor. They just buy what's available already, build a shell around it with additional features and components, and then like you said, market it. The Huawei 3:2 28" monitor from a few years back (now seemingly discontinued) uses the same exact panel as this one which was inherently limited to 60hz too. I agree $1100 is ridiculous for old technology. The price has dropped to half of that since this video dropped so luckily the marketing didn't seem to work. Here's to hoping 60hz displays will be fully retired in the future and we won't have to sift around them anymore.

[@bassyey]

It's 595 USD though? Where are you getting 1,100? But yeah, it's inexcusable for 595. I own a 1440p180Hz monitor for around 280USD I think.

[@bren.r]

@@bassyey heh? You're right - the price must have changed. Even for $600, still a bad buy. I paid $600 for a 27" 4K 160 Hz LG monitor years ago, which can be bought for less than $400 nowadays.

[@bren.r]

@@ryanhanson3365 okay - I'm not going crazy then. Even for the current price of $600, still not worth it. The fact they could just drop the price in half goes to show how much of a margin they had originally. Maybe they should have done better field research than let their marketing team assume what consumers want.

[@SislikCZ]

I was considering this screen only for 3:2 aspect radio, because I don't like 16:9, even 16:10 was better. I'm mainly Java BE developer and I currently use 3x 27" 16:9 screens, left one is portrait. This Benq could be great middle screen, because I always use Idea on fullscreen and my usual layout are 2 columns of code, project structure on the left and debugger on the bottom (sometimes I open more panels), so those extra vertical 400px could be great :-) Documentation, logs, console, etc. is on the other screen. I also often work on legacy code (even 20+ years old) and there are long methods, so I think that extra few lines could be handy - or I might see the same amount of lines, but with more panels around. By the way, your work setup at 2:47 with black and white halves seems to me very challenging for eyes too, especially in room that dark. I always have ceiling light on to have light in the whole room.

[@nikzel]

16:10 matters more to me for vertical use. 16:9 in vertical is very skinny. Looking at using this as a secondary monitor.

[@Ammoywen]

Appreciate this honest review!!

[@TechwithJono]

Thaanks!

[@mapgraf]

the taller monitor, the more focus on code with less distraction on scrolling. I hope the other pros justify x1.5 the cost of Huawei 28 with the same killer feature, even the same display. Vesa mount is nice to have, but i guess that is not enough. More dim & color profiles on the same display? it can be programmably controlled

[@henrihelvetica5835]

An interesting review. I would have loved to see his usual set up -vs- the 3:2 to point out the differences he doesn’t value. For example, I know several devs who love the 16:18 dual up, and think it’s amazing and expressed why. Added, it’s a 4k monitor I believe, so I would have loved to see how well it plays w/ macOS as any monitor not Apple monitor can require tweaking. Totally understand the refresh rate part however.

[@GrahamAtDesk]

The DualUp isn't 4k, you can think of it as two 2560x1440 panels arranged one on top of the other, but in a single panel. I had one. I liked it. But I was never truly comfortable with how to get the best out of it. I also struggled with looking up at the top of the monitor, or down at the bottom, depending on the height that I had it set to. I recently sold it and have switched to the 24" 16:10 version of this BenQ. I'm relying on switching between vertical desktops quickly (animations disabled + a fast keybinding) rather than moving my head/neck to look at a second display. It's going well so far, and I'm about a month in to working like that. I'm curious about this 28" version, but I do worry that the thing is just physically tall enough to give me trouble looking at both the top and bottom at once… I'm really enjoying the auto brightness and "dark mode" settings on the 24" BenQ though. For text it's a step up from the Dell 2520D that I was using. Auto brightness adjustment alone has made it worth it for me, and 16:10 is significantly better for me.

[@rafikizamzibique6881]

This monitor uses the BOE MV282CVB-N10 panel - same as the Huawei Mateview 28" 3:2 monitor released in 2021. The BenQ listed brightness is 350 cd/m² compared to 500 cd/m² on the Huawei. As a Mac user, do you use BetterDisplay for scaling features on external monitors?

[@TechwithJono]

Hey, can't help you there as I don't use BetterDisplay.

[@manoharmeka999]

@@TechwithJonomaybe he means better display like Apple studio monitor

[@DK-ox7ze]

How to use the KVM switch on this? I have a MacBook and a Windows laptop, one connected via USB-C and other via HDMI. My mouse and keyboard are connected to usb dongle attached to the monitor.

[@RockTo11]

Why do you think the refresh rate needs to be higher than 60Hz for watching videos?

[@abhitlive]

Thanks for review

[@TechwithJono]

Thanks!

