Bottom Line
The BenQ SW271 is the best Adobe RGB monitor for designers with a budget of around $1,000. It has an impeccable color accuracy, a plethora of useful features, and extensive connectivity options as well as a high-quality design.
The BenQ SW271 is the best photo-editing monitor you can get for around $1,000 if you need a wide coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, as well as HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, 4K UHD, and perfect color accuracy and consistency.
Image Quality
Based on an IPS panel with true 10-bit color depth, the BenQ SW271 monitor delivers outstanding color accuracy covering 99% of the Adobe RGB color space and 100% of sRGB.
It also offers a 14-bit 3D LUT (Look-up Table) while the monitor is factory-calibrated at Delta E ≤ 2.
Other panel-related specifications include a 350-nit peak brightness, a standard contrast ratio of 1,000:1 (static), wide 178-degree viewing angles, a 5ms response time, a 60Hz refresh rate, and 4K UHD resolution.
While the BenQ SW271 IPS monitor does support HDR10, the display’s maximum luminance and contrast won’t provide you with a peculiarly immersive HDR viewing experience.
The monitor can accept the HDR10 signal from compatible content.
Still, it’s mainly intended for editing purposes, not entertainment – though due to the display’s wide color gamut, the HDR content does look better, but not nearly as good as on equally-priced HDR monitors aimed at video enjoyment.
Finally, the 4K UHD resolution will provide you with a rich pixel density, which translates to plenty of screen space and details.
Keep in mind that due to such high pixel density (163 pixels per inch), you will have to scale your interface to at least 150% for text to be easily readable.
Performance
The BenQ SW271 Adobe RGB monitor doesn’t suffer from excessive IPS glow nor backlight bleeding. With input lag of around 16ms, it’s also suited for casual gaming.
Further, the response time of 5ms ensures no trailing or ghosting of fast-moving objects.
The colors are precise and consistent straight out of the box, allowing you to continue with your work as soon as you hook up the display.
Lastly, the monitor doesn’t use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to regulate brightness. Therefore, it’s flicker-free; also, it has a built-in filter against harmful low blue lights.
Features
One of the more exciting features of the BenQ SW271 is the included Hotkey Puck device which you connect to the monitor via the mini-USB port.
You can use this device to quickly toggle between certain picture presets or other OSD (On-Screen Display) settings such as brightness, contrast, etc.
There are numerous pre-calibrated picture presets to choose from, including sRGB, Adobe RGB, DICOM, Rec. 709, DCI-P3, Black and White, HDR, and Darkroom.
Additionally, there are three calibration profiles and two customizable presets.
The BenQ SW271 HDR display also supports the Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes.
Using the exclusive GamutDuo feature, you can have the screen split in two and have each part of the screen displayed in a different color space.
Design & Connectivity
The design of the BenQ SW271 is robust and ergonomic; you can elevate the screen up to 150mm, swivel it by -/+ 45°, tilt it by -5°/20°, pivot it by 90° or VESA mount it using the 100 x 100mm pattern.
Along with the monitor and the Hotkey Puck device, you will also get a shading hood that entirely removes reflections and distractions while you work.
Turning to the connectivity, you will find two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, a dual-USB 3.0 hub, an SD card reader, a headphone jack, and a USB type C port with PD (power delivery) up to 10W and DisplayPort 1.4 Alternate Mode.
Price & Similar Monitors
The BenQ SW271 price is ~$1,000, which is a fair price for a high-end monitor for professionals of this caliber.
There’s the newer BenQ SW271C variant with a USB-C input that supports DP Alt Mode and 60W Power Delivery.
We recommend the Acer CM3271K instead as it can be found for ~$600 yet it offers the same level of accuracy with a 27″ 4K IPS panel, full Adobe RGB gamut coverage and Delta E < 2 factory calibration. Another good option is the Lenovo P27u-20.
If you are an aspiring or professional photographer, designer, or video editor, be sure to check out our best photo-editing monitors buyer’s guide.
Conclusion
All in all, the BenQ SW271 4K photo-editing monitor delivers everything a professional photographer may need: a flawless color performance in addition to plenty of unique and useful features.
Specifications
| Screen Size | 27-inch |
| Resolution | 3840×2160 (UHD) |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 (Widescreen) |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms (GtG) |
| Ports | DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C |
| Other Ports | 2x USB 3.0, Headphones Jack, SD Card Reader |
| Brightness | 350 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 (static) |
| Colors | 1.07 billion (true 10-bit) |
| VESA | Yes (100x100mm) |
The Pros:
- Wide color gamut, factory-calibrated
- Fully ergonomic design and rich connectivity options
- 14-bit 3D LUT support
- Plenty of unique features including Hotkey Puck
- Shading hood included
The Cons:
- USB-C supports PD up to 10W only
- Expensive
