BenQ PD3225U is the display creators using any Apple Mac, would crave for

Not all displays are equal. As a result, not all monitors you could buy to accompany your Mac, are equal. There is of course Apple’s own Studio Display that costs a pretty penny (that’s Rs.1,59,900 onwards) and is a display so advanced, it has its own processor (it’s an A13 Bionic, to be precise). For a specific user demographic, that is the creators, BenQ has an option with a larger footprint, an IPS panel, and Display HDR400 standard support and yet leaves a few bucks in your pocket. But that’s what you need to keep in mind, the specific use case that would be okay with a 60Hz refresh rate but will derive a complete advantage from the panel type and display size.

There are a couple of reasons why BenQ has selected the IPS, or in-plane switching, as the display underlier. Pretty much nothing else can match the deep black colours, which directly correlates to an improved contrast ratio and is more versatile when tuned for colour accuracy. In all these elements, the BenQ PD3225U is shining through from the very outset. This 31.5-inch panel has a native 3840x2160 resolution, and peaks at 400 nits of rated brightness – the latter should be more than adequate, with some headroom still, for home and office lighting conditions. Mind you, most accompanying Apple displays are rated at 500 nits tops, which means your calibrations will need to be accurate.

Not only is BenQ PD3225U ticking off the connectivity options, but ergonomics and ease of use are also dialled in. To make the most of the seamless syncing that’s promised, you will have to download the Display Pilot 2 software suite – this will be handy when syncing the colour modes between the Mac and the BenQ PD3225U monitor (if in a dual-display environment) and for full hotkey compatibility with the Magic Keyboard. Usability is placed well with the rather unique puck controller, the Hotkey Puck G2, which has a wired connection with the display, and is a quicker way to navigate menus and options. Quicker certainly than the joystick that sits on the BenQ PD3225U’s back panel.

BenQ clearly has not shirked any effort in getting validations for what they say is the 98% Display P3 colour gamut coverage and Delta E≤2 out-of-the-box colour accuracy – at least that’s what Calman, Pantone and Pantone Skin Tone certifications attest to. Who are we to argue? This strong colour reproduction is built on equalised illumination, something you’ll notice later when working on intricate image edits with Adobe Lightroom or Pixelmator. For this, BenQ’s algorithms virtually divide the display area into equal-sized smaller zones, so that illumination is matched across. This is one display that won’t have tempered lighting around the frame.

For really professional use cases, daisy-chaining is possible by linking one BenQ PD3225U to a Mac computing device, and the second one to the first PD3225U display. That’s useful in instances such as the Apple M1 and M2 machines, which may not support dual high-resolution displays natively. When put through varying workflows and usage scenarios, the BenQ PD3225U does put forward a really strong showing with standard dynamic range content, in terms of crispness and contrast. It is with HDR content that it really comes into its zone, at least partly. Why I say that is, HDR editing modes for photos and videos should not hold you back with any visual limitation, but if you decide to embark on HDR content binge-watching or some gaming, there is a feeling that a brighter display would have rendered the luminance differences better.

One thing to remember when considering the BenQ PD3225U for your work setup is, it is limited to the 60Hz refresh rate. That doesn’t really mean much for creative and editing workflows, but for the occasional gaming endeavours, you may notice some blurriness in certain fast-paced visuals. This observation, I’ll admit, is also a factor of what your eyes are attuned to.

There’s little doubt that the BenQ PD3225U is a top-tier option to consider as a second (or even a pair of these) for your MacBook, iMac or Mac Mini. It is ticking off the most important bits on the checklist, and more than core specs to impress, BenQ’s path is the tougher one where they have paid attention to detail on the finer elements of an overall experience. So many colour accuracy validations, don’t come easy.