Monitor: Benq SW321C or Asus PA329C - or maybe just the Benq SW270C?

[AndyKH]

Hi

I'm building a new PC for photo editing (and I bit of video editing) and I would like a monitor with ~100% AdobeRGB coverage when editing photos for printing.
I have more or less chosen all the parts, but I'm having a really hard time choosing a monitor.

Basically I'm trying to choose between the following:

• Asus PA329C (not the older Q model)
• Benq SW321C
• Benq SW270C

I'm having a really hard time finding reviews of the Asus.
On paper it looks really nice and it seems it has technology to ensure uniformity across the display.
It's also cheaper then the Benq SW321C - and it even has a bit better coverage of DCI-P3 (not that it really matters to me).
However, what somewhat matters to me is the input lag as I would like to use the monitor for occasionally playing games. In this regard the older PA329Q seems quite good (18 ms) while Benq seems to hover around 30 ms. Mind you, I'm not a "gamer" - if I were I would buy the right tool for the job, I just want to play single player games without too much disconnect between control input and monitor display.

30 ms VS 18 ms is not making the choice for me but could sway me in the direction of the Asus all else being roughly equal.
So, enough about the secondary use.

Apart from choosing between the two 32" models I also cannot seem to figure out if I really need a 32" monitor - maybe a 1440p 27" is good enough and it would save me a significant amount of money that I could use on a new lens or gear for my other hobby: Drumming in a blues band.

I'm getting fairly tired of my wavering in this decision so I would really appreciate some input.

Thanks in advance.

[Frodo]

I bought a BenQ SW270 and the non-uniformity in colour was immediately apparent to eye.
The replacement was only a bit better, so I returned that too.
I now have an NEC PA 242W and am happy.
Non-uniformity in colour and luminance are regularly reported for the BenQ SW270.

[AndyKH]

I bought a BenQ SW270 and the non-uniformity in colour was immediately apparent to eye.
The replacement was only a bit better, so I returned that too.
I now have an NEC PA 242W and am happy.
Non-uniformity in colour and luminance are regularly reported for the BenQ SW270.

Thank you for replying.

Was it the SW270C or the SW2700PT you bought?
I've read several reviews of the SW270C where the uniformity is always mentioned as being quite good.

[Roy Sletcher]

I bought a BenQ SW270 and the non-uniformity in colour was immediately apparent to eye.
The replacement was only a bit better, so I returned that too.
I now have an NEC PA 242W and am happy.
Non-uniformity in colour and luminance are regularly reported for the BenQ SW270.

Regularly reported where?  Citations of where to find a few of these reports would be helpful.

For the record:  I have a Benq SW270 and it comes with a factory certified Panel Uniformity Certificate. Yours should not have been shipped when outside specified parameters. Hope you informed the retail distributor accordingly. I have also measured mine personally with a Delta E of less than two.

This monitor is no Eizo, or high end NEC, but at its price point it represents extremely good value for money.

Just my opinion, and to balance the record.

-Roy Sletcher-


 

[FabienP]

Add another happy SW2700PT user here. Display uniformity seems subjectively OK after 3 years of use.

Cheers,

Fabien

[Frodo]

My BenQ was the SW2700PT, so not the one you are looking at, which may well be better.

As I noted, the first one I received had visible colour non-uniformity.  The second one was better, but still not up to standard.   I have attached a photo of the screen with a neutral grey background with NO enhancements in Lightroom.  I can provide analysis details if wanted. 

Probably the most objective site for testing monitors is www.prad.de, although many tests are only in German (but I can read German).

In relation to uniformity of the BenQ SW270PT, they write (Google translated) (https://www.prad.de/testberichte/test-monitor-benq-sw2700pt#Einleitung)

We examine the image homogeneity using four test images (white, neutral tones with 75%, 50%, 25% brightness), which we measure at 15 points. This results in the averaged brightness deviation in percent and the likewise averaged delta C (i.e. the chromaticity difference) in relation to the value measured centrally. The perception threshold for differences in brightness is around 10%.
The brightness distribution is only satisfactory with an average value of 7.93%, the maximum value is still good at 13.25%. The illumination of the white image is also subjectively noticeably uneven. The color homogeneity is good, at least in terms of measurement technology. The maximum deviation in the upper right corner is 2.33 delta C.

Other reviews:

Uniformity barely acceptable on some copies so : Be careful when you receive your copy. It's difficult to recommend this monitor with eyes closed because of copies that are really less good than others and it's a shame because when you come across a good copy, you've bought the best quality/price ratio today ! https://www.color-management-guide.com/benq-sw2700pt-monitor-review.html#conclusion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A18jLlrYHJg (similar experience to me)

With perfect scores for the gamut and contrast plus 4.5 out of a possible 5 for tonal response, the overall rating shows the SW2700PT to be a respectable performer. However it is let down by below-average results for colour and luminance uniformity [2.5/5] and colour accuracy only rates 4 out of a possible 5. https://www.photoreview.com.au/reviews/peripherals/monitors/benq-sw2700pt-monitor/

I would have loved to have been happy with the BenQ, but instead I had to buy a smaller NEC screen (PA242W) for 50% more