This video is brought to you by Benks
Since the release of my monitor guide video episodes, I have been receiving questions
from viewers about displays for creators. Today, we will take a look at four high-resolution,
color-accurate monitors ranging in price from $500 to $1600. I will go over the specs, main differences,
shortcomings, and end the video with my personal picks from the four. I will also make sure to link all of them,
plus some other great monitor choices in the description below. With that out of the way, let's check out
the four contestants, what makes them special, and their respective prices. Starting with the recently updated ASUS ProArt
Display, model number PA279CRV. This is a 27-inch, 4K panel that offers a
lot for its price, which is $499.99. This is by far the cheapest monitor on this
list, but don't rush into conclusions, as it has a lot to offer. ($499.99)
Next up is the old but classic BenQ DesignVue PD3220U. This 32-inch 4K monitor has been in the top
charts, I believe, since 2019. We are talking about Thunderbolt 3, daisy-chain
capabilities, ports galore, and more. ($1,099.99)
Going up in price, we have another favorite - the LG UltraFine 32UL950-W. At 32 inches
and 4K resolution, it is yet another golden oldie from the end of 2018 that remains a
recommendation of mine to this day. ($1,299.99)
The final contestant is the controversial Apple Studio Display. Starting at $1600 without the extras, this
27-inch display is the only 5K monitor here. I'll leave it at that. ($1,599.00)
Just like in contracts, I shall be referring to all four monitors hereafter as ASUS, BenQ,
LG, and The Studio Display. By the way, if you end up enjoying this video,
subscribe, because why not?!? So, looking at all 4, here are some factors
you should consider. All monitors have a 16:9 aspect ratio and
all four are IPS running at 60Hz. As they are all marketed as displays for creators,
all are factory-calibrated, offering various types of intimidating lingo, showcasing how
accurate they are out of the box. I do trust only one of them though. The LG and BenQ are both 32 inches, while
the ASUS and the Studio Display are 27 inches. Both sizes will serve you well. I have personally been advocating in favor
of 32 inches as it is a tad easier on the eyes when looking from a proper distance,
but 27 inches will not be a bad choice either. In fact, if we talk about 4K resolution, all
three, except for the Studio Display, will give you a decently sharp picture, where the
smaller 27-inch ASUS will stand out with a pixel-per-inch density of 163. The 32-inch choices have 137 PPI if you are
interested...however...nothing can compete with the Studio Display in terms of sharpness
since at 5K, you witness over 217 PPI. With the Studio Display, you also don't have
to worry about scaling...something I'll talk about more in a moment. OK... so let's start with the ASUS. In terms of panel technology, the monitor
covers the most important metrics with flying colors. With 100% sRGB, 99% Adobe, and 95% DCI-P3,
it is, in fact, the leader of the bunch if we talk about numbers only (keep that in mind). There are two things that make this monitor
special (aside from the price, of course). First and foremost, it can output 96W of power,
which is very surprising for this little guy. Second, it is a very bright monitor, providing
350 nits typical and 400 peak brightness. If you work in a bright office or studio,
it does make a difference... believe me. Another thing that I appreciate is the built-in
power supply. Since the monitor is very light, you can easily
mount it on an arm without worrying about an additional power brick that you might have
to hide. The lightness brings me to the shortcomings. This monitor feels very plastic-y and the
least premium of all four. Not that this is a problem, but it's worth
considering. The stand feels very 2013 and not 2023, and
I don't like the chin, although I appreciate the easy on-screen button access. The biggest downside of this display, however
(and it's totally justifiable), is the fact that it's not Thunderbolt. That means that all the additional ports will
do a great job for you if we talk about peripheral dongles and speakers maybe. You won't be able to plug in a drive or do
much with it. Last but not least, there are no speakers,
which I actually prefer, and I will tell you why in a moment. Moving on to the versatility king - the BenQ. Equally impressive in terms of panel specs
and, specifically color accuracy, the BenQ shines with additional enhancements like the
software tool called Display Pilot. Aside from fiddling with all sorts of picture
settings, you can assign different color profiles and presets based on the apps you use. And I'm not even talking about the Hotkey
puck that comes in the package. With it, you can change picture profiles,
adjust the brightness, or control the volume if you have speakers plugged in, for example. The monitor offers 85W power delivery to the
connected laptop and also has a built-in KVM switch, allowing the user to control two systems
(like a Mac and a PC) from one keyboard and mouse set - something you usually buy separately. Just as impressive is the size of this thing,
which honestly is not something to brag about. It is so heavy that you'd have to go for a
heavy-duty stand if you decide to prop it on a monitor arm. Also, being so massive, one might think that
it sounds decent given all the internal dimensions, but in fact, it sounds comically unimpressive. Finally, my biggest disappointment with it
is the brightness. At 250 nits typical brightness, my habits
had me constantly smashing the brightness up button on the keyboard with the hopes that
something would change. If we have all the blinds open, I would honestly
struggle a bit. This is the Infinity Max Laptop Stand by Benks,
and it’s a laptop stand with a twist. At a glance, it’s a height and tilt adjustable
stand, able to accommodate pretty much any portable computer under 16 inches. When necessary, it can completely collapse
for storage or on-the-go purposes. Designed to fit any work style and desk setup,
aside from looking extremely elegant, it impresses with the cleverly-designed 360-degree rotating
base. It’s super-responsive and smooth, giving
the vibes of playing with the most giant fidget toy ever. The adjustable front widget secures the device
no matter the angle, while the main plate ensures great heat dissipation. To add even more style to your workspace,
you can bundle it up with Benks’s Grand Headphone Stand, which is made with the AirPods
Max in mind. It’s sturdy yet super gentle thanks to the
