Maximum PC - USA (2022-03)

5

VERDICT BenQ EW3880R

AHEAD OF THE CURVE Lots of

screen real estate; USB-C hub

functionality with charging.

BEHIND THE TIMES IPS panel lacks punch;

not a true HDR display.

$1,049, http://www.benq.com

SPECIFICATIONS

Panel size 38-inch

Panel technology IPS

Native resolution 3,840 x 1,600

Aspect Ratio 21:9

Refresh rate 60Hz

Response time 4ms

HDR Yes, no local dimming

Contrast 2,000:1

Color 95 percent DCI-P£sRGB

Brightness 300 cd/m2 (HDR mode)

Video Inputs DisplayPort 1.4 x1,

HDMI 2.0 x2, USB-C

With HDR enabled, the backlight
spools up a little. But with that comes
downsides. BenQ has implemented a kind
of sharpening effect in HDR mode that
cannot be disabled. Moreover, the color
balance of SDR content is skewed in HDR
mode. Long story short, it’s not really
viable to run in HDR mode all the time.
Of course, the inherent pleasures of a
38-inch ultrawide panel remain. There’s
lots of desktop space for multitasking,
though the pixel pitch isn’t actually all that
tight. If you want crispy fonts, a smaller
4K panel would be a better pick. The large
panel and ultrawide aspect also make
this a great screen for driving games,
though we’d hesitate to recommend it for
other gaming duties due to the refresh
rate. At least the pixel response, quoted
at 4ms, is decent.
Then there’s the impressive peripheral
feature set. Best of all is the inclusion of
USB Type-C complete with 60W power

delivery. You can hook up most modern

laptops with a single cable and not

only drive the display but also charge

and connect peripherals. HDMI and

DisplayPort are also provided, so pretty

much every use case is covered.

The EW3880R has integrated speakers

that are a cut above the norm. There’s a

warmth and detail to the sound you rarely

find in built-in monitor audio, although

volume levels could be better. Is it enough

to mitigate EW3880R’s other issues? At

this price, sadly not. –JEREMY LAIRD

BenQ’s latest 38-inch beast already

feels a little behind the times.

MAR 2022 MAXIMU MPC 79