BenQ’s XL2730Z is a widescreen monitor built expressly with a single purpose in mind - gaming. Sporting a 2560 x 1440 resolution screen, 144Hz refresh rate, a low, low 1ms response, and Adaptive-Sync technology, this monitor has got it covered from a specs perspective. Provided, that is, unless you want to hop into 4K gaming already.
This was actually my first time setting up a 27” monitor and the XL2730Z is a sizeable beast. Not so big you have to distance yourself from it in anyway, but it’s also a real bonus if you do hope to use it for films and such. Sturdily built and of a high quality, the XL2370Z is gaming through and through, down to its black and red colour scheme.
Being 27” it obviously comes with a hefty box, which contains the monitor, a few wires and assorted gubbins, and the stand. Putting the whole thing together was pretty straightforward, despite a few hairy moments attaching the stand. Installing the stand itself needs the monitor to be face down, so this requires a sturdy, and clean, surface. Once attached though it’s rock-solid, with a great deal of movement and pivot for viewing at any angle. I’d estimate there’s around 45 degrees to the left and right for the right, which is pretty top-tier, all said and done.
Interestingly there are also dials for the various adjustments so you can keep tabs on exact heights, rotation points, and screen angles used in case you’re lugging the monitor about and what to set it up as quickly and efficiently as possible.
All of the connectors are included on the underside which can make them tricky to get to. This includes a pair of HDMI ports(1.1 & 2), DVI, d-sub, Display Port 1.2, and headphone jacks, mic jacks and a pair of USB ports on the left-hand side as well. There’s also the usual kettle lead power cable input, which in our instance was unfortunately a European model cord with no adapter. Luckily we had a spare one lying around, but this is still a bit of nuisance.
On the front there’s six buttons for navigating the menus alongside a power switch. Each of these delves into a separate aspect of the settings menu within which you can tweak all sorts of inputs. Alongside picture modes there's volume, brightness, contrast, gamma, sharpness, and more. Each of these can be tweaked as you wish, with options to save your own profiles.
Aesthetically it might not be to everyone’s tastes, looking extremely ‘gamer-y’, but it’s a great build. The bezel is a little large compared to some other premium screens, and the dial towards the bottom is a shade too tacky, but overall this does look like a premium gaming setup.
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All of this is by the wayside when you take a look at one of the XL2730Z’s standout features - the S Switch Arc. This little puppy lets you switch image presets on-the-fly, whether it’s gaming, movies, or just browsing the web. Looking like a plastic puck, this can be better used to control the menus, and features five additional buttons alongside a scroll wheel. Delving into the options also reveals the Game Mode Leader and Auto Game Mod settings. The first lets you download preset display settings tailor-made for specific games so you know you’re getting it spot-on, while Auto Game Mode is smart enough to detect the genre of game mode being played, switching up settings appropriately.
Priced at roughly £520, the BenQ XL2730Z certainly isn’t cheap, but you’re definitely getting a premium monitor here that is a cut above many of the budget competitors out there at a similar size. The ultra-high 144Hz refresh really helps with delivering stunning action. The rig we tested on was only equipped with a GTX 750 Ti, but testing out a few older and less demanding titles it absolutely flew. The likes of GRID Autosport, Cities: Skylines and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger could be cranked right up and were buttery smooth. If you’ve got the hardware to back it then you can be doubling your frame rates, and the visual impact is sizeable.On a humble graphics card like the 750 Ti though, many games do suffer if you want to hit that 1440p resolution. If you’re looking for a monitor like this you’ll want some significant grunt behind it. 4K still seems a little obscene right now, but if you’re wanting to really test the capabilities of your GTX 970 or 980 then the bump up from 1080p is really worth it, the image quality can be staggering at times on the XL2070Z.
Being a TN (Twisted Nematic) display response times are lightning quick, combined with impressive brightness and image clarity. A typical downside of a display like this is limited viewing angles, but the XL2070Z sidesteps this nicely. During my testing I was at one point sat around 60 degrees off centre and about six foot away, but could still make everything out fairly clearly. The viewing angles aren’t anywhere near as good as IPS screens, but this is only going to come into play in specialist circumstances.
In terms of a feature-rich gaming monitor you’d be hard pressed to go wrong with BenQ’s XL2730Z. It’s got a few nitpicky problems and the red and black aesthetics might be a negative for some, but in terms of hyper-fast response times and great image quality it’s near the top of the game. Buying it right now, however, is a tricky business. If you intend on joining the 4K resolution soon then ultimately you might be better off short term with a cheaper screen, however with today’s readily available hardware 1440p appears to be the perfect middle ground between performance and resolution.
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