BenQ RL2460HT 24-Inch Monitor Review: Is Gaming Good At 60 Hz?

BenQ RL2460HT: Half The Speed Equation

So did we miss that high refresh rate found on 120 and 144 Hz displays? Yes, we did. But the RL2460HT still proves to be a capable gaming monitor anyway. It is true that a panel with a quick draw time like this one renders smoother motion than the IPS-based screens we’re more accustomed to. But once you play a first-person shooter at 144 Hz, it's hard to go back.

Motion blur is something that has plagued LCD panels since their inception. Remember that the whole point was to create a TV you could hang on the wall. CRTs, for all of their advantages, became so large and heavy that they reached critical mass. Unfortunately, in slimming down our screens, we had to accept the limitations of sample-and-hold imaging. Sixty hertz is fine when the duty cycle of each frame is only a couple of milliseconds. When that same frame stays in place until the next one comes, blur is the unavoidable result.

LCD manufacturers have evolved their technology to address these issues. Now BenQ and others have found a way to eliminate flicker once and for all. We’re used to the large leaps in performance from each new generation of video board or CPU. But display tech progresses at a somewhat slower pace.

Many users are simply dying to replace their older TN screens with a shiny new IPS model. But as much as that panel technology offers, it doesn’t do so well in the speed department. The three TN-based monitors we’ve tested recently really don’t give up much, if anything, in terms of video performance. Sure, IPS reduces your power consumption and improves off-axis image quality. But is it really better for enthusiasts?

We always talk about how contrast is king and TN still has the edge. IPS is catching up. However, our latest tests show it isn’t quite there yet. Comparisons based on color accuracy are also a wash. The RL2460HT performs nearly as well in that department as some very expensive professional displays. While we don’t expect this monitor to be a fixture in a photographer’s studio, it is certainly worthy of consideration as an addition to the toolkit. Naturally, the, we're looking forward to checking out some of BenQ's professional screens.

The one nit-pick that cropped up in our testing was gamma control. Despite there being five presets, none of them produced a completely correct result with flat tracking. And we were surprised at how each option altered the white balance, brightness, and contrast settings. The easy workaround if you want to switch gammas is to use the convenient settings memories. With three slots available, the RL2460HT still qualifies as an acceptable solution for tweakers.

Feature-wise, the RL2460HT shares quite a bit in common with BenQ's already-reviewed flagship XL2720Z. ZeroFlicker is a significant boon to usability and we’re glad to see the company putting so much effort into eliminating the issues associated with PWM. You give up three inches of screen size, motion blur reduction, and 144 Hz operation for a savings of $253. You could buy a second RL2460HT for that, and we imagine some power users will.

Enthusiasts are clamoring for the promise of G-Sync and its continuously variable refresh rate. Not only does that require a new monitor, though, but you'll also need a compatible Kepler- or Maxwell-based graphics card. There's also the fact that VESA recently added adaptive-sync to DisplayPort 1.2a, which could make similar technology available to a broader range of end-users. If you're not quite ready to bet on one standard or the other, gamers looking for an upgrade would be wise to consider a gaming monitor like the RL2460HT.

Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

  • blackmagnum
    Does it even matter when games automatically enable Vsync setting to 60 Hz?
    Reply
  • eldragon0
    Does it even matter when games automatically enable Vsync setting to 60 Hz?
    No, but chances are if you're dropping 300+ on a monitor and genuinely want the extra frame rate you will be the type of person who is ready and expecting to tweak the game's files to run at those frame-rates.
    Reply
  • eldragon0
    Does it even matter when games automatically enable Vsync setting to 60 Hz?
    No, but chances are if you're dropping 300+ on a monitor and genuinely want the extra frame rate you will be the type of person who is ready and expecting to tweak the game's files to run at those frame-rates.
    Reply
  • Heironious
    Yes, it matters. After buying the ASUS VG248 with Lightboost enabled in 2D gaming, I can not go back to a 60hz monitor. Is it really that hard for you to disable Vsync in the games settings?
    Reply
  • envy14tpe
    I think most mid-range gamers go 60Hz TN panel monitors that sell for $150 or less. This monitor seems pretty pricey and is stuck between those and the 144Hz monitors. I don't' think this will sell all that well.
    Reply
  • therogerwilco
    The ZR30W is 2560x1600, yet only 60 hz.

    I achieve first place in multiple games when playing multiplayer, on a regular basis.
    60hz is not the problem, the problem is your system if it CAN'T sustain 60 fps.
    Reply
  • Xivilain
    If your monitor supports 30hz, 60hz, or even 120hz, its nice to see the visual difference they make when compared side by side. I like to show other people this demo to compare FPS:
    http://frames-per-second.appspot.com/
    Reply
  • xenol
    When frame rate time periods start exceeding the fastest reaction times of humans, I start to question whether or not even faster frame rates are necessary.

    I don't think competitive players win because they have 144Hz monitors and can react with all that information being fed to them. I think they win because they are proactive, and that there are many tells anyway to allow someone who's tuned in the game to react quickly.

    I mean, StarCraft has choppy animation that is independent of refresh rates (they look like they move at 20FPS), but there's a lot of high level competition there.
    Reply
  • heydan
    Im still don´t know how people reach the 120-144 fps in any game even at 1080p, maybe they refer to fps higher than 60fps, like 70, 80, and maybe for some old games the 120-144 fps, or they play games with low settings in order to reach those fps?, can someone explain me?, because I can find any review about any high end GPU and found that there´s so little games that achieve 120-144 fps at 1080p with everything max out...
    Reply
  • tipmen
    Im still don´t know how people reach the 120-144 fps in any game even at 1080p, maybe they refer to fps higher than 60fps, like 70, 80, and maybe for some old games the 120-144 fps, or they play games with low settings in order to reach those fps?, can someone explain me?, because I can find any review about any high end GPU and found that there´s so little games that achieve 120-144 fps at 1080p with everything max out...

    You do have a point with newer games that have very nice graphics. Such as, BF, Metro LL, and Arma 3 you need a beefy GPU set up or some people turn down the settings. (Eye candy is nice but if it is going to be a slideshow it isn't worth it) However, older titles such as CS GO where having the higher FPS will give you an edge doesn't take much to get 200+ FPS. Basically computers with at least an i5 and a 6970 or 580 can hit FPS 100+ on older titles. Newer titles i5/i7 (depends on the game if it take advantage of the hyper threading) 7970(280)/290x or 680/780. Crossfire or SLI helps but I personally find the gaming experience smoother playing CS GO on one 7970 instead of two in crossfire. With one I am still well over 100 FPS. When I play BF4 I have crossfire enable and high settings with some things turned down I get over 100FPS on DX11 API. When I try mantle (When it works....) I get an extra 10fps if I am lucky and feels smoother. You also can check Toms GPU charts of even their recently released SMB. I own Asus 144hz and never can go back to playing FPS on something less. I just wish they will catch up to my golden days with the CRTs refresh rates .
    Reply