After checking out the RL2460 last year, I was interested to see just what the other affordable Zowie (BenQ’s gaming focused range) monitors could bring to the table.

The ZOWIE RL2455 is designed to appeal to Console eSports players with their 1ms response time and flicker free screens. Even though 4K is fast becoming the new ‘in thing’ with the refreshes of both Sony and Microsoft’s brands, they’re focused on better, faster twitch style gameplay at 1080p, with an emphasis on clear, vibrant colours.

Design

The design features low level command icons on the right hand bezel which correspond to good sized buttons on the right edge which are easy to find. The power is located on the bottom of this row with a green LED to show the status.

Other buttons are well spaced and leave the front of the monitor free of clutter.

The monitor design is well thought out, allowing for a lot of movement vertically, but offer little in the way of tilt. The RL2455 has a noticeable red swash around the base, though it serves little purpose beyond breaking up the otherwise black plastic of the rest of the surround.

RL2455 ports — The RL2455 has a handy 2 HDMI ports

Connections are 2 standard HDMI In ports, D-sub/VGA and a DVI-D port but no DisplayPort, which is worth noting for those running multiple-monitor setups.

Performance and Screen

The 1ms response rate makes a huge difference in fast paced FPS games, coupled with an impressive black level and colour. However, it also suffers from some strange choices of colour definition in their preset modes, so it’s well worth spending the time to set your own custom mode up to get the most out of these screens.

The Flicker Free TN display didn’t disappoint, my eyes were certainly more relaxed than with other 1080p monitors I’ve tested. The 60hz refresh is standard these days, so it’s a shame that this wasn’t a little higher to appeal to the e-sports crowd.

While you could argue that the TN screen technology behind these displays is getting on a bit, it certainly fails to show any sign of being a burden just yet. In fact, the only issue seems to be a slight discolouration at severe viewing angles, but I’d stress ‘severe’, in normal use there is no real issue.

The ZOWIE RL2455 impresses with its colour reproduction and smooth image movement. If you’re looking for a lower priced entry level gaming monitor that features low response times, a great picture with the promise of zero flickering then I can honestly recommend this TN panels.