BenQ PD3226G monitor evaluation: For Photoshop execs who prefer to recreation

Screens meant for gaming and leisure have historically existed in a separate realm from screens for skilled and artistic productiveness. That, nonetheless, has began to alter with the rise of distant work and the proliferation of unbiased artistic professionals who work for themselves—and, in consequence, discover themselves on the identical desk each on and off the clock.

The BenQ PD3226G is a monitor constructed for this contemporary imaginative and prescient of labor, because it combines an correct picture and nice shade efficiency with a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz and adaptive sync for clean PC gaming.

Learn on to be taught extra, then see our roundup of the most effective screens for comparability.

BenQ PD3226G specs and options

The BenQ PD3226G is a 31.5-inch widescreen monitor with 3840×2160 decision. Nonetheless, not like many high-end screens meant for skilled artistic work, the PD3226G has a refresh charge of as much as 144Hz and helps adaptive sync.

• Show dimension: 31.5-inch 16:9 widescreen
• Native decision: 3840×2160
• Panel sort: 10-bit IPS LCD
• Refresh charge: 144Hz
• Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium
• HDR: HDR10, VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with 90 watts of USB Energy Supply and DisplayPort, 1x Thunderbolt 4-out with 15 watts of USB Energy Supply, 1x Thunderbolt 3-out for daisy chain video connection, 1x USB Kind-C 3.2 Gen 2 upstream 10Gbps knowledge solely, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps knowledge and as much as 4.5 watts USB Energy Supply, 1x USB-C Gen 2 downstream with 10Gbps knowledge and 4.5 watts USB Energy Supply, 3.5mm headphone jack
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio: 2x three-watt audio system
• Guarantee: 3 years
• Further options: Wi-fi distant, KVM swap
• Value: $1,099.99 MSRP (U.S.)

It additionally leans closely into Thunderbolt. Although it lacks the intensive connectivity of some latest Dell screens, which embody Ethernet, it will probably hook up with a PC over Thunderbolt and offers each Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C downstream ports. It additionally has a Thunderbolt 3 port for daisy-chaining a video connection to a second monitor.

BenQ asks $1,099.99. That’s costly however not unusual for a high-end 32-inch monitor. It locations the BenQ PD3226G in the identical value vary as 32-inch 4K QD-OLED screens, nonetheless.

BenQ PD3226G design

The BenQ PD3226G is a part of the corporate’s Designer sequence. That phrase—“Designer”— speaks to its target market, but in addition describes the monitor’s appear and feel. It’s a slick, elegant, well-built monitor that makes use of silver and white supplies for a contemporary look. The design is delicate and doesn’t instantly seize consideration, however the plastics used really feel sturdy when dealt with.

Appears to be like apart, the BenQ PD3226G is useful. It has an ergonomic stand that adjusts for top, tilt, swivel, and may pivot 90 levels to be used in portrait orientation. Whereas many 32-inch screens on this value vary can alter for the primary three, pivot is much less widespread and units the PD3226G aside from cheaper rivals.

The stand has a small, flat base, which implies it doesn’t take up extreme desk house, and the house it does occupy can nonetheless be used. The stand additionally offers cable administration within the type of a clip-on cable information, although it’s a bit finicky and will not be sufficient to deal with each cable if you find yourself utilizing all of the monitor’s many ports concurrently.  A 100x100mm VESA mount is out there and makes the show panel usable with third-party monitor stands and arms.

BenQ PD3226G connectivity

The BenQ PD3226G’s video connectivity consists of one HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort. That makes for a complete of three video inputs. I might have preferred to see a fourth, however three video inputs is sufficient for most individuals.

Thunderbolt connectivity is a key function, and the monitor makes use of it in a number of methods. The Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort additionally consists of 90 watts of Energy Supply, so it may be used to energy a related laptop computer. There’s additionally a Thunderbolt 4-out port for knowledge that handles as much as 15 watts of energy, which is sufficient to cost a smartphone and plenty of tablets.

A Thunderbolt 3-out is included, too, for daisy-chain connections to a second show. In case you join a laptop computer to the monitor’s Thunderbolt 4-in, for instance, you may join a second monitor to the BenQ PD3226G’s Thunderbolt 3 port. It’s a helpful function that the majority screens don’t present, although rivals just like the Dell U3225QE additionally provide it.

Further connectivity consists of USB-C upstream and downstream ports and three USB-A downstream ports. A KVM swap is included, as effectively, for simple swapping between a number of related PCs.

