The BenQ X3000i is a 4k HDR10/HLG 4LED projector primarily meant for playing video games. It projects a 100" image at a distance of 8.4 to 10.9 feet, 120" at a distance of 10 to 13.1 feet, and a very large 150" at a distance of 12.5 to 16.3 feet. The projector comes with auto vertical 2D Keystone technology to eliminate trapezoid effects when it's installed at an angle. It has two HDMI 2.0b ports for 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz gaming and one internal HDMI 2.0b port that's reserved for the included Android TV 10 QS01 dongle. The dongle brings Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 support, casting capabilities with Google Cast, and support for Google Assistant and Google Voice Search. Finally, the projector has two integrated 5W chambered speakers.
Our Verdict
The BenQ X3000i is very good for watching movies. Its native contrast is good, and its brightness is very good, leading to deep blacks and a bright image when watched in a dark room or when a few lights are on. It's bright enough to emphasize its wide color gamut and has excellent color accuracy pre-calibration.
- Good contrast for deep blacks in dark rooms.
- Bright enough to look vibrant in dark rooms, and can even handle rooms with a few lights.
- Wide color gamut.
- Excellent pre-calibration accuracy.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 03, 2024: We mentioned the newly-reviewed BenQ X3100i in the Compared To Other Projectors and Differences Between Sizes And Variants sections of this review.
- Updated May 21, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 0.9, mainly in the Verdict, Compared To Other Projectors and Contrast sections.
- Updated May 21, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9. We've overhauled our Contrast tests, as we now measure contrast at various average pixel levels (APL). You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Feb 16, 2024: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the BenQ X3000i. This projector has a newer and better model, the BenQ X3100i, which has slightly better brightness, contrast, and colors, supports 1440p at 60Hz and 120Hz, and comes with a newer Android TV 11 QS02 dongle with Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 support.
| Model | Bluetooth | HDR10+ | Native Netflix | Wi-Fi | Dongle USB passthrough | 1440p @ 120Hz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BenQ X3000i (QS01) | 4.2 | No | No | Wi-Fi 5 | No | No |
| BenQ X3100i (QS02) | 5.0 | Yes | Yes | Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Yes |
Our unit was manufactured in September 2022; you can see the label here.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The BenQ X3000i is a very good projector that excels in its versatility. It's very capable for gaming with its 1080p @ 240Hz support and low input lag, and it's no slouch for movies with its good contrast, very good peak brightness, and excellent pre-calibration color accuracy. Its successor, the BenQ X3100i, is slightly better overall, although the biggest differences between them are due to their respective streaming dongles; the QS02 dongle included with the X3100i is more advanced than the X3000i's QS01. You can, however, upgrade the X3000i's dongle; look up instructions for this here. Otherwise, if you don't care about gaming or smart features, the Epson Home Cinema 3800 is better for watching movies at a slightly lower price.
Check out our recommendations for the best 4k projectors and the best projectors for home theater. If you'd prefer to shop for a cheaper product, look up the best projectors under $1,000 instead.
The BenQ X3100i is a slight but noticeable upgrade over the BenQ X3000i. The X3100i is slightly brighter, has better contrast, and has a wider color gamut. The X3000i is somewhat more accurate out of the box, but the X3100i is still excellent. The biggest difference between the two is in the inclusion of the QS02 streaming dongle with the X3100i, which has significantly more features than the QS01 dongle included with the X3000i. Thus, if you care about streaming features, the X3100i is better, although you can buy an upgrade pack to install the QS02 dongle on the BenQ X3000i.
The Hisense C1 and the BenQ X3000i are both great lifestyle projectors, though the BenQ is better suited to gaming thanks to its low input lag gaming mode. The BenQ also gets brighter, making it a better fit for moderately lit rooms, while the Hisense's edge in its contrast makes it better suited for dark rooms. The BenQ's optical zoom also gives you more flexibility with placement. Conversely, the Hisense is better for HDR content, with a wide color gamut and Dolby Vision support.
The BenQ X3000i is better than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra. The XGIMI is a bit brighter, but the BenQ has slightly better contrast and noticeably better color accuracy. The BenQ is also better for gaming with its 1080p @ 240Hz support. While neither projector is particularly portable, the XGIMI has full auto keystone support with object avoidance and autofocus, making it the easier of the two to set up. The XGIMI has more modern features, as it has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and Android TV 11, while the BenQ's included Android dongle is limited to Android TV 10, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 4.2.
The Epson Home Cinema 5050UB offers slightly better image quality than the BenQ X3000i due to its wider color gamut and better contrast. However, the BenQ is much smaller and has significantly more features. The Epson is a barebones projector without any smart or wireless features, while the BenQ comes with the QS01 streaming dongle, which has Android TV, Bluetooth, and Chromecast built-in. The BenQ also has more features for gamers, as it can project a 4k @ 60Hz or 1080p @ 240Hz image, while the Epson is limited to 4k @ 60Hz. Thus, if you're going for pure image quality, the Epson is better, but the BenQ is more versatile.
We've independently bought and tested over 80 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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