A new trend in the monitor market has not gone unnoticed by many buyers. LCD monitors that can operate at a frequency of 120 Hz and 144 Hz have appeared on sale. Many sellers, without delving into technology, placed them in the game class. In order to understand what is happening on the market, reviews are needed for each device, which will reveal the secret of high frequencies in conventional, at first glance, devices.
The article focuses on the gaming monitor from the famous BenQ manufacturer - XL2420T. In its name there is no labeling “Games”, like similar devices of this class, because quality is usually determined by technical characteristics, and not by marketing moves of manufacturers. Overview, specifications and reviews of the new product will allow the buyer to get acquainted with this product closer.
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Not every day, the renowned manufacturer of video game adapters Nvidia presents to its fans game monitors capable of supporting all the functionality that the company's video cards possess. Monitor BenQ XL2420T, apparently, became an exception to the manufacturer’s rules when it turned out that the device was created for owners of Nvidia products. Stylish design, many modern technologies, excellent color reproduction and a large number of user-customizable functions will allow any player to completely immerse themselves in the plot of their favorite dynamic toy.
First impression
BenQ took the packaging and packaging of its product very seriously. A large black box with a purple tint is made of very thick cardboard, which is able to prevent any damage during transportation of goods. A colorful photograph on the display and a full description of the technical characteristics on one of the ends of the package look pretty stylish.
Compared to similar devices, the monitor has a rich configuration: the device itself, stand, remote control, power cable, interface wires, driver disks, and an operating manual. It is worth noting that the BenQ monitor instruction is complete, that is, the entire available functional of the device with examples of settings is described - recently it has been very rare in the computer market. The kit also provides a protective cover for the monitor, but, as practice shows, few people put it on the screen.
Design and ergonomics
The monitor is assembled easily, no latches, everything is screwed, which is quite convenient for dismantling. The future owner will like a massive stand with a large sole - 100% stability guaranteed (monitor 24 inches after all, almost an LCD TV). The plastic stand is hollow inside, this is done for convenient laying of cables that do not spoil the appearance of the device from the side, as well as a hinge mechanism that allows you to set the screen in portrait position at the monitor mounting point.
The case design is made in a simple style, and a non-marking rough plastic protects the device from dirt and fingerprints. From the side, the monitor looks more like a secure terminal installed in financial institutions than it scares away some potential buyers. Before connecting the monitor, the user is recommended to read the instructions, since the abundance of connectors on the device panels can be misleading even for professionals.
Decent Interfaces
On the left at the end of the BenQ XL2420T monitor there is a USB HUB for two ports, next to them is the output to the stereo headphones. With the present interfaces, the manufacturer will satisfy even the most demanding customer. Two HDMI ports, one connector of the popular DisplayPort, a standard digital DVI interface for many video cards, the D-Sub analog video output so far demanded, mini-USB for connecting a control panel and USB type B for the built- in USB HUB hub . There is Kensington Castle, however, its use, judging by the reviews of the owners, is in great doubt.
The monitor control panel looks very unusual and looks more like an old IBM mouse. However, it’s quite easy to deal with it and after complete mastery, thoughts arise: as before it was inconvenient to reach for the screen to select the desired mode by pressing the microscopic buttons.
Screen quality
A low cost monitor BenQ XL2420T, whose price is within 25,000 rubles, provides a matrix TN + Film. Yes, this is the last century, and all serious manufacturers have long switched to IPS technology, but do not forget about the frame rate of 120 Hertz, which only Twisted Nematic technology can do. The aspect ratio of the monitor is 16: 9, the maximum resolution is 1920 × 1080 (FullHD), and the matrix response time is 5 milliseconds (with pixel attenuation, if according to the GTG standard, then the response is 2 ms).
For high-quality color reproduction, high brightness and contrast are responsible, and it is possible to achieve perfectly black color on the monitor screen using LED backlight. The horizontal viewing angle is 170 degrees, which is quite good for the TN matrix. For fans of virtual reality, support for 3D images at the hardware level is provided, however, you have to buy stereo glasses (the connector must be DisplayPort or DVI).
