Finest Costs At the moment: BenQ SW242Q

If you happen to’re a 24-inch monitor, odds are it has a 16:9 side ratio, 1080p decision, and a refresh charge between 120Hz and 240Hz. The BenQ SW242Q defies all of those developments with a laser-like give attention to satisfying the wants of photographers, artists, and different inventive professionals. It succeeds, however its worth will flip some away.

BenQ SW242Q specs

The BenQ SW242Q’s specs stand other than its rivals. Though it has a 24-inch show, it affords the uncommon 16:10 side ratio, which is a bit taller than the frequent 16:9 side ratio. It additionally ups the decision to 2560×1600 and has a variety of ports together with USB-C with DisplayPort and Energy Supply.

• Show dimension: 24.1-inch 16:10 side ratio
• Native decision: 2560×1600
• Panel kind: IPS with “fine-coated panel”
• Refresh charge: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: None
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C upstream with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts Energy Supply, 2x USB-A 3.1 downstream, 1x USB-B upstream, 1x 3.5mm audio-out, 1x SDcard reader
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio system: None
• Worth: $479.99 MSRP

These uncommon options come at an unusually excessive MSRP of $479.99. That’s far more costly than a typical 24-inch monitor and, for most individuals, the added price will probably be unimaginable to justify. The BenQ SW242Q targets a particular viewers with particular wants.

Additional studying: See our roundup of one of the best displays to study competing merchandise.

BenQ SW242Q design

One factor leapt out at me the second I unboxed the BenQ SW242Q. This monitor has a 16:10 side ratio!

The 16:10 side ratio, which is nearer to sq. than the extra frequent 16:9 popularized by HDTVs and adopted by most displays, is very uncommon for a standalone monitor bought in 2024.

And it makes a distinction. As a result of 16:10 is nearer to sq., it gives extra vertical show house throughout the SW242Q’s 24-inch show. It means the SW242Q is sort of as tall as most 27-inch displays. That’s helpful for writers, editors, photographers, and anybody else who typically works with content material that’s taller than it’s large.

Facet ratio apart, the BenQ SW242Q appears like different displays in BenQ’s “Photographer Monitor” line. The show panel is framed by a chunky, sturdy charcoal black body connected to a big, flat stand base. The stand can regulate for peak, tilt, swivel, and pivot: It additionally has a 100x100mm VESA mount for third-party stands and arms.

The stand is each deep and large, which could be a problem on small desks. BenQ compensates for that by making the bottom extraordinarily flat and protecting it in an expensive, leather-like materials with a barely grippy floor. It’s not a foul place to perch a digital camera, exterior drive, or USB dock.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

BenQ SW242Q connectivity and options

The BenQ SW242Q’s video connectivity contains one HDMI, one DisplayPort, and one USB-C upstream port. The USB-C connection contains DisplayPort Alternate Mode (for video enter) and as much as 90 watts of Energy Supply (for charging a laptop computer, pill, or different linked machine). This can be a good vary of connectivity, although anticipated for a monitor priced above $400.

Further connectivity contains two USB-A ports and, as a result of it is a pictures monitor, an SDcard reader that helps a broad vary of codecs (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC). There’s additionally a 3.5mm audio-out for connecting headphones and a USB-B upstream port, which can be utilized to drive the USB-A ports in case your pc doesn’t have USB-C.

The SW242Q is lacking a favourite function discovered on many different BenQ displays: a remote-control puck to navigate the monitor’s on-screen menus. The monitor as an alternative depends on a joystick management, and a number of other buttons, hidden on the decrease proper bezel. They work nicely, however the management puck is best. The monitor additionally ships with out a hood (although one is accessible as an possibility). A hood is customary on another BenQ pictures displays.

BenQ’s on-screen menus are simple to navigate and supply an extended record of picture high quality changes. This contains gamma, colour temperature, and colour calibration controls, all of which goal particular numerical values quite than obscure presets. Talking of presets, the monitor has a number of that focus on particular colour areas, they usually’re helpful for photographers and artists that work in several colour areas for varied purchasers or tasks. My one grievance in regards to the menus? The menu textual content is a bit too small.

The monitor additionally helps a variety of BenQ software program utilities, which incorporates Palette Grasp Final and Paper Sync. These assist photographers and artists guarantee the colours considered on the monitor look very related, if not equivalent, to how they’ll seem in print.

Constructed-in audio system aren’t included, which is a minor disappointment. I count on folks utilizing the monitor may profit from built-in audio, even when solely to listen to Home windows methods sounds or hearken to a podcast.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

BenQ SW242Q SDR picture high quality

The BenQ SW242Q is designed to deal with pictures, digital artwork, and paperwork. Due to that, BenQ opts for a 24.1-inch 16:10 IPS panel with a singular “fine-coated panel” that’s meant to attenuate reflections and simulate the appear and feel of printed materials. It’s profitable, however it comes with a number of trade-offs.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness, the place the BenQ SW242Q delivers an excellent most of 410 nits. It’s necessary to notice that is solely obtainable when the “uniformity” mode, which is supposed to take care of brightness uniformity throughout the show’s floor, is turned off. With uniformity on, the show hits a most of 198 nits.

