BenQ XL2411Z 144Hz 1ms 24 inch Gaming Monitor NVIDIA 3D Vision Supported seamless FPS RTS MOBA Game eSport

Perfect after calibration, a steal for 0!, February 12, 2015

First off, let me just say that this monitor was almost sent back upon plugging it in because for some reason the default “FPS1” profile was selected and had terrible color, just absolutely horrendous. Do not let this fool you, however, the perfect settings are in there somewhere! With the disclaimer out of the way, on to the review!

Pros:

1. After calibration and applying ICC profiles, the screen looks amazing even at 144hz, which is known to ruin color accuracy. Other than viewing angles, this monitor has deeper blacks and less distortion than my IPS display right next to it, granted it is a cheaper IPS from a couple years ago, but the point still stands. Compared to other TN panels, this one is by far the best I have experienced color wise, and while the viewing angles don’t compare to IPS panels it is leagues ahead of comparably priced TN panels. Don’t let these other reviews fool you, it took me all of about 10 minutes to find the right settings and apply the ICC profile, not worth even taking half an egg off.

http://www.digitalversus.com/lcd-monitor/xl2411z-p17975/test.html I used this link to get my colors just right and to get the ICC profile to work. Although I found that setting the Blue to 90 made things just a tad yellow for my taste, so I left it at 95.

2. This monitor uses the same panel and technology as its big brother the 2420G. The 2420G is twice the price of this monitor, and the only real difference is that the 2420G has G-sync. So for 0 you are essentially getting a 0 monitor without G-sync, what a steal!

3. The profiles on this monitor are very handy for switching between different games I play. Though I usually just leave it on my default calibrated setting 90+% of the time, I like having the option to quickly switch profiles without having to take too long.

4. For anyone worried that they won’t be able to reach 144fps in games, do not worry about it! The entire windows experience in 144hz is mind blowing, everything is so smooth and crisp. Typing documents is a pleasure at 144hz, it is hard to describe how superb it looks unless you have seen it for yourself. When I slide windows over to my 60hz IPS panel, everything just seems so laggy and stuttery compared to this monitor. Even if you only hit 70 or 80 FPS in most games you will notice a difference, and the anti strobing effect makes it so I can use the monitor for longer without getting a headache. Explosions and color pop off the screen. Liquid moves at a more fluid and realistic pace making the immersion just that much better. Screen tearing is nearly non existant on this monitor, and I have only noticed it at all in Farcry 4, but that is mostly because Farcry 4 is not programmed very well.

5. The monitor itself is built very well. I prefer the look of this monitor over the other Benq models because it is less in your face with its minimalist design, and I like actual buttons instead of laggy capacitive buttons. The inlaid tray is great for keeping cell phones and the like, I actually have a wireless charging pad I set in there and it fits perfectly. It is awesome being able to rotate the monitor to easily access the ports on the bottom, I’ve never had such an easy time getting the DVI-D cable in. A DVI-D cable is included in the box, and it is required to get 144hz.

CONS:

1. This monitor is bulky, and if you have a 24″ monitor already be prepared for this thing to feel way bigger. The stand, while very sturdy and strong, is hard to adjust vertically because it is a locking mechanism versus the spring loaded version in the 2420G. I didn’t need to adjust my monitor vertically at all, but if some does be warned it can be a bit tricky.

2. No G-sync on this monitor is not a problem for me, but for those that are looking to get G-sync in the future, be warned that this monitor cannot be upgraded to accept the G-sync. I personally think g-sync is a tad unecessary, especially when there is software out there that does nearly the same thing and it is free.

3. This monitor has an HDMI, VGA and DVI-D port only, no display port. This should be a non issue since the only reason to use display port is for g-sync or sound, but this monitor doesn’t have speakers and it doesn’t have g-sync so there shouldn’t be any worries. The DVI-D cable that comes in the box is thick and robust, very well constructed.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

This monitor is the best monitor you can buy for under 0 in my opinion. For 0, you get 90% of the software and features of another monitor that costs twice as much, a TN panel which has great color accuracy and viewing angles compared to others that cost more, a strong and sturdy build quality that is unmatched in this price point, and a gaming experience that will change the way you play. Older games that I haven’t played in a while breathe new life playing at 144hz,…

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Be the first to review? Sure, why not!, April 23, 2014

There aren’t many reviews of this monitor online, but I still took the leap and purchased it straight from BenQ about 2 weeks ago. I will do my best with this review and you can figure out whether this is for you. My brother uses a Dell U2412M monitor right next to me, and it is priced nearly the same, so it will be an excellent comparison. I will also mention its slightly “bigger” brother, the XL2420Z. Note the quotation marks. I am not using 3d mode because I have an AMD card.

