How to Mount Projector to Ceiling: BenQ X3100i Gaming Projector as an Example

BenQ

2022/11/03

You might think ceiling mounting a gaming projector is extremely difficult, but it’s not. We’re here with detailed instructions that’ll help you get it done yourself, without having to call a professional for help. The projector we’ll be using is the BenQ X3100i, which is an advanced gaming projector that’s perfect for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Of course, on the path to setting up your dream game room, there are a few things to take into consideration above all else. You need to figure out how big of a screen you can fit, and we suggest you go for as big as possible, because that’s the benefit of projectors – big screens. Then, based on the size and shape of your room, calculate the best position for the projector. Next is making sure that position is topped with a ceiling that can accept the BenQ universal ceiling mount. You can’t use false or dropped ceilings, as the surface needs to be solid and dense material to support the weight of the projector.

The next step is choosing your screen, unless you prefer to project onto a wall. We recommend a tab-tensioned light rejecting screen for serious gaming. Such a screen will ensure you get the best visuals in your big screen gaming.

OK, here’s everything you need to know, both for preparation and actual installation!

In This Article We Cover:

Everything You Need to Know Before Start

Calculating Screen Size and Choosing Placement for the X3100i

BenQ Ceiling Mount Guide

Choosing a Screen for the X3100i

Everything You Need to Know Before Getting Started

Key Measurements

It’s vital to take accurate measurements so that the projector and screen fit your room well. The most important measurements are:

Projector to screen
Screen Height
Top of screen to ceiling
Bottom of screen to floor

Preparing the BenQ Universal Ceiling Mount

There are many types of projector mounts, some specific to certain models, and others claiming to be universal. However, you need to make sure the mount you’re using can support the weight of your intended projector. Also, there are ceiling mounts and wall mounts, and those are not interchangeable. In this article we’re discussing ceiling mounting the X3100i. A wall mount kit for a lighter projector will not work, so it’s important to get this right.

Without boasting too much, we’ve designed the BenQ universal ceiling mount kit to be really, well, universal. It’ll work with a wide range of models and save you the guesswork if you want ceiling mounting. We’ve put the kit through extensive testing, as we do with all our products, and it’s verified reliable and safe. It is not intended for wall mounting, however. You can purchase the BenQ universal ceiling mount right here.

The user manual for the kit is also available online if you want to have more info on it.

Preparing the X3100i Gaming Projector: Throw Distance and Offset

The design of a projector’s lens and overall optical capabilities determines the ideal throw distance, or projection distance. It also determines the offset height, or how much higher than the top of the screen the lens needs to be if at all.

Throw ratio: determines the distance (A) from the screen to the font edge of the projector. Note that this mean the very front of the lens, not the ceiling mount axis.

Throw ratio = Projection distance (A) / Screen width

The X3100i has a typical throw ratio of 1.15-1.50.

Projector offset: indicates the distance (H) from the projector’s lens assuming a direct line to the top edge of the screen. In other words, the percentage of the screen height that will be projected above the projection lens optical axis.

Lens offset = (Screen height + Offset height ) / Screen height

The BenQ X3100i has an offset of 110%.

Note that ceiling mount height (C1) plus height from projector’s underside to center of lens (C2) plus distance from ceiling to center of the lens or offset height (H) may equal ceiling to top of screen clearance.

Prepare Your Room

Before installing the X3100i, take accurate measurements of your room. That includes height to ceiling, width, and length. Consider any object that may get in the way, like bookshelves, cabinets, AC units and so on. Be careful not to drill the ceiling mount into any existing utility cables or wires. Also consider whether the location of the screen has any constraints, and whether you should move any furniture to make room for the screen. Based on your intended room’s dimensions, you can proceed to choose the size of your screen.

