The BenQ GW2780 is a 27-inch computer monitor with an IPS panel with a resolution of 1920×1080 (Full HD). It boasts built-in speakers and is marketed as a monitor suitable for various uses, from office work to media consumption and even gaming.
Our Verdict
Overall, the BenQ GW2780 offers excellent value for its price. Its full HD resolution, combined with its IPS panel, provides clear and vibrant images. The built-in speakers are a nice bonus and add to the convenience of not relying on external speakers.
Mixed Usage
For everyday use, the GW2780 is more than adequate. The display is bright and clear, with excellent viewing angles, making it ideal for web browsing and office work tasks.
Office: For office use, the GW2780 is an excellent choice. The monitor’s full HD resolution and IPS panel make text and graphics clear and easy to see. The monitor’s slim bezels and modern design make it a great addition to any workspace.
Gaming
While the GW2780 is not marketed as a gaming monitor, it can still handle light to medium-duty gaming. The monitor’s response time is good enough for casual gaming, but competitive gamers may want to consider a monitor with a faster refresh rate.
Media Consumption
The GW2780 is an excellent choice for media consumption, such as watching videos or streaming content. The monitor’s IPS panel provides excellent color accuracy and viewing angles, making it a great option for movie-watching or binge-watching your favourite shows.
Media Creation
For media creation, such as photo or video editing, there may be better options than the GW2780 due to its limited color gamut. If color accuracy is critical for your work, consider a monitor with a wider color gamut.
HDR
The GW2780 does not support HDR, so users looking for an HDR monitor may want to look elsewhere.
Compared to Other Monitors
Compared to other monitors in its price range, the BenQ GW2780 stands out with its slim bezels and modern design. The monitor’s IPS panel provides excellent color accuracy and viewing angles, making it a great option for media consumption and office use. The built-in speakers are also a convenient bonus that can save you the cost and hassle of buying external speakers.
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DESIGN
Style:
The BenQ GW2780 has a modern and stylish design, slim bezels, and a sleek stand. The monitor’s silver and black color scheme are understated yet elegant, making it an excellent choice for various office or home environments.
Build Quality:
The build quality of the BenQ GW2780 is good for its price. The monitor feels solid and well-made, with no noticeable creaks or flexing. The stand is sturdy and provides good stability for the monitor.
Ergonomics:
The BenQ GW2780 has good ergonomics, with a tilt range of -5° to 20°. This allows you to adjust the monitor to your preferred viewing angle, reducing eye strain and neck fatigue. The monitor’s slim bezels also make it an excellent choice for a dual or multi-monitor setup.
Stand:
The stand of the BenQ GW2780 is simple but effective. It is sturdy and provides good stability for the monitor, with no noticeable wobble. The stand is also easy to assemble, taking only a few minutes to attach to the monitor.
Display:
The BenQ GW2780 features a 27-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920×1080 (Full HD). The display is bright and clear, with excellent viewing angles and color accuracy. The monitor’s response time is good enough for casual gaming, but competitive gamers may want to consider a monitor with a faster refresh rate.
Controls:
The BenQ GW2780 are located on the back of the monitor, near the bottom. They are easy to use and navigate, with intuitive buttons for navigating the on-screen display (OSD) menu. The monitor also has a power button and a button for accessing the OSD menu.
In the Box:
In the box, you’ll find the BenQ GW2780 monitor, a stand, a power cable, an HDMI cable, and a quick start guide.
Picture Quality
The picture quality of the BenQ GW2780 is excellent for its price. The IPS panel provides clear and vibrant images with excellent color accuracy and viewing angles. The monitor’s full HD resolution is also a plus, providing plenty of real estate for your applications and content.
Contrast:
The contrast of the BenQ GW2780 is good but could be more exceptional. The IPS panel provides good black levels, but some noticeable light bleeds in dark scenes. This is common among monitors in this price range, but it may be more noticeable on the BenQ GW2780 due to its slim bezels.
