Based in Taiwan, BenQ is one of the world's leading manufacturers of gaming monitors, LED lights, flat panel displays and home cinema projectors. Their focus lies heavily on monitors, a field in which they are a huge player, supplying professional and everyday gamers monitors that deliver low latency rates and superb resolutions.
Whether you are looking to create a professional gaming rig or you just need a projector to optimise your viewing pleasure, this HotUKDeals buyer's guide will introduce a collection of tech products that you need to know about.
BenQ (which stands for Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life) is one of the most successful Taiwanese technology ventures of the past thirty years. The company was founded as recently as 2001, as the market for high-end phones and home technology started to expand. It began life as a spin-off from the computer giant Acer but has now forget a worldwide reputation in its own right.
At first, BenQ focused on mobile phones, developing some models that sold millions of units in the Asia-Pacific region. However, from 2015, things began to totally change. That's because in 2015, BenQ acquired Zowie Gear. Signalling a total shift in the company's core operations, the new BenQ company started to develop and market Zowie's extremely popular range of monitors, projectors, mice, keyboards and other peripherals. At the same time, they inherited the world's leading supplier of monitors to professional gamers – a sign that they had pinpointed gaming as their core focus.
These days, BenQ is becoming the first company for gamers who need the very best flat screen monitors and is also a great supplier of home cinema projectors, as this buyer's guide will explain.
BenQ's products appeal to a wide range of potential users. From FPS shooter players and racing simulation fans to cinema buffs, television fanatics, graphic designers, retail managers, lecturers and general office workers, they are a company that caters to a range of people, casting their net wide and managing to provide solutions for plenty of situations.
For example, their digital signage products are an excellent way to create displays, for example in museums and retail spaces, that present narratives that lead visitors through what they are seeing. You can easily upload video and graphics, toggle how they are displayed and add interactive elements, adding a whole new element to customer relationships.
Their gaming monitors can also provide a priceless edge for professional e-sports players (which is why you'll regularly see the BenQ logo at competitive events). Their curved gaming monitors are the best way to enjoy racing or flight sims at their best, and their compact flat screen monitors allow people with limited space to make the most of their PCs, PlayStations or Xboxes.
BenQ's projectors also have plenty of uses. Their home cinema products are obviously intended to turn living rooms and basements into little cinemas, allowing owners to conjure up the magic of large movie theatres in their own home. But they can also be used to create an amazing place to watch sporting events. At the same time, their business projectors can make meetings easier to run, add professionalism to your presentations and make communicating key messages so much easier.
So there's no shortage of uses for BenQ products, but which specific products are currently on offer? Let's take a closer look.
BenQ manufactures a range of projectors, monitors and other business, home and gaming items with a strong focus on products that everyday buyers can benefit from. Here's a quick look at their product selection, zeroing in on some of the most popular models.
Projectors – BenQ is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality, relatively low-cost projection units. Products like the W1080ST are well regarded by industry experts, mainly due to their balance of cost versus functionality. They provide a perfectly adequate picture quality for watching movies and TV, and some also feature advanced connectivity tools to hook up with smartphones and computers. They also focus heavily on what is known as “short throw” projectors, which specialise in delivering large pictures from a short distance (that is, they are ideal for smaller basements and bedrooms). Models like the W1080 are always in demand, but there are also older products like the W1070, which may be even more cost-effective.
Gaming monitors – It makes sense to divide BenQ's monitors as they are fairly different. Their gaming monitors are some of the most popular in the business. For instance, the Xl2411Z from their Zowie range has a stellar refresh rate of 144 Hz and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 as well as DVI-DL, HDMI and D-sub ports. It's also nice and compact. Though it won't deliver immersive, cinematic style gaming experiences, it's perfectly proportioned for most bedrooms. If you want something more cinematic, that's not a problem. The BenQ Rl2455HM is 24 inches wide and is a fixture on the competitive gaming circuit due to its reliability. It's a few years old now but still a formidable gaming display, and its age can make it possible to get hold of a very cheap Rl2455HM as well. Then, there's the XL2430. Another Zowie product, the Xl2430 handles glare brilliantly, looks the part with its matt black finish and is optimised for 144 Hz refresh rates.
Curved monitors – These monitors are definitely another option for gamers but could be equally perfect for streaming movies or for business uses. Models like the XR3501 have massive 35-inch displays and deliver a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080. Giving gamers and viewers a truly immersive feel thanks to its wraparound design, it's ideal for racing games.
Business monitors – BenQ also offers a wide range of monitors for business and home office uses. Check out designs like the BenQ GW2270 or the BL2700HT, which incorporate features that reduce eye strain – a big plus for people who need to use screens all day long.
Flat panels – These widescreen devices are in many ways intended to serve as a successor to white and blackboards. Their touchscreen interfaces let lecturers and presenters select graphs or videos with a simple touch, you can take notes and add elements, brainstorm ideas and generally enhance the way you communicate and teach. BenQ's flat panels' include sizes of up to 86 inches, which should provide plenty of acreage for corporations and educators who need a new way to get their messages across.
LED lights – BenQ also manufactures some of the most stylish and effective LED desk lamps around. If you are a student who needs the ideal reading lamp or an architect who needs to pour over plans until late at night, BenQ's WiT range of lamps isn't just optimised for reading documents; they are also designed to make e-readers easier to read in low light situations.
