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The professional monitor category is really two genres. There are panels with every bell and whistle that have supremely accurate color and tons of options that sell for high prices. And some displays deliver the same accuracy with fewer peripheral features that cost less. If you have the budget, spending over $2,000 on a 27-inch 4K monitor with Mini LED or OLED technology and high precision is easy. Or you can budget $650 and get BenQ’s DesignVue PD2706UA.
The PD2706UA has color accuracy equal to the best pro screens I’ve tested. It doesn’t need calibration for its gamut modes, DCI-P3, sRGB or Rec.709. If you want to take it to a higher standard, though, precise RGB controls with gamma and gamut presets deliver exactly what their labels indicate. Ultimately, pros need a monitor that can be easily adjusted to different color standards without much fuss. And if you’ve never experienced the convenient ability to change panel brightness with a dial, BenQ’s Hotkey Puck makes that a cool reality.
Gaming isn’t the PD2706UA’s forte, but though it showed me some motion blur in test patterns, the play experience was OK. By locking the frame rate at 60 Hz, frame tears were rare and motion resolution was good enough for my casual skills. Esports competitors will want to shop for a speedier panel, but if you want to blow off a little steam during lunch by liquidating monsters in Doom Eternal, the PD2706UA serves that purpose.
Most of all, it delivers a superb image. With SDR contrast around 1,200:1 and HDR topping 5,300:1, plenty of dynamic range ensures true blacks, bright highlights, and a deeply saturated image. Even without fancy tech, the PD2706UA has a wider color gamut than many high-end monitors.
Taken as a value display, the BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA has few, if any, equals. With premium build quality, a rock-solid monitor arm in the box, and near-perfect color, it should make quite a few users’ shortlists. Unless you need Adaptive-Sync and fast refresh, it’s definitely worth checking out.
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