silicone surface, which protects your headphones from scratches. As an extra perk, that stand can wirelessly
charge your devices with 15W fast charging, which I definitely appreciate. Be sure to check out the first link in the
description below to take advantage of Benks' special offer on both stands. Next up is my old friend, the LG. I've covered this display extensively, and
I still use it because it's great. It's a five-year-old display at this point,
yet LG still keeps it on their roster because it has everything you might require, including
elegant and even front bezels. You can prop this display both horizontally
and vertically, and it will look amazing. It's the second-brightest display after the
Studio Display, yet it offers the slowest charging capability at 60 watts. What I don't like about it is the external
power brick and the OEM stand, which takes up too much desk space - but as always - monitor
arm. Feel free to watch my full review in the description
below, but don't laugh at my newbie YouTube self from back then. The Apple Studio Display impresses with unmatched
build quality and aesthetics. Like its predecessor, this monitor will look
good even 10 years from now, yet you might still remember how much you paid for it. This is the fastest booting up monitor of
all, by the way, but even more impressive is the stunning picture quality. If you have any of the latest iPhone 13 or
14, this is exactly what you can expect in terms of picture, yet in 27 inches. It is plenty bright at 600 nits and it provides
96W of power to the laptop. The built-in speakers are unmatched in the
category of speakers, as is the 5K picture. Mac OS is designed to work in a 1440P scaled
environment (also known as 5K native resolution), so in 5K, you can expect plenty of real estate,
crazy sharp PPI, and no GPU pressure by default. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, though. You can't mount it on an arm unless you pre-order
it that way. The ergonomic stand will cost you an Apple
premium, and this monitor is the least versatile of all. Think of it this way - you have a Mac, you
have a Studio Display. That's it. You can't have a Studio Display and have a
PC, or a Switch, or any console for that matter. You can just use this monitor with a Mac or
maybe an iPad. No multiple inputs. In terms of extra features, all four monitors
have something to impress with. For starters, all the monitors, with the exception
of the Studio Display, offer daisy chaining - the ability to connect a display to the
main one and plug in just a single cable to the computer. However, all three are very picky when it
comes to that feature. Perhaps this works flawlessly if we daisy
chain two of the same monitor models, but daisy chaining random brands like I did in
my tests really depended on proper cables, multiple restarts, and a little prayer. The ASUS, for example, was only able to mirror
itself without being able to extend the secondary display. But this $500 shines with the plethora of
ports, including the additional ports on the bottom left where you have a USB-A, plus USB-C,
which offers 15W of power - great for plugging in a phone charger, for example. The same extra ports are available on the
BenQ, yet on the side, where one can find the headphone jack. To be honest, this is not the best place for
a headphone jack to exist since even if you decide to plug in headphones, it would still
be too far. If we talk about external speakers, you cannot
possibly achieve a clean setup with cables coming on the side. The side ports should be more of temporary
ports if you ask me. Needless to say, BenQ also shines with the
additional Hotkey puck, which sits neatly toward the user, allowing instant adjustments. The LG monitor doesn’t have any groundbreaking
perks to brag about, but out of all, it is the most elegant-looking with its thin profile
and even bezels…especially on this Ergo arm. The arm, by the way, is not part of this particular
model…but just between us - I can’t remember where I’ve placed the original stand, which
I don’t use because it takes up too much desk space. OK…so the Apple Studio Display can flex
with the 1080p built-in FaceTime camera and amazing microphone array. With the A13 chip, the monitor is capable
of delivering a decent picture for meetings with very good sound quality, but where it
really shines is the speakers. I have two pairs of studio monitors which
I keep in my storage because the speakers on this monitor are just fantastic. Which leads me to speakers. Aside from the Studio Display, the LG monitor
is second in place when it comes to sound, yet it’s far behind what Apple has created. It sounds like a monitor…nothing more. BenQ on the other hand, sounds like a 5-dollar
radio. Tiny, tinzy sound that I honestly didn’t
expect from a display that has such a thick and sheer presence. The ASUS has no speakers at all, and you know
what - I am totally fine with that. Like I mentioned in my Samsung M8 review,
I prefer having no speakers and a headphone jack than having compromised speakers that
I am paying for and I will never use. So, which monitor would I pick? In complete transparency, I am using the Apple
Studio display and will continue to use it because I think it delivers the best possible
image out of all four. I did mention that on paper, it is not the
best, yet somehow I trust what I see best. Whatever I see on it looks 100% the same on
all my other devices. However, it is not the display I would recommend. It is very limiting when it comes to ports
and leaves the user stuck with just a Mac in the form of a laptop, iPad, or desktop. You can't have the studio display and have
a Mac and a PC, for example, or play games on your console - it's just not built for
that. I would 100% recommend the ASUS because it's
honestly too good of a package. The fact that it's just as bright as the almost
three times more expensive LG, offering just as versatile ports, can't allow me to bench
it. If all four monitors were equally priced or
equally affordable, I would probably go for the BenQ because of the software and hardware
versatility (if I work in a relatively darker environment). If I had to pick just one, I wouldn't go for
the Apple display because of the application limitations. If you are not looking for color-accurate
monitors, feel free to check out my monitor guide video as well as my recent unique monitor's
update to it. If you are thinking about a dual-monitor setup,
you can find some useful information in my guide here. Like and subscribe to the channel, as well
as my newsletter. As always, it's been an absolute pleasure. This is E.
Over and out.