BenQ PD3226G menu and options

The BenQ PD3226G’s menus and options might be managed with a responsive joystick behind the lower-right bezel. You would possibly by no means contact it, nonetheless, as a result of the monitor additionally ships with BenQ’s distinctive puck controller.

This dial-shaped management (which, with the PD3226G, is wi-fi) offers full entry to menus and settings. It’s also possible to bind it to be used in Home windows software program (to scroll, for instance). It’s extremely helpful in case you’re the kind of consumer who must dig into the choices to customise and calibrate the picture or often use options just like the monitor’s picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture modes. The monitor’s options may also be managed with Show Pilot 2, a software program utility for Home windows and Mac.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The monitor’s picture high quality choices are intensive and embody shade temperature values in particular levels kelvin (like 6500K), particular gamma modes, 6-axis shade hue and saturation controls, a luminance uniformity mode, and sRGB, DisplayP3, DCI-P3, and Rec.709 presets, amongst different options. These options mark the BenQ PD3226G aside from screens that focus on extra normal skilled productiveness, just like the Dell U3225QE, and from screens that focus on each leisure {and professional} use, just like the HP Omen Transcend 32.

You’ll additionally discover assist for a variety of software program utilities designed to assist customers goal particular shade accuracy targets and conform to a particular shade gamut. These embody Palette Grasp Final (which is used for picture calibration with a {hardware} calibration software) and ColorTalk (which is used for shade matching and not using a calibration software). As I’m not an expert designer or artist, I can’t decide these instruments in a lot element. Even so, they’re one other function that units the PD3226G aside from a extra general-use productiveness monitor, which gained’t embody such software program.

What about audio? The BenQ PD3226G features a pair of three-watt audio system that present acceptable sound at decrease volumes however, like most monitor audio system, they sound hole and tinny when the amount is turned up. Most individuals will need to use exterior audio system or headphones, and the monitor has a 3.5mm audio jack for passing audio by means of to those gadgets.

BenQ PD3226G SDR picture high quality

SDR picture high quality is essential for the BenQ PD3226G. Buyers planning to purchase this monitor don’t simply need a show that appears good, however one which objectively achieves excessive scores and has nice shade efficiency. The PD3226G delivers, although its rivals are proper there with it.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness, which is a energy of the BenQ PD3226G. The monitor can obtain a most brightness of as much as 468 nits, which is excessive for any monitor in SDR, and higher than most rivals.

Brightness this excessive isn’t normally required and, actually, many customers will favor to make use of the monitor at a a lot decrease degree of brightness. I’d even advocate leaving the brightness at a low degree, as a very shiny show could cause eye pressure.

Nonetheless, a excessive most brightness means the PD3226G stays usable in brighter rooms and lighting situations. That’s helpful in case your room has poor gentle management, or if the monitor will likely be utilized in an workplace with shiny lighting.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Distinction, alternatively, is a weak point for the PD3226G. It achieved a most measured distinction ratio of 1180:1 at 50 p.c of most brightness. Because the graph reveals, that is low for a monitor on this class.

It’s not that the PD3226G’s IPS LCD panel performs poorly. Quite the opposite, it’s good for a standard IPS LCD panel. Nonetheless, aggressive panel applied sciences, together with IPS Black and OLED, ship a lot better distinction efficiency. Each the BenQ PD3225U and Dell U3225QE have an IPS Black panel.

In apply, the PD3226G’s restricted distinction is noticeable. The picture can look uninteresting and flat subsequent to some alternate options with IPS Black and OLED panels. I additionally seen important “IPS glow,” which induced a grayish sheen to look throughout darker photographs.

This can be a trade-off, nonetheless. The IPS show’s distinction doesn’t maintain up, however going for this panel permits the show to offer higher movement readability, which I’ll contact on later on this evaluation.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ PD3226G strikes again in shade efficiency. It offers shade that spans one hundred pc of sRGB, 99 p.c of DCI-P3, and 92 p.c of the AdobeRGB shade gamut.

Because the graph reveals, that is in direction of the higher finish of what’s typical for even high-end screens. The PD3226G’s efficiency in DCI-P3 was significantly robust, as only a few screens have ever achieved 99 p.c of DCI-P3 on this check. Then again, the HP Omen Transcend 32’s QD-OLED panel is perhaps preferable in case you intend to work with the AdobeRGB gamut (or Rec.2020).

