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BenQ EX2780Q Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Reviewed Feb 19, 2020 at 08:47 am
Latest change: Retest Jan 20, 2021 at 02:30 pm
BenQ EX2780Q Picture
7.6
Mixed Usage
7.5
Office
8.0
Gaming
7.6
Multimedia
7.5
Media Creation
6.8
HDR Gaming

The BenQ EX2780Q is an impressive gaming monitor that delivers a smooth gaming experience thanks to its high refresh rate, low response time, and FreeSync support. It has an IPS panel with exceptionally low input lag, though its contrast ratio is rather mediocre, making it less ideal for dark rooms. It's also a great monitor for media consumption, as it has built-in speakers and comes with a remote control, so you can just sit back and enjoy a movie or a show. The monitor's size and resolution provide ample space for multitasking, and its wide viewing angles are great for sharing content or for co-op gaming.

Our Verdict

7.6 Mixed Usage

The BenQ EX2780Q is a good monitor for most uses. Its 1440p resolution delivers a detailed picture, and it has exceptionally low response time and input lag to provide a responsive gaming and desktop experience. Unfortunately, its bad ergonomics make it difficult to adjust to your optimal viewing position, and dark room viewing isn't ideal due to its mediocre contrast ratio.

Pros
  • High refresh rate.
  • FreeSync support.
  • Great viewing angles.
Cons
  • Bad ergonomics.
  • Mediocre black uniformity.
7.5 Office

The BenQ EX2780Q is a good office monitor. Its 27 inch screen lets you multitask comfortably, and text remains sharp and legible. It has an IPS panel that provides great viewing angles so you can share your work easily, but the monitor's lack of adjustability is disappointing for those who need to work in portrait mode. The monitor has good reflection handling and it can get bright enough to overcome glare in a well-lit room.

8.0 Gaming

The BenQ EX2780Q is an impressive monitor for gaming. It has nearly everything that gamers ask for: low response time, low input lag, high refresh rate, and support for FreeSync. Its size and resolution provide great immersion in RPGs or atmospheric games, but sadly, it's not well-suited for dark room gaming, as it has a low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity.

7.6 Multimedia

The BenQ EX2780Q is good for media consumption. It has a great 1440p resolution that delivers a detailed image, and its 27 inch screen doesn't feel cramped. Viewing angles are good if you want to share content, and it has excellent gray uniformity with no visible dirty screen effect. However, its mediocre contrast ratio and black uniformity make it less suitable for viewing in a dark room.

7.5 Media Creation

The BenQ EX2780Q is a good monitor for media creation. It has a good size and resolution to let you work comfortably, and its viewing angles allow you to share your work easily. However, it has bad ergonomics, and the monitor can't display dark colors due to its mediocre contrast ratio.

6.8 HDR Gaming

The BenQ EX2780Q is decent for HDR gaming. Although it can get bright enough to provide a decent HDR gaming experience, it's limited by the monitor's mediocre contrast ratio. Its middling black uniformity can be distracting in dark scenes, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature. On the upside, it has a high refresh rate, low response time, and low input lag.

  • 7.6 Mixed Usage
  • 7.5 Office
  • 8.0 Gaming
  • 7.6 Multimedia
  • 7.5 Media Creation
  • 6.8 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jan 20, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the height adjustment from N/A to '0.0'. The score has been adjusted accordingly.
  2. Updated Jan 15, 2021: The weight with stand was mistakenly set to 6 lbs instead of 6 kg. It has been fixed.
  3. Updated Feb 19, 2020: Review published.
  4. Updated Feb 17, 2020: Early access published.
  5. Updated Feb 14, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Feb 02, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Jan 07, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the BenQ EX2780Q and it's only available in this size and resolution.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their BenQ EX2780Q doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as the gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.

Our unit of the BenQ EX2780Q was manufactured in November 2019, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The BenQ EX2780Q is a great gaming monitor. Its performance is on-par with a lot of other 27 inch, 1440p, high refresh rate gaming monitors, but it doesn't have as many extra features as a monitor like the Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q. However, it's one of the very few that comes with a remote control.