Calculating Screen Size and Choosing Placement

Decide Screen Size

To decide on a screen size, accurately measure your room’s ceiling height. Then, consider the following factors, which may also be thought of as deductions from the total ceiling height in your room:

- Clearance from bottom edge of screen to floor
- Ceiling mount minimum height (see adjustable height of ceiling mount, use minimum height to get maximum screen size)
- Distance from bottom of projector case to the center of the projector’s lens. Find this info in your user manual, but for the X3100i this is 5.78 inches
- Offset height, which means the height from lens center to the top edge of the screen. Again, please check your user manual, or calculate yourself as we showed your above. For the X3100i this is screen height time 0.1

So, you get “B: Max screen height”, which translates into diagonal length, which is known also as max screen size (typically measured in inches)

Now you can choose the size of the screen proper, after learning the maximum size possible. Obviously, don’t buy a screen bigger than the maximum size possible in your intended room.

Decide Projector Placement

Let’s move on to projector placement. Start to calculate the projection distance and ceiling position using these:

Minimum projector to screen distance, or minimum throw ratio (1.15) times screen width
Maximum projector to screen distance or maximum throw ratio (1.5) times screen width

(Or quickly find out this info in the user manual installation chart) Remember, the X3100i throw ratio range is 1.15-1.50
Screen height (based on your decision)
Ceiling to top of screen clearance, which equals ceiling mount height (C1) plus projector height (C2) plus offset height (H)
Bottom of screen to floor clearance, which equals ceiling height minus B and minus C (you can use this space for an entertainment center or other furniture on which to put consoles and other items)

As an example, let’s think of an X3100i installed in a room with a 9-foot-tall ceiling.

Prepare the ceiling mount: use the BenQ universal ceiling mount with 5.02-inch extension, which is the minimum.
Prepare the X3100i: the projector height itself measures 5.78 inches from projector bottom to lens center.
With 110% projector offset, offset height should be screen height plus 10%, or times 0.1.
Prepare the room: we know that we have 108 inches or 9 feet of total ceiling height.
Check for obstacles: place an entertainment center next to the wall intended for the screen that measures up to 16.5 inches or 1 ft 4.5 inches in height.
Following our calculation, we determine the maximum screen size is 150 inches (B).
To project a 150-inch image, we need to place the X3100i in a distance of (A) from the screen, which is a range of 12 ft 5 inches to 16 ft 3 inches.
The screen needs to have 1 ft 6 inches of clearance from its top to the ceiling, and 1 ft 4 inches of clearance from its bottom edge to the floor.

Screen Size	Screen Width	Screen Height B	Top of screen to ceiling C	Bottom of screen to floor D	Projector to screen A
Screen Size	Screen Width	Screen Height B	Top of screen to ceiling C	Bottom of screen to floor D	Screen Size Min distance	Screen Width Average distance	Screen Height B Max distance
Screen Size 100 inch	Screen Width 87.16 inch	Screen Height B 49.03 inch	Top of screen to ceiling C 15.71 inch	Bottom of screen to floor D 43.26 inch	Projector to screen A 100.23 inch	TitleText 115.48 inch	TitleText 130.74 inch
Screen Size 120 inch	Screen Width 104.59 inch	Screen Height B 58.83 inch	Top of screen to ceiling C 16.69 inch	Bottom of screen to floor D 32.48 inch	Projector to screen A 120.28 inch	TitleText 138.58 inch	TitleText 156.88 inch
Screen Size 150 inch	Screen Width 130.74 inch	Screen Height B 73.54 inch	Top of screen to ceiling C 18.16 inch	Bottom of screen to floor D 16.30 inch	Projector to screen A 150.35 inch	TitleText 173.23 inch	TitleText 196.10 inch

Read more about viewing distance for 4K projector displays in our knowledge base: The Best Seat-to-Screen Distance for Different Projector Screen Sizes

Upgrading to the X3100i with a Fixed Screen in Place

If you already have a screen in place and an existing projector setup but you want to upgrade to the X3100i, there are a few things to measure first. Of course, compare the throw ratio of your old projector (current setup) with that of the X3100i. Also, compare the distance between each projector’s lens center and center of weight, which is 3 inches for the X3100i. Based on these figures you can determine whether your current ceiling mount needs and screen need to be repositioned.

BenQ Ceiling Mount Guide

Before you get started, here are the tools you’ll need.

Drill / drill bit
Hammer
Spanner
Cross screwdriver
Tape measure or laser level meter

Here are the main steps needed to mount your brand new X3100i gaming projector to your ceiling with the BenQ universal ceiling mount.