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The BenQ PD3226G additionally does effectively in shade accuracy. Whereas the graph may appear to indicate a loss, in fact a mean shade error under 1.0 is successfully indistinguishable to the human eye and regarded an especially good outcome.

Because the graph reveals, many high-end screens can now obtain this degree of accuracy. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is the one monitor that falls a lot behind the pack, nevertheless it’s additionally by far the least costly monitor on this comparability.

Importantly, the BenQ PD3226G’s nice shade accuracy is matched with nice gamma and shade temperature efficiency. I anticipate a gamma curve of two.2 and shade temperature of 6500K, and the PD3226G hit each targets.

Nonetheless, totally different folks could anticipate totally different targets. Right here, too, the PD3226G once more does effectively, because it offers each picture quality control and calibration software program to finely tune the picture in your wants. It’s not unusual for price-competitive screens to supply no less than a few of these options, however the PD3226G hits all of the marks.

BenQ PD3226G HDR picture high quality

The BenQ PD3226G helps HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed. Nonetheless, it’s not an ideal show for having fun with HDR. This isn’t solely due to its brightness, which in my check didn’t exceed the monitor’s SDR brightness whereas in HDR mode, but in addition its distinction, which isn’t any higher in HDR than in SDR.

Consequently, the PD3226G can’t present the additional luminance element that HDR is supposed to supply, and HDR content material tends to look flat and uninteresting in comparison with a extra succesful HDR monitor.

Nonetheless, this flaw is quite widespread to screens within the PD3226G’s class which have an IPS LCD panel, together with screens with newer IPS Black panels (just like the Dell U3225QE and BenQ PD3225U). You’ll have to go for a Mini-LED or OLED monitor for higher HDR efficiency.

BenQ PD3226G movement efficiency

BenQ doesn’t come out and say that the “G” in PD3226G stands for gaming, nevertheless it’s a straightforward connection to make. The monitor’s 144Hz refresh charge is the very best I’ve but seen from a monitor meant for artistic professionals, beating Dell’s IPS Black alternate options, which attain as much as 120Hz. BenQ’s advertising and marketing pitch says the refresh charge is optimized for “recreation growth and animation,” amongst different duties. The PD3226G additionally offers official Adaptive Sync and AMD FreeSync assist, which is notable, as a result of many screens on this class omit it.

A refresh charge of 144Hz already places the PD3226G forward of most rivals, which generally have a refresh charge of 60Hz to 120Hz, nevertheless it’s not the entire story. The PD3226G additionally quotes gray-to-gray pixel response instances right down to 1 millisecond. By comparability, screens just like the Dell U3225QE quote response instances of 5 to eight milliseconds. Put merely, a decrease pixel response time means pixels can change shade extra rapidly, which reduces ghosting behind fast-moving objects.

The profit is apparent. Whereas shows just like the Dell U3225QE provide good movement readability in comparison with a 60Hz workplace monitor, they nonetheless look a bit blurry. The PD3226G’s movement readability offers much more element to shifting objects and considerably reduces ghosting behind shifting textual content. Studying textual content that scrolls on the PD3226G is commonly fairly comfy, which isn’t true on many aggressive screens.

That is the silver lining to the PD3226G’s modest distinction ratio. IPS Black panels in screens just like the Dell U3225QE and PD3225U provide a lot better distinction, however I’ve but to see an IPS Black panel that quotes a pixel response time under 5 milliseconds. So, the PD3226G has a bonus in movement readability.

After all, there’s an elephant within the room: OLED. An OLED monitor just like the HP Omen Transcend 32 can present a refresh charge as much as 240Hz and pixel response instances right down to 0.03 milliseconds. Due to that, 32-inch 4K QD-OLED screens will clearly defeat the PD3226G in movement readability, which makes OLED preferable for PC gaming. Even so, the PD3226G’s movement readability is nice for an expert monitor.

Do you have to purchase the BenQ PD3226G?

The BenQ PD3226G is one other robust possibility within the firm’s line-up for skilled artists, designers, and content material creators, and it stands out from the competitors in a number of areas. It has a variety of connectivity, good movement readability, many picture high quality options and choices, and top-tier shade efficiency.

These strengths are balanced, although not outweighed, by the monitor’s lackluster distinction and so-so HDR, that are noticeable downsides when in comparison with 32-inch 4K QD-OLED friends.

Even so, the PD3226G is a superb alternative for individuals who need a monitor for skilled artistic work that additionally holds up in gaming and leisure.