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Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

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BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Light output is what Mini LED is best known for and the EX321UX delivers. You can get over 633 nits in SDR mode which is painfully bright. This monitor would be fine in an outdoor video production setup with its high output and saturated color. This was measured in the Fantasy picture mode with local dimming turned off. If you turn it on, black levels and contrast are unmeasurable.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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I found I could not properly calibrate the Fantasy mode, so I switched to Display P3 and dialed the brightness down to 200 nits. The final result is with local dimming off since it is not available in this mode. Contrast is nonetheless a touch higher than default at over 1,200:1.

ANSI contrast remains consistent at 1,166.7:1. Again, this is with local dimming turned off. Note that in all tests, the Samsung G8 posts very impressive results. That is because its dimming option can’t be completely defeated. Even when you turn it off, it operates at a low level to produce artificially high contrast numbers. Native values for VA panels are typically 2,500-3,500:1.

Test Takeaway: The EX321UX has excellent brightness and low black levels but with a couple of caveats. You can use local dimming to get a very punchy image but the modes where it’s available have inaccurate gamma. The Display P3 and sRGB modes are spot-on but also limited by the panel’s native contrast of around 1,200:1. That said, I would still recommend those modes because to my eyes, they look the best. And you can still crank the brightness to over 600 nits if you like.

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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.