Features of BENQ XL2720Z 27 Inch

But BenQ's line of gaming monitors came along and ruined an otherwise fine option. The company released top-shelf LED screens that not only rivaled the picture quality of plasma TVs, but outpaced them in speed, too.

The BenQ XL2720Z, the screen maker's latest 27-inch gaming monitor, carries the pedigree I've come to expect from the manufacturer. But this time, the screen packs an even higher refresh rate Monitor and enhanced motion blur reduction.

While most monitor companies can make a mechanically sound display, few can make an aesthetically pleasing one, too. But one look at this slim, 1-inch deep panel and you can tell BenQ isn't like most monitor makers.

The XL2720Z measures 21.5 x 25.2 x 1 inches (W x H x D), and uses most of that space for the 27-inch 1,920 x 1,080 TN panel. The display is beset by one inch of plastic trim and sometimes-finicky capacitive buttons, all supported by a multi-point articulating stand.

Tilt the panel 90 degrees and you'll see the plethora of ports on the back: two HDMI, D-Sub, DVI-DL, and standard DisplayPort. However, BenQ dropped the ball on audio, offering a single 3.5mm headphone jack as its only source of audio-out.

Built-in speakers are generally a mixed bag. Low-end, 5-watt drivers sound tinny, produce static noise and add extra cost to the panel. So, while I understand BenQ's decision to omit speaker, the lack of an optical audio-out stopped the XL2720Z from replacing my go-to monitor.

That, however, is a small complaint. Anyone who outputs sound directly from their PC or runs consoles directly into an audio receiver won't have this hangup.

As a straight desktop monitor, the XL2720Z is phenomenal. Sporting a 12,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, this Benq Monitor can differentiate between black levels and produce exceptionally nuanced images. A 1,920 x 1,080 resolution may not be the highest around (or even sharper than one of this screen's rivals, the Acer B326HUL), but it was more than enough to play CPU-heavy FPS games in stunning detail.

Within the menus, blur reduction can be toggled, and aspect ratios can be set to 4:3, 5:4, 16:10 or 16:9. Of course, brightness, contrast, color temperature and saturation levels can all be changed and saved to one of three custom settings. If advanced video isn't your thing, you'll find a number of preset video options like movie, photo, real-time strategy and FPS available at your finger tips.

The shining achievement of the XL2720Z – and every monitor in BenQ's catalog – is the 1-millisecond response time. I witnessed no noticeable ghosting on most FPS games or motion blur. And though it made the screen noticeably dimmer, the feature facilitated a buttery smooth on-screen experience. While choosing BenQ's lower-end, 100MHz RL2455HM panel may not give the exact same level of performance, expect the 1ms response time to consistently impress.

1. 27-inches wide LED
2. Motion blur reduction
3. Low blue light
4. Display pilot
5. Gaming-comfort flicker-free

Specifications of BENQ XL2720Z 27 Inch