For those unfamiliar with BenQ’s Zowie line of monitors, unless you’re into gaming, it wouldn’t be too surprising considering that it’s a line developed specifically for Esports. However, as our homes become more office than home, The Monitor has some nifty features that general consumers can appreciate as well.
Right out of the box, the 24.5″ BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is one of the easiest monitors that I’ve ever had to set up. I didn’t even need a screwdriver. All parts basically click and slot in place effortlessly and firmly secured. It took me no more than 5 minutes without referring to any manual.
Once you have the monitor in place, there is an amazing range of movement available to adjust the monitor to your comfort. Height can be adjusted upwards and downwards within a range of 130mm, a tilt angle of up to 23 degrees, and you can choose to pivot your screen vertically (90 degrees) as well.
For those that prefer to have your keyboard set up at an angle, you can swivel the screen sideways up to 45 degrees in either direction than allows you to set yourself up at your most comfortable position. There are also red markers at each of the turning points that allow you easily take note of your preferred position.
As we become more mobile, there’s also a metal handle integrated into the design that allows you to easily carry your monitor around.
There are three HDMI 2.0 inputs and one Display Port 1.2 input available. The display port cable provided is recommended to hit the maximum refresh rates of up to 240Hz, at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD).
Once you’re all connected and ready to go, some fine tuning of the display might be required based on your preference. A nifty feature of the ZOWIE XL2546K is its S-switch that allows you to easily change and manage your display settings as you would a scroll wheel on a mouse. You can also save up to 3 display settings and switch on the fly depending on the game and application you’re using.
One of the other unique physical features of the ZOWIE XL2546K are the privacy shields. The shield might help keep prying eyes at bay, but personally the best aspect of the shields were that they actually helped me focus better on the content that was in front of me rather than getting distracted by anything else around the sides. This was true when I was gaming, surfing the web or using other day-to-day applications for work.
When gaming, the 240Hz refresh rate shined and gameplay was extremely smooth when it was tested on CS:GO, Fortnite and Overwatch. The Zowie line also incorporates its proprietary DyAc+ technology into the monitor that’s designed reduce motion blur when you male vigorous actions in-game such as firing rapidly.
While I did notice some change when DyAc+ was activated and when it wasn’t, but it wasn’t a game changer and I could do with, or without it. It is also compatible with AMD’s FreeSync technology when DyAc+ is turned off.
Another cool feature that the monitor has is an integrated cradle at its back that allows you to conveniently hang your headset when not in use.
The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is an extremely well designed monitor that incorporates both technological and physical features that will benefit gamers and general users as well. It’s priced competitively at SGD 799 when compared to other monitors in its class.
Unless you’re looking specifically for a 4K monitor or a larger screen, it performs really well and is a great addition to your set up. The BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K is available at and at SGD 799.