If 27-inch 5K displays aren’t your thing, BenQ’s 32-inch 4K monitor is a fun option I’ve been testing and loving. The BenQ RD320UA 32-inch Ergo Arm Programming Monitor with MoonHalo is designed to maximize comfort during long coding (or writing) sessions.
How I’m using BenQ RD320UA
As a 4K display, the RD320UA is ultra sharp when using 1920×1080 screen real estate. However, I’ve been using the scaled resolution option of 2560×1440 without straining my eyes. This works well when using the 32-inch 4K monitor next to the 27-inch 5K monitor without noticeable resizing weirdness.
Speaking of eye strain, the RD320UA minimizes discomfort in three ways.
MoonHalo
The MoonHalo light source, like a customizable backlight behind the display, illuminates the area behind it, reducing eye strain from the monitor’s light.
This is great for late-night keyboard sessions. It beats working in a dark room or staying up late in a bright room when you’re coding or writing.
The MoonHalo is easily toggled on/off, with seven color temperatures ranging from daylight to warmer tones, and adjustable brightness. Customizing MoonHalo to different modes allows for a cool backlight in Light Mode, a warm backlight in Dark Mode, and no backlight in M-book mode.
When the display turns off, so does the MoonHalo light. During testing, using Apple Vision Pro with my Mac mini at night turned off my actual display, including the MoonHalo light. Removing Apple Vision Pro woke up the display, and the MoonHalo lit up the room again. It was a delightful experience!
Ergo Arm
The Ergo Arm is delightful to use. The monitor floats above your desk, and you can easily raise and lower it with a light touch. The arm has two pieces that allow you to position the monitor precisely. You can also rotate the display from landscape to portrait orientation quickly.
Night Hours Protection
RD320UA features Night Hours Protection, which dynamically adjusts the display’s luminosity for late-night work. It uses “minimum brightness technology, low-light eye-care filter, and dark-room display optimization,” BenQ explains.
With advanced low brightness technology capable of descending far below conventional limitations, Night Hours Protection allows programmers to find their optimal brightness setting even in the darkest of rooms, alleviating strain on the eyes and facilitating the elusive flow state while your eyes remain fresh during coding sessions well into the night.
Importantly, switching modes and adjusting display preferences are easily accessible through the display’s built-in menu — no need to dig through complicated settings.
BenQ’s Nano Matte Panel wraps up my affinity for the RD320UA, making it great to use in direct lighting during the day while reducing glare at dark environments.
For more specs around the monitor:
- 32-inch, 16:9, 3840×2160
- 2000:1 contrast ratio
- 90W USB-C
- KVM switching built-in
- DualView Plus and picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture support
Finally, I just have to mention that the RD320UA is also a wonderful monitor for simply watching videos and movies — or playing a lo-fi video games on YouTube as a seven-year-old.
The new BenQ RD320UA is available from benq.com and Amazon for $699.99. Find compatible BenQ software here, including Display Pilot 2.
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