BenQ Zowie XL2586X Review – Is 540Hz Refresh Rate Enough?
The esports monitor dazzles with its 540Hz refresh rate, reduced motion blur and quick response time and offers a neat display solution to competitive esports players
The title of this review is where my sarcasm ends. The BenQ Zowie XL2586X was provided for a limited time to review and in this time I was introduced to the world of TN displays and their demon fast refresh rates. I’ll try to break down my experience into various segments so that I can do justice to this unique product.
The BenQ Zowie XL2586X is 24.5 inches in size and has a TN panel as opposed to the usual IPS panel that I am used to. At first, the monitor looks just like any other monitor does. There is the monitor, the stand, the base plate, the side panels (for blocking out the view), an HDMI cable and a Display Port cable.
In the box:
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X has a very simplistic design with an all-grey paint job. The removable shields are a fresh touch. I didn’t see much benefit, though. Well, they are supposed to keep you focused on your game in case you’re wondering. Unlike what we are seeing in new monitors these days, the Zowie XL2586X has thick bezels. A really utilitarian (and cool) feature embedded in the monitor is the headphone hook that can recess back into the monitor when not in use. Just hang your gaming headphones when you’re done shooting innocent NPCs. The monitor is equipped with three HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 input. It also has a 3.5mm audio port.
The build quality was decent and didn’t leave any scope for complaining. It is an all-plastic body that feels sturdy. There is, however, an issue of lacking premium-ness. The stand is a different story, though. It holds the display well without any noticeable wobble. There is no flex whatsoever, either. The display is not easy to move and takes a decent amount of force to make adjustments.
I personally liked the ergonomics of the BenQ Zowie XL2586X. They are impressive, to be honest. Adjustability is easy and there is nothing to complain about. When I needed to place it in a comfortable position either for a late-night gaming session or a video editing marathon, all I had to do was adjust it nicely and it was done. The stand also has a ruler for height adjustment. It also has a handle that makes carrying around the monitor easy. Guess what, there's also a clip for cable management.
The first thing that strikes the eye is the low contrast in this monitor. The ZOWIE XL2586X has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look greyish next to bright highlights. This will be bothersome for people who prefer their blacks deeper and richer. The monitor also doesn't support local dimming to help improve this. There’s also a great deal of backlight bleeding in the monitor. The screen has a matte finish so the amount of reflections on this monitor is minimal. That being said, the native refresh rate of 540Hz does a great job of making up for its shortcomings. Not only this, but the connectivity options on this monitor also make the Zowie XL2586X a worthy contender in the esports-centric gaming monitor market.
Playing games like PUBG and Valorant was a hoot on the Zowie XL2586X monitor. Despite the lack of crazy contrast ratios as seen in OLED panels, the XL2586X manages to offer something invaluable, i.e., faster response times. I noticed significantly improved performance in Valorant while using the XL2586X as compared to my 60Hz laptop display.
The DyAc2 (short for Dynamic Accuracy) technology from BenQ also has a role to play here. The technology is responsible for better motion clarity and an overall enhanced visual experience while gaming. It essentially reduces motion blur in LCD by reducing ghosting in quick scenes. It also allows players to track enemies easily and reduces screen shaking during shooting. If you think about it, the Zowie XL2586X monitor gives you an advantage in esports if you already have the fundamental skills.
The Zowie XL2586X monitor uses a TN (Twisted Nematic) panel as opposed to the standard IPS (In-plane Switching) panels. TN displays have higher refresh rates and response times making them better for esports but at the same time, they are not so good in terms of contrast and colour accuracy. Even in terms of viewing angles, TN panels are not the best in the business. That being said, the response times are as low as 1-2ms.
The monitor supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort (DP1.4) and even USB Type C which makes it easier to use as there are multiple options to choose from. PS – Having choices is always better.
It has FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing too.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X is impressive as a gaming monitor. It is definitely different from the plethora of gaming monitors available in the market. When it comes to strictly judging the monitor on its gaming performance, it does well due to its max refresh rate of 540Hz which directly translates into quick response times, low input lag(event at 120Hz), and VRR support. One thing that I noticed is that it has motion blur at lower refresh rates. Not only this, the input lag also drastically shoots up at 60Hz. If low contrast is a deal breaker for you, you might have to rethink your decision to buy this monitor because it is not an OLED panel (which makes blacks look deeper) and neither does it support HDR.
That being said, this monitor manages to offer a great esports experience at refresh rates as high as 540Hz. To someone like me who is used to a maximum of 144Hz on a monitor, 540Hz seems unreal and a bit of an overkill too. However, to a seasoned gamer, this comes with a bunch of advantages over regular OLED monitors. Quick response times, sharp in-game motion and numerous connectivity ports make the ZOWIE XL2586X monitor worth the money.
BenQ does offer another option in the Zowie series. It is the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K. While both are similar in terms of being esports gaming monitors and having a TN panel under the hood, the XL2586X has a higher refresh rate (540Hz). The XL2566K has more consistent motion handling over its VRR range but the XL2586X would be the way to go if you have an HDMI 2.1 graphics card.
So, is it a worthy purchase? Yes. If your focus is primarily on esports (competitive or casual). The BenQ Zowie XL2586X, with its price tag of Rs 94,990 (on ecommerce sites) might be your best bet.
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