The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is a 24 inch, 1080p monitor with great gaming performance. It has an excellent response time, delivering clear motion with only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It has outstanding low input lag, but unfortunately, it doesn't support any of the variable refresh rate technologies, like AMD's FreeSync. This monitor has good peak brightness and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue in a bright room. Unfortunately, it has terrible black uniformity, and like all TN monitors the image degrades when viewed at an angle.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
Our Verdict
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is an okay monitor for most uses. It's a great gaming monitor, with low input lag and a fast response time. The screen is a bit small, though, and the 1080p native resolution isn't great for multitasking in an office or for media creation. It doesn't support HDR, the image degrades when viewed at an angle, and it has terrible black uniformity.
- Excellent response time.
- Outstanding low input lag.
- Good peak brightness and good reflection handling.
- Terrible black uniformity.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Doesn't support any advanced gaming features, like FreeSync.
The BenQ XL2411P is a decent monitor for office use. It has great ergonomics, so it's easy to place it in an ideal viewing position. It also has good reflection handling and good peak brightness, so glare shouldn't be an issue in a bright room. Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle, and the screen is too small and too low resolution to multitask comfortably.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is a great monitor for gaming. It has an excellent response time, resulting in clear motion with very little blur, and it has outstanding low input lag, for a responsive gaming experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technologies, and the 1080p resolution might disappoint some gamers.
The BenQ XL2411P is a reasonable monitor for multimedia. It has outstanding low input lag, for a responsive experience, and good reflection handling. The 24 inch, 1080p screen might be too small for some people, though, and like all TN monitors the image degrades when viewed at an angle.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is an okay monitor for media creation. It has great ergonomics, so you can easily place it in an ideal viewing position or turn it to share your screen, but unfortunately, the image degrades at an angle. The low resolution, relatively small screen isn't great for multitasking.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 15, 2022: The review incorrectly stated that the HDMI port supports HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. It's actually limited to HDMI 1.4.
- Updated Jan 13, 2022: Changed the backlight to edge-lit.
- Updated Jun 26, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Oct 09, 2019: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 24 inch BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P, which is part of BenQ's ZOWIE lineup, but is the only size available. The XL2411 (non "P") is a different monitor, with slightly different connectors. We don't expect our review to be valid for it.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their ZOWIE XL2411P doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests like gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Notes |
| XL2411P | 24" | 1080p | 144Hz | |
| XL2411 | 24" | 1080p | 144Hz | |
| XL2430 | 24" | 1080p | 144Hz | |
| XL2540 | 24.5" | 1080p | 240Hz |
The BenQ XL2411P we reviewed was manufactured in July 2019.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The BenQ XL2411P is a great budget gaming monitor. It has very few of the additional features found on most gaming monitors, but still delivers a great gaming experience. See also our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best budget gaming monitors, and the best 1080p monitors.
The ASUS VG248QG is better for gaming than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P. The ASUS has a few extra features for gamers, like a higher 165Hz refresh rate and VRR support, which the BenQ doesn't have. The ASUS also has much better motion handling thanks to the quicker response time, especially at 60Hz, and it has better ergonomics thanks to the wider swivel range. The BenQ gets brighter, but the ASUS has better reflection handling, so they both perform well in bright rooms.
Overall, the Acer Nitro XF243Y is much better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P. The Acer has a significantly faster response time and a slightly higher refresh rate, resulting in more responsiveness and clearer motion. Also, it supports VRR to reduce screen tearing, which the BenQ doesn't. However, the BenQ's Black Frame Insertion feature works over a wider frequency range to reduce motion blur.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is much better than the Acer GN246HL Bbid. The BenQ has much better ergonomics and a flicker-free backlight. The Acer has a faster response time, but there is noticeable overshoot, causing distracting ghosting artifacts behind fast-moving objects. The BenQ has lower input lag, ensuring a responsive gaming experience, even when gaming at 60Hz, great for console gamers.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is a bit better than the ASUS VG245H. The BenQ has a faster refresh rate, resulting in smoother overall motion, even though the ASUS has a slightly faster response time. The BenQ also has an optional black frame insertion feature, resulting in even clearer motion. The ASUS, on the other hand, supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, resulting in a nearly tear-free gaming experience.
The ASUS VG248QE and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P are very similar overall. the BenQ has a more versatile black frame insertion feature that is supported over a wider range of refresh rates, but the ASUS has a faster response time.
The ViewSonic XG2402 is better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P. The ViewSonic has a faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. The BenQ has an optional black frame insertion feature, though, but motion still looks better on the ViewSonic. The ViewSonic supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology for a nearly tear-free gaming experience.
The Dell S2419HGF is slightly better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P. Both monitors have an excellent refresh rate of 144Hz, even though the Dell has to be overclocked to get there. The Dell, however, also supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate for an almost tear-free gaming experience. Both monitors are flicker-free, which is great, but the BenQ offers an optional black frame insertion feature to help make motion crisper.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P is much better than the Dell E2220H. The BenQ has a much faster refresh rate and faster response times, making it a better choice for gaming. The BenQ also has much better ergonomics, and it's a lot brighter, making it a more versatile choice.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P and the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 are okay overall monitors, but they're for different uses. The BenQ is a gaming monitor with a higher 144Hz refresh rate and much quicker response times, so motion looks smoother. It comes with a stand with great ergonomic adjustments, and it's better to use in well-lit rooms because of its higher brightness and better reflection handling. On the other hand, the Lenovo is a portable monitor designed for use on the go. It has a smaller screen, but since they each have a 1080p resolution, the Lenovo has a much higher pixel density resulting in sharper text. It also has wider viewing angles, making it easy to share your screen with others.
