BenQ's FP71e+ LCD Is Fast, But How Furious?

Finish

Like the design, the quality of the finish is classic and very similar to what you find with Philips or LG in the same range. The plastics are of good quality and the fit between the different panels is acceptable. However, the silver-gray plastic is not through-colored. Any scratch will reveal the white plastic substrate. The "imitation brushed aluminum" effect on the plastic around the speakers may also not please some. It might have been a good idea, but the result is not very convincing.

However, the unit is robust and the screen doesn't bounce too much when you make adjustments, a quality many vendors don't always offer.

Ergonomics

The overall ergonomics, while not poor, leave room for improvement. The angle of the monitor is adjustable, but the range of adjustment is relatively small. There's no height adjustment. BenQ is clearly targeting gamers and so you won't find a pivot function on this model. A standard VESA mount is provided, however, for wall mounting. Navigation in the OSD is relatively intuitive. Beyond the standard adjustments, it offers results programs for different types of applications - photography, video, etc. However, the positioning of the buttons under the panel makes adjustments difficult, because there's not enough space between the buttons and the base, which is a real shame.

The monitor's connectivity is very complete, with DVI and VGA, a line input and a headphone jack. Volume adjustment is accessible via the OSD.

The transformer is built into the monitor, which partly explains its above-average thickness. BenQ has also had a thought for those of us who don't like cables snaking all over our desk: the FP71E has a cable chase built into the monitor base.