High refresh rate is definitely not just a gaming thing. Just for scrolling and general productivity its a huge improvement. I get that this is a niche product with unique features but only 60hz for this price is a deal breaker
Good to know! Personally, I've only used a high frame rate monitor for gaming, and haven't really tried coding with one (except for on my Framework 13). For me the glare reduction and clarity is a more important feature but that's likely due to my more unique situation of studio lighting.
This. Scolling through your code, particularly in dark mode, is night and day difference between 60hz and 120hz. AOCs U32G3X is way better bang for buck for developers.
@@trmtnzr Good to know! I just checked out the AOCs U32G3X. Doesn't look like it has anti glare or a KVM switch though which makes it a bit of a non starter for me. If you don't need those then this one makes a lot of sense!
Note for the moon Halo, I think the idea is not aesthetics, but rather that you reduce the contrast between the screen and the surroundings, which drastically reduces eye strain if you want to sit in an otherwise dark environment. Really nice feature imo, I personally much prefer sitting in a darker environment but am super sensitive to this issue. I used to have a larger RGB light which I would shine against the wall in my old studio. Even though the wall was otherwise dark, this helped reduce strain a lot.
I get the attraction, but refresh rate is deal breaking. This is more directed towards office commercial usage. Boost the refresh rate to 144, add integration features like controlling the screen bar from monitor menu, sell it for $1000.
It's wild how these manufacturers sell old tech and market it as new. A $650 monitor absolutely should have a 120 Hz refresh rate if we're comparing with other monitors on the market.
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"This video is not sponsored, but I got a $700 monitor for free." UA-cam's dishonesty continues to baffle me.
I really dont get the notion that 60+hz is still only good for gaming. Moving windows around, moving the cursor, fast moving throght code is just way better in at least 120hz. Every time I have to work with a 60hz screen its just way less enjoyable. Also a "coding" monitor being 16:9 is mind bogeling for me.
Honestly, it's mostly that I've never tried using it for coding. I can definitely notice a difference when gaming, and a lot of commenters are telling me that I'm missing out! So, I have no choice but to give it a go in the near future. 16:9 is definitely a personal preference, but given that I also do coding videos, its much more preferable for me. That's very much my own personal needs however and certainly not going to be the same for everyone else (same as the anti glare)
If I need to find something I'm fuzzy finding or going to definition. If I'm reading documents, I'm scrolling a paragraph or two at a time. In 15+ years of coding, I can't recall scrolling and thinking 120hz is going to change this experience... 120hz for text is overblown. At home I code on gaming monitors and at my office I have a 60hz productivity monitor that I expensed. There's no difference in my day to day workflow. At home is scrolling smoother? Probably, but I never notice it. 120hz doesn't suddenly make the speed I scroll suddenly legible. The only case people can make for 120hz so you can use the monitor for more than just coding, but then it's not a productivity monitor.
If I had to choose I suppose I'd put resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio above refresh rate. That said, having a 160hz oled for my gaming pc I've really come to appreciate the smoothness of >60hz. 120hz or even 90hz would be a welcome improvement.
One thing to now tho is the fact that if you're using your keyboard efficiently enough (with no mouse thanks to some tiling window manager), you'll notice all of those less. 👌🏻
this is a very thorough review, but it would be great if you told us more about what it feels like to code on and why it's so good. i understand that you can't share it through the screen, but the most important part of the monitor is probably the screen itself. the screen & the ergonomics.
I got the Eve Spectrum and it's the greatest monitor I've had. Great colors and clarity, so for ppl who want a glossy display and 144hz I recommend 100%
@@vector8964 Eye strain wise, you want to place the monitor at least 1m away so even 32 is kinda small to be benefiting from more pixels (if you intend to use at recommended distance). That said, this is not it. It's basically tiny bit brighter & more color accurate panel with better anti-reflection coating than my LG 32UN650 (which I bought for around $560 2 years ago, now $340) + hard to use KVM built in. I don't think the price is not fair. It just doesn't make sense to have KVM integrated making it harder to use (3 clicks VS 1 click) and if KVM or monitor fails, the whole thing is out of commission.
Stripping away the feature bloat (which is most of it), we're left with a mediocre 16:9 32" 4k 60Hz monitor... for $700. At that price, 60Hz is unforgivable even for coding/day-to-day use. The KVM is neat, but without support for an extra display passthrough, its value is limited to single-monitor setups. I'm mostly indifferent on the 16:9 vs 16:10, though I do give a slight edge to 16:10 for coding specifically. No Linux support for their developer-focused monitor is WILD to me. The contrast thing is one of those gimmicks that I'd use once or twice then forget about forever, an API would be nice to automate it at least, but hear me out: if you really wanted a different color scheme for your editor/terminal, have you considered just... changing your color scheme? Special contrast modes just seem like a complicated solution to a simple problem. Overall, if I were given one for free, I'd probably use it. At $700, swing and a miss.
Goes to show where their priorities are - out of touch marketing team. But for $700, it absolutely should have 120 Hz (that would make it in line with other monitors on the market).
@@dreamsofcode For desk size i'd say get at least 1,6m wide and 70cm deep, it's just enough space to get 3x27" monitors with one of them being vertial and 2 horizontal, if you want 3x horizontal you need a wider desk But looking at the video it looks like you have a lot of non-monitor stuff on your desk in places where i have my monitors, an entirely different desk setup in general tbh, i'm genuinly surprised you managed to get along with essentially one monitor, sometimes even 3 monitors is limiting at work, SSMS on one, visual studio at the other, propiatary tool i'm not allowed to talk about on the third and no place to put firefox with the ticket system open, it's a pain My idea desk setup would be 3x27" horizontal monitors, my laptop monitor to my left and an ultrawide split into 2-3 monitors above the 27"
Whoa, this is super cool! Love the cable hiding in the arm, the split simultaneous screen, glare-reducing screen, and built in kvm switch. little out of my price budget, but super cool features.