About technology
The proprietary Black eQualizer technology in the BenQ XL2420T monitor is designed to independently adjust the brightness and contrast in the darkened areas of the screen at the hardware level, so that the user can distinguish between gradation of gray shades, including perfectly black color. It is impossible to say that this technology works perfectly. It eliminates only gray stains, making the picture clearer, however, in RGB tests, color deviations are still present (obviously not an IPS matrix).
LightBoost technology is designed to improve the quality of pictures in 3D. It works in conjunction with LED backlighting and by increasing the brightness makes the image more saturated. For this functionality to work correctly, you need to purchase stereo glasses with support for NVIDIA 3D Vision 2, only they can synchronize correctly with devices that have LightBoost.
Display modes
The presence of the remote control in the kit is due to the large number of built-in modes in which the monitor can work. Setting up the BenQ XL2420T is simple and requires only a few keys from the owner. Firstly, you can select preset brightness and contrast settings for specific tasks (games, graphics, movies, and many other parameters necessary for the operation of the LCD screen). You can also assign a specific mode to the remote control hot key (three buttons are programmable).
Secondly, you can use the settings to achieve a clear image for the user's vision (in graphics and video it is very convenient). There is an “intellectual focus” function, but its purpose is rather foggy, except that in games you can recreate the effect of first-person presence. The screen scaling function has been implemented quite well, instead of the usual change in resolution, the user is prompted to select presets for 17-24 inch screens, as is implemented in many games.
Get to the truth
It's time to dispel the myths that surround BenQ monitors. A review of the characteristics of the device in the media often touches on the relationship between the frequency of the screen (120 Hz) and the number of frames per second (FPS) that the video card is capable of delivering during the game. For some reason, many people think that conventional monitors operating at 60 Hz are not able to demonstrate high quality and image speed above a set limit (60 frames per second). In fact, these are two completely incompatible parameters, and if we are talking about FPS, then it is affected only by the response time of the matrix (for 5 ms, the limit is 200 frames per second).
The frequency of the monitor is needed to work in 3D, where the refresh rate of the screen, which synchronously works with the stereo image on the glasses screen, is very important. Naturally, if the user does not plan to watch movies or play the appropriate 3D games, he clearly does not need such a monitor.
Health Testing, reviews
Many users believe that the BenQ XL2420T monitor is reviewed by people who rated it comfortably. Naturally, a full review is required using a test bench and specialized software. Normal testing at home can be done using the HCFR Colormeter utility and a working colorimeter, for example X-Rite Eye-One Display 2. The reviews say that there are obvious problems with the color rendering of the monitor in the basic settings. And it's not even a specific device, the whole problem is in the TN matrix, which you need to configure yourself. But with a gradation of shades of gray and black, the monitor has a complete order. Perhaps the function Black eQualizer still copes with the task. And if we are talking about recommendations, this device will not be useful to designers and people whose work is related to graphics, since accurate color reproduction on this monitor is impossible.
Advantages and disadvantages of the monitor
Any user should understand before buying that this is not a regular 24-inch monitor, but a full-fledged 3D home theater, the task of which is to immerse the owner in the world of virtual reality. All other properties of the device are a nice addition to a potential buyer.
The advantages - in consumer reviews this is often said - refers to the low power consumption of the monitor, respectively, about any heating of the screen case is out of the question. It is very rare that the levels of contrast and brightness correspond to those declared by the manufacturer - the manufacturer, special thanks from the happy owners. Useful proprietary technologies and convenient controls also pleased all users.
The disadvantages in user reviews include incorrect factory settings, which caused a negative to the device when testing color rendering. The built-in power supply in the BenQ XL2420T monitor case, the price of which is 25 thousand rubles, looks rather strange, since most manufacturers have long switched to external devices.
Finally
As one would expect, most owners of the BenQ XL2420T monitor purchased the device because they did not know the fact that the 120 Hz screen frequency is in no way related to the performance in ordinary games. It is clear that the device is quite interesting, functional, has a number of interesting features that competitors do not have, but it is positioned on the market in a completely different way. The monitor is primarily positioned as a device for 3D games and viewing the corresponding video content. In this market, in terms of price-quality ratio, it has no competitors.