Nonetheless, the SW242Q’s brightness is greater than sufficient to deal with most conditions. It ought to seem brilliant in all however essentially the most intense lighting situations. Its brightness is much less spectacular with uniformity turned on, however individuals who care about uniformity are more likely to be utilizing the monitor in a room with good gentle management (and presumably with a show hood, too), which makes the lowered brightness in that mode much less of a problem.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Distinction is the place the BenQ SW242Q makes its most vital compromise, because it achieved a most distinction ratio of solely 980:1. That’s low for a contemporary monitor, and the monitor’s distinction appears even worse than the figures recommend. It struggles to attain something near a deep, inky, and convincing black degree. The identical is true for different 24-inch IPS displays, just like the Pixio PX248 Wave, however that monitor is $150.

“IPS glow,” a problem which causes a gray-silver sheen to seem throughout the show when viewing darkish content material, saps the drama and depth from darkish pictures, movies, and video games. It’s not an issue on the Home windows desktop and in most productiveness conditions, however it turns into one if you wish to watch a film or play a sport on the monitor.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ SW242Q struck again in colour gamut, the place it achieved wonderful outcomes out of the field. The monitor’s colour gamut spans many of the DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB colour gamut, which implies it may well show most colours that exist in every colour house. That’s important for correct picture and picture modifying, and to make sure the picture on the SW242Q appears very similar to what it should in print or on different shows.

Set in opposition to the alternate options, it’s clear the SW242Q is forward of the pack, particularly in its protection of the AdobeRGB colour gamut. In actual fact, even OLED displays fall wanting the colour gamut protection discovered right here.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Coloration accuracy was wonderful, too. The monitor’s low colour error reinforces the accuracy of its picture, and can assist photographers and artists create and edit work with confidence that the picture they view is correct to the top consequence.

The monitor’s good colour accuracy was strengthened by a default colour temperature of 6400K and gamma curve of two.2. The colour temperature is only a tad hotter than our goal of 6500K, however not sufficient to be readily noticeable, and the gamma curve was spot-on to our choice. Each will be adjusted within the monitor’s on-screen menus to calibrate the picture to your choice or want.

Sharpness is a perk. The monitor’s 16:10 side ratio results in a decision of 2560×1600, which, when unfold throughout a 24.1-inch show, works out to about 125 pixels per inch. That’s a lot better than a 24-inch 1080p show, which has about 92 pixels per inch. Most 24-inch shows keep on with 1080p, so the BenQ SW242Q has a bonus right here.

BenQ’s fine-coated panel is the monitor’s secret sauce. Designed to imitate the look of paper, it has a matte end that tremendously reduces glare and reflection, although it does so at the price of distinction. With the monitor’s uniformity mode turned on, the panel is remarkably good at mimicking the appear and feel of a satin paper end; it’s as in the event you’re {a magazine}, or maybe a coffee-table e-book, quite than a show. The look is fascinating not just for photographers, but additionally when studying paperwork and PDFs.

The BenQ SW242Q’s picture high quality has perks and flaws, and the decision is determined by how you plan to make use of the show. Its distinction ratio is a great distance from preferrred for films, video games, and different leisure, however the monitor’s wonderful colour accuracy and large colour gamut makes it a terrific match for a lot of inventive duties.

BenQ SW242Q HDR picture high quality

The BenQ SW242Q technically helps HDR10, however it’s not VESA DisplayHDR licensed and doesn’t ship an appropriate HDR expertise. The monitor is just too dim, and its distinction ratio is just too low, to do HDR content material justice. You may wish to flip to the HDR mode for a fast preview of an HDR picture or video, however it’s in any other case finest to depart the monitor in SDR.

Whereas the monitor’s sub-par HDR is unlucky, it suits with the monitor’s objective. Most pictures don’t use HDR, and inventive work that will probably be going to print isn’t appropriate with HDR.

BenQ SW242Q movement efficiency

BenQ’s give attention to inventive work on the expense of leisure continues with the monitor’s movement readability and efficiency. The SW242Q is a 60Hz monitor and lacks any type of Adaptive Sync. Meaning it lacks the movement readability obtainable with different shows.

That is most noticeable in PC video games. I picked up on the SW242Q’s lack of readability and fluidity immediately. In comparison with different displays with excessive refresh charges, the SW242Q felt clunky, and I typically had problem choosing out the small print of objects that transfer shortly throughout the display.

Gaming isn’t the SW242Q’ focus, in fact, however I do hope that BenQ can discover some strategy to handle this sooner or later. An enhanced refresh charge is beneficial not solely in video games, the place the added readability and fluidity could make a night-and-day distinction, but additionally on the Home windows desktop. Home windows feels a bit extra responsive on a 120Hz show than on a 60Hz show. That’s one thing I believe photographers and artists would respect.

Must you purchase the BenQ SW242Q?

The BenQ SW242Q is a show that’s more likely to be polarizing. It has a number of options which are distinctive to BenQ not often discovered elsewhere; a paper-like fine-coated panel, a 16:10 side ratio, and a decision of 2560×1600 in a 24-inch show. These benefits are balanced by the monitor’s low distinction ratio and meager 60Hz refresh charge, flaws which are tough to excuse given its $480 MSRP.

Nonetheless, the SW242Q’s worth is in some methods simpler to justify than different BenQ pictures displays, just like the SW272U. The corporate’s bigger 27-inch and 32-inch pictures displays face a variety of rivals that, although they lack the fine-coated panel, obtain related colour efficiency and sharpness. The SW242Q is extra distinctive: I don’t know of a single 24-inch monitor that matches or beats the BenQ SW242Q on sharpness and colour efficiency. That gives a stable, although area of interest, motive to purchase the SW242Q over inexpensive friends.