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These videos are becoming more and more addictive, because of all the knowledge but also the video production. Top quality 🎩
Thank you! I've been really pushing myself on the video production lately
10 днів тому
@@dreamsofcode the addition of the photos of the screen was also really clever. One minor thing, the timestamps are not showing correctly for me in the description, I think they might be malformed.
I've a monitor with this specs: - 32 Inch - IPS - 144 Hz - 140 PPI - KVM Switch - USB-C Power Delivery - Picture in Picture - .... Perfect for coding, also gaming Yes, it is Gigabyte M32U for $500 with $1000 budget you can get Alienware 32 Inch which is a super duper monitor I get that BenQ want's to find its place to market, I believe quality wise they can, but the price range is not competitive
Looks amazing. I use an Evnia 8600 QD-OLED for both work(software devs) and gaming(not that much in the evening). The text is not that clear as on this LG. If it would have been released 2 years later and you made this video at that time I would have chose this one. A 21:9 would be amazing with this type of screen. I kinda regret getting the Evnia 8600 now 😅
Dont confuse response time and refresh rate. First is important exclusively for gamers, but refresh rate is crucial for long coding sessions. The more refresh rate the softer it would go on your eyes. The bestest coding monitor is 16:10 Dell 24'(or 27') 100Hz, its the best ration for vertical setup, and sadly rare nowadays. Switching for vertical setup was a game changer for me. And it has a USB hub, PD, network ports. And only cost 2 something hundred bucks.
@@paultapping9510 Absolutely. My ideal setup is 27' main monitor in landscape and 24' 16.10 in portrait. The amount of code i can see at once is enormous.
Hey Mate, thanks for the detailed review! I’ve been considering the BenQ RD320UA as an alternative to the Mac Display. Could you please share the Sound Quality?
Looks nice, but boy I need my 5k or 6k... when will we ever get the ultimate 6k display, 120hz refresh rate that also looks nice and doesn't cost the same as a house?! Seems like a long way away still..
Wow look at you stepping up :D I currently live vicariously through you, you always do the thing i would do if i was in the same position haha. I'm working on my own path and will copy a lot of your stuff.
I agree with you with regards to power. I've had a lot of monitors over the years, and the ones that decide to use a laptop charger for the power have always been the more annoying ones.
I use the LG Dual Up for a year now purely for coding. It's a blessing. I can honestly never go back to 16:9. Only wish it would be higher than 60hz as scrolling would feel better
Nothing special about this. There are plenty of monitors at this price tag or less with built-in KVM. Some even have higher refresh rates! This feels like a marketing gimmick to sell to software engineers the same way they try to sell to gamers. Just go buy the 4K rec from rtings and call it a day.
This is a pretty cool monitor, but do you actually use that coding mode thing where the contrast lowers? I think I'd forget to turn it on personally. But imagine if we got an SDK or API for this monitor, the tmux or neovim plugins could be insane!
Personally, I haven't used it that much mainly because I need color accuracy for my videos. That being said, the coding dark mode does look really good when it's enabled. An API would be awesome for linux! Although with the display pilot 2 software, you can automatically enable coding modes depending on which app is open. i.e. dark mode when your terminal is active.
1. I use tiling quite a bit and I like to fit in as much as possible. How does the font look at 8 and 6 pt? Is it still crisp and perfect or do you start seeing the pixel and perhaps a bit of a blur? 2. $700 is a lot to pay for anti-glare. It makes me wonder... Are there any places that demo these monitors? I went to Worst Buy, might have misspelled the name, and they don't have any 32" monitors on display. Naturally ordering displays from Amazon and returning them is a pain. Thank you for the review. I had no idea they make monitors specifically for programmers. Now BenQ is front and center in my mind.
Thank you! 1. I just too a look at some code on 8 and 6pts with 2x scaling, I'm not sure if I'm seeing blurring or just the glow of the font tbh but it's definitely legible. I would recommend seeing it in person if possible though to be sure. 2. Agreed $700 is definitely on the steeper end. The anti-glare is really amazing in my opinion, but then I have a lot of lights in my office. I think coupling the price with a KVM switch and the monitor arm is where the added cost starts to make sense, but given how much pricing has changed for monitors since I last bought them, then I could be out of touch!
@@dreamsofcode Unfortunately I don't need the KVM. I don't need all those fancy settings either. The arm is nice. And the cable management. Still if I could see it in person I might just buy it. (Despite it being $700.)
Similar arm setup to the LG32UN88AP (which I have). Absolutely love this monitor, but does not have a KVM switch like the BenQ. That would have made the LG perfect. No "halo" effect either. Back the the LG32UN88AP - the arm does hide a lot of the cables, but I still need a cable tidy solution due to design of my standing desk. My home setup uses a Dell G3223Q 32. This monitor is shared between multiple people - we do not really have a "home office". Thanks for the video ... the BenQ is appealing, especially the brightness settings etc. However, not sure I can justify getting another two monitors 🤣.
Yeah. It's probably the missing piece for a perfect monitor in my opinion. it wouldn't be too much of an issue if I could get the stream deck to work with the software, but I'm still unable to make that happen.
I had this monitor, its ugly, the software on macos was completely buggy and I didnt really feel that the 3:2 was adding to my productivity. I just bought a Studio Display after, there is nothing that comes close for Mac, but even when I would go back to Linux I would just get the Dell 5k. I was a hardcore gamer with 360fps refresh rate, but on my programming monitor where I scroll with Vim, I never needed 120hz, so I dont get that argument in the comments.
Hi, I'm interested in the split input mode and how to quickly toggle KVM. Currently, the way you do it in that split mode is with the under-monitor knob thing to access the menu and change the upstream right? I wonder if you can change upstream KVM in the display app maybe when in that split mode too? Please share you future uses in that split mode it is super interesting. thanks!
12:30 having KVM in that situation is actually really awkward. A better solution would be to use an app that allows your keyboard and mouse to seamlessly transition between computers. Its what I used to do in my 49' ultra wide. I'd have one side on a mac and the other side on linux. And switch between both as if it was the same computer. Same clipboard and all. Look for Synergy (deprecated to) -> Barrier (deprecated to) -> Input Leap
Seems like an old panel with a new coating. 32 inch monitors are amazing and I love oled but there is better value for the price min/maxing using discounts.
