For years now, ZOWIE has reigned over the professional monitor market. Well over 50% of our analyzed pros use a ZOWIE monitor. That’s because they are, quite simply, built from the ground up for gaming. Rather than going for a blend of visuals and performance like most monitors, ZOWIE puts all their eggs in one basket, and that pays off. Today, we’re looking at the XL2566X+, the brand’s latest effort. With a refresh rate of 400Hz, DyAc 2, and an improved stand, this should be the ultimate marriage between cost and performance in a ZOWIE monitor. Read our full ZOWIE XL2566X+ review to find out whether or not that’s the case.
At A Glance
ZOWIE XL2566X+
Used by 2 players ()-
Cryocells
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Summarizing: if you want the absolute best gaming monitor out there and you’re only focused on speed and performance, go for a ZOWIE. It’s quite simple. If you want a bit of a mixture between performance and visuals, go for another monitor, as this one really is all about gaming.
Pros
- Great picture quality for a TN monitor
- Fantastic gaming performances
- Great stand with a small footprint
- Best and most complete ZOWIE monitor yet
Cons
- Expensive for a 1080p TN monitor
- Some coil whine at higher refresh rates
Specs
| Size | 24″ |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Refresh Rate | 400 |
| G-Sync | No |
| FreeSync | No |
| Panel Tech | TN |
First Impressions
In my XL2566K review, I mentioned that ZOWIE monitors have a design that’s pretty hard to beat. And yet, they’ve done exactly that. The XL2566X+’s stand follows the same design principles (small footprint, markings on the side, …) but it all looks more premium. The markings are clearer, the stand itself looks more modern with its rounded edges, and it all feels smoother to use as well.
Inside the box of the XL2566X+, you’ll find:
- S-Switch
- Monitor shields to minimize distractions during gaming
- Power cable
- DP cable
- HDMI cable
- User documentation
- The monitor itself
- The monitor stand and base
That’s all you need, and I appreciate the fact that they also include cables.
Build and Operation
Design
Something that I really like about recent ZOWIE monitors is the stand and base. I like a lot of desk space and -more importantly- I like to have my keyboard and mousepad close to the monitor when gaming. With the ZOWIE XL2566X+, I can do all of that without having to attach the monitor to a third-party arm.
The small base has no impact on the stability whatsoever. No matter if I’m frantically swiping or angrily typing a ‘gg wp’ after a tough defeat: the monitor doesn’t wobble. Seeing this, I have absolutely no idea why some manufacturers go for an absolutely massive stand, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with this review so I’ll move on.
Looking closer at the stand and base, you’ll see the traditional ZOWIE markings. These markings can be found on the base (presumably for people who like to place their keyboard in a really specific spot), on the pivot section for the stand, and on the stand itself for monitor height. Curiously, the marking for the panel angle have been left off this time around. I would guess that this is because ZOWIE got feedback from the pros that those markings weren’t really being used.
On the back of the stand, there’s a rudimentary cable management clip. And on the back of the panel there’s a collapsible headphone hanger. As someone who likes a neat and tidy desk, these are very welcome additions.
As a final note on the design, I will say that the bezels are very chunky. Personally, I don’t really mind that, but this could be a hurdle for some people. Given how sleek the new base and stand looks, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to downsize these bezels a bit.
Build Quality and Adjustability
Being an esports monitor, the XL2566X+ is adjustable in all the right ways. You can pivot the stand within the base, tilt the panel, and adjust the height of the panel. This all feels smooth and effortless. Once you’ve settled on a panel position, the panel will stay in that exact position. The stand is perhaps not the most flashy aspect of a monitor, but it’s a really important aspect if you ask me. Luckily, it’s really well executed here.
Everything on the exterior is made out of plastic. That’s the case for many monitors, but given the dark grey finishing of this particular monitor, it might look a little ‘cheap’ to some. That’s merely an aesthetic thing though, and given how these monitors are 100% focused on performance over aesthetics I doubt anyone buying this will care about that.
Image Quality and Settings
Picture Quality
First things first: this is a TN panel. Those aren’t exactly known for their amazing picture quality. Everything I write in this section should thus be read with a ‘…for a TN panel’ disclaimer in the back of your mind. For those who aren’t into monitors: everything TN panels lack when it comes to picture quality, they make up for in raw performance. That’s also the reason ZOWIE chooses TN panels for their gaming monitors. When it comes to motion clarity and pure responsiveness, they are among the very best options.
With that said: this is the best looking TN gaming monitor I’ve used so far. The picture quality is really good, and the color representation is also satisfying. It’s also a consistent panel: uniformity is good and there’s no obvious backlight bleeding or anything like that. There’s no denying that ZOWIE has come a really long way here. You really can get some very good images out of this panel if you tweak the settings somewhat.
Being a TN panel, the viewing angles are limited. You pretty much need to be sitting directly in front of the panel to get the full experience. Move your head a bit, and you’ll already start seeing the colors change. That’s another inherent drawback of TN panels, but again: this is a gaming monitor. When gaming, you’re obviously going to be sitting directly in front of your screen, so I wouldn’t call this a major downside. It’s something that you have to live with if you want to use a TN panel.
Settings
ZOWIE monitors offer a ton of customization options, and that’s no different here. Using the handy joystick at the back or the puck-like S-Switch that comes with the monitor, you can very easily browse through the menus. There, you can tweak things such as the color vibrance, color temperature, brightness, contrast and so on. There’s also Black eQualizer and the ability to tweak DyAc 2‘s performance.
Once you’re satisfied with your settings, you can save them to your S-Switch. Simply bring that S-Switch to any compatible ZOWIE monitor and you can load up your settings immediately. If you’d rather not bother with the S-Switch, there’s also ZOWIE’s XL Setting to Share feature. This allows you to download monitor profiles directly onto the monitor. This is all a bit less useful to people who are just gaming at home, but for traveling gamers (like the pros) it can be a huge timesaver.