The ASUS VG246H is much better than the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P. The ASUS has much better viewing angles and ergonomics, and the unit we tested has better gray uniformity. For gamers, the BenQ has a better response time at its max refresh rate, but it doesn't support variable refresh rate technology (VRR). Which one is better for gaming will depend on personal preference. If motion blur bothers you more, the BenQ is a slightly better choice. If screen tearing bothers you more, the ASUS is a slightly better choice.
Test Results
The stand is bulky, but supports the monitor well and there is very little wobble.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has great ergonomics, and the stand can easily be placed in the ideal viewing position or turned to share your screen with someone.
The back is plain, with no quick release for the stand, and no RGB bias-lighting feature. There's a clip on the back of the stand for cable management, but it's pretty basic.
The borders are thicker than most 24 inch monitors we've tested. This isn't a great choice for a multi-display setup.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has okay build quality. The exterior panels are all plastic, and the plastic itself feels easily breakable.
Like most TN monitors, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has a disappointing contrast ratio. This causes blacks to look gray, and it's especially noticeable in a dark room.
Update 01/13/2022: We changed the backlight from Direct to Edge after confirming it's edge-lit.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P doesn't have a local dimming feature. The above video is provided for reference only.
This monitor has very good peak brightness, with no noticeable change in brightness with different content. There shouldn't be any issues using this monitor in a bright room.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
Like all TN monitors, the image degrades when viewed from the side. This shouldn't cause any issues for most people, though.
Like all TN monitors, the image degrades when viewed from above or below. From below, the image inverts at wider angles, and at one point the display can't be seen at all.
This monitor has decent gray uniformity. There is some dirty screen effect in the center of the screen, but this shouldn't be very noticeable with most content. The top of the screen is noticeably darker due to the mediocre vertical viewing angle.
Unfortunately, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has terrible black uniformity. There is noticeable clouding in dark scenes, and this may be distracting in dark scenes in a dark room.
Out of the box, this monitor has mediocre accuracy. There are some noticeable inaccuracies in most colors and in brighter shades of gray, and the color temperature is a bit cool. The biggest issue is gamma, which doesn't follow the sRGB target curve at all, so most scenes aren't displayed at the correct brightness.
After calibration, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has much better accuracy, but there are still a few issues. It wasn't possible to completely correct the color inaccuracies, but gamma is much closer to the target curve, and the white balance is almost perfect.
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.
This monitor has an excellent SDR color gamut. It has nearly perfect coverage of the standard sRGB color gamut used by the majority of desktop content, but limited coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color gamut.
This monitor has great SDR color volume. Due to the low contrast ratio, it can't display dark, saturated colors very well, and colors aren't quite as bright as pure white.
The BenQ XL2411P can't display an HDR color gamut.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
There are no signs of temporary image retention on this monitor, even immediately after displaying our high-contrast, static test image for 10 minutes. This can vary between units, though, so let us know in the discussions below if your unit shows signs of image retention.
This monitor has great gradient handling. As it can only display 8-bit colors, there is some noticeable 8-bit banding.
There is no noticeable color bleed on this monitor.
This monitor has good reflection handling, similar to the ASUS VG248QE and the Acer GN246HL, so glare shouldn't be an issue in most rooms.
This monitor has decent text clarity. We strongly recommend running the Windows ClearType (top photo) wizard if you're on a PC. There are some font issues in apps that don't support ClearType.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Off | Chart | Table | Photo |
| High | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Premium | Chart | Table | Photo |
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has an excellent response time, resulting in clear motion with only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The level of overdrive can be adjusted by changing the AMA setting. We recommend the 'Off' setting. 'High' has a noticeably faster response time, but there is significant overshoot in most transitions, and 'Premium' is even worse.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Off | Chart | Table | Photo |
| High | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Premium | Chart | Table | Photo |
When dropping down to a 60Hz refresh rate, the overdrive behavior changes significantly, and the response time is significantly worse. With the 'High' AMA setting, which we recommend, the rise/fall time is excellent, but the total response time is terrible, and there's noticeable overshoot. This can be seen in our response time pursuit photo. The trailing darker pixels are caused by the slow response time, and the white lines behind that are inverse ghosting caused by the overshoot. Switching to the 'Off' setting removes the overshoot, but the rise/fall time is significantly slower, so instead of white trailing inverse ghosting, you get a long blur trail behind fast-moving objects. If the response time at 60Hz is important to you, then check out the ASUS VG248QG, which has a much faster response time at 60Hz.
The backlight is completely flicker-free, even at low brightness levels, which is great.
There's an optional black frame insertion feature, known as Blur Reduction, and it's available even at low refresh rates, like when gaming on a console.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has an excellent native refresh rate, but it doesn't support any of the variable refresh rate technologies, like AMD's FreeSync. If you want a monitor with VRR support, check out the Acer Nitro XF243Y.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P has outstanding low input lag, even at 60Hz. For the lowest lag possible, it's recommended to enable the Instant Mode setting from the 'Picture' menu.
The low 1080p resolution and small screen isn't great for multitasking, but delivers a sharp enough image for gaming.
Update 02/15/2022: The HDMI port is limited to HDMI 1.4 bandwidth, not HDMI 2.0. This makes no difference in the capabilities of the display, as the highest bandwidth format it supports fits within the bandwidth limitations of HDMI 1.4.
The review incorrectly stated that the HDMI port supports HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. It's actually limited to HDMI 1.4.
This monitor has very few additional features. There are a few gaming features, including a black equalizer feature that adjusts gamma to make it easier to spot objects in dark scenes.