Good to know! I've been pleasantly surprised with the 32 inch size, especially for video editing. As I mentioned, this is my first monitor upgrade in about 5 years so I am out of the loop on the monitor market. I've been very happy with the RD320UA though for my own needs.
is there anything stopping me using a third party monitor arm with this monitor? I would guess there are some regular VESA mounts under that round bit, is that right?
@@CheapHomeTech I have been using 4k tv for many years now. If TV has to support for chroma 4:4:4 display mode it should be a decent start. Proper monitor hand is a good investment, so is a KVM box. I would pay good money for 8k screen at that diagonal for improved text clarity. 4k 42" is essentially the same text as 1080p 21". You just have x4 surface. I would like to have 200 pixels per inch text clarity which would 8k resolution gave.
@@bariole Thanks for the info. I'm not willing to pay over $600 for an 8K 42" chroma 4:4:4 TV to be used as a coding monitor. Have you any suggestions?
The kvm is not hard to use IMO, you can set a shortcut hot key on keyboard for switching input which is tied to kvm using the display pilot 2 orrrrr you can use other software like logitech where I set the kvm switch command to a button on the mouse. And my setup is cleaner since I dont need an external kvm and those cost $100-$300+ as well so im getting that with the monitor too.
I’m actively looking for a new monitor to replace my 2 monitor setup I currently have. The only feature I think this monitor misses is being ultra wide 5120x2160. Personally I’m ok for a monitor to be only 60hz but screen real estate as a front end developer is the one thing that’s non negotiable for me. I could get two of them to achieve that but I don’t like bezels.
I disagree 60hz is fine if the price reflects that. But asking for a premium price of $700 (not including tax) and not having at least 120hz is just them ripping consumers off. Moving anything on the monitor will show ghosting a big problem.
The fact that this monitor doesn’t have thunderbolt connections makes it a no for me. And the details on daisy chaining with a MacBook Pro Max is sketchy…..
No offense man but its kinda obvious you are shilling this overpriced 32" IPS monitor. There are a whole lot more monitors that are better for coding than that including OLED ultra-wides. All I can see are gimicks to justify their price
Thanks for the feedback! I am being honest in my review, however I was sent the monitor for free so my opinion on it is biased as it cost me $0. Hence why I mention the disclaimer :). Additionally: I don't make any money from the monitor, only ad revenue on this video! So no shilling going on here i'm afraid.
resistant to glare is a plus and the split features seems amazing if you have that use case but lack the software to DIY. Still to ever be close "best" programming monitor, a monitor needs to have plain text .config with clear documentation. And look like it's printed paper with a high angle of view. Config - our hands should never have to leave the keyboard to adjust the monitor to a proper environment. OSD menu touch/hardware is ALWAYS a subpar experience for everyone not just programmers it's nuts how bout the industries UX is for that. Nor should we have to stumble through proprietary black boxed GUI's out of the 1990s stuck tabbing throughoptions, if it's even accessible at all, or use arbitrary keybinds that don't always work or having to pixel hunt through hardset menus with a mouse.
Buying monitors for programming is an interesting task. I don't need high FPS like I would for gaming. I don't need color accuracy like I would for artistic work. I literally only need a lot of pixels and reliability. So... the cheapest pair of $300-400 4K monitors you can find. $700 is kind of unhinged tbh.
Ignoring the arguments about 60Hz for UI elements... If you're developing for a higher refresh rate (say, 90Hz/120Hz mobile displays), having a similarly capable screen without having to push to mobile devices is desirable. But it's not as big of a deal, IMO.
can you please do an updated tutorial on setting up nvchad? i tried to follow the c++ setup but it was changed so much i just decided to clone the 2.0 version
I've got a couple of BenQ monitors and do like them a lot but as others have said, the refresh rate of 60 Hz at this price in 2024 is a missed opportunity and a considerable loss of value. BenQ, if you're reading the feedback, make the same monitor capable of 90-120 Hz, please. It's not just a gaming gimmick. On the other hand, the anti-glare + clarity filter looks excellent. I'll go see it person.
I use an ultrawide(benq ex3501R) for coding, I just treat it like two ~5:4 monitors: you can have a preview of your site you can have docs you can have tutorials you can watch something and the lack of a bezel makes it way easier to look from one to the other and you can if you want a 16:9 and 5:9 side by side ? or you want to fit three columns ? no problem absolutely love ultrawides for coding I can honestly never go back it's like having 2 workspace on your monitor at the same time My problems with monitors for coding: below 100hz refresh rate animations feel really unsmooth especially with a touchscreen smearing both on my VA(the benq) and IPS(laptop thinkpadx250 and old dell monitor) panel, it sucks, plan to buy my laptop with an OLED screen low resolution, I wish there were normal laptops with apple's retina approach to resolution the curvature is ?questionable? I don't mind but some of my friends say it's horrible to read code on it uneven backlight
When will devs finally get a 16:10 monitor and minimum 5k? We need to see more *lines*. BTW, the iphone proved that 120hz is a must-have for non-gamers.
If they keyboard is plugged into USB, couldn't they make the monitor capture a key from the keyboard to do the KVM switching ? Like some KVM-switches of the past also did ? Hmm, maybe those were PS/2 ? I assume this is software which uses the hot key and sending that to the monitor ?
I was interested until i saw that you need to use the controls to switch inputs in picture by picture mode... feck that... it should auto switch... maybe the next version will do that and then i would buy one (or two) as everything else looks great!
Yeah, it's a bit of a shame having to manually switch inputs! BenQ did reach out to me and said they were listening to the feedback though so hopefully a firmware update.
Every reviewer of this monitor has unique BenQ links to the various ways to buy it and accessories. They all say they didn't get paid for it, but it looks like they're getting affiliate/referral money. Please tell me I'm wrong.
