I usually stick to my MacBook screen for everything. Work, learning, streaming, editing, all of it happens on that single 13.3-inch panel. I never really felt the need for a bigger screen. In fact, I worried a second display would break my tunnel-vision focus. I wasn’t sure how my brain would handle splitting attention across two panels. But as part of my work, the laptop screen kept getting overloaded. Tabs, spreadsheets, slides, notes, drafts, video calls, Spotify and everything else were fighting for space. Then the BenQ EW3290U review unit arrived, and curiosity took over. I wanted to see whether a larger, 32-inch screen could actually fit into my routine without overwhelming it. A few weeks later, I had my answer. Yes, the EW3290U slightly changed how I work at my desk. I even took it home for a bit, and it quietly turned into my evening entertainment screen as well.
The BenQ EW3290U is a 32-inch 4K monitor priced around Rs 40,998. Here’s an account of how it actually performs in daily use across design, display quality, colour, HDR, gaming, audio and whether it deserves a spot on your desk.
On the desk, the BenQ EW3290U doesn’t try to look aggressive or flashy. But it is still a charmer with its clean white finish, big matte screen with slim bezels and a minimal stand. The stand is sturdy and, importantly, adjustable. You can raise it (up to 11cm), tilt it (-5° to 20°), swivel it (20°/20°), and pivot it (90°/90°) until it meets your viewing requirement. I used to just keep it lowered until it sits exactly at eye level next to my laptop. This could fix a lot of neck strain. The monitor (with the base) weighs around 8 kgs, and so, it can be easily moved between desks, too.
The stand has a rectangular, open-frame base, where you can place items like a phone, dongles, miniature toys, idols, decor items, etc. And of course, the monitor’s remote.
The cuboid remote is also white in colour, and the grey buttons offer a subtle contrast. It is very handy and comes with dedicated buttons for volume control, play/pause, fast forward, rewind, picture mode, audio mode, input options, power and more. I didn’t think I’d use the remote, but when you lean back to watch something after work, it feels obvious. Its batteries are bundled in the box.
Below the screen, you can find buttons for powering on/off the monitor and accessing its key modes and profiles.
And behind it, there is a healthy list of IO options. A USB-C with up to 65W PD charging and DisplayPort Alt Mode for displaying my laptop’s secondary screen. The desk instantly looks tidier, and disconnecting takes two seconds instead of pulling out multiple cables.
There is another USB-C 3.2 with 5 Gb/s data transfer and 7.5W power charging. Then there are three HDMI 2.0 ports for consoles and streaming sticks, three USB-A ports (USB 3.2 Gen 1) for accessories, 5 Gbps data transfer, 7.5W power charging, and a headphone out port.
So, I basically had everything needed for everyday work and environment, and the connectivity options make it a good desk hub.
Also Read: This budget Bluetooth speaker became both a showpiece and a daily-use gadget for me
The 32-inch 4K IPS matte panel is the main reason to consider the BenQ EW3290U monitor. For work, it’s excellent. Text is sharp and legible, scaling feels natural, and if you are like me, your app windows finally have breathing room on this bigger screen. Lesser window Tetris!
The support for M-Book colour profile (in SDR) means it twins the colour profile of my MacBook Air just fine. Reflections are handled well. The matte finish diffuses most glare, and I never felt distracted in normal daytime lighting. But, the viewing angles could have been better.
The panel’s brightness was touching 430 nits in our test. BenQ also offers TUV-certified eye-care protection features, including flicker, brightness, and blue-light control.
HDR support is modest. The EW3290U monitor supports HDR10 and BenQ’s HDRi processing. There are three HDR profiles for various scenarios, like Cinema, Game, and regular HDR. CinemaHDRi mode is similar to regular HDR and GameHDRi offers oversaturated colours. You can tweak the saturation, contrast etc in the settings, but since regular HDR looks the best out of the box, we stuck to it. In SDR content, if you select any of these HDR modes, the monitor offers an HDR simulated profile.
Nature colours and skin tones appear passable, SDR content was pleasing, and casual creators will be happy. The claimed contrast ratio is 1000:1. HDR offers a decent amount of details in highlights and shadows, but with brightness in the DisplayHDR 400 class and no local dimming, it cannot deliver the dramatic contrast you see on a good TV. Even my MacBook Air M1 offers sharper details, better clours, deeper contrast and blacks. While watching dark scenes in movies like Godzilla: Minus One, blacks lean towards dark grey.
In the Calman test, with the BenQ EW3290U monitor’s regular HDR profile, the panel captured 98.1% gamut coverage in the BT 709 (SDR) profile and about 96% in the UHDA-P3 profile. The average deltaE was 2.4 in HDR. So, not for professionals or purists.
As for gaming, it is good for casual players. The monitor is locked to 60Hz, which is fine for story-driven titles. Visuals look sharp and vibrant, and the motion was smooth enough. BenQ has gaming modes and tweaks like AMA (Advanced Motion Acceleration) for smoother visuals, though I usually preferred sticking to the default settings.
What adds to its entertainment value is the 2.1 speaker setup with a built-in woofer. It delivers a seemingly fuller sound with good bass. Dialogue sounds clear. I never looked for an external speaker, but I didn’t always feel a need to find one either. For a small workspace, it feels like the right balance.
In terms of software, it doesn’t have a built-in OS or app library like the Samsung Smart Monitor M7. Through the remote or on-chassis buttons, you can primarily tweak HDR profiles, usage scenarios, audio modes, and some system settings like USB-C configuration, OSD options, etc.
BenQ does give you a desktop tool called Display Pilot, though, which lets you switch modes from the desktop instead of digging through menus. It may not feel like an essential, but it is good to have.
The 32-inch screen size and 4K resolution matter. Using the BenQ EW3290U as a second display helps me organise my work better. Email and notes live on my laptop. Anything related to reading, researching, editing tools like Canva and YouTube videos stays open on the bigger screen. There’s less friction, less constant minimising, and fewer small annoyances throughout the day. Then, when the day ends, the same screen turns into a pretty decent entertainment setup. Respectable HDR, good colours, good sharpness, and sound that does not feel thin. Thanks to the M-Book colour mode and USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, it was a good companion to my MacBook Air. The rest of its connectivity options, a handy remote and its fully ergonomic design make the whole switch between work and entertainment easy and comfortable.
Yes, there are some limitations like IPS glow, average viewing angles, blacks appear dark grey, it is only 60Hz and not meant for competitive gaming. There is no smart OS like Samsung’s Smart Monitor series. But in practice, plugging in a laptop or streaming stick feels simpler, and you still get the apps you want.
There is also the fact that you can get cheaper 4K screens in the market. But this offers a great balance of design, visuals, and features. It focuses on entertainment and everyday usability. So, the BenQ EW3290U makes a strong case if you want a second screen that handles work through the day and movies at night without fuss.
Also Read: Samsung S95F OLED TV review: Big, bright, beautiful, and one of the best
