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As factory defaults but somewhat warmer look, a touch brighter and with a bit of a green bias. All colour channels are in their neutral position (‘100’), maximising contrast.
The Lagom text appeared a blended grey throughout, with a green hue to the striping of the text which was a touch stronger near the edges. There were no clear flashes of saturated red, orange or green or shifts between these with a bit of head movement. This indicates a low viewing angle dependency to the gamma curve of the monitor, typical for an IPS-type panel. As illustrated above the standard RGB (Red, Green and Blue) stripe subpixel layout is used. This is the default expected by modern operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. Apple’s MacOS no longer uses subpixel rendering and therefore doesn’t optimise text for one particular subpixel layout to the detriment of another. You needn’t worry about text fringing from non-standard subpixel layouts and won’t need to change the defaults in the ‘ClearType Text Tuner’ as a Windows user. You may still wish to run through the ClearType wizard and adjust according to preferences, however. The subpixel layout and arrangement is normal and we had no subpixel-related concerns related to sharpness or text clarity on this model. For simplicity we’ll just focus on a few titles in this section; Battlefield V and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. These are games we’ve tested on a broad range of monitors under HDR and we know they’re a good test for monitor HDR capability. The experience described here is largely dictated and limited by the screen itself. Although our testing here is focused on HDR PC gaming using DisplayPort, we made similar observations when viewing HDR video content on the Netflix app. There are some additional points to bear in mind if you wish to view such content. We also made observations using HDMI, which would be used when viewing HDR content on an HDR compatible games console for example, and things were very similar. Testing on both our Nvidia and AMD GPUs showed that the HDR implementation was similar in both cases, too. The monitor includes three ‘HDR Mode’ settings; ‘Game HDRi’, ‘Cinema HDRi’ and ‘Display HDR’. As noted earlier, these settings act as ‘emulation modes’ (quite a misnomer) under SDR but act as distinct HDR settings when an HDR signal is detected. ‘Game HDRi’ and ‘Cinema HDRi’ incorporate the light sensor, as used for ‘Brightness Intelligence +’ (B.I. +) under SDR. This adjusts the image based on the content being displayed as well as ambient lighting. As we covered earlier, it will adjust brightness such that unless the room is very bright it essentially acts as a limiter. That brings down brightness to distinctly ‘un HDR-like’ levels, whilst further adjustments are made to colour temperature gamma and other elements.The Samsung Odyssey G5 is a 32-inch curved gaming monitor with QHD resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, HDR10 support, and AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility. If you prefer the larger screen with 1000R curve and don't mind a lesser refresh rate, the Odyssey G5 is actually (at the time of writing) a lower price than the Mobiuz EX2710S. Note that we have only included results using ‘AMA = 1’ and ‘AMA = 2’ as higher settings introduced very strong and unsightly overshoot, whilst lower settings were simply too slow to work effectively with this mode. If you’re intending to use the monitor with the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, be aware that a small settings tweak may be required to ensure 120Hz is selectable for the Full HD resolution. Details can be found in this article. I couldn’t help but begin with a Doom Eternal fragfest. The horde mode affords ample opportunity for fast-moving action. There was no hint of delay in any of my control inputs, either with the mouse or keyboard. Movement remained smooth and jitter-free with AMA (overdrive) on level 2. Higher settings produced a bit of ghosting. I also tried the Blur Reduction, which keeps Adaptive-Sync in play. It made a very subtle improvement in smoothness without any apparent artifacts.
The Audio menu includes five DSP modes that sound distinctly different. They manipulate phase and frequency balance to change the sound stage shape. My personal favorite for gaming was Cinema. BenQ Mobiuz EX2710Q Calibration Settings As above, superior depth and some extra saturation due to gamma increase. Still not quite enough depth in places. Our suggestions regarding use of VSync also apply, but you’re using Nvidia Control Panel rather than AMD Radeon Software to control this. The setting is found in ‘Manage 3D settings’ under ‘Vertical sync’, where the final option (‘Fast’) is equivalent to AMD’s ‘Enhanced Sync’ setting. You’ll also notice ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ listed under ‘Monitor Technology’ in this section, as shown below. Make sure this is selected (it should be if you’ve set everything up correctly in ‘Set up G-SYNC’).The differences here only slight, which is not entirely unexpected given that the gamut doesn’t extent massively beyond sRGB to begin with. Some shades appear a bit more muted, including the shades we said appeared just slightly overdone before. Aquamarine (4) now verges a touch too much on aqua, although this is a subtle difference which isn’t captured clearly in the photograph. As usual, we’d recommend profiling the monitor with your own colorimeter or alternative calibrator using the native gamut if you require the highest level of colour accuracy. The monitor includes a range of easily accessible Low Blue Light (LBL) settings, which can be set between ‘0’ (disabled) and ‘20’ (strongest effect). The stronger settings were particularly effective at reducing blue light output from the monitor, especially when coupled with reduced brightness. They significantly reduced the blue colour channel and hence blue light output from the monitor. They also strengthen the red channel whilst reducing the green channel somewhat, providing a better visual balance compared to some LBL settings which can introduce a green or yellow tint. This has an effect on contrast as we explore shortly. The image appeared warmer using these settings, which we found our eyes adjusted to quite readily over time – more so than when additional imbalances such as a green tint are introduced. Reducing blue light exposure is particularly important in the hours leading up to sleep as blue light is stimulating to the body and affects sleep hormones. It increases alertness and makes it more difficult to ‘shut off’. We used the strongest setting of ‘20’ over our ‘Test Settings’ for our own viewing comfort in the evenings. But not for any specific testing beyond that involving the setting itself. SDR games look just as rich and impactful thanks to that large color gamut. With solid accuracy, there is balance and smooth tonality with all the detail intended by the original material. Again, I wish contrast were better, but it is enough to provide a good gaming experience and reasonably satisfying video quality when streaming movies or YouTube. Note that any interlaced lines in the images below with monitor switched on are moiré from the camera, not from the monitor itself.