So to clarify my position: - BenQ monitor: No affiliate link, I make no money from anyone clicking the link and get no financial kickbacks from BenQ. - Products I purchased with my own money are the ScreenBar Pro and the USB connectors. The amazon links to these are affiliate links. This is in the description as well, but I could have been more clear that I have no financial relationship with BenQ just as an FYI :)
I appreciate the clarification. It still seems unethical to make money off reviewed products in any way, or at least we should doubt you're being honest, because why would you want to dampen those Amazon sales? Integrity can't be worth whatever cut Amazon gives you.
I really thought that's going to be some special monitor, but 60Hz in 2024 is abysmal, 4k is pretty low for 32" for coding really, monitor is just bad, no matter what extra features it has
Do you have a recommendation for another? I thought the lower DPI would be an issue but honestly, I've not found it to be a problem at all. Although a lot of commenters swear by a higher refresh rate so maybe I've been missing out! Personally, the anti glare is something that I find personally useful, but that's likely to be more due to the amount of studio lighting I have, and definitely not for everyone!
@@jasonhurdlow6607 Nah man, that is only about 140 PPI. That is quite low. An improvement over 90-100, but for text processing you should be aiming at least 200 PPI at arms length. That should be enough to scale interface at exact 200% for no scaling artifacts at arms length. For reference macbooks have been 220 PPI for over a decade. Apple understands this well..
@bariole "only 140ppi"? 😆. Dude, anything over about 100ppi is unnecessary. I've been using (programming) computers since the days when we hooked them up to CRT TVs. You do not need 200+ ppi to sling code. Apple is just brainwashing y'all.
Damn straight. Pretty expensive for old panel with just fancy anti-glare coating. 5K, 16:10 and 90+ Hz should be mandatory for new displays for coding.
Do you really find 120hz to be a hard requirement for coding and programming? I mean, it is a nice-to-have thing for sure but would not be a dealbreaker for me when it comes to a display for coding at work, say
I much prefer 16:9, but then I do a lot of video and screen recording so my needs are more unique. A lot of people seem to prefer higher framerate for coding! Maybe that's something I'm missing out on.
Dell U4025QW is what you described, right? Pricey, but how likely are you to replace it within next 5 years, assuming OLED text fringing disqualifies them for office work?
Tried to find more spec info from the affiliated link, found only info about features (mostly about the glare protection). When choosing one of the monitors you are able to see the specs: 400 nits brightness with HDR10 and DisplayHDR 400... and IPS panel type. For the full review there should be a comparison of two monitors: review unit vs consumer-bought unit to test if the monitors will have the same quality, also if it comes for the panel bleeding.
i personally think people are just complaining about 60hz for the reason that they are used to high refresh rate; aka they're spoiled. use it for a few days and you get used to it.
0:35 says a lot about the "reviews". If it's for review, what difference does it make if you already have a monitor... Ah... gotcha... At leat you can push it on ebay after "review" if you don't like it. Reviews sphere is so broken.
I tend not to do reviews for things I don't really need or see a need for as there's a lot of time and effort that goes in to them. I'm yet to have sold any review units I've received on eBay 😅. I will be selling my old monitor though.
High refresh rate is definitely not just a gaming thing. Just for scrolling and general productivity its a huge improvement. I get that this is a niche product with unique features but only 60hz for this price is a deal breaker
Good to know!
Personally, I've only used a high frame rate monitor for gaming, and haven't really tried coding with one (except for on my Framework 13). For me the glare reduction and clarity is a more important feature but that's likely due to my more unique situation of studio lighting.
Same thoughts. It's clearly a deal breaker.
This. Scolling through your code, particularly in dark mode, is night and day difference between 60hz and 120hz. AOCs U32G3X is way better bang for buck for developers.
I have a matte-screen on my 144" that I code on. Looks great in the dark ! :)
@@trmtnzr Good to know! I just checked out the AOCs U32G3X. Doesn't look like it has anti glare or a KVM switch though which makes it a bit of a non starter for me. If you don't need those then this one makes a lot of sense!
A coding monitor that doesn't support on screen controls for Linux? That's stupid
Note for the moon Halo, I think the idea is not aesthetics, but rather that you reduce the contrast between the screen and the surroundings, which drastically reduces eye strain if you want to sit in an otherwise dark environment. Really nice feature imo, I personally much prefer sitting in a darker environment but am super sensitive to this issue.
I used to have a larger RGB light which I would shine against the wall in my old studio. Even though the wall was otherwise dark, this helped reduce strain a lot.
I get the attraction, but refresh rate is deal breaking. This is more directed towards office commercial usage. Boost the refresh rate to 144, add integration features like controlling the screen bar from monitor menu, sell it for $1000.
It's wild how these manufacturers sell old tech and market it as new. A $650 monitor absolutely should have a 120 Hz refresh rate if we're comparing with other monitors on the market.
"This video is not sponsored, but I got a $700 monitor for free." UA-cam's dishonesty continues to baffle me.
I really dont get the notion that 60+hz is still only good for gaming. Moving windows around, moving the cursor, fast moving throght code is just way better in at least 120hz. Every time I have to work with a 60hz screen its just way less enjoyable. Also a "coding" monitor being 16:9 is mind bogeling for me.
Honestly, it's mostly that I've never tried using it for coding. I can definitely notice a difference when gaming, and a lot of commenters are telling me that I'm missing out! So, I have no choice but to give it a go in the near future.
16:9 is definitely a personal preference, but given that I also do coding videos, its much more preferable for me. That's very much my own personal needs however and certainly not going to be the same for everyone else (same as the anti glare)
If I need to find something I'm fuzzy finding or going to definition. If I'm reading documents, I'm scrolling a paragraph or two at a time. In 15+ years of coding, I can't recall scrolling and thinking 120hz is going to change this experience...
120hz for text is overblown. At home I code on gaming monitors and at my office I have a 60hz productivity monitor that I expensed. There's no difference in my day to day workflow. At home is scrolling smoother? Probably, but I never notice it. 120hz doesn't suddenly make the speed I scroll suddenly legible. The only case people can make for 120hz so you can use the monitor for more than just coding, but then it's not a productivity monitor.
If I had to choose I suppose I'd put resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio above refresh rate. That said, having a 160hz oled for my gaming pc I've really come to appreciate the smoothness of >60hz. 120hz or even 90hz would be a welcome improvement.
