I’ve decided to write a short review of the Benq EW3280U monitor which I’ve been using with MSFS for the past 3 weeks. Maybe, this little summary will help a few of you decide on which monitor to choose for MSFS.
Before getting this monitor I was using an HP Envy 27 4K monitor. It’s was an OK monitor with a sleek design and a reasonable price tag. But I was thinking of getting something bigger so I can read the A320 MFDs better and something with better colors. After looking through various reviews, I’ve settled for the BenQ EW3280U with a 800 EUR price tag.
The bad:
Although this monitor is official HDR400 certified, the entire HDR capability is basically useless in MSFS. The problem is that the EW3280U uses global dimming which is too slow to react and dims the screen in large gradual steps. The end result is that when you look around the cockpit, the monitor will start dimming as if someone was annoyingly adjusting your monitor’s brightness with a remote control. This isn’t an issue with the game or drivers, cable or anything else. I’ve tried HDR with my Sony X900F and MSFS worked fine. So if you want a monitor with HDR capabilities, then look some place else.
Tho good:
The colors are really good and bright even in non-HDR (SDR) mode. Overall, the picture quality is great. I haven’t actually noticed any difference between HDR and SDR on this monitor except for the annoying dimming in HDR. I also like the fact that the screen is bigger which makes reading small text on MFDs in 4K much easier. The monitor also has decent speakers - probably the best for a monitor. This may not be important, but I like to keep my desk as clutter free as possible. So having a pair of speakers plus their cables off the desk is a great plus. I also like the looks of the monitor. I never liked the disco-dance RGB gaming monitor designs anyway.
Other things to keep in mind:
This is only a standard 60 hz monitor and not a gaming 120+ hz monitor. So if you play FPS games, racing games, or other competitive on-line games then you’ll probably want something with a higher refresh rate. But for MSFS, 60 hz is more than enough.
The monitor is not officialy GSync compatible but works nevertheless. The VRR ranges from 40 to 60 hz.
Bottom line:
I’m very happy with the EW3280U and I’d buy it again. I highly recommend it for MSFS. And btw I’m not affiliated in any way with BenQ.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!