First thing is first. EVERY XL2411Z RELEASED HAS V2 FIRMWARE, CONFIRMED BY BENQ CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE CONTACTED MYSELF. YOU DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING V1 UNLIKE THE OTHER MODELS. More on what benefits V2 Firmware brings later.

Also, this monitor has BLUR Reduction which is compatible with AMD cards, and better than lightboost!

Initial Impressions:

Unboxing is fairly easy. Comes with all the basic amenities including Power Cable, Dual-DVI, and even VGA(except I would try and avoid this one). I am currently using the Dual-DVI and have it connected to a AMD r9 290.

Setting it up was fairly simple, a monkey can do it. No offense to monkeys, I mean I really don’t mean to offend you. Please don’t take it the wrong way.

Colors out of the box are pretty atrocious, but there is a big note on it that clearly states that it is set to a specific setting. There are color ICC profiles(and instructions) online at a specific pc monitor review site for 100, 120, and 144hz modes(search for XL2420Z review, it uses the same panel). Unfortunately there is none for 60hz, but I’m sure someone will whip something up. After applying the ICC profiles, the colors look a LOT better, However(to nobodies surprise) my brother’s U2412M looks at least 3.476x better(Approximation based on numbers that have been lifted out of thin air).

Now the real question everyone was waiting for. HOW IS THE CLARITY?!:

It is excellent. Extremely clear. Do yourself a favor and head over to the Blur Busters website and download the unofficial program that allows you to alter the Persistence and Crosstalk. They have plenty of articles and tutorials on how to fine tune it, but the blur bluster program is ONLY supported by V2 firmware. If you are using an nVidia card, you can improve the effect through the driver program. AMD users can download the Custom Resolution Utility by Toasty X for a similar effect. What those do is basically override the Monitor Drivers and finetune the crosstalk, making the bands at the top and bottom smaller, but not ridding them altogether which is inevitable. You can set up multiple profiles so when you change the frequency in the display settings, they will be automatically overridden by the profiles.

Now about those bands. They suck. I deducted a star off because of them. In fact, even though they are small and aren’t very noticeable, it can be VERY detracting from the experience at times. All lightboost/blur reduction monitors suffer from this effect by the nature of the monitor refresh. Unless they figure out a way to display every pixel simultaneously, this is unavoidable (lightboost v2 maybe?).

Despite all this awesome clarity, it is really hard to run all games at a minimum of even 100HZ, even with my r9 290. Tearing is still prevalent and not many games are truly 120hz supported, which leaves a really bitter feeling in me. On top of that, higher frequencies cause weird effects in games that do not support them. The AMA setting is excellent in some games, and weird in others. This monitor is truly for fast paced FPS games, but here is the downfall: games look amazing at 100HZ(I can’t tell the difference above 100fps, and I’d rather have improved color accuracy), but you get used to it really quickly. Also, it is no where near as big of a leap as it is from lets say 30fps-60fps. Honestly, I would love to keep it at 60HZ with maximum Blur Reduction to keep the banding at a minimum, but the flicker gets to me and it really is an eye sore at that refresh rate. You can’t notice the Blur Reduction Flicker at 100HZ or up. What I’m trying to say is that if you aren’t truly an all FPS player and like to diversify your gaming genre, the U2412M may be the best choice you can make(of course, you need to be at 60fps, sorry console peasant). The colors make it truly immersive and the blur/ghosting doesn’t really detract from games like Dark Souls (I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE SECOND ONE, I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE GRAPHICS BACKPEDAL, BRING ME DEATH). Borderlands 2 looks clearer on my BenQ, but it looks beautiful on his Dell.

Oh and I said I would mention the XL2420Z. This monitor has the same panel. You are paying 0 extra for that cheesy magnet switch at the base. If you want it, by all means, throw your money at it. But I can’t imagine myself wanting that atrocity on my desk, and I would barely touch it as well. The XL2411Z monitor does…

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