BenQ TH671ST Review: 1080p Short Throw Gaming Projector with Low Input Lag
The BenQ TH671ST delivers full 1080p gaming projection in tight spaces — and it does it without killing your reaction time.
You’ve got a small living room. Maybe a spare bedroom that doubles as a gaming den. You want a big screen experience — 100 inches, not 55. But you don’t have 15 feet of throw distance to work with.
That’s exactly the problem the BenQ TH671ST was built to solve. This short throw gaming projector throws a massive image from under 5 feet away. Pair that with 120Hz refresh rate and genuinely low input lag, and you’ve got a serious gaming setup that doesn’t require a dedicated home theater room.
We tested it hard. Here’s the honest breakdown.
Why Short Throw Gaming Projectors Matter in 2026
Most American homes aren’t built for traditional long-throw projectors. The average living room is under 15 feet deep. Standard projectors need 10–15 feet to throw a 100-inch image. That math doesn’t work for most people.
Short throw projectors changed everything. A 0.69:1 throw ratio means you get a 100-inch image from roughly 5 feet. Gaming on a 100-inch screen in a 10-foot room is now a real option — not a pipe dream.
⚠️ ALERT: The global gaming projector market is projected to grow at 11.3% CAGR through 2028. Gamers are ditching TVs for projectors faster than ever — and short throw models are leading the charge.
Demand is spiking. Prices are dropping. And the BenQ TH671ST sits right at the sweet spot.
BenQ TH671ST Key Specs at a Glance
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) |
| Brightness | 3000 ANSI Lumens |
| Throw Ratio | 0.69:1 |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Input Lag | ~16ms at 120Hz |
| Contrast Ratio | 10,000:1 |
| Lamp Life | 4000 hrs (Normal) / 10,000 hrs (SmartEco) |
| Connectivity | HDMI x2, USB-A, Audio Out |
| Speaker | 5W built-in |
| Price | $944.00 |
Clean numbers. Nothing padded. This is a gaming-focused machine and BenQ built the specs around that purpose.
🔴 KEY POINT: The 0.69:1 throw ratio is the star spec here. It’s what separates the TH671ST from standard gaming projectors that need double the room depth.
BenQ TH671ST Display Performance: 1080p in Action
The TH671ST runs native 1080p. Not upscaled. Not “enhanced.” Actual 1920×1080 pixel output.
In a dark or dim room, the image is sharp and detailed. Text in games renders cleanly. Fine textures in open-world titles like Forza or RDR2 hold up well at 100 inches. You don’t get the mushiness some cheaper 1080p projectors produce when you push image size.
Color accuracy out of the box is decent. Skin tones look natural. Game environments pop with solid contrast. BenQ’s proprietary color processing keeps saturation from going overboard — a common issue with budget projectors chasing “vivid” modes.
⚠️ PRO TIP: Run the TH671ST in Game mode for lowest input lag. Cinema mode adds post-processing that looks great for movies but adds 30–40ms of latency. Never game in Cinema mode.
The 10,000:1 contrast ratio delivers punchy blacks for a projector in this class. Shadow detail in dark game environments holds up better than many TV-lit rooms. That matters more than most buyers realize.
Input Lag and Refresh Rate: The Real BenQ TH671ST Gaming Test
This is where the BenQ TH671ST earns its gaming label — or loses it.
Input lag clocks in at approximately 16ms in Game mode at 120Hz. That puts it solidly in competitive gaming territory. Console gamers on PS5 or Xbox Series X at 1080p/120fps will feel no meaningful delay. The response is tight.
INPUT LAG COMPARISON (approximate)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
BenQ TH671ST (Game Mode 120Hz) ........ ~16ms ✅ Gaming ready
Average budget projector (no game mode) ~80ms ❌ Noticeable lag
Mid-range gaming TV (120Hz) ........... ~10ms ✅ Reference level
BenQ TK700ST (4K Game Mode) ........... ~16.7ms ✅ Gaming ready
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━The 120Hz refresh rate means fast-paced games — Call of Duty, Apex Legends, FIFA — run with noticeably smoother motion than a 60Hz projector. Frame delivery feels consistent. Pan movements in shooters don’t stutter.
For competitive multiplayer at a budget price point, the TH671ST holds its own. This isn’t a theoretical spec sheet claim. The lag is measurably low.
If you want to step up to true 4K gaming projection with the same BenQ short throw engineering, the BenQ TK700ST at $1,795.00 delivers 4K UHD with HDR10 and a near-identical 16.7ms response time — a logical upgrade path when your budget grows.
Short Throw Performance: How Close Can You Really Get?
The 0.69:1 throw ratio is the TH671ST’s defining feature. Here’s what that actually means in practice:
| Screen Size | Required Distance |
|---|---|
| 80 inches | ~3.9 ft |
| 90 inches | ~4.4 ft |
| 100 inches | ~4.9 ft |
| 110 inches | ~5.4 ft |
| 120 inches | ~5.9 ft |
You can get a 100-inch image from under 5 feet away. In a 10×12 bedroom setup, that’s completely workable. In a living room with a couch pushed toward the back wall, the projector can sit on a coffee table or low shelf right in front of the screen.
Setup is simpler than people expect. BenQ includes vertical keystone correction — ±30 degrees — which handles most placement variations without degrading image quality noticeably. There’s no horizontal keystone, so you need the unit reasonably centered.
One practical note: short throw projectors produce heat and fan noise closer to your seating position. The TH671ST runs at around 30dB in SmartEco mode — audible in a quiet room, but not distracting during gameplay with any audio playing.
Brightness, Colors, and HDR
3000 ANSI lumens is a solid brightness rating for a gaming projector. In a room with blackout curtains or evening gaming sessions, that’s more than enough. You get a rich, saturated image with good contrast.
