BenQ EX240 Review: 1080p 165Hz FreeSync IPS Gaming Monitor

The BenQ EX240 is a 24" 1080p 165Hz IPS gaming monitor with a fast response time speed, FreeSync and plenty of extra features.

Bottom Line

The BenQ EX240 is an excellent budget gaming monitor! There are plenty of similar models available, however, so make sure you’re getting the one that’s most suited for you.

Design:
(4.4)
Display:
(4.6)
Performance:
(4.3)
Price/Value:
(4.8)
4.6

The BenQ Mobiuz EX240 is yet another budget 24″ 1080p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor.

With so many different models available with varying prices and availability in the US and across regions, it’s often difficult to pick a single model as the best option.

In fact, we have a list of 38 ~24″ 1080p IPS gaming monitors with refresh rates of 144Hz or higher and below 240Hz.

Here’s how the BenQ EX240 stacks up.

Image Quality

Thanks to its IPS panel, the BenQ EX240 monitor offers accurate and consistent colors with 178° wide viewing angles and full sRGB color space coverage.

In fact, its color gamut extends a bit over the sRGB color space with a ~115% relative size for a bit of added saturation. While this causes over-saturation when viewing SDR content, most users will welcome the extra vibrancy as it’s not too intrusive.

You can also clamp the gamut down to ~100% sRGB by selecting the factory-calibrated sRGB mode in the monitor’s OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.

Next, the BenQ EX240 has a strong 350-nit peak brightness, meaning that it will be able to get more than bright enough even in well-lit rooms. To get the full brightness, make sure that ‘Peak Brightness’ is set to ‘Max’ in the OSD menu.

As expected from an IPS display, there’s some IPS glow and the contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, so you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panels, which usually have a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and don’t have IPS glow.

However, VA monitors in this price range have other drawbacks, such as slower response time, which results in visible ghosting behind fast-moving objects and narrower viewing angles with gamma/saturation shifts.

Moving on, the 1920×1080 Full HD resolution looks decent on the 23.8″ viewable screen of the BenQ EX240. You get a pixel density of 92.56 PPI (pixels per inch), resulting in a good amount of screen real estate with fairly sharp details and text.

With 27″ 1080p monitors, on the other hand, you get a lower pixel density of 81.59 PPI, which looks noticeably more pixelated and less crisp.

Performance

amd freesync logo

The BenQ EX240 has four response time overdrive modes under the AMA (Advanced Motion Accelerator) settings from Level 0 to Level 3.

Levels 2 and 3 add too much overshoot, so we recommend sticking with the default Level 1 option.

There’s no prominent ghosting behind fast-moving objects, which makes the monitor well-suited for fast-paced competitive gameplay. Input lag is low at around 4ms of delay, which is imperceptible.

Variable refresh rate (VRR) is supported with a 48-165Hz range for smooth and tear-free gameplay up to 165FPS.

The monitor has AMD’s FreeSync Premium certification, but not NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible validation – regardless, VRR works with compatible GeForce GPUs without any issues over DisplayPort.

With AMD cards, VRR works over both HDMI and DP.

Alternatively, you can use the Blur Reduction feature, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of picture brightness. It can only be active at a refresh rate of 100Hz or higher and it can’t work at the same time as VRR.

Blur Reduction also introduces screen flickering that’s invisible to the human eye, but can cause headaches after prolonged use to those sensitive to flicker.

The backlight is otherwise flicker-free (unless Blur Reduction is enabled) and there’s a low-blue light filter mode.

Features

BenQ EX240 OSD Menu

Beneath the bottom bezel of the screen, you’ll find a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD menu, as well as a power button and a dedicated hotkey for input source selection.

The BenQ EX240 also features the Brightness Intelligence Plus technology, which consists of a sensor that can automatically adjust screen brightness and color temperature according to ambient lighting.

Further, the monitor supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), but it can just accept the HDR10 signal and display it. For proper HDR image quality, an LED-backlit display would need a full-array local dimming solution, a much higher brightness and a wider color gamut, among other things. So, you can just ignore HDR on the BenQ EX240.

There’s also a dedicated HDRi button at the front bezel that combines the Brightness Intelligence Plus technology and HDR, but we don’t recommend using it.

Other useful features include Light Tuner and Black eQualizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature), Color Vibrance and various picture presets. Besides the standard image settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature, aspect ratio, etc.), the EX240 also has gamma and sharpness adjustments.

Design & Connectivity

BenQ Mobiuz EX240 Review

The stand of the monitor is quite sturdy and has a good range of ergonomics, including up to 100mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, -5°/15° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

The screen has a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack and two 2.5W built-in speakers with decent audio quality.

All display inputs support 1920×1080 up to 165Hz, while the HDMI ports also support 1080p 120Hz for consoles and FreeSync for the Xbox One/Series X/S.

Price & Similar Monitors

The BenQ EX240 price ranges from $160 to $210.

Keep in mind that there’s also the BenQ EX240N model with a VA panel. It has a higher contrast ratio, but slower pixel response time speed.

We recommend checking out the Gigabyte G24F-2 with a wider color gamut and a 180Hz overclockable refresh rate.

The Dell S2522HG with a 240Hz refresh rate can also sometimes be found on sale for $150.

If you just want the best value for money 24″ 1080p high refresh rate IPS gaming monitor, check out our full list to compare their prices as they often fluctuate.

For more information, visit our dedicated best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Overall, the BenQ Mobiuz EX240 is an excellent budget gaming monitor if you can find it at $160. We prefer the Gigabyte G24F-2 model due to its wider color gamut, but if you want integrated speakers and a light sensor, the EX240 might suit you better.

Specifications

Screen Size23.8-inch
Resolution1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel TypeIPS
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate165Hz
Response Time2ms (GtG)
Response Time (Blur Reduction)1ms (MPRT)
Speakers2×2.5W
Adaptive-SyncFreeSync (48-165Hz)
PortsDisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0
Other PortsHeadphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness350 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors16.7 million (6-bit + FRC)
HDRHDR10
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • Excellent value for the price
  • Rich and accurate colors
  • Plenty of gaming features including VRR and MBR up to 165Hz
  • Ergonomic stand, USB hub, built-in speakers

The Cons:

  • IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)
  • Design lacks pivot option

You Might Love These Too

Acer GN246HL Review
Acer GN246HL Review: Budget 1080p 144Hz 1ms Gaming Monitor
Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.