BenQ's XL2420C has a few similarities to its 27in cousin, employing the same red and black design, but there are some important differences that come with this 24in 1080p model. It's the company's first С-Sync display, but the technology has been implemented in a slightly different way to the other hardware we've reviewed.
The С-Sync feature is entirely separate from the rest of the monitor's functions, so the XL2420G can work as either a normal, fixed refresh rate display at 60Hz in Classic mode, or as a 144Hz С-Sync monitor. This setup opens up a range of settings in the OSD, and has enabled BenQ to include two additional HDMI ports and a DVI input. This setup is great to see, considering every other G-Sync display we've tested has been limited to a single DisplayPort input only, which is a big limitation if you want to use your monitor with a second PC, a games console and so on. However, 144Hz gaming is only supported through the DisplayPort connector.
In addition, you get a pair of USB 2 ports and, as with the BenQ XL2730V, a mini-USB S-Switch remote control is included, which snaps onto the side of the stand for easy reach. It’s without a doubt the best way to interact with the display’s OSD, avoiding over reliance on the five touch-sensitive buttons at the side of the screen.
Plus, like the 27in XL2730Z, the stand is fully height-adjustable, with rotate, pivot and tilt options. There's a headphone rest at the back of the stand and a support for cable management too, surrounded by the trademark BenQ red trim.
Once again, the XL2420G is a TN panel with a 1ms response time. Desktop picture quality is respectable, but the contrast ratio of 460:1 isn't as good as some of the other monitors in this Labs, which in some cases go beyond 600:1. Likewise, the average delta E result of 3.2 is good enough to not be an issue, but it doesn’t sound impressive when the delta E of other displays on test is under 2. Meanwhile, the white point hovers around 6000K, a good result but not quite as close to the ideal result as some of the other displays we tested.
In games, the XL2420G performs admirably, though, with G-Sync performing as smoothly as on the other screens, all the way up to 144Hz. Even below 30Hz, motion remains silky-smooth, avoiding a common problem with FreeSync screens at low frame rates. There was some ghosting in the Nvidia G-Sync demo with the Overdrive setting disabled in G-Sync mode. This effect was far less apparent in games, though, and less of an issue than with some of the FreeSync displays. Switching to the Fast Gaming mode unfortunately didn’t alleviate the issue either.
There are certainly praiseworthy aspects of the BenQ XL2420G, not least its flexibility when it comes to connecting multiple devices, as well as its remote-controlled OSD system. However, the AQCG2460PG offers a very similar G-Sync gaming experience for £100 less money, while more expensive monitors give you superior image quality and higher resolutions. Unless you really need multiple inputs, we'd save £100 and buy the otherwise similarly specified AOC instead.
Loads of great features, but you can get similar G-Sync performance for less money elsewhere.
SPECIFICATIONS
Native resolution 1,920 x 1,080
Screen size 24in
Panel type TN
Refresh rate G-Sync 30Hz-144Hz
Display inputs Dual-Link DVI, 2 x HDMI and DisplayPort
Extras Remote for OSD, 2 x USB 2 ports