How to Choose 27-inch 4K Professional Design Monitor —— Evaluation of BenQ PD2705U Professional Monitor

At the beginning of the new year, I have been planning to change a new professional monitor. As it happens, BenQ Design Professional Display Series has launched a new product, PD2705U. Compared with the previous series, it has a new appearance, OSD controller and 65W Type C port. I feel that everything is in line with the professional display of PD high-end series, and the machine is just within my budget, so I placed an order and have been using it for some time now, just to show you how this new product performs.

BenQ PD2705U, as a professional display product focusing on the design field, is equipped with an IPS panel with 4K resolution, and the picture effect is exquisite and real. The display supports 99% sRGB color gamut coverage, and each PD2705U is calibrated separately at the factory, so there is no need to worry about inaccurate color display. The paper color calibration report is attached to the box.

It can be seen from the above real shot display proofs that PD2705U is absolutely sufficient in color reproduction and output, and many details have been well restored.

BenQ PD2705U professional monitor is 27 inches, which can basically meet the demand of pursuing large screen, and one screen is comparable to multiple screens. Both retouching and drawing are particularly comfortable, and the picture is particularly delicate under the blessing of 4K resolution. Even if the high-resolution picture is magnified 5 times, it is still very clear, and the mane of the horse in similar proofs can still be recognized.

This monitor adopts DC technology, which reduces the screen flicker from the hardware root, and will not feel dry and uncomfortable even if it is used for a long time, which is definitely good news for designers. If you stare at a general monitor for a long time, black spots or shadows will appear in front of it, which will damage your eyesight. The way to visually check whether a screen flashes is to directly turn on the recording function of the mobile phone and adjust the shutter speed to the maximum. At this time, if there are black stripes on the screen, it means that the stroboscopic is serious. The pro-tested PD2705U has almost no screen flicker, and the eyes are still comfortable after using it for a whole day, and there will be no dry eye.

At present, most notebook computers have a type-C interface, which can realize data transmission and image and video output after being connected with the monitor. If C-type charging is supported, the laptop can be charged in reverse, and the whole connection process does not need any docking station or patch cord, which is absolutely needless to say for the user-friendliness of the macbook.

BenQ PD2705U has rich interfaces, including HDMI2.0, DP, mini DP and two USB interfaces. The most important thing is to add a 65W Type-C interface, which can directly connect the notebook through the attached Type-C cable, transmit video signals, and supply power to the notebook at the same time, which is convenient to use and can output 4K 60hz video. With my own M-book color preset, at least when I use it, I can feel that the display effect is similar to that of a Macbook.

With the USB3.0 interface of BenQ PD2705U fuselage, it can provide a USB expansion interface for notebooks. Insert the USB flash drive directly into PD2705U, the notebook computer can read it directly, and the data file can be copied. Peripheral devices such as mouse and keyboard can also be connected to the display for use. For macbook users with only two lightning interfaces, it saves a docking station and is more convenient to use. It is really a line to solve all problems.

After connecting with the macbook by using the Type-C interface, the display effect is almost the same as that of the macbook with the preset M-book color. At 4K resolution, the details in the proofs are better presented, which is undoubtedly the most perfect presentation for designers.

BenQ PD2705U professionally designs the second generation external OSD controller hotkey Puck G2 that comes with the display. A metal knob is designed at the top, with moderate damping, and the brightness, contrast and volume can be adjusted freely. With its other four custom buttons, color mode, PBP, KVM, mute and signal source can also be switched with one button; There are also three custom buttons, which can switch the display mode, function and signal source with one button, and can be customized in the OSD menu of the display. If my host is rendering video, I will quickly switch the signal source to my laptop through OSD controller to write scripts directly, or I am used to this switching operation when I have information to consult. After all, the big screen still looks comfortable. After a period of use, I basically got into the habit of not operating on the monitor, which is really convenient.

Of course, people who like the traditional way also have some choices. BenQ PD2705U still retains the OSD setting buttons, and the four buttons are located at the bottom of the right rear side on the back of the monitor, which can be touched by the right hand. Because there is a 5-way OSD guide rocker, blind people can exercise completely.

BenQ PD2705U has built-in many professional design modes for different fields, including Rec.709, CAD/CAM, animation design, darkroom and two-color mode, among which Rec.709, sRGB and low blue light are not uncommon. This paper mainly introduces several other unique modes.