One thing to now tho is the fact that if you're using your keyboard efficiently enough (with no mouse thanks to some tiling window manager), you'll notice all of those less. 👌🏻
The 16:9 would be forgivable if the monitor had the ability to rotate out of the box
Only supporting 60hz at $700 with an IPS panel is wild. This is at least $250 more expensive than it has any right to be
Seriously - these manufacturers continue selling old tech and marketing it as new. Zero innovation, horrible value.
this is a very thorough review, but it would be great if you told us more about what it feels like to code on and why it's so good. i understand that you can't share it through the screen, but the most important part of the monitor is probably the screen itself. the screen & the ergonomics.
I got the Eve Spectrum and it's the greatest monitor I've had. Great colors and clarity, so for ppl who want a glossy display and 144hz I recommend 100%
60hz is a joke for a 600$ monitor in 2024
700*
not only that, he basically reduced pixels per inch by going 4k27 to 4k32, lmao
@@vector8964 Eye strain wise, you want to place the monitor at least 1m away so even 32 is kinda small to be benefiting from more pixels (if you intend to use at recommended distance). That said, this is not it.
It's basically tiny bit brighter & more color accurate panel with better anti-reflection coating than my LG 32UN650 (which I bought for around $560 2 years ago, now $340) + hard to use KVM built in.
I don't think the price is not fair. It just doesn't make sense to have KVM integrated making it harder to use (3 clicks VS 1 click) and if KVM or monitor fails, the whole thing is out of commission.
60hz is more than enough for writing code, coding at a 120hz all night would only get you more headaches
@@phillipanselmo8540 how would less stuttering result in headaches?
60Hz is a dealbraker ..
Stripping away the feature bloat (which is most of it), we're left with a mediocre 16:9 32" 4k 60Hz monitor... for $700. At that price, 60Hz is unforgivable even for coding/day-to-day use. The KVM is neat, but without support for an extra display passthrough, its value is limited to single-monitor setups. I'm mostly indifferent on the 16:9 vs 16:10, though I do give a slight edge to 16:10 for coding specifically. No Linux support for their developer-focused monitor is WILD to me. The contrast thing is one of those gimmicks that I'd use once or twice then forget about forever, an API would be nice to automate it at least, but hear me out: if you really wanted a different color scheme for your editor/terminal, have you considered just... changing your color scheme? Special contrast modes just seem like a complicated solution to a simple problem.
Overall, if I were given one for free, I'd probably use it. At $700, swing and a miss.
Goes to show where their priorities are - out of touch marketing team. But for $700, it absolutely should have 120 Hz (that would make it in line with other monitors on the market).
Welcome to another episode of "can i convince my boss to buy me 3 of them"
I'm buying a bigger desk so I can get another.
@@dreamsofcode For desk size i'd say get at least 1,6m wide and 70cm deep, it's just enough space to get 3x27" monitors with one of them being vertial and 2 horizontal, if you want 3x horizontal you need a wider desk
But looking at the video it looks like you have a lot of non-monitor stuff on your desk in places where i have my monitors, an entirely different desk setup in general tbh, i'm genuinly surprised you managed to get along with essentially one monitor, sometimes even 3 monitors is limiting at work, SSMS on one, visual studio at the other, propiatary tool i'm not allowed to talk about on the third and no place to put firefox with the ticket system open, it's a pain
My idea desk setup would be 3x27" horizontal monitors, my laptop monitor to my left and an ultrawide split into 2-3 monitors above the 27"
Whoa, this is super cool! Love the cable hiding in the arm, the split simultaneous screen, glare-reducing screen, and built in kvm switch. little out of my price budget, but super cool features.
These videos are becoming more and more addictive, because of all the knowledge but also the video production. Top quality 🎩
Thank you! I've been really pushing myself on the video production lately
@@dreamsofcode the addition of the photos of the screen was also really clever.
One minor thing, the timestamps are not showing correctly for me in the description, I think they might be malformed.
Thanks for the heads up! I'll take a look and see what's up with them.
really cool monitor, and the name just rolls right off the tongue!
I've a monitor with this specs:
- 32 Inch
- IPS
- 144 Hz
- 140 PPI
- KVM Switch
- USB-C Power Delivery
- Picture in Picture
- ....
Perfect for coding, also gaming
Yes, it is Gigabyte M32U for $500
with $1000 budget you can get Alienware 32 Inch which is a super duper monitor
I get that BenQ want's to find its place to market, I believe quality wise they can, but the price range is not competitive
Looks amazing. I use an Evnia 8600 QD-OLED for both work(software devs) and gaming(not that much in the evening). The text is not that clear as on this LG. If it would have been released 2 years later and you made this video at that time I would have chose this one.
A 21:9 would be amazing with this type of screen.
I kinda regret getting the Evnia 8600 now 😅
Dont confuse response time and refresh rate. First is important exclusively for gamers, but refresh rate is crucial for long coding sessions. The more refresh rate the softer it would go on your eyes.
The bestest coding monitor is 16:10 Dell 24'(or 27') 100Hz, its the best ration for vertical setup, and sadly rare nowadays. Switching for vertical setup was a game changer for me. And it has a USB hub, PD, network ports. And only cost 2 something hundred bucks.
@@abgvedr yooo, I've been hankering after a vertical monitor for a while, it sounds like it works as well as I have theorised it might.
@@paultapping9510 Yeah, absolutely, go for it. My perfect setup is 27' main monitor, and 24' vertical 16:10 one one the left side.
@@paultapping9510 Absolutely. My ideal setup is 27' main monitor in landscape and 24' 16.10 in portrait. The amount of code i can see at once is enormous.
Hey Mate, thanks for the detailed review! I’ve been considering the BenQ RD320UA as an alternative to the Mac Display. Could you please share the Sound Quality?
Looks nice, but boy I need my 5k or 6k... when will we ever get the ultimate 6k display, 120hz refresh rate that also looks nice and doesn't cost the same as a house?! Seems like a long way away still..
