BenQ EW2880U Review: Best Affordable 4K IPS Monitor?

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BenQ EW2880U is a popular monitor from BenQ that offers a 4K IPS display in an affordable price spectrum. If you are someone who is planning to get BenQ EW2880U for work, gaming, or casual day-to-day usage and wondering if you should buy it or not, this BenQ EW2880U hands-on review will make your buying decision easier.

BenQ EW2880U 4K Monitor Review 2024

I’ve personally used BenQ EW2880U for the last 6 months for writing articles, designing graphics, and gaming as well as for casual usage like watching movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, web surfing etc. The USB Type-C port on BenQ EW2880U makes it a suitable monitor for Macbook users as well.

So, if you are using a Macbook and looking for an affordable 4K monitor with a USB Type-C port, this could be a viable option for you.

Let’s talk extensively about BenQ EW2880U.

BenQ EW2880U Review: The Design

At first glance of the monitor, you see a gorgeous 28-inch monitor having almost Zero bezels, connecting edge-to-edge screen. The bottom chin of the monitor comes in copper color having BenQ branding and an HDRi button to turn on/off HDR and to switch between different HDR modes for Cinema and gaming.

Although the monitor has super slim bezels on 3 sides, the bottom chin is a little thicker because it also comprises Dual 3W speakers.

Underneath the bottom chin, there is a Brightness intelligent ambient lighting sensor that automatically senses the lighting condition around you and adjusts the screen brightness. You can turn on/off this lighting sensor according to your needs from the OSD menu.

At the back of the monitor, there are 2 buttons to quickly switch between the input source, a 4-directional joystick to control the OSD menu and a power button. Connectivity ports are also placed at the back of the monitor which we will discuss later in this review.

Talking about the build quality, it is premium and doesn’t feel cheap at all. While adjusting the monitor, you don’t get to hear any crackling plastic sound and the stand’s motions are also smooth. The stand itself is super durable, heavy and sturdy. You don’t need to put extra force to adjust the height of the monitor.

Overall, BenQ EW2880U has a brilliant design and it looks pretty good on every desk setup. It doesn’t have any gaming features like RGB lighting or any fancy design language but it does look elegant.

BenQ EW2880U Review: The Display

Now let’s talk about the display which is the most important thing in any monitor. BenQ EW2880U comes with a 28-inch 4K IPS anti-glare LED display having a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display covers 90% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, producing up to 1.07 Billion colors. The peak HDR brightness is 300nits which is decent but enough for most indoor lighting conditions.

My room has large open windows exposed to direct sunlight and I am using an 80% brightness level which is more than enough for my eyes and viewing preferences. Talking about the picture quality, it is just brilliant. It comes with a pixel density of 157 PPI that gives sharp picture quality. Be it text, 4K videos, or graphics, the picture quality remains crispy, without any distortion in pixels.

Also See: OLED vs IPS: Which is best?

I am using BenQ EW2880U with Macbook Pro with M-Book color mode. The color accuracy of this color mode is pretty much similar to Macbook Pro’s retina display. The colors look vibrant and saturated without any dullness on the display. You can always change the contrast, brightness, and saturation to achieve the colors you want to see.

BenQ EW2880U has a 60hz refresh rate and 5ms GtG response time which is good for causal usage, work, and entertainment but not suitable for competitive gaming.

For gaming, it also supports AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync VRR. Since it is a 4K display and with a 60hz refresh rate, you are not open for high FPS gameplay on BenQ EW2880U. Here are the best monitors for RTX 4090 that include 4K monitors for high-quality gaming performance.

Although the BenQ EW2880U comes with HDR but there is no VESA DisplayHDR certification. Instead, it comes with BenQ’s very own HDRi which is more of a software-based HDR where the monitor simply pops the colors and increases the brightness of the screen. Here is how to watch HDR content on external display.

This is not a true HDR display for watching Netflix or Prime Video in HDR. However, it performs decently well while watching 4K HDR videos on YouTube. Don’t expect anything special from HDR performance here.

BenQ EW2880U Review: The Ports & Speakers

BenQ EW2880U comes with 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4 and 1x USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C port also supports 60w charging, DisplayPort and Data. If you are going to use the BenQ EW2880U with a laptop via a USB Type-C port, you don’t need to plug in the charger which is a brilliant thing for me.

Unfortunately, there are no USB Type-A ports on BenQ EW2880U. A USB Hub on this monitor can make this an even better package. The USB Type-C cable and HDMI 2.0 cable are provided in the box.

