BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX Gaming Monitor

Listen to this post:

BenQ is back at it with their MOBIUZ EX321UX Gaming Monitor, an updated version from the prior EX3210U model I covered a while ago and called one of the best premium PC game displays at the time. Upon first glance, I thought there was a mistake with shipping because it almost looks identical, but the similarities are only skin deep as this dedicated single-player monitor has been elevated to the next level.

A Familiar Display?

I’m going to bring up the EX3210U a few times because a lot of what I reviewed back then seems to have been carried over to this latest EX321UX. The overall look is similar but has been mildly tweaked for functionality over raw styling. The ghost white motif remains the same and still sports a futuristic aircraft aesthetic, only now exterior details are more subdued with the adjustable rear mount better integrated into the design for easier port access for quick hookups, and a third stub for weight balance and accommodates the open wide base stand.

And that 120-degree wide stand is holding a lot of heft at 21.4 lbs, and physical dimensions of 17.1Hx28.1Wx3.9D inches. You have some horizontal swivel action and height slide adjustment, but you’ll have to live without vertical screen rotation if you plan on playing arcade SHMUPs in TATE mode or doing office spreadsheets.

Connectivity now includes three HDMI v2.1 ports with one being eARC-capable, one DisplayPort v2.1, three total USB Type-C ports (one data and DisplayPort-capable, one 1.5Gpbs upstream USB-C, one 7.5W/1.5Gbps USB-C downstream), three more Type-A USB Gen3.2 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s apparent that BenQ wants you to use the EX321UX as an all-in-one choice for PC and especially console gaming, as you hook up a PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch without needing to swap HDMI cables.

The quick access remote that I gushed over the older EX3210U returns and gives you all onboard options at your fingertips without needing to fumble with the annoying joystick on the underside. I will simply repeat my praise of the remote being convenient and something that other premium monitors should have out of the box too.

Mini LED vs. OLED

BenQ is eager to point out that they want to raise the bar with Mini LED (Miniature Light-Emitting Diode) backlighting for superior brightness and contrast. As advanced display technologies became more prevalent and gamers constantly demand more. The choice of utilizing Mini LED, especially in comparison to OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) was a two-solution approach with both performance and screen longevity in mind.

While a lot of companies have jumped onto the OLED bandwagon for stellar color accuracy and near-perfect black levels for absolute contrast accuracy, the issue of susceptibility to static image burn-in and pixel lifespan and emissive light degradation is still a lingering concern for most people. Mini LED on the other hand provides better reliability and higher brightness without the looming potential of leaving screen burn-in. Essentially, think of it like a enhanced LED IPS monitor that now sports a larger number of small individual backlights ran through a quantum-dot filter, handling brightness and panel reliability better than some OLEDs currently available—a.k.a., lower production costs with fewer long-term disadvantages.

Ultimately it’s going to be a matter of preference, but I can confidently say that the EX321UX is still nice to look at, whether you’re playing games or watching content in either standard (SDR) or high (HDR/BenQ HDRi) dynamic modes. The 1152 zones of backlighting and nit count (700/1000 peak) is excellent as brightness accuracy and local dimming is noticeably more pronounced and blooming is somewhat reduced across sections of the screen. Color presentation is subjective, but the use of a Mini LED arrangement did help with scenes of high contrast elements and did a lot to retain consistent vibrancy in a wider area when compared to its immediate predecessor. As far as absolute black levels are concerned, the EX321UX isn’t going to completely dethrone an OLED display like the Predator CG48 or LG UltraGear GS95UE due to light still being produced by the panel rather than the pixels themselves, but picture quality remains good throughout.

Improved Gaming Chops

Regardless, gaming performance is covered for any current content you can throw at it. I have a PlayStation 5 and PC at my disposal and the EX321UX picked up the signal and optimized video mode without having to do anything on my end. The PS5 automatically recognized HDR, VRR, and 120Hz output with 1440p resolution being available—the only thing this monitor doesn’t have is ALLM. Getting things to work on the PC was almost as simple, except for me having to manually choose my maximum Hz output to 144Hz and sometimes enabling AMD Freesync Premium Pro on Windows 11. No matter what title you’re playing from Astro Bot, God of War: Ragnarök, Gran Turismo 7 or Cyberpunk 2077 it’s going to look and feel as good as your hardware will allow it to, because no matter what the EX321UX is able to achieve 1ms of GtG response time.

Once again BenQ includes their proprietary dynamic range picture presets through HDRi, which is supposed to provide individually dialed in adaptive picture fidelity enhancements beyond normal HDR/HLG. The color mode options like ‘Cinema HDRi, Display HDR, P3 and sRGB are present, but Game HDRi has been replaced with dedicated Sci-Fi HDRi, Fantasy HDRi, and Realistic HDRi modes. You’re effectively getting enhancements that try to make this feel more like a TV than a basic monitor.

You’re also getting the same features like integrated FPS counter, manual overscan and crosshair adjustment, Eye Care blue light filter with Brightness Intelligent (B.I.+) accessibility for color vision deficiency, and KVM switching for multiple device control.

One thing that’s sorely missing in this EX321UX—and my biggest gripe is the lack of internal stereo speakers. This is weird to me because this is meant to be a premium gaming display, and especially disappointing since I remember the older EX3210U having onboard audio, and it sounded more than adequate to my ears. For what it’s worth though, there is still a headphone jack, so you’re not completely screwed if you bring your own headset along for the ride or connecting an external soundbar via HDMI eARC. I’m guessing that BenQ removed the speakers based on user feedback, but it’s still a questionable omission considering how much this thing costs.

More MOBIUZ Goodness

BenQ chose finetuning when it comes to the MOBIUZ EX321UX Gaming Monitor, as nearly everything I praised about the previous EX3210U is either unchanged or is mildly tweaked for discerning gamers or Twitch streamers. However, the majority of improvements are centered around the Mini LED IPS panel which really helps bump up the overall visual presentation along with more comprehensive HDRi presets.

Obviously, OLED sports superlative levels of visual zest but the EX321UX comes darn close with the Miniature LED panel array holding its own. This should be a dependable and fully featured alternative to what Samsung, LG, Acer or INZONE are currently competing with.