Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Brimming with features, the BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R ultrawide gaming monitor makes a strong case for a spot on your desk.
The new ultrawide EX3415R is a part of BenQ's Mobiuz lineup, which focuses on delivering a modern but simple design, high-end specs, and a ton of extra features. In this case, the 34-inch EX3415R is a curved gaming monitor that seems to lean toward a focus on racing simulation; it's actually the "official gaming monitor" of the NASCAR Heat 5 Ultimate Summer Showdown. Rest assured, it's perfectly capable of handling first-person shooters, sports games, RPGs, and standard media as well. I've been using this monitor for the last few weeks to see what it's all about and whether or not its generous feature set is worth the relatively steep price tag.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R
Bottom line: BenQ's Mobiuz EX3415R is an excellent gaming monitor that has the feature set and color to also function as a work display. It's packed with intelligent features, color and contrast are exceptional, and the audio is some of the best I've heard from a monitor. Just watch out for the HDR 400 and lack of HDMI 2.1.
Pros
- Excellent built-in audio
- Clean design with adjustable stand
- Intelligent brightness sensor
- Stellar color and contrast
- Remote control is a great addition
Cons
- Tops out at HDR 400
- No HDMI 2.1
- Expensive
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R: Price, availability, and specs
BenQ supplied Windows Central with a review unit of its Mobiuz EX3415R ultrawide gaming monitor. It is available online at Amazon and B&H; both retailers have the monitor listed at about $1,000, which is the suggested list price.
Following are the BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R's specs.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 34 inches |
| Resolution | 3440x1440 110 PPI |
| Aspect ratio | 21:9 |
| Panel | IPS LED backlight |
| Curvature | 1900R |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz |
| Response time | 1ms (MPRT) 2ms (GtG) |
| HDR | HDR10 VESA DisplayHDR 400 |
| VRR | FreeSync Premium |
| Contrast | 1000:1 (native) |
| Color | 1.07 billion 98% DCI-P3 |
| Brightness | 200 nits (typical) 400 nits (peak HDR) |
| Connectivity | Two HDMI 2.0 DisplayPort 1.4 USB-B (up) Two USB-A 3.0 (down) 3.5mm audio |
| Audio | 2.1 channel Dual 2W speakers 5W woofer |
| VESA | 100mm x 100mm |
| Dimensions | (With base) 20.7 x 32.1 x 10.6 inches (525mm x 815.2mm x 269.7mm) |
| Weight | 18.7 pounds (8.5kg) |
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R: What I like
The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R focuses on a clean, modern design that borders more on simple than intricate. It has a monochrome color finish for the plastic, with the only bright color coming from an orange offset along the inside of the stand's feet. The stand provides ample stability and includes a cable cutout for easier cable management. It's plenty ergonomical, allowing for tilt, swivel, and height adjustments; no rotation, but it's not necessary for a curved ultrawide. The monitor is also compatible with a 100mm x 100mm VESA mount for added versatility.
The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R has the best audio I've ever heard from a PC monitor.
The back of the display has a Mobiuz logo emblazoned on the left side, and there's a speaker grille just above where it connects to the stand. It seems to hide the 5W woofer that pairs up with the dual 2W tweeters that run just below the screen behind a grille. Together, this audio setup delivers some of the best sound I've heard from a monitor. It gets loud, it remains clear, and the crisp highs are met by deep lows. You'll still get better sound from a dedicated desktop speaker setup, and you might want to employ one of the best PC gaming headsets for competitive fare; nevertheless, I came away impressed. The only thing lacking is manual audio control. Instead, you get five different presets for different types of media and games.
There's a sizable cutout for the port bay, and the package includes a cover to hide your hookups. Running from the cover to the cable cutout in the stand offers a clean look for your desktop. Ports include two HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-B (upstream), two downstream USB-A 3.0, and a 3.5mm audio hookup. That's about it for the back of the monitor, as even the OSD control is located on the bottom edge next to the power button. There's no RGB lighting either, so don't go in expecting it to match up with your other RGB equipment.
When I reviewed the Acer Predator X38, I bemoaned the fact that the automatic light sensor was located at the top of the display, blocked by a centered third-party webcam. The EX3415R solves this issue by moving the sensor to the display's chin. It works just as well situated there, keeping brightness and contrast tuned according to the room's ambient light. This "Brightness Intelligence Plus" feature can also be disabled if you prefer a static brightness.
The on-screen display (OSD) has a ton of settings to fool around with, plus there's a quick menu for easier tweaking of basic settings. Along with the joystick control built into the monitor, a remote is included that makes navigating the menus so much easier. For picture presets there are two HDRi presets along with a standard HDR preset, as well as common options like sRGB, RPG, Racing, FPS, Custom, and more. Here you can also adjust light tuning to make overly dark or overly light games more viewable, motion acceleration for response time, and color saturation for better clarity. A black equalizer is also handy when playing particularly moody games.
