No desk setup is complete without a good monitor to match the quality of the Mac it’s plugged into. With what feels like an endless number of monitors on the market, it’s hard to make the right choice as a consumer, and difficult for a company to make a product that stands out.
The BenQ PD2706UA is an incredibly solid piece of equipment with a sturdy built-in monitor arm to take away any of the faff of adding your own, combined with a display focused on making your experience as a Mac user as close to the one you’ve come to expect from Apple as possible.
In a sea of displays, does the BenQ PD2706UA’s smart design and color accuracy do enough to make it worth your hard-earned cash?
BenQ PD2706UA: Price and availability
The BenQ PD2706UA retails for $629.99 or £549.99 directly from BenQ in the U.S. and the UK. At the moment, BenQ is offering the monitor in the UK at a discounted price of £430. In the U.S., you can pick up the PD2706UA from Amazon with a small discount at the moment, down to $612. Without spoiling the rest of the review too much, I was shocked to see this monitor available for £430 ($465).
BenQ PD2706UA: Display quality
The display on the BenQ PD2706UA ticks all the boxes for Mac users wanting to be productive at home or in the office. With a 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 HDR 10 LED panel and so many display options to pick from, you’ll find using the PD2706UA a joy. The colors here are true to life and beautiful to look at thanks to a DCI-P3 color gamut covering 95%, 100% sRGB, and 100% Rec.709 color spaces and Delta E ≤ 3 color reproduction with BenQ’s AQCOLOR technology. With so many color modes to choose from there’s a display setting for you, from low-blue light to an option that I love that mimics e-paper.
While HDR with 400 peak brightness and a 60Hz display is nothing to write home about, the color accuracy for Mac users using BenQ’s M-book color mode makes up for any shortcomings, highlighting that this is, in fact, a monitor for work, not pleasure. Yes, you can game on the PD2706UA, but if you’re looking for a gaming monitor you should look elsewhere.
BenQ PD2706UA: Stand out feature
The stand-out feature of the BenQ PD2706UA, funnily enough, is the stand. As soon as you take the monitor out of the box and attach the ergonomic arm you’ll notice just how easy it is to set up and how over-the-top sturdy it feels. I’ve used many monitor arms in the past, and not one compares to the ergo arm on the PD2706UA, it takes away all the annoying process of attaching your own, and it looks classy doing so.
As for the cable management incorporated into the arm, it just works. I wish I had more than one of these monitors so I could get rid of cables for good. Everything is hidden, and for a messy person like myself, the system is so easy that it’s harder to make a mess than to tidy everything up.
BenQ PD2706UA: Build and features
The BenQ PD2706UA has been a delight to use ever since sliding the monitor out of the box. The build quality of the whole package is excellent, from the sturdy ergo arm to the display itself. Thanks to the versatility of a monitor arm, there is tons of flexibility when it comes to changing viewing angles and heights, all without worrying about the stand's strength.
BenQ monitors also have an added secret weapon, the HotKey Puck G2, which allows you to easily change color modes and other settings straight from the comfort of your desk without fiddling with the buttons on the rear of the monitor. It sounds like a gimmick, but it’s not.
One aspect that doesn’t appeal to me is the look of the monitor itself. I love the arm, but the actual display looks pretty boring and office-like for my preference. I would much prefer if BenQ offered the silver chin in a black colorway so that it would blend better into the background rather than stick out like a sore thumb.
BenQ PD2706UA: Competition
Finding the right monitor comes down to your needs and preferences, but there are many in or around this price range to choose from. We’ve reviewed the larger BenQ PD3220U, but it’s more expensive and doesn’t have the monitor arm that makes the PD2706UA so great.
We’ve also reviewed the Philips 27B1U7903, which is also excellent and a comparable size, but you won’t find it anywhere near the price of the BenQ.
With so many options to choose from, you can’t do enough research to make sure you make the right choice. That said, looking around Amazon UK for competitors, I can’t find a comparable monitor for that insane £430 price.
BenQ PD2706UA: Should you buy it?
You should buy it if...
- You want a monitor with an arm
- You care about color accuracy
- You want a complete package without going crazy on price
You shouldn't buy it if...
- You want to game
- You care about refresh rate
- You hate a silver chin
BenQ PD2706UA: Verdict
As a huge fan of monitor arms in general, the BenQ PD2706UA is one of the best monitors for Mac I’ve used. If you’re a professional and want a robust package that gives you everything you need for a comfortable working setup, then you can’t go wrong with BenQ’s 27-inch monitor built with the Mac in mind. Don’t expect great gaming performance, however, with mediocre HDR and a 60Hz display, you’re better off sticking to work rather than pleasure here.
Perfect for Mac
The BenQ PD2706UA is a great work companion for Mac with a superb monitor arm, but one that gamers will find lacking.
