BenQ can be regarded as a heavy hitter in the monitor division. They have long been a popular choice for home users, enthusiasts and even gamers.
The EX3501R is a stunning UltraWide 35-inch monitor which delivers up a triple attack on competing solutions – 1800R Curve, 100Hz and HDR. All three of these elements should be way up there on most user’s priority list.
Viewing angles are very good on this VA panel – considerably better than you’d typically get on a TN solution. VA of course has the benefit of providing decent viewing angles and strong colours/contrast both of which is offered in this BenQ monitor. Furthermore, both attributes are akin to HDR – EX3501R does this very well too. In our tests we checked out the Color Gamut which realised 100% for sRGB and 81% for Adobe RGB, something which makes this display suitable for content creators.
HDR is gradually gaining momentum in the market and with a growing list of games being enabled for this technology it’s definitely something that avid gamers will benefit from.
In general the EX3501R handles games very well – the combination of fast response times, refresh rate and great colour reproduction all contribute to a great experience. We did however encounter a bug with the 100Hz refresh rate – when 100Hz is selected in Windows 10, there is no notable difference between 60Hz and 100Hz, it isn’t until you create a custom profile with 99Hz being an option that a higher refresh rate is felt. We have reached out to BenQ to see what their take is, because this isn’t an isolated incident – others report it too. Thankfully we were able to create a workaround and once enabled the motion and fluidity is superb.
AMD Freesync is available but unlikely to be something which many will require since a majority of gamers using this display will opt for a high-performance graphics card, to which NVIDIA currently dominate the market. Having the option is always a bonus though!
One other anomaly is the VESA compatibility, which is clearly listed on the website for EX3501R but there is no mount or adapter fixed to the monitor or within the packaging. UPDATE: According to this source, the company producing the VESA mount has gone out of business. User 'Hypnopompia' has designed a 3D print for those wishing to use a VESA configuration, according to the comments this appears to work well. There is also an alternative by using some of the components from the original monitor stand - credit to Kixxo.
The BenQ EX3501R is priced at US $800: https://goo.gl/LqXUTg, UK: £638 https://goo.gl/QQS4r2 AU: $1000 https://amzn.to/2PHzZYc. Making it an affordable option for those wanting a slice of UltraWide action with some HDR added in.
Living up to their reputation, BenQ has produced an excellent display in the EX3501R. It carries a strong feature-set which is sure to satisfy content creators, gamers, and entertainment seekers.
Pros
+ Untainted by RGB lighting
+ Wide color gamut
+ Good viewing angles
+ Rich contrast
+ Arrives with USB 3.1 ports
+ Colour reproduction is excellent for work, entertainment, gaming
Neutral
- Not all games or content support 21:9
- Screen only tilts
- Shiny feet mark easily
- Physical screen space 5mm from borderless bezel design
Cons
- 100Hz does not work out of the box
- VESA compatibility listed – no mount/adapter supplied
+ Untainted by RGB lighting
+ Wide color gamut
+ Good viewing angles
+ Rich contrast
+ Arrives with USB 3.1 ports
+ Colour reproduction is excellent for work, entertainment, gaming
Neutral
- Not all games or content support 21:9
- Screen only tilts
- Shiny feet mark easily
- Physical screen space 5mm from borderless bezel design
Cons
- 100Hz does not work out of the box
- VESA compatibility listed – no mount/adapter supplied
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