Digital signage – If you run a shop or just need an eye-catching way to display graphics or text, BenQ's digital signage products could be just what you need. You can easily connect a collection of signs to display coordinated content and hook them up to smartphones and business networks with consummate ease.
If you are a hardcore gamer, you may well be familiar with BenQ already due to their popular monitors, but that isn't the end of the story for gaming fans. Obviously, monitors are the main attractions on the BenQ HotUKDeals listings, and there are plenty of options there for gamers to consider. Monitors like the RL2755HM deliver 27” displays, low latency performance and 4K resolution. They are designed to work with high-end gaming PCs and the latest generation of consoles, and they won't let you down in the middle of Call of Duty matches.
Looking beyond monitors, BenQ also manufactures a range of e-sports peripherals. Their Zowie collection includes gaming mice and keyboards as well as mousepads and other e-sports items. They will be handy for home gamers and people who intend to set up e-sports businesses alike.
Whether you are shopping for gaming or general monitors, there are some things that all buyers should have to think about before they buy a BenQ monitor.
First of all, think about resolution. This refers to pixel density, with higher resolutions providing a much crisper, clearer picture. BenQ's high-end gaming monitors deliver what's known as WQHD resolution, somewhere in the region of 2560x1440 pixels. But they manage to do this without reducing frame rate too much (if at all). That's the secret. High-resolution monitors can cause graphical slowdown on many systems, but BenQ models like the XL2730Z offer the best of both worlds.
Video lovers may not be too bothered by frame rate to resolution ratios. For them, the question is balancing the size of the monitor against the resolution. BenQ offers some 27-inch varieties with hardly any bezel, which maximises the real estate available for movies and TV. Add-in technology that makes it easy to sync up with smartphones, and models like the EW2750ZL are ideal for cinema and TV fans.
However, for business and student users, none of these things are crucial. These types of user tend to use their monitors for long periods of intense work or study, and this leads to some additional requirements. Models like the BL2700HT come with low-flicker rates and adjustable screens that allow you to achieve the perfect angle to reduce the risk of neck strain, while its low blue light mode is also easier on the eyes.
The key thing is to look through the BenQ product portfolio and choose a monitor that meets your specific needs. Not everyone fits into a neat category like “gamer” or “business user”. If you do, that's great: BenQ will have specialist options for you. But there are also general monitors that do the job for some users, and these may cost quite a bit less.
If you intend to set up a home cinema room with a ceiling-mounted projector or if you need a projector for business uses, BenQ will have something for you, but how do you pick exactly the right projector for your needs? Here are some ideas.
If you just want to screen the latest Blu-rays or DVDs, then a 4K home projector like the X12000 will be perfect. Capable of handling the highest resolutions and delivering them in a 16:9 aspect ratio, they offer an unprecedented level of brightness and colour contrast, showing movies the way they were conceived by their directors.
One thing to think about is whether you prefer older or newer movies. Many classic movies use a 4:3 aspect ratio, which can look slightly out of place on projectors set up mainly for 16:9 footage. However, the W2000 has five native aspect ratio modes, so you should be able to find the right setting for Casablanca or Gone With the Wind.
Then again, you might just be buying a projector to show sporting events with friends. If that's the case, BenQ offers specialist sports projectors like the TH683. This product comes with a “football mode” which toggles the screen size and resolution to give you the best possible view of the action.
None of these projectors is optimised for business applications. If you need a product to show presentations reliably, products like the MU706 have the connectivity and contrast ratio needed to show your PowerPoint presentations with perfect clarity.
If you need a gaming monitor and don't want to spend hundreds of pounds, BenQ isn't a bad option. However, they aren't the only company to consider. Have a look at their parent company Acer and what Samsung has to offer. AOC is probably the cheapest of all and can represent serious value.
In the projector market, it's much easier to undercut BenQ with genuine budget options from manufacturers like Excelvan, Acer and Pico. However, BenQ isn't that much more expensive and almost always offer better quality, so there's a trade-off to be struck.
In the business monitor market, few companies beat BenQ's blend of value and quality, although you may find discounts from Dell, Acer, Samsung and LG that offer competition.
If you want to upgrade your gaming display or finally install that home cinema projection system, BenQ is a great brand to choose. Their products tend to be affordable, but there's always scope to save money. Here are some suggestions about how to get the best price.
Firstly, pick the right time of year to shop. BenQ's products will almost always be heavily discounted around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which traditionally see tech retailers offering massive reductions. Check the HotUKDeals Black Friday pages for more information about what's on offer.
Think about shopping for second-hand BenQ kit as well. Some models date back to 2013 or 2014. If you shop on eBay or Amazon, you may well find them for much less than the shelf price.
However, the best way to find a cheap BenQ monitor or projector is simple: check the HotUKDeals BenQ listings before buying. When you do, you'll find their LED lights, monitors, mice and projectors available at huge discounts from retailers like Currys, Amazon, Overclockers, Ebuyer and Richer Sounds. By shopping around at HotUKDeals, you can always find the best deals instead of opting for the first discount you see.
If you want to play your favourite games in stunning resolution and at optimal frame rates, or if you want to install a cutting-edge home cinema system, it's time to check out what BenQ has to offer. This Taiwanese tech giant offers great gaming products and much, much more. Find all of their products for the lowest possible price by shopping with HotUKDeals.