[@nounours2627]

For productivity, the closer to a square, the better. (Personnal POV) Why would you need more than 60Hz for such a screen. It's even bigger than 16/9 4k. What kind of PC do you have to be able to play on max settings with HDR and without DLSS with even more than 4k? With such a big boy, it would be hard to keep a consistant 144 fps even with an RTX 4090 except on medium or low settings. Take also in consideration the bitrate for such a screen : 10b/color * 3colors * 3840raws * 2560lines * 144Hz = 42,467,328,000bps = 42,5Gbps. That would exceed DP 1.3 capacity. It would require DP 2.1 if you don't want DSC. And you'll probably need to wait RTX 5090 for that. Or you can use HDMI 2.1 to its very limit (hence more prone to loose signal) And if you have the money for this kind of setup, you can also afford to buy a separate gaming monitor.

[@RayyanShariff-yz4gm]

Is applying grey scale on Mac the same thing as E ink Display in Benq?

[@tleytek]

Your points about a higher refresh rate for movies or shows does not work since almost all of that media is locked at 24 frames per second, some go to 60 frames per second (eg soap opera tv shows) but never past that. Your opinion about this monitor is greatly invalidated when you make statements like this because now it seems like you have no idea what you are talking about, and you're just making a video to advertise a monitor with an affiliation kick back link.

[@ireydiak]

He also did mention video games.

[@ffxsam]

Neckbeard has entered the chat

[@RockTo11]

@@ffxsam Accuracy is important... where as anti-intellectualism is a stain on humanity.

[@1kn0ww]

So which monitor will beat this one?!

[@DK-ox7ze]

Thanks for the honest review. I had a couple of questions: 1. Is the text on this actually sharper than on other 27" 4k monitors? 2. Are the speakers loud and clear enough for audio calls?

[@TechwithJono]

Hey, texts are the same as any other 4k screen. Speakers are definitely good enough for audio calls!

[@DK-ox7ze]

Thanks. Do you know the pixel pitch of this monitor? I am basically trying to understand if its display is same width as a 27" 4k monitor display?

[@bassyey]

Is it blurry on macOS on native 4k? I don't want to use the scaled options on macOS.

[@bren.r]

Yes it will be blurry if scaled to 2560 horizontal pixels (half of 5k) as the scale wouldn't be fractional.

[@jcvjcvjcvjcv]

But how is the inputlag? Like on Dell U3014 in normal mode it is as if you use it while sleep deprived..

[@az-vv3mg]

Thank you for this review, I’m looking for a monitor for my Mac, Do you think that 3:2 is really useful? because the only thing that I don’t like for this monitor is this point. The 32” is 16:9 but is more expensive and probably bigger for my desk. Any advice?

[@dragon.6575]

Why is all BenQ monitor reviews only sponsored videos?

[@ireydiak]

I fit the description of a professional programmer that uses my monitor for both gaming, watching content and work. I was looking to buy this monitor but, like you said, the 60hz at that price point is a major turn off. Do you have other recommendations? The monitor market is crazy at the moment and it's hard to pick the right monitor.

[@AK-eh2ij]

I use macbook air m1 and m1 max interchangeably with studio display. Can I add this monitor for my current set-up?

[@TechwithJono]

Yeah it'll work just like any other monitor

[@ViktorGodard]

Great review, and first one i see using a Mac. Thanks! A couple of questions: Did you have any problems with scaling and or text sharpness when using this monitor with a Mac? Also, what Mac do you use?

[@TechwithJono]

Hey, thanks for the comment! I use M1 macbook air, no issues with scaling and text sharpness from my experience.

[@jsanzdev]

Nice review, can you confirm if MacOS scaling works with this monitor?

[@TechwithJono]

Thanks! I didn't experience any scaling issue with my mac.

[@yiming.m]

Thanks for the review. But I think it's overpriced for what it can offer.

[@yaroslavmakarov2218]

It should have 120hz

[@hawoi]

benq forgot some programmers are gamers

[@TechwithJono]

😅

[@roundyoshi]

most*

[@aurakarya9319]

they do not forget it, they choose to be focus on coder instead which means if you want to enjoy gaming then you should buy another monitor hahahaaaa

[@lostintranslation76]

Thanks for the review. I like the features of this, but this needs to be 16:9 and 120Hz+. Maybe next time BenQ.

[@kondratov8269]

So basically a COMPLETE waste of money since windows already has a black and white mode with any monitor

[@GuilleAcoustic]

If you need a 3:2 monitor with a VESA mount, then your choices are pretty limited as the Huawei one has a non-detachable stand... That's a very niche market monitor, but I guess the perfect monitor doesn't exist 🤷‍♀

[@ffxsam]

Someone didn't pay attention to the feature set.

[@GuilleAcoustic]

@@ffxsam welp ... I said ... the Huawei one doesn't, which is the only alternative to this Benq if you need a 3:2 of this size ... but I guess someone didn't read my comment completely 😋

[@ffxsam]

@@GuilleAcoustic Sorry, my reply was to the parent comment from the guy calling this monitor a "COMPLETE" waste of money. 😄

[@GuilleAcoustic]

@@ffxsam Sorry Sir, we agree then 😄.

[@hero3616]

What a failure lol