1) Where in the world are you that you can buy a house outright for 700 USD?
2) "When will a niche luxury item cost as much as a budget equivalent?"
Plugging out the cables like this: 7:44 😭
Wow look at you stepping up :D I currently live vicariously through you, you always do the thing i would do if i was in the same position haha. I'm working on my own path and will copy a lot of your stuff.
What IDE doesn't support custom themes? Why would you ever use the custom coding colour profiles over just... setting the theme the way you want it?
I agree with you with regards to power. I've had a lot of monitors over the years, and the ones that decide to use a laptop charger for the power have always been the more annoying ones.
I use the LG Dual Up for a year now purely for coding. It's a blessing. I can honestly never go back to 16:9. Only wish it would be higher than 60hz as scrolling would feel better
I’ve seen those, but I already use macros to configure windows quickly across a couple external monitors. What do you like about it?
I think the only reason i would want a higher refresh rate would be for hyprland animations, besides that, i think its not that big of a deal
Dreams of Sponsors
Did you pick this one up from the bad joke pile or the unoriginal joke pile?
@@Jacobandrewsmurphy
Chill kiddo
Nothing special about this. There are plenty of monitors at this price tag or less with built-in KVM. Some even have higher refresh rates! This feels like a marketing gimmick to sell to software engineers the same way they try to sell to gamers. Just go buy the 4K rec from rtings and call it a day.
What happened to the nvchad series?
I'd like to see a 'helix' series though :D
Honestly I don't mind the "aesthetic" issues you are describing. This is meant to do work on and I would prefer function over form.
This is a pretty cool monitor, but do you actually use that coding mode thing where the contrast lowers? I think I'd forget to turn it on personally. But imagine if we got an SDK or API for this monitor, the tmux or neovim plugins could be insane!
Personally, I haven't used it that much mainly because I need color accuracy for my videos. That being said, the coding dark mode does look really good when it's enabled.
An API would be awesome for linux! Although with the display pilot 2 software, you can automatically enable coding modes depending on which app is open. i.e. dark mode when your terminal is active.
1. I use tiling quite a bit and I like to fit in as much as possible. How does the font look at 8 and 6 pt? Is it still crisp and perfect or do you start seeing the pixel and perhaps a bit of a blur?
2. $700 is a lot to pay for anti-glare. It makes me wonder... Are there any places that demo these monitors? I went to Worst Buy, might have misspelled the name, and they don't have any 32" monitors on display. Naturally ordering displays from Amazon and returning them is a pain.
Thank you for the review. I had no idea they make monitors specifically for programmers. Now BenQ is front and center in my mind.
Thank you!
1. I just too a look at some code on 8 and 6pts with 2x scaling, I'm not sure if I'm seeing blurring or just the glow of the font tbh but it's definitely legible. I would recommend seeing it in person if possible though to be sure.
2. Agreed $700 is definitely on the steeper end. The anti-glare is really amazing in my opinion, but then I have a lot of lights in my office. I think coupling the price with a KVM switch and the monitor arm is where the added cost starts to make sense, but given how much pricing has changed for monitors since I last bought them, then I could be out of touch!
@@dreamsofcode Unfortunately I don't need the KVM. I don't need all those fancy settings either. The arm is nice. And the cable management. Still if I could see it in person I might just buy it. (Despite it being $700.)
Similar arm setup to the LG32UN88AP (which I have). Absolutely love this monitor, but does not have a KVM switch like the BenQ. That would have made the LG perfect. No "halo" effect either.
Back the the LG32UN88AP - the arm does hide a lot of the cables, but I still need a cable tidy solution due to design of my standing desk.
My home setup uses a Dell G3223Q 32. This monitor is shared between multiple people - we do not really have a "home office".
Thanks for the video ... the BenQ is appealing, especially the brightness settings etc. However, not sure I can justify getting another two monitors 🤣.
@14:23 I don't think there is any monitor vendor who provides onscreen control for linux, which is sad.
Yeah. It's probably the missing piece for a perfect monitor in my opinion.
it wouldn't be too much of an issue if I could get the stream deck to work with the software, but I'm still unable to make that happen.
I had this monitor, its ugly, the software on macos was completely buggy and I didnt really feel that the 3:2 was adding to my productivity. I just bought a Studio Display after, there is nothing that comes close for Mac, but even when I would go back to Linux I would just get the Dell 5k.
I was a hardcore gamer with 360fps refresh rate, but on my programming monitor where I scroll with Vim, I never needed 120hz, so I dont get that argument in the comments.
high contrast hurts my eyes, I always choose a lighter background for coding or work in general
Hi, I'm interested in the split input mode and how to quickly toggle KVM. Currently, the way you do it in that split mode is with the under-monitor knob thing to access the menu and change the upstream right? I wonder if you can change upstream KVM in the display app maybe when in that split mode too? Please share you future uses in that split mode it is super interesting. thanks!
we're making a monitor for programmers. Software not available on Linux lol
My guess is because they don't have in-house staff that can do unlike for the other software. Because what systems do you want to support ?
60 hz killed me 😢
It seems to be the thing most people would prefer to be improved! I'm gonna have to try a higher refresh rate to see if I've been missing out.
@@dreamsofcode we lost him. its like trying out an SSD for the first time
12:30 having KVM in that situation is actually really awkward. A better solution would be to use an app that allows your keyboard and mouse to seamlessly transition between computers. Its what I used to do in my 49' ultra wide. I'd have one side on a mac and the other side on linux. And switch between both as if it was the same computer. Same clipboard and all. Look for Synergy (deprecated to) -> Barrier (deprecated to) -> Input Leap
Seems like an old panel with a new coating. 32 inch monitors are amazing and I love oled but there is better value for the price min/maxing using discounts.
Good to know! I've been pleasantly surprised with the 32 inch size, especially for video editing. As I mentioned, this is my first monitor upgrade in about 5 years so I am out of the loop on the monitor market. I've been very happy with the RD320UA though for my own needs.
When you're refresh rate maxes out at 60 Hz, you're not the best at anything.
is there anything stopping me using a third party monitor arm with this monitor? I would guess there are some regular VESA mounts under that round bit, is that right?
