The new generation consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, have been on the market for two years now and although they can still be found with difficulty, especially Sony’s, they have led and pushed an update of the video output devices. A 4K screen is no longer enough to make the most of these consoles: you also need a display or a TV with HDMI 2.1 input to take advantage of both 120Hz and 4K refresh, both HDR and above all VRR (Variable Rate Rendering).
Until now, PC monitor manufacturers have beautifully ignored this need and console gamers were forced to fall back on large living room TVs, which have updated their models more quickly and equipped them with the necessary technologies. The monitors produced over the last two years are all mainly equipped with HDMI 1.4 or at most 2.0 inputs, not enough to convey 120Hz at 4K or with VRR and HDR. After all, the DisplayPort is now used on PC, a much more advanced port already from its older 1.2 standard, which allows high resolutions and refreshes up to 360Hz.
However, there is a category of players, we think of those who play both on PC and on consoles, who do not have large spaces available and perhaps need a single monitor for all platforms, which works well with each of them without having to go down to compromises. These consumers were targeted by Benq, a leader in the display market, which was the first to beat this path by making monitors with HDMI 2.1 ports. And here comes the Mobiuz EX3210U, a 32 “(but also available in 27”) 4K 144 Hz IPS monitor with FreeSync Premium Pro support, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, HDR 600 and excellent integrated speakers.
In addition to the important features mentioned above, the Mobiuz offers a very important feature, namely the ability to offer Adaptive-Sync and Local Dimming (motion blur reduction) simultaneously. Very few 4K 144 Hz screens allow this possibility, as most force you to choose between one of the two. This will give you a smooth experience at 144Hz (or lower) and free of tearing.
However, the qualities of this Mobiuz do not end there. Unlike many monitors that choose between high refresh, resolution, response time and color gamut, the EX3210U offers the complete package. The coverage of the DCI-P3 spectrum is 116%, an excellent result, while that of Rec. 2020 is 83% (the average of high-profile screens for this profile is 75%); that of P3 by 98%, and that of AdobeRGB by 99%. Results that on paper should guarantee images of the highest level.
The brightness specifications are also good, with 300 nits in SDR and 600 nits in HDR. Edge LED lighting allows the monitor to achieve contrast levels of up to 10,000: 1 and HDRi (intelligent high dynamic range) technology allows you to increase the dynamic range for SDR video and games. In short, we are faced with a monitor with truly Premium features.
Moving on to unboxing, aesthetics and assembly, the box is obviously very large but everything inside is well packed and protected by abundant memory foam. No assembly tools are required and everything is easy to assemble in just a few steps. The base consists of a trapezoidal trunk that distributes the weight at the base on two rods angled towards the user, a solution that takes up little space unlike the classic ones with a triangular base. The positioning is quite flexible, allowing a height adjustment of 100mm, an inclination from -5 ° to 15 ° on the Y axis and from -15 ° to + 15 ° on the horizontal axis. The monitor has an ice white finish for the main body and a fire red finish for the ends of the base. Very elegant, we must say. On the back we have an X-shaped inlet that features OSD-activated LED strips.
If you prefer, you can mount the monitor on the wall using the included 100mm VESA mount, thus increasing the options and orientation extension in space. A cover for the input panel keeps everything tidy and in the package we also find USB, HDMI and DP cables, as well as a very practical remote control, very useful when you are further away from the screen, which given its size can also be used to sit at a couple of meters away.
Also included is a built-in 2.1 soundbar built by the TreVolo sound brand, with Bongiovi DPS sound technology being used to increase depth, clarity, bass definition, presence and stereo field imaging. advanced. There’s even a built-in microphone with active noise cancellation and a built-in chip for deep learning. The EX3210U’s AI mic intelligently filters out ambient noises, such as keyboard noise, by selectively choosing which noises to filter out.
Speaker audio is very good for an integrated solution, and the inclusion of a small woofer helps dampen the classic Achilles heel of speakers built into displays. There are also various possible adjustments for balance and effects via OSD, and in combination with the remote control it is an excellent solution for playing on consoles or watching TV by connecting a decoder or a smart TV box. You can safely avoid connecting a Hi-Fi system if you do not have great audiophile needs, also saving a lot of energy (and space) given the period.