You can also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 144Hz monitors, and the best 27 inch monitors.

Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0)

The BenQ EX2780Q and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) are both 27-inch 1440p gaming monitors. The Gigabyte performs better for the most part. It has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz, a faster response time, and more features, like a USB-C input, a Picture-in-Picture mode, and a KVM.

LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B

The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the BenQ EX2780Q in mixed usage. Ergonomics are significantly better on the LG, as well as gradient performance. There's less color bleeding on the LG, but its black uniformity and contrast ratio are much worse than the BenQ.

MSI Optix G27CQ4

The BenQ EX2780Q and the MSI Optix G27CQ4 are both very good gaming monitors with different panel types. The BenQ is a 144Hz monitor with an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, and the MSI has a 165Hz refresh rate and a VA panel with higher contrast. The BenQ supports HDR, which the MSI doesn't, and it has quicker response times, so motion looks better.

BenQ EL2870U

The BenQ EX2780Q is much better than the BenQ EL2870U. The EX2780Q's IPS panel has much better viewing angles, contrast ratio, and black uniformity. It also has a much higher refresh rate, as well as a lower input lag. On the other hand, the EL2870U has a 4k resolution, which is better for productivity, and better color accuracy out of the box.

ASUS TUF VG27AQ

The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is better than the BenQ EX2780Q in most uses. The ASUS has a much better build quality, significantly better ergonomics, and it has a black frame insertion feature that can help reduce the appearance of motion blur. Its refresh rate is also slightly higher, but the BenQ has better viewing angles and it can get much brighter.

Dell UltraSharp U2721DE

The BenQ EX2780Q is better than the Dell UltraSharp U2721DE. The BenQ has a much higher refresh rate, making it much better for gaming, although even desktop users will notice a difference. The BenQ also supports HDR, although this doesn't add much. The Dell has better ergonomics and a better stand, and it supports power delivery over its USB-C port.

Dell S2721DGF

The Dell S2721DGF is better than the BenQ EX2780Q overall. The Dell has a higher refresh rate and a faster response time, which results in a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. It also has significantly better ergonomics and USB ports. 

ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q

The ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q is marginally better than the BenQ EX2780Q. The ASUS has a slightly higher refresh rate, and its ergonomics are significantly better. Build quality is better on the ASUS, and it has a more accurate color reproduction out-of-the-box. On the other hand, the BenQ supports HDR, but it doesn't have a black frame insertion feature, which the ASUS has.

Dell Alienware AW2720HF

The BenQ EX2780Q is marginally better than the Dell Alienware AW2720HF. The BenQ has a higher resolution, better contrast ratio, and significantly better black uniformity. Also, the BenQ supports HDR, but the Dell has a higher refresh rate, a faster response time, and its ergonomics are much better, as it can be adjusted however you like.

Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD

The Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD is a bit better than the BenQ EX2780Q. The AORUS has significantly better ergonomics, out-of-box color accuracy, and gradient performance. The AORUS also has an optional black frame insertion feature to help reduce motion blur and a host of extra features for gaming and productivity. However, black uniformity is much worse on the AORUS, as there's noticeable clouding and backlight bleed through the screen.

Dell S2421H

The BenQ EX2780Q is much better than the Dell S2421H. The BenQ has a larger, higher-resolution screen, better viewing angles, and supports HDR. The BenQ also has a faster refresh rate, and a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 27"
Curved No
Curve Radius Not Curved
Weight (without stand)
11.7 lbs (5.3 kg)
Weight (with stand)
13.1 lbs (6.0 kg)

Update 01/15/2021: We mistakenly indicated the weight with stand as 6 lbs instead of 6 kg. It has been fixed.

The BenQ EX2780Q has a fairly simple design that fits into any office setting. It has thin borders and the bottom part of the screen houses the internal speakers. The stand doesn't take up too much space, and you can use the rectangular space created by the stand to put other things.

Design
Stand
Width
9.8" (24.9 cm)
Depth
6.3" (16.1 cm)

The stand is a mix of metal and plastic. It supports the monitor well, but it wobbles a bit.

