BenQ PD3225U Review
A distant second to Apple's Studio Display
Verdict
The BenQ PD3225U is a solid productivity monitor for pairing with Windows and macOS alike with fantastic connectivity, detailed output and a great OSD. Its images can be slightly dim, while its contrast may not be as strong as the competition, though.
Pros
- Smart looks
- Detailed output
- Lots of connectivity options
Cons
- Middling brightness and contrast
Key Features
- 32-inch 4K IPS Black panel:The highlight of the PD3225U is its large IPS Black panel with a detailed 4K resolution.
- Thunderbolt 3 with PD and DisplayPort Alternate mode:It also comes with extensive connectivity choices, including a Thunderbolt 3 port capable of delivering 85W of power and display, too.
- Highly-adjustable stand:This BenQ panel also comes with a highly adjustable stand with everything from height adjust to portrait orientation, and also needs no tools to put it together.
Introduction
The BenQ PD3225U aims to provide a cheaper alternative to Apple’s Studio Display while packing in an awful lot of features for Mac and Windows users alike.
It’s a bigger panel for starters at 32-inch while being a 4K 60Hz IPS screen that’s designed for productivity and creative workloads, as opposed to gaming.
At £1099.99/$1099.99, it is slightly more affordable but remains pricier when compared to other similarly-specced choices such as the Samsung M8 Smart Monitor (2023) and Samsung ViewFinity S9
I’ve been testing the PD3225U for the last couple of weeks to see how well it stacks up against some rather fierce competition and whether it’s one of the best 4K monitors. Let’s find out.
Design
- Slick, grey frame
- Highly adjustable stand
- Solid port selection
The PD3225U is a slick, modern monitor with a gorgeous grey frame and minimal bezels to maximise screen real estate. It’s also especially sturdy and hefty, carrying an 8.2kg weight with the base.
The panel is very easy to put together, with a tool-less construction simply involving screwing the base into the actual panel, and you’re off to the races. This makes setup a doddle, and means you can be up and running with the PD3225U in a matter of minutes.
The stand here also offers some solid adjustment, with up to 150mm of height adjustment, as well as good scope for pivot, tilt and swivel. It can also be shifted into a portrait orientation if you wanted to use this panel as a secondary screen, for instance. It is also 100mm x 100mm VESA-compatible if you’d prefer it on your own stand, too.
You get a choice when it comes to how to navigate the OSD, with either a simple joystick on the reverse of the PD3225U alongside some selector buttons, or an additional puck which plugs in and offers an easy way of accessing the voluminous OSD.
Connectivity is a strong point with an array of ports present on the PD3225U across both the underside and on the right hand side for quick access. You get a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, as well as a singular DP 1.4 for more ‘standard’ display choices, as well as two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, one with 85W of power delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode support, and the other with 15W power delivery, while there is a USB-B port for powering the KVM switch. The side also has another USB-C port, a USB-A and a headphone jack.
Image Quality
- Brilliant colour accuracy
- Middling brightness and contrast
- Solid in day-to-day use
On paper at least, the PD3225U should offer some sublime image quality, coming with a 32-inch 4K IPS Black screen that hopefully rivals Apple’s Studio Display. In practice however, BenQ’s Studio Display rival hits the mark in some areas, but not in others.
Colour accuracy is expectedly excellent for a more pro-grade panel, with my colorimeter measuring perfect 100% coverage of the mainstream sRGB gamut, while high Adobe RGB (86%) and DCI-P3 (94%) scores are also reflective of this panel’s ideal suitability for colour-sensitive workloads such as design and video editing.
Where this panel certainly falls short is with a much lower peak brightness than both Apple and Samsung’s options. BenQ quotes the PD3225U to have a peak brightness of 400 nits, although that is helped along by DisplayHDR400 support. My colorimeter measured a peak of 200.9 nits, which makes it dim against the max of Apple’s Studio Display at 596.78 nits and Samsung’s ViewFinity S9 with its 629.6 nits.
It’s much the same with its black level and contrast ratio, too. The 0.22 black level result mean its IPS Black panel type offers reasonable deep blacks, although it is bettered by panels that cost a lot less, and demonstrably by Apple and Samsung’s own candidates. The 790:1 contrast ratio also falls behind the competition, too, while its 7700K colour temperature can leave images a tad on the blue side.
Those numbers only tell part of the story, however. In real-world use, I was actually impressed with the PD3225U, especially in its M-Book mode which matched my MacBook Pro’s display excellently, and even in spite of its lower peak brightness, it still got bright enough for day-to-day working for me, while a 4K resolution ensured detailed output that looked excellent across its 32-inch screen size.
Software and Features
- Lots of colour modes
- Intesting Dual View function
- Built-in speakers are here, but just okay
The PD3225U’s on-screen display (OSD) is easy to navigate with either the joystick on the back of the panel itself, or with the included puck. It also comes with some extensive options for changing the colour mode such as for sRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.709. There are also specific modes for matching a MacBook’s display with the M-Book mode and for use in a dark room, with the Darkroom mode.
It also comes with an interesting Dual View feature, which splits the 32-inch screen in half, and you can then choose which colour mode for the second half of the screen. It appears this feature is useful if you’re working on different projects on either side of the screen, and you want even more flexibility.
There is also a KVM switch for convenient switching between inputs, which is a handy extra, while having Thunderbolt 3 capabilities for plugging in a MacBook and letting it charge while outputting to the PD3225U was mighty useful.
Built-in speakers seem to be becoming a bit of a rarity on monitors up and down the price ladder, but if you want them, the PD3225U does have some. They’re of reasonable quality, serving up solid detail and decent overall audio for dealing with music and films. However, you are going to be much better off with a pair of external speakers or a set of headphones.
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Should you buy it?
You want great connectivity:
The PD3225U comes with a wide range of inputs that make it ideal for use with both windows and macOS, including two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a USB-A port.
You want more vibrant images:
The PD3225U falls short with its middling brightness causing images to lack some punch. The competition comes with higher brightness for even more vibrant output.
Final Thoughts
BenQ’s PD3225U is a solid alternative to Apple’s Studio Display if you want a more affordable option with excellent colour accuracy, stylish looks and plentiful connectivity. Its 4K output is also detailed across a larger 32-inch screen, while it’s also easy to put together with a tool-less construction and highly adjustable stand.
However, against both the Studio Display and the Samsung ViewFinity S9, the PD3255U offers much lower brightness and contrast, meaning displayed images can lack a bit of punch and vibrancy. With this in mind, its blacks aren’t as deep, either. The general viewing experience on offer here is still great, but it’s not quite as good.
We’re also at the point where both the Studio Display and ViewFinity S9 can be had for around the same price as the PD3225U’s retail price, and you can quite frankly get more for less than this BenQ choice. It’s a great panel, but is overshadowed by generally better rivals. For more options, check out our list of the best 4K monitors we’ve tested.
How we test
We use every monitor we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it for both everyday tasks and more specialist, colour-sensitive work.
We also check its colours and image quality with a colorimeter to test its coverage and the display’s quality.
We used a colorimeter to get benchmark results.
We used our own expert judgement for image quality.
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FAQs
The BenQ PD3225U comes with a 4K resolution across a larger 32-inch screen.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
