BenQ MA320UG review: Bigger, smoother, and a lot cheaper than Studio Display

Macworld

At a glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Great image quality
• Variable refresh rate; 120Hz max
• Tilt and height adjustable stand
• Built-in hub for device connectivity

Cons

• No webcam
• May run into glare issues with environmental lighting

Our Verdict

If you need a bigger display with good looks and hub capabilities for your Mac, the MA320UG is a good choice.

Price When Reviewed

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I’ve been looking at several BenQ displays lately, including the MA270U, the PD2730S, the MA270UP, and most recently, the MA270S. The company is doing an excellent job with its displays specifically geared towards Mac users, and the ones I’ve reviewed are all fantastic options. They do have one thing in common: they’re all 27-inch displays, which is the sweet spot for most users, but I’ve heard from a few readers who won’t even consider a display unless it’s at least 30 inches.

Well, for those who think bigger is better, BenQ has a new display for its Mac lineup, the MA320UG. It’s a 4K 32-inch display that offers the same good stuff found in the other displays in the company’s MA Series for MacBook Users, but it also has a higher 120Hz refresh rate, another feature that’s in high demand.

BenQ MA320UG: Specifications

Size	32 inches
Glass front	Nano Gloss Panel
Aspect ratio	16:9
Native resolution	3840 by 2160
Panel type/Backlight	IPS/LED backlight
Response time	5 ms
Contrast ratio	1300:1
Refresh rate	Variable; 120Hz max
Color depth	10-bit
Brightness	600 nits
Dimensions with stand (horizontal)	Highest height: 24.0 by 28.1 by 8.7 inches (608.8 by 493.8 by 220.2mm) Lowest height: 19.4 by 28.1 by 8.7 inches (493.8 by 493.8 by 220.2mm)
Weight with stand	20.06 lbs (9.1 kg)

BenQ MA320UG: Design and build

The MA320UG follows the same look and design as the other displays in BenQ’s MA Series. The case is plastic with thin bezels surrounding the screen. A Visual Optimizer sensor is located in the lower left corner; it’s a light sensor that can adjust the brightness based on the lighting of the surroundings. It’s similar to the auto-brightness feature that’s in System Settings for the MacBook.

The base of the stand has a rubber pad for helping items stay put, such as a MacBook in clamshell mode. Or, if you keep your MacBook Pro open while connected to the MA320UG as I did, you can put your iPhone or AirPods case on it. (Though keep in mind, it’s not a charging pad.)

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However, the stand does provide a wide range of adjustments. It offers 150 mm of height, -5 to 029 degrees of tilt, 15 degrees of swivel in two directions, and pivots 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. It’s much more versatile than the stand included with the Apple Studio Display, which only tilts–a tilt and height-adjustable stand is an additional $400, increasing the Studio Display’s price to $1,999. That’s more than twice as much as the $830 MA320UG.

The MA320UG has what BenQ calls a Nano Gloss Panel, which most people would refer to as glossy. The other displays in the MA Series have the same front, and my experiences with Nano Gloss Panels have always been positive. Any glossy front is going to have reflections, but I barely noticed them, and they never disrupted my view. As iMac and MacBook users can attest, the advantage of a glossy display is that it makes colors look rich and vibrant, and images on the MA320UG didn’t disappoint.

However, unlike the smaller BenQ monitors, there’s no matte option for the MA320UG. The 27-inch MA27U is matte, and BenQ offers a line of matte displays for Mac photographers, but those displays are a bit more expensive, since they are built with higher-end color accuracy features.

BenQ MA320UG: Ports

The MA320UG has the following ports:

• Two HDMI 2.0 ports
• One 35W PowerDelivery USB-C port
• One 96W PowerDelivery Thunderbolt 4 port
• One 15W PowerDelivery Thunderbolt 4 port
• Two USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps, 7.5W)
• One USB-C downstream (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10Gbps, 15W)
• 3.5mm headphone jack

This is the same port configuration as the other MA Series displays. This series is designed for MacBook users looking to connect a display when at an office desk, and the port configuration does well to not just cover the ports on a MacBook, but also provide other ports you might need, including USB-A. If you do want to take advantage of the display’s ports, you need to connect it to the MacBook through USB-C or Thunderbolt, since an HDMI connection with a MacBook is video only. The USB-C and Thunderbolt connections also charge the MacBook; another thing HDMI won’t do.

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Rear and bottom ports of the MA320UG.

BenQ MA320UG: Image quality

I’ve been using the MA320UG daily with a M5 Max MacBook Pro and a 2022 Apple Studio Display. My experience with the MA320UG has been extremely satisfying, with crisp, clean text, lively color with clarity, even brightness throughout the panel, and deep, rich black reproduction.

The MA320UG offers a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, as well as an option for a variable refresh rate between 48Hz and 120Hz with most of the resolutions the display can perform. A few resolution settings have a maximum of 100 Hz and no variable rate. Like Apple’s ProMotion displays, the 120Hz refresh rate makes the MA320UG look smoother with video and animations, compared to 60Hz. If you do a lot of work with motion graphics, you’ll like the faster rate. It’s worth noting that Apple’s Studio Display doesn’t have 120Hz refresh, but the higher-end Studio Display XDR, which starts at $2,899 without a stand, does.

BenQ MA320UG: Price

The MA320UG is $830. You can find 32-inch 4K displays for a few hundred dollars less, but look at the specifications carefully. They won’t offer many of the features the BenQ display does, such as the 120Hz refresh rate, multiple ports, or a stand with height, tilt, or pivot adjustability.

The MA320UG is a lot cheaper than Apple’s current 27-inch Studio Display, which starts at $1,599/£1,599. Add $400/£400 for a tilt- and height-adjustable stand, and the Studio Display is more expensive than two 32-inch MA320UGs. However, the Studio Display is a 5K display compared to the 4K MA320UG, which can make a big difference, especially for production use. But for most people, 4K will be plenty good.

Should you buy the BenQ MA320UG?

Apple doesn’t offer a 32-inch display, but the BenQ MA320UG fills in the gap, offering great image quality, a wide array of connectivity options, a solid design, and a versatile stand. It’s not a 5K display but it does offer 4K resolution at 120Hz–the faster refresh rate makes motion graphics look smooth. If you want a bigger display that looks good and has hub capabilities for your Mac, the MA320UG is a good choice. For other options from BenQ and other brands, read: Best Mac monitors: The Mac compatible displays we recommend