BenQ EX3410R

BenQ EX3410R: Two-minute review

The BenQ EX3410R is an outstanding ultrawide gaming monitor with fantastic performance and a bevy of features that should cost way more than this monitor actually does. Everything from the speedy 144Hz refresh rate to the RGB LED strips on the back of the monitor scream PC gaming -- and if you're looking for a new ultrawide gaming monitor this year, this one needs to be on your shortlist.

The EX3410R comes loaded with a number of great features, such as Adaptive-Sync to help prevent screen tearing while gaming and Advanced Motion Accelerator (AMA) to cut down on motion blur for crisper visuals.

As with a lot of the best monitors these days, there are a number of gaming-specific presets built into the EX3410R to improve the quality of the experience, and these perform better than expected for the most part. 

The DisplayHDR400 does a decent enough job, and the monitor's contrast ratio is 3,000:1, so you get better color depth across the board, especially with the pretty decent color gamut coverage for both P3 and sRGB. All of this makes a game like Elden Ring come alive, the richness of its world displayed at its best.

Further helping matters along are the built-in 2.1 speakers, which despite our initial cynicism, are actually quite excellent. The pretty much make even the best computer speakers somewhat redundant.

Top it all off with a remote control that can help you set everything from color temp and settings presets to input control and sound volume and you have a terrific gaming monitor that is priced very well against its competition. Simply put, the BenQ EX3410R is one of the best gaming monitors we've reviewed this year.

BenQ EX3410R: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $629 / £679 / AU$769
• When is it out? It is available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia, among others

The BenQ EX3410R is available now, with an MSRP of $629 / £679 / AU$769.

For a curved, ultrawide, 1440p gaming monitor, this is pretty well priced, coming down on the cheaper side of the price range for this size and class. Some monitors, such as the AOC CU34G2X, are cheaper and offer many of the same features as the BenQ EX3410R. But there are even more that fall on the expensive side without being enough of an improvement to justify their prices. And yes, we're looking at you, Samsung Odyssey Neo G9.

Ultimately, if you're willing to invest enough money to get a high-quality monitor that will last for the long haul, the BenQ EX3410R will suit you to a T. But keep in mind that it lacks some features that might become more important down the road, notably HDMI 2.1.

• Value: 4 / 5

BenQ EX3410R: Design

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• Subtle gamer aesthetic? Finally!
• Plenty of degrees of movement

The BenQ EX3410R is a well-crafted and – dare we say it? – classier gaming monitor than most options on the market. Its tapered stand and wide angled feet provide plenty of stability, and you can pivot, tilt, and lift the display to your liking, with wide viewing angles.

The 1000R curvature of the panel brings the edges of the screen out of your peripheral vision and into your line of sight for more comfortable viewing. 

The controls are easily accessible underneath the front of the display, but BenQ makes it even easier by just giving you a remote that you can use to change any of the settings you desire. It'll even control the volume of the built-in speakers.

Integrating the speakers clears up desk space, and you're going to need it: The stand's footprint and leg style make it impossible to put anything useful underneath the monitor, such as a soundbar or a docking station.

Another nice touch is the RGB strips on the back of the monitor, which aren't overpowering at all and create a very subtle backlighting against the wall behind your monitor. 

• Design: 4 / 5

BenQ EX3410R: Features

• Lots of great features
• Lacks USB Type-C

The BenQ EX3410R has some great features that really help justify its price point, including Adaptive-Sync and Advanced Motion Accelerator. The former helps reduce screen tearing by syncing up the monitor's refresh rate with that of your graphics card. Advanced Motion Accelerator, meanwhile, does wonders for reducing motion blur and other artifacts that can harm the view experience.

There are also a number of setting presets based on different game experiences like "racing" and "fps" that tune the display to make those types of games more enjoyable. You're also free to calibrate the monitor on your own, which can significantly improve image quality. There's also DisplayHDR400 and some other BenQ settings for screen brightness that are also available to the user.

As for the audio side of things, the built-in speakers are surprisingly excellent, providing great response thanks to the 5W subwoofer and two 2W speakers. This makes your existing computer speakers redundant, unless you have some really fantastic audio gear for your PC.

There are also multi-input, picture-by-picture capabilities where the monitor can split the screen into two to display the output of two different computers side-by-side. But that input can't be the increasingly common USB Type-C, which this monitor doesn't have -- and which we consider a major omission.

• Features: 4 / 5

BenQ EX3410R: Performance

• Outstanding 3440 x 1440p @ 144Hz gaming
• Color gamut coverage is good, but not enough for professionals

The BenQ EX3410R is a gaming monitor first and foremost, and that's what this monitor does best. Its gaming performance at 1440p with 144Hz refresh and up to 1ms response time makes this an incredible gaming display.

And while the gaming presets are fine for most, the best results will still require some calibration from you. Some people – especially creatives – might say that's the way it should be. Still, typical users will open the box, assemble the display, put it on a desk or table, and jump right into the best PC games they have available. And they'll be just fine without further tweaks.

Maybe they'll fiddle with the presets along the way (they're likely to find what they're after), but the best of what the EX3410R has to offer is hidden away and might be missed entirely by a majority of its users. This isn't so much a knock against the monitor as much as it is advice for potential owners. Experiment. Read the manual.

No amount of settings tweaks can compensate for a display that doesn't fully cover a color gamut, however, and while the EX3410R's coverage is pretty solid, there are enough gaps that this monitor isn't great for truly professional content creation, unless you're using it to draft out ideas before taking your work to a really professional workstation and monitor.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy a BenQ EX3410R?

Buy it if...

Don't buy if...

Also Consider

AOC CU34G2X
The AOC CU342X has a similarly subtle design, but it comes in at a better price with many of the same features and specs, making it an excellent alternative for those who find the BenQ EX3410R outside their budget.

Read the full AOC CU34G2X review

LG UltraGear 38GN950
The LG UltraGear 38GN950 is easily the most premium curved ultrawide gaming monitor on the market, even a couple of years after its release. It hasn't come down much in price though, so it's also still one of the most expensive as well.

Read the full LG UltraGear 38GN950 review

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a gaming monitor for anyone who simply has money to burn on the very best ultrawide monitor around. This monitor costs more than some used cars, but it's worth every penny if you have the budget for this kind of thing.

Read the full Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review

BenQ EX3410R: Report card

• First reviewed July 2022