The excellent color range of the Mobiuz can already be felt when starting Windows. The startup screens we knew well and our desktop wallpaper have taken on hues we never even imagined before, and the native 4K resolution allows for a great deal of detail and plenty of screen real estate to work or multitask.
To begin our tests, we began by viewing native content in 4K and HDR. They are available in abundance on YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming channels. The Costa Rica and LG Jazz HDR demos allowed the monitor to show off all the color range it is capable of covering and the same image transmitted on another 2K HDR monitor bluntly highlighted the clear difference in color rendering and brightness. between the two displays. Brightness that reaches 200 nits already at the value 70 from the OSD (on a scale of 100) and is more than enough for a well-lit medium-sized room. At this value, the average consumption is 44W / h, which is reasonable for a monitor of this size. For darker rooms you can safely go down, with reduced consumption and relief for the eyes
At this point we moved on to the test bench that interests us most, namely that of games. We connected the Mobiuz to a desktop PC with RTX 3060 Ti via DP 1.4. The monitor is not G-Sync certified (but few have the highest qualification of the green team) and for some years Nvidia has opened support for FreeSync, which is fully supported on 3000 series GPUs. We immediately tested fast-paced games such as high frame-rate, so first-person shooters like Doom Eternal, Cod Warzone and Vanguard, Battlefield 5 and Apex Legends. The Mobiuz, set at 4K and 144Hz performed great and Adaptive Sync, allowed for smooth gameplay without too many framerate jumps.
At this resolution, however, the 3060 Ti lacked a bit of power and we felt something more was needed to get frame-rates up to this monitor, so we hooked up a flamboyant Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, equipped with the I7 12700K and RTX 3070 Ti via DisplayPort. Here we had noticeably higher frame-rates in 4K, especially with DLSS active in games that support it. Also other titles, such as racing such as Assetto Corsa Competizione and Forza Horizon 5 were a real pleasure to play in 4K at 144Hz with the large 32 ”screen of the Mobiuz.
After that, not having a next-gen console available, we simulated the scenario by connecting the same notebook with the HDMI 2.1 port, setting 120 Hz to 4K, Adaptive Sync, VRR and Local Dimming. The connection went smoothly, and all features worked simultaneously, even HDR in supported games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The games take on a whole other flavor played on this big screen, faithful, responsive like a ninja (2ms GtG) and totally free of tearing. It may not be as big and faithful as a 65 ”OLED of the caliber of LG C1, but for small rooms and as a one-stop solution for PCs and consoles it does a splendid job.
The list price to take this screen home is € 1299, but it is currently on sale at € 999. If you want, you can save something with the 27 ”which has the same features, but the price difference is small and in our view bigger is better. Certainly a high price for a monitor, considering that the 144Hz QHD is paid on average half. But the Benq Mobiuz EX3210U has unique features not found all together on other monitors: it’s perfect for gaming on PC, especially now that the graphics power of GPUs is on the rise, and with the upcoming RTX 4000 high-frame 4K. installments will certainly be more sustainable.
It is therefore a perfect monitor for playing with next-generation consoles, supporting both FreeSync Premium Pro and VRR via HDMI 2.1, and one of the few 4K 144 Hz on the market with these features. Defects? Few or none. Perhaps the contrast is not exceptional in SDR, and it cannot be oriented at 90 °, but at least we do not find the classic problems of other monitors, such as backlight bleeding, here practically nil.
The Benq Mobiuz EX3210U is an ideal solution for those who have both PC and console and need to connect everything to a single display, or for those who don’t have much space available. Given its size and excellent color fidelity, it is also a perfect monitor for working with graphics or photos. The large size also positions it as a great alternative to two 1080p screens side-by-side. After all, the price is like a large living room OLED, but if you consider that similar monitors until months ago were paid double and did not have similar features, the price tag is certainly high but we are talking about one of the best products in its category.
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