We first measured the Luminance of the monitor, which is a measure of the density of luminous intensity. The brightness of the BenQ FP93VW is adjustable on a scale of 0 to 100. At a low level the monitor already reaches 40.8 candles per square meter. At the maximum level of brightness the monitor reaches 339.6 cd/m2. BenQ declared the official brightness level at 400 candles/m2. Brightness for the most part is spread evenly throughout the screen, and there are no “dark zones” on the monitor.

The black level of the monitor, even with the lamp at maximum power, never exceeds 1 cd/m2. The monitor, therefore, is able to maintain a good black level in all situations.

The maximum recorded contrast ratio is 434:1, which is obtained when the LCD lamp is at 45% power, with the whiteness level at 86.395 cd/mq and blackness level at 0.199cd/mq. The contrast ratio varies relative to the monitor’s brightness, but stabilizes at ratios of 400:1 - 430: 1 beginning at 65%. Looking at the overall trend of the graph, as the brightness level increases so does the contrast ratio.

Native Resolution- 1440 x 900

1400 x 1050

1360 x 768

1280 x 800

1152 x 864

1024x768

The image quality of the monitor begins significantly decreasing immediately when set to lower resolutions. The image distortion is only more emphasized by the fact that the lower resolutions are not in the same screen format as the native resolution. The resolution of 1024x768, which is the lowest resolution we tested, has a remarkable loss of quality thus rendering it useless for day to day use at that specific resolution.

Conclusion

The BenQ FP93VW performed quite well throughout our tests. The monitor has a good contrast ratio along with decent brightness levels making it ideal for a variety of light conditions. Although, as we said, the contrast ratio is sufficient, it was not able to live up to the manufacturer’s 700:1 ratio during our tests. Visibility is also very good at angled views.

By quickly scrolling through a long text file, we were met with surprisingly good legibility and little ghosting and blurriness making the monitor ideal for playing videos and games. This can definitely be accredited to the low response time of the display.

The possibility to use the monitor seamlessly with a Mac Mini or any other small compact system is only an added value to the monitor and is not required. The base of the monitor can be used to hold an external drive or media card reader.

We weren’t entirely happy with the positioning of the control keys at the side of the monitor. Although we understand that it makes the monitor look simpler with the controls hidden away on the side, it creates a problem when using the On Screen Display or trying to adjust the brightness and contrast levels. We would have preferred to have the buttons placed on the front so we could navigate the menu with greater ease.