Assemble the support brackets on the projector itself (X3100i only needs three brackets)
Decide where the center of the mounting will be using the plated-hinge module. It is easier to align the center of the mount with the center of the lens if you’re new to ceiling mounts, because center of the lens means center of the screen.
Assemble the mounting cylinders based on the ceiling height you calculated before.
Route cables into the cylinders, then mount the cylinders on the ceiling.
Attach the X3100i to the cylinder assembly and use the locking mechanism to secure the connection.

Adjust tilt or rotation angle if needed, and you’re all done!

Remember, when turning on your projector for the first time, make sure to select “Front Ceiling” in the Setup Wizard to begin enjoying big screen content.

Tips: Or change projector position by pressing the MENU key to open OSD (On-Screen-Display) menu, then go to Advanced menu > Installation > Projector Position, and select "Front Ceiling“.

More Tips with BenQ Ceiling Mount

Since the BenQ universal ceiling mount kit was designed for utmost flexibility and versatility, there’s a lot we can share about it. Here are some important tips and tricks to keep in mind.

1. Adjustable horizontal shift using the freely-moving hinge module plate and brackets: used to move the projector horizontally to compensate for image offset.

Tips: Do note that the required shift should be decided before mounting, as changing it afterwards requires disassembly and reinstallation. Do not place your mount too far away from the center of projector weight, as that could lead to unwanted projector wobble or other movement. For beginners, we suggest starting with the center of the lens as your guide.

2. The mounting cylinders are adjustable as you may have noticed, with securable notches for different mount lengths. The range is 5 inches to 1 ft 10 inches. This gives you plenty of flexibility for different rooms and situations, but make sure you calculate cylinder extension based on ceiling height before installation. Changing your mind later will be a big hassle.

3. Adjustable tilt angle using the ball joint for 2-way vertical and horizontal adjustment by up to 25 degrees in each way: used to compensate for screen keystone in a secure mechanical way when your ceiling is uneven. Better than digital keystone, especially on a gaming projector, as digital keystone causes input lag. Unlike other aspects, this can be adjusted freely after installation.

4. Adjustable 360-degree horizontal rotation using the ball joint: used to rotate projection direction to your screen and helps with cable management.

Note: while adjustment can be done any time, make sure to secure the knobs for stability and safety.

Choosing a Screen

We’ve compiled a list of recommended screens that pair excellently with the X3100i in different ambient light conditions.

Aeon Series, thin bezel fixed frame | Matte white material for dark room environments

Model Number	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio	gain
Model Number AR100WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 100” (16:9)	gain 1.3
Model Number AR110WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 110” (16:9)	gain 1.3
Model Number AR120WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 120” (16:9)	gain 1.3
Model Number AR135WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 135” (16:9)	gain 1.3
Model Number AR150WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 150” (16:9)	gain 1.3

Sable Frame 2, standard aluminum velvet fixed frame| Matte white material for dark room environments

Model Number	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio	gain
Model Number ER100WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 100” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER110WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 110” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER120WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 120” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER135WH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 135” (16:9)	gain 1.2

Aeon Series, thin bezel fixed frame| CineGrey 3D material for rooms with ambient light

Model Number	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio	gain
Model Number AR100DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 100” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number AR110DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 110” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number AR120DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 120” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number AR135DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 135” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number AR92DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 92” (16:9)	gain 1.2

Sable Frame, standard aluminum velvet fixed frame| CineGrey 3D material for rooms with ambient light

Model Number	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio	gain
Model Number ER100DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 100” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER110DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 110” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER120DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 120” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER135DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 135” (16:9)	gain 1.2
Model Number ER150DHD3	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 150” (16:9)	gain 1.2

ezCinema 2, floor pull up portable screen | Matte white material for dark room environments

Model Number	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio	gain
Model Number F107XWH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 107” (16:9)	gain 1.1
Model Number F70XWH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 70” (16:9)	gain 1.1
Model Number F84XWH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 84” (16:9)	gain 1.1
Model Number F95XWH2	Diagonal Size/Aspect Ratio 95” (16:9)	gain 1.1

Learn more about screen types and tips for choosing the right screen: How to Choose Projector Screen Type, Size, Material, and More

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