Professional’s Score
Execs
- Very giant display
- Colorfast and vibrant
- Thunderbolt connection
Cons
- Solely 60Hz
- Somewhat meager audio system
- No webcam
Our Verdict
The BenQ PD3225U presents excessive show high quality and lots of sensible capabilities. It’s supreme for design, desktop publishing, and photograph and video modifying–it’s a very good all-around show. Because of the Thunderbolt connection, it’s supreme as a Mac docking station.
Worth When Reviewed
$1,099.99
Greatest Costs In the present day: BenQ PD3225U
$1,099.99
$1099.99
In the event you don’t know something about displays, you may suppose any monitor will do on your Mac. Whereas that could be true—some shows are made to particularly deal with the wants of Mac customers. Take BenQ, for instance, with its DesignVue collection, which has a Thunderbolt 3 connection as normal, can synchronize its colours, and is due to this fact “Mac-ready.” The most recent mannequin within the household is the PD3225U, a 31.5-inch big.
BenQ PD3225U: Specs
| Dimension | 31.5 inch IPS |
| Decision | 3840 by 2160 pixels |
| Brightness/HDR | 400/400 nits |
| Response time | 5 ms |
| Refresh charge | 60Hz |
| Color ranges | 99% Rec.709 99% sRGB 98% DCI-P3 |
| Joinors | Thunderbolt 3 On Thunderbolt 3 Off 3 USB-A ports 1 USB-C port 1 USB-B port 2 HDMI 2.0 ports 1 DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Audio | 2 2W audio system 3.5mm audio jack |
| Webcam | No |
BenQ PD3225U: Connectivity-friendly docking station
Like Apple’s Studio Show, the PD3225U’s Thunderbolt help units it aside from different displays. Thunderbolt is used to hook up with the Mac and it presents 85 watts of charging energy, so it could cost a MacBook. The Thunderbolt connection additionally transforms the show with its 4 USB ports and a further Thunderbolt socket right into a sensible docking station for connecting peripherals reminiscent of arduous drives or further hubs. The second Thunderbolt port additionally serves as a daisy-chain connection, which can be utilized to attach a second monitor or finish units with their very own energy provide–it gives solely 15 watts of charging energy.
BenQ gives a 3-foot (1-meter) Thunderbolt cable, however it could be good if it was a bit of longer. It could be too brief if you wish to join the show to a Mac that’s positioned beneath a desk. The PD3225U has one USB-C port, situated on the suitable facet, together with a USB-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack. These are the ports you utilize for gadgets you typically plug/unplug, reminiscent of a thumb drive.
The facet ports of the BenQ PD3225U provide a sensible strategy to join units.
Foundry
The remainder of the ports are situated on the rear of the show. For computer systems with out Thunderbolt, the PD3225U additionally presents two HDMI 2.0 ports and DisplayPort 1.4. Because of the built-in KVM swap, two computer systems might be switched shortly, though the mouse and keyboard should be linked to the monitor by cable. The BenQ Hotkey Puck G2 provided helps with this.
The BenQ PD3225U presents a pleasant array of ports.
Foundry
The PD3235U has a pair of 2-watt audio system. They don’t depart a lot of an impression, so if audio is necessary, you’ll wish to connect USB audio system. The show additionally doesn’t have a webcam, so that you’ll want so as to add one to your buying record if that’s a necessity.
BenQ PD3225U: Picture high quality
The 31.5-inch PD3225U makes an impression on the desk and presents an unlimited quantity of area to work in your Mac. Even with the show set to its native 4K decision (3,840 by 2,160 pixels), on-screen gadgets are nonetheless usable. If it’s too small for you, you may alter the decision. I discovered the three,008 by 1,692-pixel setting to be optimum–the PD3225U shows content material as giant as on an iMac show.
I wish to reiterate that the PD3225U is a 4K show. Shows that provide larger resolutions can be found, reminiscent of Apple’s 5K Studio Show, which is dearer. You possibly can even discover 8K shows, however once more, they’re dearer.
Content material on the PD3225U is at all times clearly recognizable due to a peak brightness of 400 nits and a distinction ratio of two,000:1. The PD3225Q can be an exceptionally evenly illuminated panel with no halos or related show issues. The matte display is coated with an anti-glare coating that largely prevents reflections from mild sources.
The PD3225U covers crucial shade areas nearly utterly: 98 % DCI-P3, 99 % sRGB, and 99 % Rec.709.
The PD3225U’s M-Guide mode is outstanding: this shade mode optimized for the Mac minimizes the optical variations between the display and the shows utilized in MacBooks. This ensures color-fast dual-monitor operation with a Macbook and BenQ monitor. In apply, there are not any important shade show variations between the BenQ show and the MacBook, however the excessive brightness of recent MacBooks does make a sure distinction.
Nonetheless, there are additionally a number of different shade modes, reminiscent of DCI-P3, and sRGB, or modes supposed for particular functions reminiscent of “Darkroom” or “Office.” The display might be set utilizing the twin show perform in order that it makes use of the M-Guide mode on the left and the sRGB mode on the suitable, for instance. This makes it behave like two in another way set screens. On this means, functions and media might be considered shortly within the corresponding shade mode if required.
One downside to the PD3225U is that it doesn’t provide variable refresh charges. It’s set to 60Hz, which is adequate for most individuals.
BenQ PD3225U: Show Pilot 2 for handy show management
The PD3225U additionally helps BenQ’s personal Show Pilot software program. This device lets you conveniently management the PD3225U from the Mac by way of the menu bar.
Because of the iKeyboard Management characteristic (which should first be activated in Show Pilot), the brightness of the exterior monitor might be simply managed utilizing the standard F1/F2 keys: All you need to do is place the mouse pointer on the PD3225U. Whether it is on the MacBook show, the keys dim the show. Show Pilot additionally permits entry to many necessary display capabilities with out the person having to achieve behind the monitor to fiddle with the display buttons.
The software program not solely presents the choice of shortly switching between shade modes but in addition gives fast entry to desktop partitioning or the picture-in-picture perform. The choice of assigning particular shade profiles to sure functions is sensible: As quickly as the applying is lively (Photoshop or Pixelmator, for instance) the monitor switches to the required shade mode on request.
In the event you don’t use the Show Pilot software program, the show controls might be accessed utilizing buttons and a bit of joystick on the rear.
Foundry
BenQ PD3225U: Worth
The PD3235U has the next record costs:
- U.S.: $1,099.99
- U.Okay.: £1,099.99
- Canada: $1,499
- Australia: $1,799
Must you purchase the BenQ PD3225U?
The PD3225U presents every part that skilled Mac customers want: A good looking, vibrant, well-lit panel, manufacturing unit calibration together with a excessive stage of shade high quality, numerous shade modes, and exceptionally good connectivity. The Show Pilot 2 app rounds off the bundle, which makes working the display an actual pleasure. Regardless of the “only” 4K decision, BenQ delivers an actual productiveness monster with this monitor, which ought to discover many associates amongst Mac customers and past, due to its giant work floor and intelligent options.
This text initially appeared on Macwelt and was translated by Roman Loyola.
This text initially appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.