We made similar observations on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This title demands a strong contrast performance to look its atmospheric best, with plenty of dimly lit caves and passageways illuminated by a few point sources of light. That isn’t what this model delivered, although it isn’t something we’d expect from an IPS-type panel either. And this model still edges out weaker IPS-type performers. ‘IPS glow’ was again a feature, particularly noticeable if the room is dim or moderately dim. The strong gamma consistency was a key strength, keeping dark detail more consistent without the clear shifts observed on VA and moreover TN models. The light matte screen surface with reasonably smooth finish helped with the representation of brighter shades, too.
As an update to last year's Mobiuz EX2710, the "S" model boosts the refresh rate up to 165Hz for even smoother gameplay.
Shadow of Tomb Raider gave a similar look to things. Lara Croft’s skin looked quite appropriate with just a hint of extra tan to it, but she didn’t appear heavily tanned or potentially sunburnt. The natural environments showcased a good range of quite vivid but still natural-looking greens and rich earthy browns. Again, just a touch of extra yellowing for some yellowish green shades and a bit of an orange-red push to some reddish browns, but much less pronounced than on models with a colour gamut closer to DCI-P3. Vibrant elements such as bright orange berries, purple flowers and colourful painted artifacts appeared quite vivid, but again with saturation and a look that’s quite close to the developer’s intentions. The strong consistency again helped with the maintenance of this saturation throughout the screen. As above but significantly stronger effect. A highly effective LBL setting, significantly reducing blue light output. A warmer look to things but still no unwanted green or yellow tint. Towards the top of the screen you can see strong strobe crosstalk in front of the image, about as bold as the image itself and essentially creating a double image. This weakens a bit further down and transitions to behind rather than in front of the object. The central region of the screen shows some strobe crosstalk behind the object, but this is quite a bit fainter than the main object and therefore doesn’t detract too much from the main purpose of this setting. During competitive gameplay where this sort of setting is best suited, your eyes tend to focus mainly within this central region of the screen rather than further up or further down. Further down the screen the strobe crosstalk behind the object becomes strong and again creates a double image. An sRGB emulation setting, restricting colour gamut so it runs even closer to sRGB. Brightness can be adjusted, other settings including gamma and colour channels can’t. Things appear somewhat more muted, actually a bit undersaturated in places with a slightly weak green channel. BenQ takes eye care seriously with a TUV Rheinland certification and adjustments for Low Blue Light and Color Weakness. You can employ variable filters for red and green deficiency if needed.
The HDR10 pipeline makes use of 10-bits per colour channel, which the monitor supports via 8-bit + FRC. The enhanced precision of the 10-bit signal enhances the nuanced shade variety. For darker shades, it provides a natural uplift to detail in a way that’s far more natural than could be achieved using gamma enhancements under SDR. The superior range of closely matching shades helped smooth out gradients for brighter shades as well, with more natural progressions for weather effects, smoke and rays of light. The image below shows one of our favourite scenes under Shadow of the Tomb Raider for highlighting a strong HDR performance. Note that the photo is purely for illustrative purposes and in no way represents how the monitor appeared running HDR in person.The average contrast ratio with only brightness adjusted was 1078:1, just slightly above the specified 1000:1 and fairly typical for an IPS-type model. The peak contrast recorded was 1221:1, with ‘Color Temperature = User Define) – this puts all colour channels in their neutral position to maximise contrast. We recorded 1164:1 under our ‘Test Settings’, which is respectable and beyond what some some IPS-type models will achieve. The lowest contrast recorded was 761:1, with ‘Low Blue Light = 20’ which is the strongest setting. As we noted earlier this makes changes to the colour channels which come at the expense of contrast, but with better balance to the image than many settings of this sort. The highest white luminance recorded under SDR was 342 cd/m², whilst the minimum white luminance recorded on the table (Blur Reduction disabled) was 56 cd/m². This gives a luminance adjustment range of 286 cd/m², with a reasonably low minimum and fairly bright maximum luminance. The image below is a macro photograph taken on Notepad with ClearType disabled. The letters ‘PCM’ are typed out to help highlight any potential text rendering issues related to unusual subpixel structure, whilst the white space more clearly shows the actual subpixel layout alongside a rough indication of screen surface. This model uses a light matte anti-glare screen surface with a relatively smooth surface texture. This surface offers relatively good glare handling, avoiding the sort of distinct reflections you’d see on a glossy or much lighter screen surface. It also preserves clarity and vibrancy better than ‘stronger’ matte screen surfaces. It offers more direct emission of light with lower diffusion, giving it less of a layered appearance in comparison. When observing lighter shades there was a light misty graininess rather than a heavy or ‘smeary’ graininess. This surface is slightly lighter and has a somewhat smoother surface texture than the 24.5” models, such as the EX2510 and XB253Q GP.
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