Benq XL2720
At launch this was fantastic, but has since been outclassed by cheaper, younger competition.
The Benq XL2720 is a bit long in the tooth now, having come onto the market back in 2014 packing an, at the time, whopping 144Hz refresh rate at 1080p on a 27-inch TN panel. When the XL2720 hit the market, not only were its specs impressive, but it debuted relatively unique features like Blur Reduction, input lag compensation and more.
One very unique feature is the S Switch. Instead of fiddling around the rear of the monitor with buttons or a d-pad to adjust settings, Benq’s S Switch is like a mini keyboard that attaches magnetically to the base, where you can use a scroll wheel and preset buttons to make rapid adjustments via the OSD.
Being a TN panel, contrast will never be as good as VA panel, but the XL2720 puts up a good fight, demonstrating strong black levels. Unfortunately, being a TN panel, colour gamut is average, reaching 95% sRGB coverage after calibration. The other weakness of a TN panel are viewing angles. On a 27-inch display, this becomes apparently with even slight offcentre viewing.
In 2018, you can get the same 27-inch display as the XL2720, but with 1440p resolution and an IPS panel with higher colour gamut, whilst retaining the precious 144Hz refresh rate. This fact makes it difficult to recommend. There are nice gamer-centric tweaks like the S Switch, but considering the relatively high price ($529) and poor colour gamut, there’s newer options on the market now you should buy instead.