The BenQ PD2725U was conceived to provide reliable imaging performance for both Windows PCs and Apple Macs. It boasts simplified yet modern connectivity and functionality, along with flagship-level color performance for your work. The BenQ PD2725U isn’t cheap, but let’s check out if it’s a worthy upgrade for editors and content creators.
BenQ PD2725U Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 4K UHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Response Time: 5ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Brightness: 400 cd/m²
- Speakers: Yes (2 x 2.5 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB 3.1 x 3, USB-C Thunderbolt 3 PD65W x 1, USB-C Thunderbolt 3 Out PD15W x 1m 3.5mm Audio Jack x 1
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 24.2 x 23.6”x 10.8
- Weight: 18.3 lbs
Display and Performance
The BenQ PD2725U has a sophisticated aesthetic that wouldn’t put it out of place in an Apple store or high-end studios. It has a matte black chassis with a silver stand, setting it apart from more aggressive options like the brand’s Mobiuz monitors. The display has a bezel-free design, but it still has inner borders that aren’t as distracting.
It’s slightly bigger than a regular office monitor, but we don’t think anyone will have issues with setting it up. It does have an upsized base, but it is thin and flat so it should slide right under your peripherals. It’s not too heavy at 18.3 pounds so you can still move it around easily as needed.
Its build quality is fantastic just like any of the brand’s premium offerings in its various monitor lineups. The plastics used are tough and well-reinforced so they won’t flex or crack just like that when moderate force is applied. The stand is stable and firm so the screen won’t wobble or sag while you are finishing your edits and tasks.
The BenQ PD2725U has an OSD joystick at the bottom edge of the rear panel for easy access. It also has a Hotkey Puck that lets you swoop into the submenus so you can quickly activate a preset or adjust a setting. The only downside is that the gadget is wired, but we think it is still manageable since it’s beneficial and convenient for professionals.
The stand included in the package offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. Most won’t feel that they have to replace the stand since it is easy to get a viewing angle that won’t hurt your neck after long hours of work. However, you may use a VESA mount with it as well, but the extra purchase will only be necessary if you have a small desk or multiple screens in use.
The BenQ PD2725U’s connectivity layout is one of its main highlights thanks to its inclusion of Thunderbolt 3 technology. You get DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 slots, and a 65-watt Thunderbolt 3 USB slot for MacBooks. The second USB-C slot is for daisy-chaining another monitor, so you can connect two PD2725Us without any issue.
You also get a trio of USB 3.1 slots, but the other one has a type-B connector so it’s meant for data upstream as well. There is a 3.5mm jack and a pair of built-in speakers with 2.5 watts of power each for your basic needs. You will be better served by headsets or desktop speakers if you want good audio for music or videos while you work.
Display and Performance
The BenQ PD2725U boasts a 27-inch IPS panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a 5ms response time. The backlight has a 400 cd/m2 output while the contrast is listed at 1200:1, unlike most IPS panels. This model now has HDR 400 certification, but that matters less in a category that puts accuracy on a pedestal.
4K looks extra crisp on a 27-inch screen so it is great for the product’s intended purpose or entertainment use. it’s a little too sharp for reading and document processing, but there are ways that can get you around that if you don’t have 20/20 vision. Games will look great on this monitor, but it wasn’t designed for it and it’s limited to 60Hz.
The BenQ PD2725U covers 100% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 as advertised so it’s capable of vibrant colors and rich hues. Its default accuracy using the sRGB mode only had a deltaE average of 1.09, while the DCI-P3 filter had 2.16. Most users won’t need to calibrate it right away since the most important color presets are as accurate as BenQ’s claims.
Calibrating the monitor reduced the deltaE average to 0.64 for sRGB and 1.05 for DCI-P3 so it’s more than just suitable for editing work. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter to improve its color fidelity beyond what the factory options can provide. You can get away with the PD2725U’s filters, so you can save the investment on the colorimeter at a later time.
Its backlight reached 405 cd/m2 at 100% so it can fight off glare and there is plenty of room for granular tuning. Its contrast peaked at 987:1 at 50% brightness, so it is incapable of deep blacks like VA panels or the IPS models with more complex backlights. Its HDR 400 feature will mostly be unusable, but it’s something to play around with during your free time.
Panel uniformity for the BenQ PD2725U sample did not have any major issues like backlight leaks or clouding. There is some variance with the backlight’s spread from top to bottom, but it’s not unnatural and only noticeable when the screen is scanned with a colorimeter. This can vary between every PD2725U monitor made due to tolerances, so it is not impossible to get a unit with worse symptoms.
Its pixel response time is decent for a 60Hz prosumer monitor, but that doesn’t mean that it will be free from blurring and stuttering. You are going to need to use some overdrive to help with that, but we don’t recommend maxing it out since it will induce overshoot. This is all understandable for this model since it was not tuned for gaming, but it’s usable if you want to play casually on the side after work.
The BenQ PD2725U, like the other DesignVue and PhotoVue monitors, does not have FreeSync or G-Sync compatibility. It’s a professional monitor, so VRR and tear-free visuals are not priorities for a product like this. Input lag sits at 10ms at 60Hz, so it is still snappy and responsive even if it is not the fastest 4K monitor around.
Thoughts on the BenQ PD2725U
The BenQ PD2725U is a fantastic professional monitor choice for editing and content creation. It features great color quality with its well-tuned presets and it responds quite well to calibration if you think it’s necessary. It is well-designed and it has modern features which are essential in a high-end category that caters to the meticulous.
However, it is not the perfect monitor out there since there are minor limitations in the package. Its HDR 400 and contrast ratio are weak, and its USB-C Thunderbolt port should at least put out 90 Watts to satisfy workstation laptops. It’s also not cheap, but its amazing quality and imaging fidelity make it seem worthy of your investment.
Pros:
- Wide Gamut Coverage
- Excellent Preset Accuracy and Calibration Results
- Great Build Quality and Design
- USB-C Connectivity
Cons:
- USB-C Limited to 65 Watts
- Limited Contrast
- Poor HDR Performance
Paolo is a gaming veteran from the golden days of Doom and Warcraft. Since junior high, he has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He has also spent half a decade researching, reviewing, and writing about these products and now has over 1400 articles about the best gaming tech under his belt.
Leave a Reply