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BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor: Two-minute review
The BenQ GW2486TC is a great monitor for those that just need more screen real estate. It helps that there are some included features to make hours of use a bit more palatable, such as the ones focused on minimizing eye strain. After all, not everyone needs an ultra widescreen 8K monitor with HDR and a super fast refresh rate. Most of us just want more space while working. This monitor does that.
It also helps that it is very affordable for an external monitor. Sure, this is just a 24-inch model with quite a few limitations, like a 1080p resolution with a somewhat limited color coverage – you shouldn’t be using this for most types of color correction and editing. And there’s no KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switching on hand, either. But, it’s got great ergonomics to help you get the most comfortable view of your work.
So, if you’re okay with those compromises, meaning you’re not also a gamer or creative, and can skip out on the unfortunate lack of cable management, this might be one of the best business monitors for you.
BenQ GW2486TC: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? $189.99 / £149.99 / AU$289.00
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK and Australia
The best monitors come in at all sorts of price points, and you usually have to pay a bit more than the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor. The going price of this monitor, $189.99 / £149.99 / AU$289, is about as reasonable as it gets.
While you can find some other great deals such as the 27-inch gaming-oriented Arzopa M1RC with its £239 / $269 MRSP out there, they’re few and far between. Of course, the Arzopa does have QHD (2560 x 1440p) resolution and a 180Hz refresh rate. But it’s missing speakers and the eye-care oriented features of the BenQ reviewed here.
If you need more features, you’re most likely going to have to spend a bit more. The 4K BenQ PD2705UA has about every feature one could imagine as well as the kind of color coverage and accuracy for editing work, unlike the GW2486TC. You can even split the screen between two different sources as well as use KVM. It’s also more than double the price at $549.99 / £549.99 / AU$739.
BenQ GW2486TC: Specs
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Screen size: |
23.8 inches |
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Aspect ratio: |
16:9 |
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Resolution: |
1920 x 1080 |
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Brightness: |
250 nits |
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Response time: |
5ms gtg (overdrive) |
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Viewing angle: |
178° / 178° |
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Contrast ratio: |
1300:1 |
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Color support: |
99% sRGB |
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Inputs: |
1x DP 1.4, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A downstream |
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Weight: |
13.7 lbs (6.2 kg) |
BenQ GW2486TC: Design
- Fantastic ergonomics for personalized viewing angles
- Good port selection including USB-C with power delivery
- No cable management
The BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor might be cheap, but it is an attractive looking monitor. In all-white, it’s neither drab or boring. In fact, the worst thing about this 24-inch monitor is probably its display panel, which is a basic IPS 1080p one with a typical 178-degree viewing angle.
But when it comes to this monitor’s design, there’s plenty to like, particularly the ergonomics. Thanks to its tall stand, there’s 130mm of height adjustment. Once you have at eye level (or wherever you prefer to have the monitor seated), there’s a 45 degree swivel either left or right, a five degree downward tilt and a 20 degree upward one, not to mention a 90 degree pivot in either direction if you need the display in portrait for some reason (like coding).
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The only real issue I have with the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor’s design is the fact that there’s no real cable management. There is a hole at the top of the stand that, to me at least, looks like it’s to pick up the monitor that could be conceivably used for cable management. However, the ports all face downward so that is fairly inconvenient.
As far as ports go, there’s a decent array including one DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4, USB-C with 65W power delivery (enough for an Ultrabook but not a gaming laptop), and two USB-A downstream ports for charging up accessories. However, those USB ports are not for KVM and don’t do any passthrough to the source computer. On the bright side, this monitor can be daisy chained with another for more screen real estate.
BenQ GW2486TC: Features
- OSD Menu is easy to navigate
- A number of eye-care modes help with long sessions in front of the screen
- Plenty of additional modes for various work purposes
The OSD menu is pretty straightforward to use on the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor. Instead of a single joystick for control, there are a number of buttons along the bottom right corner of the monitor. Whenever you press any of the buttons, the OSD menu pops up with an overlay on your screen showing icons for categories. Once you select a category, the OSD opens up deeper menu options while providing icons for what each button does. Overall, it’s very straightforward to navigate, whether you’re changing modes, messing with specific settings like color temperature or adjusting audio settings.
Where this monitor shines best is in its various modes, particularly the eye-care oriented ones, meant to minimize eye strain from sitting in front of a screen too long. Not only are there modes that limit the amount of blue light, as well as one to adjust for color weakness, but it has its brightness intelligence gen 2 tech, which automatically adjusts screen brightness according to ambient light for what’s most ideal. And, I found it to work fairly quickly. There are also modes for coding, ePaper, sRGB, and MBook that are helpful to have on hand, even if these aren’t necessarily all that unique.
BenQ GW2486TC: Performance
- Screen is good, but nothing special, except for a faster refresh rate
- Audio quality is passable
- Comes with built-in mic with noise cancellation
When it comes to performance, it’s critical to take the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor for what it is – a budget-oriented office monitor. You’re not getting a wow factor here, nor should you. The IPS panel is a basic 1920 by 1080 resolution with a solid color coverage of 99% sRGB. Its 250 nits is good enough for office use, but can be a bit dark when using it for certain types of media. While I did use this for some gaming and had no issues with it, this is certainly not where it excels, especially with a 1300:1 contrast. It’s fine for that purpose, helped along by a 100Hz refresh rate (despite having a 5ms response time).
The audio quality on monitors is usually nothing special. The BenQ GW2486TC is no exception. The two 2-watt drivers offer enough volume for anyone sitting at their desk who doesn’t want to purchase or fiddle with external speakers, though they’re worth it in my humble opinion. There’s not much in terms of low-end from the downward-facing speakers – no surprise there – and, overall, are fairly boxy sounding. The best thing one can say about the audio is that it’s there and it’s not terrible. For an office monitor, that’s generally good enough.
It’s worth noting that there’s also a built-in microphone with adjustable noise cancellation for use with zoom calls.
Should I buy the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor?
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Value |
While this isn’t the most feature laden office monitor out there, it has just enough to make its low price seem almost too low. |
5 / 5 |
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Design |
The ergonomics are fantastic, but there’s no KVM or cable management. At least, there’s USB-C. |
4 / 5 |
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Features |
The eye-care modes are a very nice feature to have on such an affordable monitor, especially the brightness intelligence one. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The screen is fairly basic at 1080p, though it does have a speedy 100Hz refresh rate. The audio quality is just passable. |
3.5 / 5 |
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Average Rating |
While the performance is nothing special, there are some great productivity-oriented aspects that make this a great buy for those on a budget. |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also Consider
How I tested the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor
I used the BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor regularly for a month. I tested it with various games and media, used it for work, and tested out its various eye-care modes. I spent some time listening to the speakers. And played around with the ergonomics.
The BenQ GW2486TC Eye-Care Monitor has shown itself to be a capable monitor for productivity, particularly for those on a budget who don’t need things like KVM and don’t care about cable management.
I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.
- First reviewed January 2025
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space2occupy@gmail.com (James Holland)
