BenQ XL2420Z review

The main point of a 144Hz panel is so gamers can play titles at very high frame rates with vertical sync (Vsync) turned on, to avoid the shearing that can occur in the image when the graphics card is outputting more frames per second than the monitor can display.

With a normal 60Hz panel, you’re limited to 60fps with Vsync turned on, but with a 144Hz screen you get a maximum 144fps. This is visibly smoother, and we loved having such huge frame rates when playing older first-person shooters such as Half-life 2, which can run at these kinds of speeds. It even makes a difference in Windows, with cursor and window movements being that much more slick.

The monitor also has support for Nvidia’s 3D Vision technology, which gives you active shutter 3D in games. This is an extra which many people will appreciate, although you will need Nvidia’s own 3D Vision hardware and a compatible Nvidia graphics card in order to take advantage of the technology.

The BenQ XL2420Z is an impressive gaming monitor, and we loved being able to play games at 144fps with Vsync turned on. However, unless you really want Nvidia 3D Vision support, we don’t think this screen is worth the extra £77 over the Iiyama ProLite GB2488HSU, which has 144Hz support and also makes games look fantastic.