The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is an excellent gaming monitor that delivers exceptional motion handling. It has a quick response time and a 240Hz refresh rate that result in clear images in fast-moving scenes, and it has both FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Its 25 inch screen and 1080p resolution should satisfy most people; however, it might feel a bit cramped if you're using it for work. Its excellent ergonomics let you place the screen at your optimal viewing position, but its TN panel has poor viewing angles, causing images to look inaccurate from the sides. Also, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray, and it doesn't support HDR.
Our Verdict
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is a decent monitor overall. It's excellent for gaming due to its low input lag, fast response time, and high refresh rate. The 25 inch screen size and 1080p resolution should be satisfactory for most people, but it might be too small for productivity, especially if you have multiple windows opened side-by-side. Sadly, it doesn't support HDR.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Great reflection handling.
- Sub-par contrast ratio.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Might not get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is decent for office use. It has a 25 inch screen that should be big enough for most people, but it might feel a bit cramped if you have multiple windows side-by-side. You can adjust the screen easily thanks to its excellent ergonomics; however, it has a TN panel with poor viewing angles, so it isn't the best choice if you want to share your work. Visibility shouldn't be an issue in most lighting conditions, but it may not get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Great reflection handling.
- Sub-par contrast ratio.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Might not get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is an excellent gaming monitor. It has an exceptionally low input lag and a high refresh rate to deliver a fluid and responsive gaming experience. Its fast response time results in clear images in fast-moving scenes, and it supports variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. Unfortunately, it's not the best for gaming in the dark due to its low contrast ratio, and its poor viewing angles aren't ideal for playing co-op games.
- Exceptional response time.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- 240Hz refresh rate.
- Sub-par contrast ratio.
- Narrow viewing angles.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is decent for media consumption. Most people should be satisfied with its 25 inch screen and 1080p resolution, and it has excellent ergonomics so that you can adjust the screen for the best viewing experience. However, images look washed out from the sides due to its narrow viewing angles, which isn't ideal for sharing content. Additionally, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray in the dark.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Great reflection handling.
- Sub-par contrast ratio.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Might not get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is decent for content creation. It has an excellent SDR color gamut with near full sRGB coverage and decent accuracy out of the box. However, the 25 inch screen might not be big enough for some people, and the pixel density is a bit low, resulting in a less detailed and blurrier image. Also, it has a TN panel with a low contrast ratio, and its poor viewing angles aren't ideal if you want to share your work.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Great reflection handling.
- Sub-par contrast ratio.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Might not get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K doesn't support HDR.
Changelog
- Updated May 15, 2024: Added that the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546X has better Contrast.
- Updated Jan 04, 2023: We bought and tested the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K, and we've added a few relevant comparisons below.
- Updated Dec 08, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Dec 03, 2020: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 25" BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K. There are two other variants with slightly reduced features, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546S. It's been replaced by the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K, which ups the refresh rate to 360Hz and offers a customizable overdrive setting. There are many monitors in the XL lineup of gaming monitors; you can see some of them in the table below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Panel Type | Notes |
| XL2566K | 24.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 360Hz | TN | 4-way Scroll S Switch, XL Setting to Share, DyAc+ |
| XL2546K | 24.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | TN | 4-way Scroll S Switch, XL Setting to Share, DyAc+ |
| XL2546S | 24.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | TN | 2-way Scroll S Switch, DyAc+ |
| XL2546 | 24.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | TN | 2-way Scroll S Switch, DyAc |
| XL2540 | 25" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | TN | |
| XL2411P | 24" | 1920 x 1080 | 144Hz | TN | No VRR |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or their BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K 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 was manufactured in August 2020; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is an excellent gaming monitor that delivers remarkably smooth gameplay. However, it's expensive for a 25 inch 1080p TN panel, so it's better suited for esports players who need the greatest responsiveness at the cost of other features like HDR support. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 1080p monitors, the best 24-25 inch monitors, and the best 240Hz monitors.
BenQ ZOWIE XL2546X is a newer version of the BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K, and both monitors are extremely similar. Fast-moving objects look sharp on both monitors, and they're well-suited to esports gamers. However, the XL2546X is the better monitor, as it has an updated version of BenQ's backlight strobing technology. That said, the image quality on both monitors isn't very good, and you should consider other monitors we recommend in our best gaming monitors article if you care about a good image.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2540 are very similar overall. The XL2546K has a better response time and a better SDR color gamut. However, the XL2540 gets brighter and has better gradient handling.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K are extremely similar overall, but the newer XL2566K offers better motion handling and a customizable overdrive setting. When comparing the same settings across both displays, the XL2566K delivers a faster rise/fall time and significantly less overshoot, resulting in clearer motion with less ghosting or white trails behind fast-moving objects.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K and the BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X are both esports gaming monitors with a TN panel. Choosing one over the other really comes down to the max refresh rate you want to game at as the XL2586X has a much higher refresh rate.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without 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, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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