BenQ EW2420 review

A VA-panelled 24-inch screen for less than £160? Are we dreaming?

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BenQ EW2420
The BenQ EW2420's VA screen is rather special at this price

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BenQ ew2420

BenQ is claiming a lot of firsts for the new EW2420. Without doubt, this a ground-breaking monitor. Never before has a large VA panel been available for so little. However, in describing the EW2420 as the world's first VA monitor with an LED backlight, BenQ is perhaps suffering from delusions of grandeur. It's pure fiction. Samsung, among other manufacturers, got there years ago.

But never mind. What really matters is whether this bargain VA panel delivers on its immense promise. The simple answer is yes, though there are one or two caveats.

Fire her up and the first thing you'll notice are the gorgeous colours. We're not talking about the over-saturated palette that some VA panels suffer from. Instead, the EW2420 is all about subtle hues and pleasing contrasts. Panel aficionados will recognise this as being typical of MVA rather than PVA panels, but BenQ isn't going into the specifics.

Anyway, in a low key sort of way, it's absolutely lovely. What's more, black levels are excellent, as you'd expect from a VA screen. Things are just as good under the Lagom microscope. There's almost no evidence of white tone compression, the colour scales are top drawer and the viewing angles are pretty much impeccable.

The EW2420 is not, however, perfect. For starters, a green tinge to flesh tones betrays a very slight colour imbalance. The pixel response isn't exactly out of this world, either. That said, there's little or no input lag, so the EW2420 isn't a complete busted flush when it comes to gaming. Whisper it, but that LED backlight is actually a bit weedy, too.

We liked

What, frankly, is not to like about 24 inches of VA-powered screen goodness for such a ludicrously low price? After years of samey budget TN monitors, it's incredibly refreshing to finally have the option of a decent VA panel at this price point.

We disliked

One man's subtle is another's overly subdued. The EW2420 is not an in-your-face monitor and some will find the visuals disappointing. This monitor may not be the best choice for gamers, either, thanks to relatively tardy pixel response. We'd also prefer a proper stand, rather than the cheap tilt-only affair BenQ has specified.

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