1.5
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
0.0" (0.0 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range No swivel
Tilt Range -20Ā° to 5Ā°

Update 01/20/2021: For consistency, we've changed the height adjustment from N/A to '0.0'. The score has been adjusted accordingly.

The monitor has bad ergonomics, as it only allows for tilt adjustments. If you want a similar monitor with better ergonomics, check out the Lenovo Legion Y27q-20.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The back of the monitor is plain black plastic. There are controls located at the bottom left corner and there's cable management built into the stand.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.2" (0.6 cm)

The borders of the monitor are very thin, making it a good choice for multi-monitor setups.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
5.2" (13.3 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
3.2" (8.1 cm)

The monitor has a fairly thin profile and doesn't take up a lot of space.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

Build quality is decent. It has a mostly plastic construction and feels a little cheap where the stand connects to the monitor, but otherwise, there's nothing that stands out.

Picture Quality
6.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,142 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

Like most IPS monitors, the BenQ EX2780Q has a mediocre contrast ratio, resulting in blacks that look more like gray when viewed in the dark.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

This monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video above is for reference only.

8.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
337 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
359 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
359 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
359 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
358 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.000

The EX2780Q has good peak brightness. There's very little variation between different content, and it should be bright enough to overcome glare in a well-lit room.

7.1
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
455 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 2% Window
480 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 10% Window
480 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 25% Window
480 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 50% Window
480 cd/mĀ²
HDR Peak 100% Window
479 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 2% Window
478 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 10% Window
479 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 25% Window
479 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 50% Window
479 cd/mĀ²
HDR Sustained 100% Window
479 cd/mĀ²
HDR ABL
0.000

HDR peak brightness is decent and there's no brightness variation with different content. It's bright enough for HDR gaming, but it won't be able to bring out specular highlights in HDR movies.

8.4
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
46Ā°
Color Washout From Right
51Ā°
Color Shift From Left
54Ā°
Color Shift From Right
61Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
46Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
51Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
70Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
70Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
48Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
51Ā°

The EX2780Q has impressive horizontal viewing angles. This is great for playing co-op games or to share work with colleagues.

6.7
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
24Ā°
Color Washout From Above
33Ā°
Color Shift From Below
35Ā°
Color Shift From Above
46Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
29Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
37Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
62Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
54Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
26Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
35Ā°

The EX2780Q has acceptable vertical viewing angles. The top and bottom edges of the screen should remain accurate even if you sit up close.

8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.742%
50% DSE
0.110%
5% Std. Dev.
0.387%
5% DSE
0.058%

Gray uniformity is excellent. There's a bit of vignetting at the top left corner and the right side of the screen; however, it's much better in dark scenes.

6.1
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.944%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Black uniformity is mediocre. There's visible backlight bleed at the top right corner as well as some clouding throughout the screen.

7.1
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
M-Book
Luminance
314 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
100
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
100-100-100
Gamma Setting
2.2 (Default)
Color Temperature
6,521 K
White Balance dE
3.51
Color dE
3.18
Gamma
2.48

Out-of-the-box color accuracy is decent. There are inaccuracies with several colors and with shades of gray. The gamma is too high, resulting in images looking darker than they should.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
User
Luminance
102 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
13
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
96-99-100
Gamma Setting
2.2 (Default)
Color Temperature
6,580 K
White Balance dE
0.73
Color dE
0.53
Gamma
2.18

After calibration, color accuracy is outstanding. Any remaining inaccuracies shouldn't be noticeable to the naked eye.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here.This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model due to manufacturing tolerances.

9.3
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
99.6%
Adobe RGB xy
86.3%
sRGB Picture Mode
User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
User

The EX2780Q has an exceptional SDR color gamut. It covers all of the sRGB color space used in most content, and it has excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, which is used for professional photo editing.

9.5
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
98.0%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
91.6%
sRGB Picture Mode
User
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
User

SDR color volume is outstanding. The monitor can display rich, saturated colors, but it can't display dark colors well due to its low contrast ratio.