32 inch? Might as well code on my Apple Watch.
I'd love a 40+" monitor but do they make them for programmers?
@@CheapHomeTech I have been using 4k tv for many years now. If TV has to support for chroma 4:4:4 display mode it should be a decent start. Proper monitor hand is a good investment, so is a KVM box. I would pay good money for 8k screen at that diagonal for improved text clarity. 4k 42" is essentially the same text as 1080p 21". You just have x4 surface. I would like to have 200 pixels per inch text clarity which would 8k resolution gave.
@@bariole Thanks for the info. I'm not willing to pay over $600 for an 8K 42" chroma 4:4:4 TV to be used as a coding monitor. Have you any suggestions?
@ they make them with a decent refresh rate, so they are even better for programming
@@bariole pretty certain TVs have lower refresh rates than monitors though
The kvm is not hard to use IMO, you can set a shortcut hot key on keyboard for switching input which is tied to kvm using the display pilot 2 orrrrr you can use other software like logitech where I set the kvm switch command to a button on the mouse. And my setup is cleaner since I dont need an external kvm and those cost $100-$300+ as well so im getting that with the monitor too.
Logitech MX Master mouse on a Nix OS...
How are you configuring it? Are you using gestures?
What is the theme of your neovim?
If have the API then it would be really appealing to me.
It's insane to say 60hz is enough if you're not a gamer. Lost all credibility
They should do the same but in 90hz+ !
60hz is a real scam
I’m actively looking for a new monitor to replace my 2 monitor setup I currently have.
The only feature I think this monitor misses is being ultra wide 5120x2160.
Personally I’m ok for a monitor to be only 60hz but screen real estate as a front end developer is the one thing that’s non negotiable for me.
I could get two of them to achieve that but I don’t like bezels.
Probably never buying a sub 165hz monitor ever again. If I ever upgrade again I'm going 4k@240
I disagree 60hz is fine if the price reflects that. But asking for a premium price of $700 (not including tax) and not having at least 120hz is just them ripping consumers off. Moving anything on the monitor will show ghosting a big problem.
The fact that this monitor doesn’t have thunderbolt connections makes it a no for me. And the details on daisy chaining with a MacBook Pro Max is sketchy…..
No offense man but its kinda obvious you are shilling this overpriced 32" IPS monitor. There are a whole lot more monitors that are better for coding than that including OLED ultra-wides. All I can see are gimicks to justify their price
Thanks for the feedback!
I am being honest in my review, however I was sent the monitor for free so my opinion on it is biased as it cost me $0. Hence why I mention the disclaimer :).
Additionally: I don't make any money from the monitor, only ad revenue on this video! So no shilling going on here i'm afraid.
resistant to glare is a plus and the split features seems amazing if you have that use case but lack the software to DIY.
Still to ever be close "best" programming monitor, a monitor needs to have plain text .config with clear documentation.
And look like it's printed paper with a high angle of view.
Config - our hands should never have to leave the keyboard to adjust the monitor to a proper environment.
OSD menu touch/hardware is ALWAYS a subpar experience for everyone not just programmers it's nuts how bout the industries UX is for that. Nor should we have to stumble through proprietary black boxed GUI's out of the 1990s stuck tabbing throughoptions, if it's even accessible at all, or use arbitrary keybinds that don't always work or having to pixel hunt through hardset menus with a mouse.
Buying monitors for programming is an interesting task. I don't need high FPS like I would for gaming. I don't need color accuracy like I would for artistic work. I literally only need a lot of pixels and reliability. So... the cheapest pair of $300-400 4K monitors you can find. $700 is kind of unhinged tbh.
You do need 120hz for coding. Text scrolling on a large high res monitor at 60 hz is blurry.
It is nice but it is lacking in a few things: 1) 43", 2) 8k, 3) remote call setup: front facing camera, microphone and speakers.
Ignoring the arguments about 60Hz for UI elements... If you're developing for a higher refresh rate (say, 90Hz/120Hz mobile displays), having a similarly capable screen without having to push to mobile devices is desirable. But it's not as big of a deal, IMO.
Any specs about your NixOS workstation?
can you please do an updated tutorial on setting up nvchad? i tried to follow the c++ setup but it was changed so much i just decided to clone the 2.0 version
I've got a couple of BenQ monitors and do like them a lot but as others have said, the refresh rate of 60 Hz at this price in 2024 is a missed opportunity and a considerable loss of value. BenQ, if you're reading the feedback, make the same monitor capable of 90-120 Hz, please. It's not just a gaming gimmick. On the other hand, the anti-glare + clarity filter looks excellent. I'll go see it person.
They most likely are reading the feedback so definitely worth sharing!
I use an ultrawide(benq ex3501R) for coding, I just treat it like two ~5:4 monitors:
you can have a preview of your site
you can have docs
you can have tutorials
you can watch something
and the lack of a bezel makes it way easier to look from one to the other and you can if you want a 16:9 and 5:9 side by side ? or you want to fit three columns ? no problem absolutely love ultrawides for coding I can honestly never go back it's like having 2 workspace on your monitor at the same time
My problems with monitors for coding:
below 100hz refresh rate animations feel really unsmooth especially with a touchscreen
smearing both on my VA(the benq) and IPS(laptop thinkpadx250 and old dell monitor) panel, it sucks, plan to buy my laptop with an OLED screen
low resolution, I wish there were normal laptops with apple's retina approach to resolution
the curvature is ?questionable? I don't mind but some of my friends say it's horrible to read code on it
uneven backlight
When will devs finally get a 16:10 monitor and minimum 5k? We need to see more *lines*. BTW, the iphone proved that 120hz is a must-have for non-gamers.
If they keyboard is plugged into USB, couldn't they make the monitor capture a key from the keyboard to do the KVM switching ? Like some KVM-switches of the past also did ? Hmm, maybe those were PS/2 ? I assume this is software which uses the hot key and sending that to the monitor ?
Aesthetic mention 99 times.
