Aimed at creative professionals, the BenQ PD3220U is a 32-inch 4K display with excellent picture performance, a deep set of inputs including Thunderbolt 3, and a KVM switch built in. The design and build quality are a step above. Weak points: the built-in speakers, and brightness that is only adequate for HDR.
Full review
31.5 inches of 4K at 95% DCI-P3
The panel is a 31.5-inch IPS at 3840x2160, covering 100% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 with factory calibration out of the box. TechRadar scored it 5/5 and iMore matched that; PCMag came in at 4/5. For photo and video work where color has to be right before you start, that specification is the whole reason to consider it.
Thunderbolt 3 with 85W of power delivery
A single Thunderbolt 3 port carries video, data and 85W of charging, which covers most creative laptops on one cable. HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 handle everything else, and downstream USB ports on the panel take keyboards, mice and external drives without a separate hub on the desk.
A built-in KVM and the hotkey puck
The KVM switch is the reason to choose this over a cheaper 4K panel: one keyboard and mouse across two machines, switched from the display itself. iMore singled out the hotkey puck as the best part of the interface. Switching is not always instant, and some owners report it needing a second attempt to take.
350 cd/m² is thin for HDR10
Brightness is quoted at 350 cd/m², which is fine for an indoor studio and thin for HDR10 material, because the highlights simply have no headroom to separate from the rest of the image. Treat the HDR support as compatibility rather than capability and judge the monitor on its SDR color work, which is genuinely strong.
Two-watt speakers you will not use
The built-in speakers are 2W a side and reviewers agree they are poor. For calls or any monitoring at all they need replacing with something external. On a display at this price the speakers read as a box ticked on a specification sheet rather than a feature anyone at BenQ expected to be used.
60Hz, and a metal base heavy enough to notice
Refresh is 60Hz with a 4ms response, which is right for design work and wrong for gaming. The metal base and thin bezels look and feel expensive, and the assembly is heavy enough that repositioning it becomes a deliberate act. Port covers keep the back tidy and are awkward to remove when you need to recable.
Strengths
- +Excellent display performance with 4K resolution, high pixel density, and HDR capability
- +Wide range of connectivity options including Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C
- +Built-in KVM switch for easy control of multiple computers
- +Sleek and modern design with thin bezels and a sturdy metal base
- +High-quality build and solid construction
Watch-outs
- −Built-in speakers are not great
- −Brightness is only 350 cd/m2, which is not ideal for HDR content
How it compares
The BenQ PD3220U offers a unique advantage with its built-in KVM switch, allowing seamless control of multiple computers, a feature absent in the Dell U2723QE, LG UltraFine 32UN880-B, and ASUS ProArt PA279CRV. It also boasts Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, which is more advanced than the USB-C on the LG and ASUS, though its brightness is less ideal for HDR than some competitors, and it doesn't match the 5K resolution of the Samsung ViewFinity S9.
Rating sources
Our 4.7 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