Along with these ports, we also get Dual 3W speakers at the bottom of the monitor. The sound quality of these speakers is pretty impressive. The volume is enough to fill the room. The bass part blends with the other sound and there is no sound separation if you are listening to music.

However, the speakers perform well when it comes to movies or TV shows. The dialogue, vocals are clear, crisp without any sort of distortion in the sound, even at 100% volume.

The monitor also comes with a remote controller for accessing the OSD menu, controlling brightness, switching between the color modes, volume up/down and even turning on/off the monitor. So, if you are planning to use this monitor as a TV, you can do that.

There are dedicated Audio modes like Live/Pop, Cinema, Dialog/vocals, game and Rock/party that you can choose according to the audio you are listening to.

Also See: TV vs Monitor: Which is Best?

Simply go to OSD Menu > Audio > Audio Mode and choose the audio mode you want to select. You can always connect external speakers or headphones using a 3.5mm headphone jack on BenQ EW2880U for even better sound performance.

BenQ EW2880U Review: The Ergonomics

BenQ EW2880U also comes with an adjustable stand that supports height, tilt and swivel adjustments. You cannot use the monitor in portrait orientation. If you are looking for a monitor with a portrait orientation, here is our list of best vertical monitors you can check.

Talking about the stand, it is a solid, well-built stand that doesn’t wobble. It is quite heavy and super easy to equip. You just need to fit the clips at the back of the monitor and it is ready to use. However, the legs of the stand occupy a lot of desk space which sometimes bothers you, especially if you have a small size desk and want to place a keyboard, mouse, laptop, and speakers on the desk.

Keeping that design flaw aside, it is super easy to adjust the ergonomics of the monitor so that you can keep working and enjoying without any discomfort.

BenQ EW2880U Review: After-Sale Service & Warranty Claim (Real Experience)

Although Benq offers 3 years of warranty but there are terms and conditions for every part of the monitor. The 3-year warranty covers claims for buttons, ports, brightness intelligence sensors, and other components, other than the display.

In my case after, a blue line of dead pixels started to appear on the left side of the display which is covered under warranty. Please note, that the warranty claim on dead pixels is applicable before 1 year from the date of purchase. The 3-year warranty does not apply to the display. For more information on the terms & conditions of BenQ Warranty claims, see this.

You need to follow the instructions given on the warranty card. First, the customer needs to send an email to Benq with this information:

• Name
• Address
• Contact
• Model Number
• Serial Number with photograph
• Nature of Fault

After that BenQ will contact you via email or phone number provided to them. They might even ask for photographs and video proof of the defective display. Once approved for a warranty claim, depending on the type of defect, they can replace the whole unit or repair the display accordingly.

BenQ’s customer care executive will visit your place and check the monitor for further process. If everything goes as per their terms and conditions, you might get a new monitor or they will repair the display. In my personal case, BenQ replaced the monitor as the whole panel was defective. I sent them video proofs, and photographs and they approved the replacement of the monitor.

The whole replacement process took around 7 working days. It may vary depending on the location of the Benq’s service center in your locality. Overall experience was good and it went smoothly as this was expected from a brand like Benq.

BenQ EW2880U Review: Pros & Cons

Here are quick Pros and Cons of BenQ EW2880U that will give you a clear picture of BenQ EW2880U:

Pros:

• Crispy & Sharp 4K IPS display
• Supports Wide color gamut
• Comes with USB Type-C with 60W charging
• Adjustable Stand with height, pivot and swivel adjustments
• Slim bezel design looks elegant & gives immersive visuals
• Comes with Remote Controller
• Impressive after-sale service

Cons:

• HDR performance is not good
• No USB Type-A ports
• No Tilt adjustment

BenQ EW2880U Review: Should You Buy it?

Considering the price point and the value BenQ EW2880U is offering, it is safe to say that it is a good purchase. It is definitely the best 4K monitor on a budget but it is not suitable for hard-core gaming.

BenQ EW2880U is a well-balanced monitor that is good for day-to-day tasks, movies, TV shows, photo editing, video editing, music production, and trading. BenQ EW2880U is also suitable for those who are looking for a 4K monitor for a Macbook Pro with a USB Type-C port.

However, HDR performance is not satisfactory on BenQ EW2880U and which also makes sense for this price. A good HDR display falls on the expensive side and most OLED displays offer good HDR performance. Do not expect anything out-of-world HDR performance on this monitor.

If you are seeking the best in class HDR performance, better look at these best OLED monitors. Other than that, BenQ EW2880U is a great 4K monitor that will provide the best value for money.