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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
Ultra-wide monitors are not known to be light cannons but the EX3410R has more than enough output for any task or environment. In SDR mode, it will produce nearly 400 nits which is very bright, enough that your eyes will hurt after a short time. You can turn down the brightness slider to a minimum of 61 nits which is a reasonable level when playing in a darkened room.
With a very low black level of 0.1109, the EX3410R is pipped only by the MSI for the contrast crown. Very few desktop displays can top 3,500:1 but the BenQ can. That is where its superiority over its predecessor, the EX3415R, becomes apparent.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Contrast keeps the first and second place screens the same, with both picking up a few points. The EX3410R is now running at 3,745.9:1, a near-record score. It truly doesn’t get much better until you get into jumbo screens of 43 inches or larger.
Though the ANSI score is lower, it’s still among the very best I’ve recorded for any monitor. This is a real-world test which means the EX3410R has a very realistic picture. Black levels are deep, and highlights are detailed.
Current page: Brightness and Contrast
Prev Page Response, Input Lag, Viewing Angles and Uniformity Next Page Grayscale, Gamma and ColorChristian 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.
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