ZOWIE XL2546: Ultrafast 24.5″ gaming monitor with 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time

The ZOWIE XL2546 is a 24.5″ gaming monitor specially designed for professional FPS (First Person Shooter) gamers, offering them with a fast refresh rate and exclusive features to deliver smooth and fluid gameplay. Serious gamers understand that a high refresh rate monitor is the way to go when it comes to fast-moving visuals as you want to be able to follow the action fluidly and flawlessly.

ZOWIE XL2546 is the ultimate gaming monitor that makes no compromises, offering a stunning 240Hz refresh rate with a fast 1ms response time, and it comes with all the bells and whistles you wish to get if you're a competitive FPS gamer, including ZOWIE's proprietary “Dynamic Accuracy” (DyAc) technology, which promises to minimize blurring even further.

ZOWIE is a result of BenQ's commitment to gamers by providing e-Sports athletes with premium professional gaming products under the ZOWIE brand. The brand, introduced in 2015, combines the core competencies of both BenQ and ZOWIE, focusing on ergonomics and customizations to provide innovations that truly enhance player's experience, performance, as well as enjoyment.

The BenQ ZOWIE XL-series has been used worldwide by most professional e-Sports tournaments and players. With the persistence and dedication to win, backed by the exclusive features of the XL-series, gamers will be armed to compete in FPS games at the highest level.

Clean, minimalist design with a few nifty features

Unlike other monitors we have seen from BenQ, this gaming monitor does not have all the flashy designs. The XL2546 features a matte black plastic with red trim in strategically placed location all around to bring out the clean, minimalist design. It has a thick build to accommodate the ports, and things like the built-in headphone hanger, the company does not intend to hide its bulk, making it slightly intimidating amidst the sleeker-looking monitors.

The XL2546 is all about enhancing the gaming experience, and ZOWIE starts this by including multiple design features, aimed at competitive gamers. One of these features is the fantastically designed stand which can be maneuvered to your liking. Other than being able to customize on height (from 0 to 14cm), the monitor can tilt (-5 to 20°), swivel and rotate (90°‎). All of this can be controlled via a mechanism that's very intuitive to use, making adjustments a breeze.

The XL2546 also comes with markers that allow you to mark the important “adjustment points” for gaming (and/or work), which can come in handy when you have to pack it up to travel to work where you can set it up just the way you like it within a couple of seconds. Basically, the ZOWIE XL2546 is as versatile as it gets for its configuration, which is ideal for users, whether you are a gamer or just wanting to use it as a work monitor.

The bezels on the monitor are relatively thick but combined with the no light reflection frame of the monitor and the privacy shields, they help to minimize visual distractions by reducing light reflection from the screen, keeping your focus on the game. ZOWIE seems to have thought of every little detail when designing this monitor, and these seemingly small touches will go a long way for competitive gamers.

The base itself is very sturdy with a rounded groove to sit the S-Switch Arc shortcut control and a hole in the stand for routing your cables. The left side of the monitor hosts a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a mike and headphone jack within easy reach with a novel slide-out headphone hanger while the bottom of the monitor offers a Display Port 1.2, a pair of HDMI slots with HDMI 2.0 port and one DVI-DL port which makes for a rather comprehensive selection of ports for most scenarios.

FHD 24.5-inch with incredible 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time

Obviously, the most crucial aspect of a gaming monitor is performance. The high refresh rate and fast response time are the key features of this monitor that makes it ideal for gamers looking to upgrade their gaming experience. The ZOWIE XL2546 is built with a flicker-free Twisted Nematic (TN) panel and has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 1000:1 static contrast ratio, a 320 cd/m² brightness rating, and a fast 1 ms response time. Pairing with ZOWIE's proprietary DyAc technology and up to 240Hz refresh rate, XL2546 is one of the fastest gaming display in the market.

Although this monitor is not built for the most beautiful or accurate color representations, it is still able to display decent visuals with significant improvement after some tweaking. Playing Apex Legends and PUBG on the XL2546 is amazing with 240Hz refresh rate as compared to 60Hz refresh rate where the game is a lot smoother and strangely produces much deeper colors.

In order to pair up with this speed demon to achieve a 240Hz refresh rate, BenQ recommends your computer to have at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 or AMD Radeon RX 480.

Feature: DyAc technology

DyAc, or Dynamic Accuracy, is a proprietary BenQ ZOWIE technology which is used on their higher-end gaming monitors, designed to reduce eye tracking motion blur during gameplay. It is the successor to the Ben Q's Blur Reduction, featuring improved performance and clarity.

This feature works to reduce motion blurring on the display, making it easier for gamers to aim at moving objects in games, and it comes in three settings: Premium, High, and Off. With DyAc fired up, games, especially FPS where reflexes and in-game positioning are essential to survival, were improved significantly to play.

According to ProSettings.net, the technology leverages on a technique called ‘backlight strobing,' where it utilizes a custom algorithm to strobe the backlight to prevent fast moving scenes from blurring, thus potentially improving the in-game performances.

Feature: Black eQualizer

Black eQualizer is a feature on XL2546 that helps to increase the visibility in dark scenes without over-exposing the bright areas. It comes in handy for spotting enemies hidden in the dark, especially for games like PUBG where you've to spot players hiding inside houses or in the bushes somewhere.

Feature: Color Vibrance

Color Vibrance is another feature on the ZOWIE XL2546 that makes colors stand out better, which can also help with spotting enemies quickly in FPS games. It provides more precise color grading and also allows the color tone to be easily adjusted to personal preference with 20 levels of Color Vibrance settings. You will be able to get specific viewing requirements and preferences for different types of gameplay with this useful feature. A lot of CS:GO players will find this helpful as the default color palette of CS:GO is kind of drab and grey-ish.

Feature: S-Switch Arc controller

S-Switch (profile-to-go) is an XL-series feature that allows you to access custom display profiles easily. This circular set of switches comes with three custom keys that enable you to program to quickly change the display settings on the monitor, switching between saved modes, and quick change between connected devices.

This added feature is a timesaver as it offers you the convenience of focusing on your game rather than having to press through a series of menus with the built-in monitor buttons like a retro game of Mastermind.

The verdict on the ZOWIE XL2546

The ZOWIE XL2546 gaming monitor isn't designed for general users, but it is built for hardcore gamers who are mainly focused on fast-paced FPS games like CS:GO, PUBG and Apex Legends. The monitor comes with an impressive 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time that puts FPS gaming experience top of the notch. The monitor's features are amazing and provide a perfect touch to allow users to set up their monitor any way they want and more.

ZOWIE's DyAc mode also makes impressive improvements to the game and the Black eQualizer tech made for an advantage in games with lots of shadowed and dark areas. Priced at S$749 on the Singapore BenQ Lazada flagship store, this e-Sports monitor is a beast and is highly recommended for gamers that seek superb performance in games.