Daytime gaming in a bright room is a different story. Like all projectors, direct sunlight or strong ambient light will wash out the image. This is not a daylight projector. Plan your setup accordingly.
The TH671ST supports HDR10 input. However, tone mapping on a 3000-lumen lamp is a compromise. HDR content looks better than SDR — more dynamic range, more highlight detail — but it won’t match a dedicated HDR display. For gaming, it’s a genuine upgrade over no HDR. For HDR movie watching as your primary use, manage expectations.
BenQ’s ColorX technology handles the color gamut well for gaming content. The Rec.709 coverage is solid. Colors don’t drift into oversaturation. For $944.00, you’re getting color performance that embarrasses comparably priced flat panel TVs at this screen size.
Connectivity, Sound, and Setup
Ports:
- HDMI 1 — supports 4K/60Hz input (downscaled to 1080p)
- HDMI 2 — supports 1080p/240Hz input for full 120Hz gaming
- USB-A — media playback and service
- 3.5mm audio output — for external speakers or soundbar
- 12V trigger — for motorized screen automation
Sound: The built-in 5W mono speaker works for casual use. It’s fine. For gaming or movies at volume, connect a soundbar via the 3.5mm output. That’s not a knock — it’s the honest reality of any projector in this class.
Setup time: Under 20 minutes for most users. Mount or place the unit, run HDMI to your console or PC, run keystone correction, done. BenQ’s menu system is clean and straightforward.
⚠️ PRO TIP: Use HDMI 2 for gaming — it’s the port tuned for low latency 120Hz input. HDMI 1 handles 4K input for movie streaming if you ever connect a streaming stick.
BenQ TH671ST vs. The Competition
| Feature | BenQ TH671ST | BenQ TH585P | BenQ TK700ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 4K UHD |
| Brightness | 3000 lumens | 3500 lumens | 3000 lumens |
| Throw Ratio | 0.69:1 (Short) | Standard | 0.69:1 (Short) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | 240Hz input |
| Input Lag | ~16ms | ~50ms | ~16.7ms |
| Gaming Focus | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Price | $944.00 | $1,085.00 | $1,795.00 |
| Best For | Gaming, small rooms | Home cinema, sports | 4K gaming, living room |
The TH585P is the better entertainment projector — brighter, better audio, smoother movie performance. But it’s not built for gaming. The 60Hz refresh and higher latency show up immediately in fast-paced titles.
The TK700ST is the upgrade — 4K resolution, 240Hz input support, same short throw advantage. If your budget stretches to $1,795.00, the jump in image quality is real. For most gamers buying their first gaming projector, the TH671ST at $944.00 is the smarter starting point. (opens in new tab: rtings.com)
How to Choose the Right Short Throw Gaming Projector
- Measure your room first. Calculate available throw distance before buying any projector. Short throw is for rooms under 12 feet deep. Standard throw needs 12–18 feet.
- Prioritize input lag over resolution. A 1080p projector at 16ms beats a 4K projector at 50ms for competitive gaming. Every time.
- Check refresh rate for your console. PS5 and Xbox Series X support 120fps at 1080p. If you’re gaming at 120fps, you need a 120Hz projector to see the difference.
- Plan your ambient light. Every projector needs a dim environment to shine. If you game in a bright room during the day, no projector — short throw or otherwise — will satisfy you without blackout curtains.
- Budget for audio. Don’t rely on built-in projector speakers for serious gaming or movies. Factor in a soundbar or speaker system from day one.
- HDR expectations. If HDR performance is a top priority, step up to the BenQ TK700ST. The TH671ST handles HDR but its lamp brightness limits peak HDR impact.
- Think lamp life. 10,000 hours in SmartEco mode is 5+ years of heavy daily use. Budget for a replacement lamp at the 4,000-hour mark in Normal mode. (opens in new tab: pcmag.com)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How far does the BenQ TH671ST need to be from the screen? A: At a 0.69:1 throw ratio, the TH671ST projects a 100-inch image from approximately 4.9 feet away. An 80-inch image needs under 4 feet. It’s genuinely one of the shortest throw ratios available in this price range.
Q: Is the BenQ TH671ST good for movies as well as gaming? A: It handles movies well in a dark room. However, the TH585P at $1,085.00 is the better choice if movies are your primary use — it’s brighter at 3500 lumens and includes a 10W speaker. The TH671ST is purpose-built for gaming first.
Q: Is 3000 lumens bright enough for daytime use? A: In a controlled environment with blackout curtains, yes. In a room with windows and natural light, no projector at this price point will deliver a satisfying daytime image. Plan your room setup before buying.
Related Reading
BenQ TK700STi: Is the World’s Fastest Gaming Projector Really Worth It for Cinema?
Optoma UHD55 vs BenQ TK700STi — Best 4K Projector for Gamers (2025)
Optoma UHD35 vs BenQ TK700STi – 4K Projector Comparison
BenQ TK700ST 4K HDR Projector – Top Deal at Jazz Cyber Shield
The Ultimate Guide to the Best 4K Gaming Projectors in the USA
Conclusion
The BenQ TH671ST is the right projector for one specific buyer: someone who wants a large-screen gaming setup in a small room, at under $1,000, without sacrificing input lag.
It delivers exactly what it promises. 1080p image quality that holds up at 100 inches. A 0.69:1 throw ratio that works in real apartments and bedrooms. Input lag low enough for competitive gaming. 120Hz smooth enough to feel the difference.
It’s not a 4K projector. It’s not the brightest option in the lineup. But at $944.00, the BenQ TH671ST punches well above its weight class. If you’re ready to make the jump from a 55-inch TV to a 100-inch gaming screen, this is your starting point.
Shop the BenQ TH671ST and the full projector lineup at Enterprise IT Hub.