Among them, CAD/CAM mode can enhance the sharpness and contrast of lines in engineering drawings, so that users can better design skeletons. Two-color mode can preview the rendering effect while watching the line draft; Darkroom mode can easily handle the details in dim environment; The animation design mode can provide the brightness level of 10, improve the brightness of the dark part of the picture and ensure that the bright part is not exposed.

In addition to the above color preset, BenQ PD2705U has also added KVM and PIP/PBP functions. KVM (multi-host switching) function can connect two hosts to PD2705U at the same time, and realize a set of keyboard and mouse to control two hosts. When editing a video, one host does editing, and the other is responsible for rendering and exporting. The pictures of the two hosts can be switched at will, so that it is convenient to check the rendering progress and export effect without changing workstations back and forth. I usually use windows and Mac OS at the same time. If my computer is equipped with a dual system, it will be troublesome to restart it before switching. With the KVM function of PD2705U, I can switch seamlessly between two hosts at will through a monitor and a set of keyboard and mouse. Moreover, after using KVM, the desktop is not surrounded by messy wires, and the whole workbench becomes clean and tidy. This function not only improves efficiency, but also saves office space, so it is not necessary to buy another set of keyboard and mouse.

PIP (Picture in Picture) /PBP (Picture in Picture) function can display two signal sources on one monitor, and users can independently set two signal display areas and sizes: they can display side by side, or they can display a main screen and a small window.

The exterior design of BenQ PD2705U is simple and atmospheric, and the color matching of pure black body will never be out of date. The ultra-narrow bezel design on three sides makes it look taller, and no buttons can be seen on the whole front.

There are 1 TYPE-C, 1 USB ports and a 3.5mm headphone port on the right side of the fuselage, which can not only directly read the data of the U disk, but also charge devices such as mobile phones. Nowadays, many laptops have cancelled the 3.5mm headphone jack. Occasionally, listening to music and watching movies can directly connect the 3.5mm wired headphones on hand to the monitor for use.

The base of BenQ PD2705U still adopts the square structure made of cast iron, and its center of gravity is relatively stable, which ensures the stability of the whole display, and generally shaking is basically harmless.

The bracket adopts a cylindrical structure, which looks more comfortable and beautiful when it is changed into a square. This bracket also has the function of lifting and rotating, which can be used to adjust the screen angle, as described in detail below. In addition, the PD2705U adds a cable buckle plate to cooperate with the cable organizer on the bracket to make the back of the whole fuselage look more concise and tidy.

Staring at the monitor for too long every day, the screen height can't be adjusted, and I always feel uncomfortable in my neck. I can only use a pile of books to buffer, occasionally writing vertically or looking for the wrong code, but I have to work with my head tilted because the monitor can't rotate. Although I can cure cervical spondylosis for many years, it does great harm to work efficiency.

The bracket of BenQ PD2705U professional display can be described as "flexible", which can be used to adjust the height of the screen, the left and right angles of the screen, up and down pitching and vertical screen, so that each user can find his own angle, and at the same time, he can read several lines of the vertical screen tapping code, which improves the work efficiency.

After using BenQ PD2705U to design the monitor professionally for a period of time, the whole office desktop has become more tidy, feeling a lot of wires are missing, and the desktop space has been saved. Because it is color-calibrated in the factory, you don't have to worry about the accuracy of color after purchase, which is enough to worry about. In addition, a variety of color presets are built in to meet different design requirements, which greatly improves work efficiency. KVM system can connect a monitor and two computers at the same time, and only use the same set of keyboard and mouse to control it, which is particularly convenient for daily use.

The fuselage of PD2705U has also added a 65W Type-C interface, which greatly improves the convenience of use. A cable connected to the laptop can not only transmit data and video signals, but also charge the laptop, making the display instantly become a docking station. The connected external OSD controller can quickly switch the signal input source through one key and other settings.

Generally speaking, BenQ's products are reliable. PD2705U is a professionally designed monitor with excellent color performance, efficient and comfortable use experience and low price, which is definitely a blow to similar professional monitors. However, I don't think the hotkey Puck G2 is cool enough. For example, you can add some RGB rings to make the atmosphere full in the dark environment. In addition, if you can add wireless design, you can avoid the bondage of wires.