Setting to Share also has a bunch of tailor-made game-specific modes available for you to download. Additionally, you can also let the monitor switch profiles automatically based on which game you’re playing via the Auto Game Mode feature. You do need to have the Setting to Share software downloaded in order to use that feature though. For more info, check out ZOWIE’s YouTube video on how to use Setting to Share.
Performance
Gaming Performance
I’ve said it a couple of times already in this review: this monitor is built for gaming. It’s absolutely one of the best monitors you can get if you’re looking for raw performance. High refresh rate monitors always offer a significant advantage over 60Hz monitors, but the implementation of high refresh rate panels can also make a huge difference. And that is where ZOWIE absolutely shines. In terms of motion clarity, responsiveness, and the overall gaming feeling, this is up there with the very best you can get right now.
Obviously, you need a really good PC to fully saturate this monitor’s 400Hz refresh rate, but if you’re a serious gamer and you want to get a great gaming panel, this is one of your best bets. Do note that you’re sacrificing a lot here. For the price, there are monitors that offer very similar gaming performances with a panel that’s better for picture quality.
Additionally, this is also a 1080p panel. That’s because pretty much all pro gamers play at 1080p (or even lower) resolutions since they prioritize framerates and responsiveness over visuals. And that’s the gist of this monitor: it’s all about gaming performances. It is absolutely fantastic at that. And because of ZOWIE’s ‘all in on gaming’ attitude, it has to make compromises in other departments.
The above is not a knock on this monitor, by the way. I love how all-out this monitor is, and the fact that well over 50% of analyzed pros are using ZOWIE monitors for gaming also speaks for itself. However, it is something that you should definitely be aware of if you’re considering this monitor.
It’s the equivalent of buying a completely stripped-down racecar. There’s no fancy on-board console in the middle, there are no heated seats, and the suspension is not set up for comfort: it’s all about speed and performance. Everything else is of secondary importance. And this is one really speedy monitor.
DyAc 2 + Performance vs 2566K
The XL2566X+ is the first ZOWIE monitor that I got to test with DyAc 2. In case you didn’t know: this is ZOWIE’s motion blur reduction technology. For me, it works well and I always have it enabled when gaming, but I can’t say that I notice a huge ingame difference between this and DyAc+, which was on the XL2566K. That’s not to say that there aren’t any differences, it just means that they’re tough to perceive.
The same can be said for the overall performance versus the XL2566K. Going from 360Hz to 400Hz isn’t going to make a world of difference. The panel is quite obviously nicer on the XL2566X+, leading to a nicer overall image quality, but the actual gaming performance is extremely similar. For me, the XL2566X+ is a nice upgrade over the previous version, but if you’ve got that one you shouldn’t run out to the store. You’re not going to get wildly different performances between this and the previous version.
With that said: if you’re considering a high refresh rate ZOWIE monitor (and you don’t want to go for the 540Hz XL2586X) then I’d definitely recommend the XL2566X+.
Everyday Performance
As I’ve made abundantly clear by now, this is a gaming monitor. That doesn’t mean that you can only use it for gaming though. As I’ve said, ZOWIE monitors have come a long way. You can absolutely use this monitor for work, content consumption, and casual gaming. In fact, the vast majority of people won’t have any complaints doing just that, unless they’re used to 4K panels. My partner used this monitor for work and casual gaming without any issues, and I know other non-gamer people who do the same with ZOWIE monitors without any complaints.
All of what I said in the ‘gaming performance’ section doesn’t mean that the XL2566X+ is bad for watching movies and the likes, it just means that -for the price- there are better options if you care about picture quality and so on.
One minor annoyance I’ve experienced is something that I can only describe as ‘coil whine’. When using the monitor at refresh rates of over 240Hz, I can hear a faint high-pitched whirring sound. As soon as I play something over the speakers (or put on headphones, obviously) the sound gets drowned out, but it’s still something that they can perhaps look at.
Update 10th of October: ZOWIE have reached out to me and let me know that the aforementioned coil whine is not something that should be present. If you receive a monitor with audible coil whine, it might be defective, so you should reach out to support in that case.
ZOWIE XL2566X+ Review – Conclusion
ZOWIE now offers monitors in 240Hz, 360Hz, 400Hz, and 540Hz versions. The 540Hz version (the XL2586X) costs an eye-watering $1,200, and as a consequence is something that only extremely dedicated gamers with a high budget will consider. This XL2566X+ is priced more modestly at $700. That’s still a lot for a 1080p TN panel, but if you’re a serious gamer and you’re looking for the best gaming panel out there right now, it’s definitely something to consider.
For me, this is the best ZOWIE monitor so far. I absolutely loved the XL2566K but this one takes it up another notch if you ask me. Whether or not that’s worth the price premium is something you’ll have to decide for yourself, but if you’re shopping around for a ZOWIE gaming monitor I’d absolutely consider saving up a bit more for this one. It’s basically ZOWIE’s magnum opus.
With all of the above said: I do feel as if ZOWIE has kind of conquered the 1080p TN market. Their monitors are basically the ‘standard pro gaming monitor’ at this point in time and it feels like they pretty much perfected the platform. It’s nice to see them still bringing improvements on their previous versions, but I would love to see what they can do with higher resolutions and/or other panel tech too.
Summarizing: if you want the absolute best gaming monitor out there and you’re only focused on speed and performance, go for a ZOWIE. It’s quite simple. If you want a bit of a mixture between performance and visuals, go for another monitor, as this one really is all about gaming.
You can check out more about the ZOWIE XL2566X+ on ZOWIE’s website.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
