The EX271UZ is a premium display in terms of build, performance, and price. $1,000 is required to put one on your desk at this writing, but that is about average for the category.
The EX271UZ box opens clamshell style to reveal spongy foam, not the annoying crumbly stuff, and the monitor is packed in three parts. The base screws onto the upright with a captive bolt, and the panel snaps on. If you’d rather use an arm, there’s a 100mm VESA mount with fasteners included. The cable bundle comes in its own box and has only HDMI and IEC power, no DisplayPort or USB. You also get a nice microfiber cleaning cloth for that beautiful, shiny screen.
(Image credit: BenQ) (Image credit: BenQ) (Image credit: BenQ) (Image credit: BenQ) (Image credit: BenQ) (Image credit: BenQ) BenQ leaves the EX271UZ’s white areas to the stand and back. The bezel surrounding the image is matte black with a thin flush design. Slightly protruding from the bottom is an OSD joystick and a large IR receiver for the remote control. This little handset has one-key access to brightness, color modes, aiming points, and the frame counter. You can also control volume and mute, and you get three IR channels in case the remote inadvertently controls another component.
The side view shows that the panel isn’t especially thin but uses the same design as others, with the OLED grafted onto a component bulge. Check out the label on the side of the stand that says “Pixsoul Engine.” I haven’t seen that one before!
The base is relatively shallow but still large and heavy enough to keep the EX271UZ from moving about. The stand includes a four-inch height adjustment, plus 5/15 degrees tilt and 15 degrees swivel. There is no portrait mode. Movements are smooth and firm with the feeling of high-end quality.
The video input panel is recessed but faces backward for easy access. You get two HDMI 2.1s, one of which has eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C. eARC lets you connect a soundbar, AV receiver, or surround processor, which can be a considerable enhancement for gaming and entertainment. The EX271UZ makes an ideal personal TV. At the bottom of the panel is another jack pack with two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack. In the same photo, you can also see the backlit power key, OSD joystick, and another button that opens the input selector.
Calibration settings include gamma presets, three fixed color temps, and a set of RGB sliders. An additional luminance option, called Light Tuner, also adjusts gamma. I encountered some unique challenges when calibrating the EX271UZ, which I’ll detail in the next section.
Audio output can be either the headphone jack or HDMI eARC (HDMI 1). eARC keeps the signal digital until it reaches the audio output device, which can be a sound bar, AV receiver, or surround processor. This is something almost no computer monitor has, but it is a common feature on TVs.
The four settings memories can be assigned to specific inputs, which saves clicking around when changing sources. The EX271UZ also supports HDMI CEC, which lets you control compatible components with a single remote. You could control the monitor with a disc player remote, for example.
Calibrating the EX271UZ was challenging. The default mode, Fantasy, is color-accurate but has a very green grayscale and wonky gamma. You’ll see what I mean by wonky on page four. I could dial in grayscale using the RGB sliders, but no combination of gamma presets, and the Light Tuner would give me decent luminance tracking. Luckily, there are fixed modes for sRGB and Display P3, which are spot on. They match the factory calibration data sheet that comes with every EX271UZ. Below are my settings for Custom mode, but I recommend using Display P3 or sRGB for SDR content.
For HDR signals, there are four specific modes, of which Display HDR is the best and most accurate. I’ll talk more about that on page five.
One of the first things I look for when reviewing an OLED is whether it has a variable brightness option. The EX271UZ takes a different approach to this feature. I did not find a specific option for variable or constant brightness in the OSD, but it does have both settings. In the interpretive modes like Fantasy, variable brightness is on. In the accurate modes like Display P3 and sRGB, constant brightness is used. The Local Contrast option is something else altogether. It modulates specific areas to increase intra-image contrast, much like a zone dimming display. Whether this is a good thing or not is up to personal preference. I found it made the picture less vibrant for SDR and HDR content, so I left it off.
The EX271UZ is a great time consumer for gaming. It has that addictive quality that alters your perception of time, so hours seem like minutes. It’s super quick in all situations. I had no trouble keeping the frame rate above 200 fps, so there was no need for the blur reduction. But it works perfectly if you need it for a slower PC or console that’s limited to 120 Hz. Input lag was nonexistent, and motion resolution was perfect. Whether playing twitchy shooters or slow-moving adventures, the image was always rich with detail and texture.
Color and contrast were the best OLED has to offer in SDR and HDR content. I settled on Display P3 for SDR and Display HDR for HDR as the best modes. I noted that there was adjustable HDR brightness, which most monitors don’t offer. Experimenting with the Local Contrast option, I was not a fan of its effect on the image. It was brighter but also a little dull. I left it off when trying the interpretive modes like Fantasy and Sci-fi.
For productivity, the EX271UZ’s picture was a pleasure to look at. It’s super sharp thanks to its very high pixel density of 166 ppi. 27-inch 4K monitors are somewhat rare; 32-inch monitors are more common, but the extra sharpness is noticeable. Size doesn’t always matter.
Interacting with the EX271UZ was super easy thanks to the remote. Though it isn’t common to see remotes with 27-inch monitors, I quickly became spoiled by the excellent handheld remote. BenQ always ups the game when it comes to control, and this is a benchmark for others to aspire to. I noted the lack of internal speakers and LED lighting, but there is something special in the audio department, HDMI eARC. This feature lets you connect a sound bar, AV receive,r or surround processor and keep the signal in the digital domain. It also supports uncompressed formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The EX271UZ is a fully capable entertainment solution for the desktop.
Takeaway: The EX271UZ delivers a stunningly sharp, bright, and colorful image while also being a great gaming monitor with instant control response and no visible motion blur at over 200 fps. It worked flawlessly in my hands-on tests and was a pleasure to look at and use. The included remote is a nice, unique touch, as is the inclusion of HDMI eARC and HDMI CEC for control. This is a seriously flexible and capable display.
Current page: Features and Specifications
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/monitors/gaming-monitors/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/monitors/gaming-monitors/benq-mobiuz-ex271uz-27-inch-240-hz-4k-oled-gaming-monitor-review#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.