6.9
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
70.4%
Rec. 2020 xy
68.4%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
Display HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
Display HDR

The EX2780Q has an acceptable HDR color gamut. The commonly used DCI P3 coverage and the wider Rec. 2020 coverage are both decent.

6.2
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
62.0%
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
62.4%
DCI P3 Picture Mode
Display HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
Display HDR

HDR color volume is mediocre. Due to its low contrast ratio, this monitor can't display dark colors well.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 2 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 4 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 6 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 8 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 10 Min Recovery
0.00%

There are no signs of image retention on this monitor.

9.0
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

Gradient performance is excellent, though there is some banding in dark gray, dark red, and dark blue.

8.0
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.001%
Pixel Column Error
0.408%

The EX2780Q has some color bleed, particularly with red, blue, and magenta. It shouldn't be noticeable in regular content, but patterns such as the above photo can make it more visible.

7.5
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.1%
Indirect Reflections
2.7%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.4%

This monitor has good reflection handling. It has a matte coating to diffuse light and its performance is very similar to the ASUS TUF VG27AQ.

7.0
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
IPS
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB

Text clarity is decent. It's noticeably clearer when ClearType is enabled (top photo), especially for diagonal lines, as seen on the letters R and N.

Motion
8.7
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Premium
Rise / Fall Time
5.2 ms
Total Response Time
11.8 ms
Overshoot Error
3.3%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
6.5 ms
Dark Total Response Time
14.1 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%

Mode Response Time Chart Motion Blur Photo Response Time Table
Off Chart Photo Table
High Chart Photo Table
Premium Chart Photo Table

The BenQ EX2780Q has an outstanding response time, resulting in a clear picture with very little blur behind fast-moving objects.

Like most monitors, the overdrive level can be adjusted. On this monitor, we recommend the 'Premium' setting, as it provides the best performance. However, there's a little bit of overshoot, which can cause inverse ghosting.

8.0
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
High
Rise / Fall Time
7.7 ms
Total Response Time
13.7 ms
Overshoot Error
0%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
9.0 ms
Dark Total Response Time
15.5 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
0.0%

Mode Response Time Chart Motion Blur Photo Response Time Table
Off Chart Photo Table
High Chart Photo Table
Premium Chart Photo Table

Response time is good when playing at 60Hz. It's slightly slower than when playing at max refresh rate, though it shouldn't be noticeable for most people. We recommend the 'High' setting, as the 'Premium' setting caused a significant amount of overshoot, resulting in the appearance of artifacts.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The EX2780Q has a flicker-free backlight to help reduce eye strain.

0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
No BFI
BFI Maximum Frequency
N/A
BFI Minimum Frequency
N/A

The BenQ EX2780Q doesn't have a black frame insertion feature.

9.0
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
144 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

The refresh rate is excellent. The monitor supports FreeSync and is compatible with NVIDIA's G-SYNC with a driver update. If you want a similar monitor with a higher refresh rate, check out the Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx.

Inputs
9.5
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
4.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
9.0 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
4.1 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
8.8 ms
10 Bit HDR
4.7 ms
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
N/A

Input lag is outstanding. It's slightly higher when playing at 60Hz, but shouldn't be noticeable for most people.

8.3
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
Screen Diagonal 27.0"
Screen Area 310 inĀ²

The BenQ EX2780Q's size and resolution are great for both gaming and multitasking. There's a good amount of screen real estate to have multiple windows opened at the same time.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 2 (HDMI 2.0)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm 1
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal
Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
Yes
HDR10 Yes
Multiple Input Display
No

The EX2780Q has a few additional features:

  • HDRi: Built-in sensor that detects ambient light and adjusts the image accordingly. This feature affects calibration and also emulates HDR effect in non-HDR content.
  • Remote control
  • EQ for internal speakers
  • Eye reminder: Lets you set a timer to remind you to take breaks.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

There are controls located on the back of the monitor. It includes a power button, a joystick, and two navigational buttons.

Features
In The Box

  • User guide
  • Remote control
  • Remote control holder
  • Lithium ion battery
  • USB-C cable
  • HDMI cable
  • Power cable