BENQ PD3200U
An LCD panel for old-school purists
SPARE A THOUGHT for the BenQ PD3200U. While the Asus ProArt PA329Q struts about, flaunting its quantum dot-enhanced colors, the PD3200U must make do with an LED backlight. However, this otherwise similar BenQ monitor has its own appeal.
Mostly, that comes down to price. The BenQ rocks in at just under $900, while the Asus sports a much heftier $1,250 sticker. Both share very similar core specifications and form factor: 32 inches of precision IPS panel, and the 3840x2160 pixel grid that denotes full-on 4K action. Like the Asus, the BenQ offers 10-bit per channel color, too.
The PD3200U also cuts a similar dash on the desktop. It aims for a sober suit that majors on quality and functionality, including a fully adjustable stand that supports rotation to portrait. That said, it doesn’t have quite as pleasingly slim a bezel as the Asus. From there, you begin to see where BenQ achieves some cost savings.
The PD3200U delivers 100 percent of the smaller sRGB color space, rather than the more fulsome Adobe RGB gamut the Asus notches up. Similarly, where the Asus is fully Rec. 2020 compliant, the BenQ only musters the FullHD Rec. 720 color space.
In practice, however, the BenQ doesn’t feel like you make much of a trade-off. It really is beautiful, with subtle yet vibrant and pleasing colors. The out-of-thebox calibration is mostly very good, too. Black and white scales show no signs of compression, and if anything we prefer the BenQ’s default color temperature. It’s bang on. That said, a whiff of banding in gradients is visible. Similarly, the anti-glare coating suffers from just a touch of graininess.
Move the frame of reference beyond its Asus nemesis, and it’s down to personal preference. On the one hand, it blows away all the larger screens in terms of crispness, detail, and accuracy. There’s no substitute for more pixels per inch. On the other, it’s not gaming-centric. There’s no high refresh rate, no frame synching, no HDR or mega-bright backlight, or incredible contrast ratios. Its pixel response is merely adequate, too. And at 32 inches, it’s not going to fill in as a home cinema screen.
However, most of those complaints are largely beside the point. This isn’t a gaming monitor or a home cinema screen, even if it can turn its hand to those tasks. Instead, it’s a conventional PC monitor that majors on productivity, and delivers an upscale experience for a reasonable price. The Asus PA329Q may be the superior monitor, but it’s also more expensive. If you can’t quite stretch to the Asus, you’ll be grateful BenQ is offering this more affordable option.