When we first think of gaming monitors, most of us assume it¡¯s for PC gaming. And while that could be the case, there are multi-platform gamers that also prefer gaming on their desks with their consoles. More so, considering today's consoles are able to touch high frame rates over 60fps.?
So when BenQ contacted us to review their large 32-inch 4K gaming monitor that¡¯s designed for such multi-platform gamers, we really had to give it a try. Here¡¯s what our experience was like with the BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U.
The Mobiuz EX3210U is definitely one good looker. The body at the back comes in this pristine ivory-white trim with silver and orange accents. The large 32-inch panel is frameless and has thin bezels to the sides, which could have been a tad bit thinner in my opinion.?
The chin of the panel houses the speakers and a subwoofer, and also holds the navigation joystick with the power button and input switching as well as the mic toggle button.?
The stand for the panel is adjustable and is definitely built like a tank. It is able to hold the gargantuan screen with extreme ease. Moreover, moving the screen vertically or sideways is convenient too and the legs do a good job of keeping the panel stable while doing so.
A nice wire management hole is included for routing your wired keyboard and mouse. The stand however does take up a considerable amount of space, so make sure your desk has enough space to accommodate plus your peripherals.?
The back has prominent edges that slant towards the centre and these house four RGB LED strips that accent the wall well, without being too bright. They're best visible however when the room lights are out. We surely would have loved a bit more customisation except for a few colour modes in the monitor menu.
Overall, the fit and finish is definitely premium and in sync with current design trends that gaming monitors today are embracing.
In terms of I/O, the BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U is fairly loaded. We get two HDMI 2.1 ports (with support for up to 4K resolution at 120Hz), one DisplayPort 1.4 port (with support for up to 4K resolution at 144Hz), as well as four USB-A 3.0 ports along with a USB hub connector.?
Two things however could have been executed in a better way -- firstly, the USB connectors were all the way at the back and not very convenient in terms of reach. Tilting such a large screen can be challenging, especially if there isn¡¯t much space.
Moreover, we would have loved to see USB Type C connectors at the back and maybe even a Thunderbolt 4 connector. However, overall, the monitor has an impressive I/O layout.
This is a 32-inch IPS panel which means you can expect some crazy good viewing angles. This 10-bit panel is clubbed with a rather wide colour gamut, capable of displaying 1.07 billion colours. Moreover, it also doesn¡¯t use dithering to simulate colours.
To the unaware, dithering is a process wherein an image, colours that are not available in the palette are approximated by a diffusion of colored pixels from within the available palette.
However, despite the hardware, the panel doesn¡¯t really perform as you¡¯d expect it to. The SDR brightness maxes out at around 263 nits, which is odd considering its HDR brightness at the maximum setting is considerably higher.?
The panel was also not as vibrant contrast-wise -- something that¡¯s commonly observed in gaming monitors. The image felt rather unimpressive and dark level performance was far worse, with noticeable bright spots around the edges.
But with support for 100 percent sRGB and AdobeRGB gamut as well as 95 percent support for DCI-P3, the panel balanced its flaws. The images overall were sharp, vibrant and even oversaturated in some aspects, which could be perfect for competitive gaming. It is also important to note that the panel only supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for adaptive sync, so Nvidia peeps might get a little disappointed.
The 4K resolution of 3840x2160 on the 32-inch panel made sure text and imagery look crispy, and was fun not just for gaming, but also while browsing content all day long. What also helped was the included low blue light setting to make the white appear not as straining on the eyes.?
While the large screen is great for productivity and PC gaming, it is also the perfect size for console gaming. PS5 titles like Horizon: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 looked breathtaking and didn¡¯t really make me miss my large 55-inch 4K TV.
The toggle switch at the bottom of the panel made it extremely easy to switch between sources. Moreover, the monitor also includes a remote control to switch between scene modes or sources similar to that of a TV.?
Right below the panel is a thick bezel that houses the dual speaker and subwoofer setup on the BenQ EX3210U. The speakers however aren¡¯t something you can rely on for the audio experience.?
Not only are they not as loud, but they're not as vibrant either. The subwoofer tries and fails miserably to create a thump. Overall, I feel it would have been best if they avoided it and reduced the bottom bezel entirely. Sure it produces sounds, but don¡¯t expect it to blow you away.?
The Mobiuz EX3210U is a fine gaming monitor that gets most of the things right for gaming. The I/O is well loaded, the panel is sharp and vivid enough, and it also looks cool while doing so.
Sure the panel could have had a little better contrast and the audio experience could have been loads better, but from an overall perspective these feel like minuscule issues.
In the end, this is a panel that's designed to fit the needs of a hardcore multi-platform gamer who just wants to play his favourite games on consoles and PC without any hassles, at the same desk they work on, and it perfectly achieves that.?
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