Local Dimming:
The BenQ GW2780 does not feature local dimming, which is the ability of a monitor to control the brightness of individual sections of the screen independently. Without local dimming, the monitor is limited in producing deep blacks and vivid highlights. However, this is expected in a monitor at this price point.
SDR Brightness:
In standard dynamic range (SDR) mode, the BenQ GW2780 has a brightness of 250 nits, which is good for most office and media consumption purposes. The monitor’s brightness is adjustable in the on-screen display (OSD) menu, allowing you to fine-tune it to your preferences.
HDR Brightness:
The BenQ GW2780 does not support HDR (high dynamic range) content. This means you will not be able to enjoy HDR content, such as movies and games, with improved brightness and color accuracy.
Horizontal Viewing Angle:
The horizontal viewing angle of the BenQ GW2780 is excellent, with no noticeable color shifting or degradation of image quality when viewed from off-centre positions. This is a benefit of the monitor’s IPS panel, which is known for its wide viewing angles.
Vertical Viewing Angle:
The vertical viewing angle of the BenQ GW2780 is also excellent, with no noticeable color shifting or degradation of image quality when viewed from above or below. This makes the monitor a perfect choice for multi-person viewing or presentations.
Gray Uniformity:
The gray uniformity of the BenQ GW2780 is good, with no noticeable variations in brightness or color across the screen. This is important for maintaining consistent image quality, especially when working with large documents or spreadsheets.
Black Uniformity:
The black uniformity of the BenQ GW2780 is average, with some noticeable light bleed in dark scenes. This is expected in a monitor at this price point, but it may be more prominent on the BenQ GW2780 due to its slim bezels.
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration):
The color accuracy of the BenQ GW2780 is suitable for a monitor at this price point. Out of the box, the monitor provides accurate and vibrant colors ideal for most office and media consumption purposes. However, professional graphic designers and video editors may want to calibrate the monitor for more precise color accuracy.
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration):
The color accuracy of the BenQ GW2780 can be improved through calibration. After calibration, the monitor provides accurate and vibrant colors suitable for professional graphic design and video editing.
SDR Color Gamut:
The BenQ GW2780 provides good color gamut coverage in standard dynamic range (SDR) mode. The monitor covers the sRGB color gamut, the standard used for most content on the internet, including web pages, videos, and photos.
SDR Color Volume:
The BenQ GW2780 provides good color volume in standard dynamic range (SDR) mode. This means the monitor can display a wide range of colors with good accuracy and vibrancy.
HDR Color Gamut:
The BenQ GW2780 does not support HDR (high dynamic range) content, so it does not provide HDR color gamut coverage.
HDR Color Volume:
The BenQ GW2780 does not support HDR (high dynamic range) content, so it does not provide HDR color volume.
Reflections:
The BenQ GW2780 has an average anti-glare coating, which helps to reduce reflections on the screen. The monitor is best used in a well-lit room, as the anti-glare coating may not be effective in extremely bright environments.
Text Clarity:
The text clarity of the BenQ GW2780 is excellent. The monitor provides clear and sharp text, making it a great choice for reading documents, spreadsheets, and other text-based content.
Gradient:
The gradient performance of the BenQ GW2780 is good, with no noticeable banding or stepping. The monitor can display smooth and accurate color transitions, making it an excellent choice for photo and video editing.
MOTION
The BenQ GW2780 provides decent motion handling for a budget monitor. It has a fast response time, which helps to reduce ghosting and motion blur in fast-paced scenes.
Refresh Rate:
The BenQ GW2780 has a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is standard for most monitors in its price range. A refresh rate of 60Hz means that the monitor can display 60 frames per second (fps), which is sufficient for most tasks, including office work, media consumption, and even casual gaming.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR):
The BenQ GW2780 does not support variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, such as NVIDIA G-Sync or AMD FreeSync. This means that the monitor cannot dynamically match its refresh rate to the frame rate of your graphics card, which can result in screen tearing and stuttering in games.
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate:
The response time of the BenQ GW2780 is fast, with a reported 4ms (gray to gray) response time at its maximum refresh rate of 60Hz. The monitor can quickly change colors, reducing ghosting and motion blur in fast-paced scenes.
