BenQ Zowie XL2746S-R 27" Review

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2746S is a 27-inch, 240Hz gaming monitor built for one thing: speed. Its TN panel and DyAc tech deliver incredible motion clarity for competitive esports, but you sacrifice color quality and sharpness with its 1080p resolution. It's a specialist's tool, not an all-rounder.

If you're hunting for a 240Hz gaming monitor that won't break the bank, the BenQ ZOWIE XL2746S is a serious contender. At around $450, it's a 27-inch screen built with one thing in mind: pure, unadulterated speed for competitive gaming. It uses a TN panel, which is the old-school tech known for its lightning-fast response times, and it comes with BenQ's DyAc (Dynamic Accuracy) tech to keep motion crisp. This isn't the monitor you buy for watching movies or editing photos, but if your main question is 'what's the fastest 1080p monitor I can get for esports?', this one's on the list.

Let's talk speed, because that's the whole point here. With a 0.5ms GtG response time and a 240Hz refresh rate, this monitor is in the 98th percentile for performance in our database. In practice, that means motion blur is nearly non-existent. Fast-paced games like Valorant, CS2, or Apex Legends feel incredibly fluid. The DyAc tech works like a strobe light to further sharpen moving targets, which can give you a real edge in spotting enemies during quick flicks. Just know that to actually hit 240 frames per second, you'll need a seriously powerful GPU pushing your games.

At $450, the XL2746S sits in a interesting spot. It's not the cheapest 240Hz monitor you can find, but you're paying for the ZOWIE brand's esports pedigree and the proven DyAc technology. If your budget is super tight, you can find other 240Hz IPS panels for less, but they might not have the same motion clarity. If you can stretch your budget a bit more, you could step up to a 240Hz IPS monitor with better colors, or even a 1440p high-refresh screen for a sharper image. This monitor's value is entirely tied to how much you prioritize pure motion performance over everything else.

This monitor has some clear trade-offs compared to popular alternatives. The ASUS TUF VG259QM is another 240Hz 1080p monitor often around the same price, but it uses an IPS panel. That means the ASUS has much better colors and viewing angles, though some hardcore players argue the BenQ's DyAc is slightly better for motion. Then there's the step up to 1440p. A monitor like the Gigabyte M27Q X offers 240Hz at a higher resolution for not much more money, giving you a much sharper image, though it might not hit the same extreme motion clarity as the ZOWIE. Finally, if you're on a console like the Xbox Series X, note that this monitor only does 120Hz over HDMI, while some others can do 144Hz.

Skip this monitor if you do any color-sensitive work like photo editing, if you want a vibrant screen for watching movies, or if you prefer a sharper image for single-player games. Casual gamers and general PC users will be much happier with a good IPS monitor. Also, if you're a console gamer wanting the full 120Hz or more from your PS5 or Xbox, look for a monitor with HDMI 2.1 support, which this lacks.

So, should you buy the BenQ ZOWIE XL2746S? If you are a competitive esports player who values every millisecond of advantage and lives in fast-twitch shooters, this monitor is a fantastic, no-frills tool for the job. The motion clarity is exceptional. For everyone else, it's a harder sell. The TN panel's colors and viewing angles are a real compromise for everyday use, and the 1080p resolution on a 27-inch screen is starting to feel dated. We'd only recommend it to players who know they want the specific motion performance this panel and DyAc provide.