I was interested until i saw that you need to use the controls to switch inputs in picture by picture mode... feck that... it should auto switch... maybe the next version will do that and then i would buy one (or two) as everything else looks great!
Yeah, it's a bit of a shame having to manually switch inputs! BenQ did reach out to me and said they were listening to the feedback though so hopefully a firmware update.
nothing beats gigabyte m27q in terms of value for money
Every reviewer of this monitor has unique BenQ links to the various ways to buy it and accessories. They all say they didn't get paid for it, but it looks like they're getting affiliate/referral money. Please tell me I'm wrong.
So to clarify my position:
- BenQ monitor: No affiliate link, I make no money from anyone clicking the link and get no financial kickbacks from BenQ.
- Products I purchased with my own money are the ScreenBar Pro and the USB connectors. The amazon links to these are affiliate links.
This is in the description as well, but I could have been more clear that I have no financial relationship with BenQ just as an FYI :)
I appreciate the clarification. It still seems unethical to make money off reviewed products in any way, or at least we should doubt you're being honest, because why would you want to dampen those Amazon sales? Integrity can't be worth whatever cut Amazon gives you.
Bad refresh rate
60 Hz lol no thanks
I really thought that's going to be some special monitor, but 60Hz in 2024 is abysmal, 4k is pretty low for 32" for coding really, monitor is just bad, no matter what extra features it has
Do you have a recommendation for another?
I thought the lower DPI would be an issue but honestly, I've not found it to be a problem at all. Although a lot of commenters swear by a higher refresh rate so maybe I've been missing out!
Personally, the anti glare is something that I find personally useful, but that's likely to be more due to the amount of studio lighting I have, and definitely not for everyone!
Lol... 4k at 32" is higher PPI than most people have by a long-shot, and is more than plenty. 60hz is not great, but for coding it's fine.
@@jasonhurdlow6607 Nah man, that is only about 140 PPI. That is quite low. An improvement over 90-100, but for text processing you should be aiming at least 200 PPI at arms length. That should be enough to scale interface at exact 200% for no scaling artifacts at arms length. For reference macbooks have been 220 PPI for over a decade. Apple understands this well..
@bariole "only 140ppi"? 😆. Dude, anything over about 100ppi is unnecessary. I've been using (programming) computers since the days when we hooked them up to CRT TVs. You do not need 200+ ppi to sling code. Apple is just brainwashing y'all.
16:9 is a no go for coding.
So what is the ratio you'd recommend?
But this monitor will not solve your coding problems. Nothing else matters.
Only time and discipline will solve those problems
“Best monitor for programming” -> No 5k, no 16:10, no 120Hz
You cannot call yourself best at that without having all 3 of these criteria.
Damn straight. Pretty expensive for old panel with just fancy anti-glare coating. 5K, 16:10 and 90+ Hz should be mandatory for new displays for coding.
Do you really find 120hz to be a hard requirement for coding and programming?
I mean, it is a nice-to-have thing for sure but would not be a dealbreaker for me when it comes to a display for coding at work, say
I much prefer 16:9, but then I do a lot of video and screen recording so my needs are more unique.
A lot of people seem to prefer higher framerate for coding! Maybe that's something I'm missing out on.
Dell U4025QW is what you described, right?
Pricey, but how likely are you to replace it within next 5 years, assuming OLED text fringing disqualifies them for office work?
@@dreamsofcode You're definitively missing out, even 90 Hz is a huge upgrade from 60 Hz for productivity.
Bro, share a link to your wallpapers in the description
🫡 Adding now
@ much obliged!
If only they made a cheaper version without all the gimmicks
yea... no high refresh rate is a deal breaker for me
Where did you get your TRRS cable from?
Etsy! Custom Cable Co
4K for 32" → it's not really a monitor, more of a TV.
Remember folks, you want 5K for 27" or 4.5K for 24"
looks like you absolutely dont know what are you talking about
Check out the LG 5K2K series of monitors.
Tried to find more spec info from the affiliated link, found only info about features (mostly about the glare protection). When choosing one of the monitors you are able to see the specs: 400 nits brightness with HDR10 and DisplayHDR 400... and IPS panel type. For the full review there should be a comparison of two monitors: review unit vs consumer-bought unit to test if the monitors will have the same quality, also if it comes for the panel bleeding.
no matter what features it has, for $700 60hz completely ruins it
Has youtube removed my last comment? Was it because I put a link to Amazon?
Yeah, youtube doesn't like links in the comments.
@@dreamsofcode Ahh. I did not know. Thanks for the reply.
14:00 isn't that just DDC/CI?
60hz for a 700 bucks monitor... not too sure about this one
if you need a specialized monitor to write code, you shouldn't write code.
not about the monitor
why is your mic changing volume in the middle of talking
how many patches did you do had to add after your initial record lmao
I pretty much patch my entire content. I'm never happy with the way I say things first off.
It's a problem with being meticulous with my content!
You've exposed your IP in the first screenshot you shared.
Whatever you do, do NOT DDOS it 🤣
Designs a monitor for coding.... makes it 16:9 ratio, anyway. 🤦 🤦 🤦 That's literally the one thing that makes every display suck for code.
I have the Huawei HUAWEI MateView 28 Inch 4k+ I can't ask for any other monitor as a Programmer.
This monitor offers nothing particularly remarkable for coders, nada. This is just an ordinary monitor.
Donate the old poor monitor
I got a 32inch 4k 144hz dell monitor ... could never go back to 60hz sry
Since when you need a +60hz for coding. Those dev are becoming ridiculous. 😂 You are building form all days stop lying 😂
i personally think people are just complaining about 60hz for the reason that they are used to high refresh rate; aka they're spoiled. use it for a few days and you get used to it.
I am sold
0:35 says a lot about the "reviews". If it's for review, what difference does it make if you already have a monitor... Ah... gotcha... At leat you can push it on ebay after "review" if you don't like it.
Reviews sphere is so broken.
I tend not to do reviews for things I don't really need or see a need for as there's a lot of time and effort that goes in to them.
I'm yet to have sold any review units I've received on eBay 😅. I will be selling my old monitor though.