The 34-inch IPS display with 21:9 aspect ratio is simply gorgeous, and I enjoyed every moment while using it. Gamers can take advantage of the smooth 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, while the 3440x1440 resolution provides plenty of detail. It has a blue light adjustment to help with working after hours, the panel is flicker-free, and it's TÜV Rheinland certified.
HDRi is a combination of HDR picture, automatic brightness, and color tuning. It analyzes ambient light and the game's lighting and makes minor adjustments to the picture. With Game HDRi you get better detail in dark scenes, as well as more color saturation to make your games pop. And with Cinema HDRi, the focus is on contrast and color saturation.
Testing color accuracy in custom mode, I got back 100% sRGB, 90% AdobeRGB, and 96% DCI-P3, as well as about 242 nits brightness. These are stellar results and should satisfy any gamers out there, as well as those who are focusing on specialized work that requires high-end color reproduction. Testing again with Game HDRi enabled and without further HDR tweaking, I got back 100% sRGB, 78% AdobeRGB, and 81% DCI-P3. Bottom line? You should be able to adjust the picture to get it exactly how you'd like.
I was able to pair my AMD Radeon RX 6800 GPU with the display's FreeSync Premium ability for less screen tearing, and it seems the display should also work fine if you'd like to set up G-Sync with an NVIDIA card. Finally, this monitor has also been great for work. The picture-in-picture (PIP), picture-by-picture (PBP), and multiple input features were more useful than I was expecting, and the sheer width of the display means I can set up multiple windows side by side for much less Alt-Tabbing.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R: What I don't like
The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R is not a budget-friendly monitor. It's in line with a lot of the competition, but some of its features could be a bit better to help entice people to bite on the $1,000 price. First and foremost, the HDR 400 classification is a bit disappointing despite the intelligent features. If you're buying a monitor primarily to be used with HDR content, you can do better. Sure, color and contrast get a wicked boost with it enabled, but brightness never reached beyond about 250 nits no matter how I tested (including with auto brightness sensor disabled).
Considering you might be buying this monitor to use for the next few years (at this price it's more than likely), HDMI 2.1 spec would be appreciated for better future proofing. Modern GPUs are going the way of HDMI 2.1, as are next-gen consoles (though they still lack ultrawide support).
One final thing to note is that I wish the stand's height adjustment was more generous. The dual-prong stand makes it harder to prop the display up on a riser, and for my height I need about four or five more inches to be looking straight at it. If you're under 6 feet, it will probably be perfect.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R: Competition
Our collection of the best ultrawide monitors has a bunch of great options to choose from. If you want to go all out, something like the LG 38WN95C-W or Acer Predator X38 will do the trick. They're both 38-inch ultrawides with 3840x1600 resolution, awesome color and contrast, and a ton of extra features. The LG display is VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified, while the Predator X38 is capped at HDR 400.
For something a lot less expensive but with similar specs, check out the Acer Nitro XV340CK at about $439. It has a 3440x1440 resolution, AMD FreeSync, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and HDR10 capabilities. It's not curved, however, and it lacks a bunch of the premium intelligent features found in the EX3415R.
And if you're in love with LG's Nano IPS technology, the $800 LG 34GP83A-B UltraGear might be what you're looking for. It has a curved display with 3440x1440 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and NVIDIA G-Sync. VESA DisplayHDR 400 is included, and it hits about 98% DCI-P3 color reproduction.
Be sure to check out our best PC gaming monitors and our best computer monitors roundups for more options.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want a 34-inch curved gaming monitor with WQHD resolution
- You have a PC capable of pushing the 144Hz refresh rate at this resolution
- You also want to use the monitor for work
You shouldn't buy this if ...
- You want something higher than HDR 400
- You want to hold out for HDMI 2.1
- You don't want to spend $1,000 on a monitor
The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R undeniably offers a beautiful WQHD picture for gaming or work thanks to generous color reproduction and excellent contrast. The 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio makes it easy to multitask, but it also adds a whole lot more picture while gaming. Whether you're enjoying a racing sim, FPS, RTS, or RPG, it's going to pull you in. Ultrawides won me over a while ago, and the EX3415R hasn't tarnished my opinion.
The 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, as well as AMD FreeSync Premium, ensures the picture is smooth and tear-free. HDR support could be better, and indeed if you're focusing primarily on HDR content you can do better. But the combination of intelligent features, robust built-in audio, generous settings, and vivid picture nevertheless makes this a monitor to keep on your shortlist the next time you're shopping for a new screen.
BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R
The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R's HDRi feature isn't as impressive as I was expecting, but otherwise this is a beautiful ultrawide display with strong features for work and play. It's on the expensive side, but it will deliver on most of its promises.
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