SHOP CAREFULLY and you can pick up a
4K monitor for under $200; $300 will bag
you a 32-inch 4K monitor with a decent
VA panel. Which begs the question: Why
would you unload nearly $1,200 on this?
It has a 31.5-inch (read 32-inch) panel,
4K resolution, and tops out at 60Hz. So
far, so samey compared to that $300
option. However, the DesignVue PD3220U
ups the ante with IPS rather than VA panel
tech. That implies better color accuracy,
viewing angles, and response, but
inferior contrast compared to a VA panel.
Problem is, $600 will buy you a 4K
32-incher with an IPS panel. As it happens,
BenQ itself will sell you such a screen.
So, what justifies the 100 percent price
premium? It’s not high refresh, that’s for
sure, what with the PD3220U pegged at
60Hz. Nor is gaming generally the remit
here, even though this monitor will turn
its hand to more frivolous pursuits if you
have the requisite beefy GPU to drive it.
Instead, productivity and style are
the recipe here. The latter involves
symmetrically slim bezels on all four
sides, plus a slick stand in what Apple,
were it the manufacturer, would
doubtless denote as Space Gray, and
which offers a full range of articulation,
including rotation to portrait mode.
Indeed, Apple’s MacBook Pros are a large
chunk of the stated target market for the
PD3220U, hence the sympathetic styling.
The Apple-centric execution is more
than just skin deep—BenQ has also
fitted the PD3220U with dual MacBook-
friendly Thunderbolt 3 ports. Both allow
for single-cable connectivity carrying
the display signal, USB connectivity, and
charging, although one port supports
85W of charging power, the other just
15W. Anyway, the point is that this is an
ideal display for a single-cable setup
using a powerful laptop computer, be it
an Apple computer or a portable PC.
It’s also worth noting that the full
Thunderbolt 3, as opposed to merely USB
Type-C, spec of those dual ports means
you can daisy-chain a secondary monitor
and thus drive two displays with a single
cable. Nifty. While we’re on the subject of
connectivity, a KVM switch and a hotkey
puck for quick switching between display
modes add yet another layer of utility to
what was already a very flexible display.
Rounding out the significant specs
is support for HDR10 content. BenQ isMade for Mac, nearly perfect for PC
BenQ DesignVue PD3220U
8
VERDICT BenQ DesignVue PD3220UOSCAR-WORTHY Fabulous IPS
panel; fantastic connectivity.
NOT NOMINATED Pretty pricey; only
60Hz refresh.
$1,199, http://www.benq.com/en-usSPECIFICATIONSPanel Size 31.5-inch
Panel Type IPS
Resolution 3840x2160
Brightness 300cd/m^2
Contrast 1,000:1
Pixel Response 5ms
Refresh Rate 60Hz
VESA 100x100mm
Inputs DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, 2x
USB-C with Thunderbolt 3careful to not claim full HDR display
capability, which is welcome, given this
monitor is limited to 300cd/m^2 brightness
and does not offer local dimming.
However, the HDR10 signal processing
means that colors can be seen correctly,
allowing this monitor to be used for
HDR content creation, a significant boon
for content pros, who’ll also be interested
to learn that the PD3220U is claimed to be
good for 100 percent of the sRGB color
space and 95 percent of DCI-P3.
Bearing all of that in mind, in action,
the PD3220U is as good as you’d hope. The
colors and clarity are fabulous, and
the viewing angles utterly impeccable.
Moreover, 4K at 32 inches provides a very
nice compromise between a tight pixel
pitch and usability at 100 percent scaling,
if the latter is a preference. This is an
impressively precise display solution.
The BenQ PD3220U is therefore a
very slick all-around option for content
professionals or serious desktop PC
enthusiasts. In fact, pretty much anyone
other than gamers would be very happy
to have it as a primary display. Whether
it’s worth the extra money over a less
well-featured 32-inch 4K IPS monitor
really depends on the premium you place
on flexibility and connectivity. If that stuff
matters, the PD3220U will be worth the
extra money. –JEREMY LAIRDin the lab
84 MAXIMUMPC MAR 2020 maximumpc.com