BenQ PD2710QC QHD/IPS Designer Monitor Review

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
published

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Brightness & Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. Brightness and Contrast testing are covered on page two.
Acer BE270U
AOC Q2781PQ
Dell S2718D

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

There are plenty of premium 27” IPS/QHD screens in our database, so we chose the latest models from ViewSonic, Acer, Dell, AOC, and Nixeus for the comparisons. We have the VP2771, BE270U, S2718D, Q2718PQ, and the PRO Vue 27P. The Dell adds HDR to its feature list, but that doesn’t affect our normal battery of tests, which are all performed in SDR mode.

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BenQ claims 350cd/m2 output for the PD2710QC, but we could only manage 312.6467 in our tests. It’s not the brightest monitor we’ve seen in the class, but it has more than enough light for anything but outdoor use in bright conditions. With a relatively low black level, contrast works out to a respectable 948.8:1. In this group, that result is within striking distance of the front and is typical of IPS screens at this price point.

Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level

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Minimum output is a bit lower than necessary at only 32.6053cd/m2. This is too dim for us, even in a completely darkened workspace. It also stretches out the luminance range, increasing the change with each click of the 100-step brightness slider. It makes precise output settings more difficult to achieve. Black levels drop in concert, which means contrast remains consistent at 932.2:1.

After Calibration to 200cd/m2

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The PD2710QC is one of the rare monitors that picks up a little dynamic range after calibration. Even though adjustments are not necessary, this small gain makes it worth the effort. It’s now on top of the heap with a decent 972.7:1 score. It also sports the best black levels of the group at a low .2054cd/m2. Only a VA panel could have a significant impact here. This is about as good as IPS gets.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

Intra-image contrast also nets a first-place for the PD2710QC at an excellent 971.3:1. The ViewSonic runs a close second but this is above average performance. BenQ has always impressed us with its quality control and that effort shows here. Our sample display has superb uniformity and shows no aberrations anywhere on the screen.

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Christian Eberle
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.

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10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • kookykrazee
    Stop the autoplay videos from Fritz 'annoying' Nelson. THEY DO NOT NEED TO AUTOPLAY ON EVERY SINGLE AD, BLOG, AND ARTICLE YOU POST, they do not!
    Reply
  • tuvok
    60hz needs to die.
    Reply
  • milkod2001
    May be decent monitor but should have been $399 at most. They keep producing overpriced crap and wonder why sales are going down....
    Reply
  • 237841209
    Meh, wouldn't call it "designer". Especially considering it doesn't use OLED. It would be cool if the base was a some sort of touch pad.
    Reply
  • jholickysr
    Their site doesn't even list the warranty period. (Costco Canada has it already and lists it as 1yr but typically wrong information)
    https://www.benq.com/en/monitor/designer/pd2710qc/specifications.html

    I too concur with the first post - Fritz's video has been popping up for how long now? Weeks?
    Reply
  • sillynilly
    YES STOP THE AUTO PLAY!!!
    Reply
  • mrmez
    20254611 said:
    60hz needs to die.

    1440 needs to die too for non gaming screens. I've been using 5K for 3 years now.

    20255012 said:
    Meh, wouldn't call it "designer". Especially considering it doesn't use OLED. It would be cool if the base was a some sort of touch pad.

    OLED does have some drawbacks. Pixel colour fades over time, and since OLED can completely turn off pixels not in use (unlike LCD), different colours fade at different rates, leading to a growing colour imbalance over time. It's getting better of course, especially on high end displays, but still not ready for lower end.
    Reply
  • DrakeFS
    Is 10-bit panels not thing now?
    Reply
  • FritzEiv
    20254578 said:
    Stop the autoplay videos from Fritz 'annoying' Nelson. THEY DO NOT NEED TO AUTOPLAY ON EVERY SINGLE AD, BLOG, AND ARTICLE YOU POST, they do not!

    I will (and I do) pass along the comments on the video player. These players are a part of many sites these days, as I am sure you know. Further, I do agree with the Fritz 'annoying' Nelson part. Even *I* am annoyed with me. Every week I do ask that we change out what is played there, so that at least you get some variety. As we start to do more and more videos (and we have a few new ones coming), maybe you will have better things to look at each week, and eventually each day . . . (By the way, the ultimate idea here is that we'd have enough video whereby whatever article you are on, the video that we play is at least topically related.) Finally, the >audio< should never play out loud. I've found that it sometimes, on rare occasion, does, and I report it immediately to our ad team, because usually it's the pre-roll ad that is the culprit.
    Reply
  • mrmez
    Just being honest here...
    I ended up turning on my ad blocker for Tom's specifically because of those videos.
    Regardless of how great or entertaining, everything gets annoying with enough repetition, and if the average user is anything like me, reading/skimming up to a dozen articles in just a few minutes... well you get the idea. The same video playing automatically every time I open a new article is enough to exceed most people's tolerance and block every ad as a result.
    Like me right now, a lot of people slack off at work and read this site. I can get away with it (because I own the business) and because it KIND OF looks productive. As soon as there's a video that goes out the window. I'd scroll past it, block it, or simply stay off the site, either way I wouldn't be watching it.
    Reply