Response Time @ 120Hz:
The BenQ GW2780 does not support a refresh rate of 120Hz, so its response time at that refresh rate cannot be measured.
Response Time @ 60Hz:
At 60Hz, the response time of the BenQ GW2780 is 4ms (gray to gray), which provides decent motion handling for a budget monitor.
Backlight Strobing (BFI):
The BenQ GW2780 does not support backlight strobing (BFI) technology, which can improve motion clarity and reduce motion blur in fast-paced scenes. However, its fast response time helps to reduce ghosting and motion blur without the need for BFI.
Image Flicker:
The BenQ GW2780 has no significant image flicker, even at low brightness levels. This helps to reduce eye strain and headaches, making it an excellent choice for long-term use.
INPUTS
The BenQ GW2780 has a variety of inputs, including VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort. This allows you to connect the monitor to various devices, including computers, laptops, gaming consoles, and even smartphones.
Input Lag:
The input lag of the BenQ GW2780 is low, with a reported 8.6ms input lag in its default mode. This makes it an excellent choice for gaming, as it provides a responsive and fluid gaming experience.
Resolution And Size:
The BenQ GW2780 has a resolution of 1920×1080 (Full HD) and a 27-inch screen size. This provides a sharp and detailed picture, making it an excellent choice for general use, media consumption, and even casual gaming.
PS5 Compatibility:
The BenQ GW2780 is compatible with the PS5, allowing you to enjoy games on the console in Full HD resolution. However, its lack of support for VRR technology may result in some screen tearing and stuttering in games, especially in fast-paced scenes.
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility:
The BenQ GW2780 is compatible with the Xbox Series X|S, allowing you to enjoy games on the console in Full HD resolution. However, its lack of support for VRR technology may result in some screen tearing and stuttering in games, especially in fast-paced scenes.
Inputs Photos:
The BenQ GW2780 has a variety of inputs, including VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort. This allows you to connect the monitor to various devices, including computers, laptops, gaming consoles, and even smartphones.
Video And Audio Ports:
The BenQ GW2780 has a VGA port and an HDMI port, allowing you to connect it to various devices. It has no built-in speakers, so you’ll need to connect your own speakers or headphones to enjoy audio.
USB:
The BenQ GW2780 has no built-in USB ports, so you’ll need to connect your devices through a separate USB hub.
macOS Compatibility:
The BenQ GW2780 is compatible with macOS, allowing you to use it with your Mac computer. However, you may need to adjust settings to get the best performance and picture quality.
FEATURES
The BenQ GW2780 27-inch IPS 1080p FHD Computer Monitor offers a range of features to enhance your viewing experience. These features include:
Additional Features:
- Eye Care Technology: The GW2780 is equipped with BenQ’s exclusive Eye-Care Technology, designed to reduce eye strain during prolonged use. This technology includes Flicker-Free Technology, Low Blue Light Technology, and Brightness Intelligence Technology.
- Frameless Design: The frameless design of the GW2780 adds a sleek, modern look to your workspace. This design helps to minimize distractions and create a more immersive viewing experience.
- B.I.+ Sensor: The Brightness Intelligence Plus Sensor on the GW2780 monitors your ambient lighting conditions and adjusts the display’s brightness and color temperature accordingly, ensuring an optimal viewing experience.
On-Screen Display (OSD):
The GW2780 features a user-friendly On-Screen Display (OSD) that allows you to adjust brightness, contrast, and input source settings quickly. The OSD can be controlled through the buttons on the bottom right of the monitor or the included remote control. The OSD is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple to customize your viewing experience.
Conclusion
The BenQ GW2780 is an excellent choice for those looking for a versatile monitor with good motion-handling capabilities. Its fast response time and 60Hz refresh rate provide smooth and fluid motion in fast-paced scenes, making it an excellent choice for casual gaming, media consumption, and even office work. However, its lack of VRR support may not be the best choice for competitive gamers who require the smoothest motion possible.
