The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AH500ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. On the questions that decide a sim build (how far back it mounts, what image it gives, which screen shapes it fills, the brightness figure, and whether it has a golf mode), it matches the LK830ST almost exactly. It lists $500 lower at $1,999, and BenQ publishes a warranty term for it. The BenQ LK830ST 4K Short Throw Laser Projector earns its $2,499 list price if you specifically want its 16.7 ms lower input lag figure or a 3840x2160 image. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
Both are BenQ laser projectors with a fixed short-throw lens a hair under 0.5:1. Each is rated at 4,000 lumens and 20,000 hours of light source life. Both list golf modes, 1:1 and 4:3 aspect modes, and 2D keystone at ±30 degrees vertical and horizontal. Both are natively 16:9.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size
Image width = throw distance ÷ throw ratio. The AH500ST's throw ratio is 0.499:1, so from 10 ft back it gives an image 20.0 ft wide. The LK830ST's ratio is 0.496:1, which gives 20.2 ft wide from the same 10 ft. For a 10 ft wide image, both sit 5.0 ft from the screen. Both lenses list an optical zoom of 1, so each has one throw ratio and no range to adjust within. That 5.0 ft figure is the one that matters.
A throw ratio around 0.5 means you can hang the projector over the hitting area instead of behind you. Before you buy either, measure from where the lens will sit to the screen. BenQ says the AH500ST has no lens shift and doesn't publish a lens-shift spec for the LK830ST, so I won't call either one more forgiving to mount.
Input lag and resolution
At 1080p 60Hz, BenQ lists 33.4 ms for the AH500ST and 16.7 ms for the LK830ST, so the LK830ST is 16.7 ms lower. This is the clearest spec gap between them. The AH500ST is 1920x1080. BenQ lists the LK830ST at 3840x2160 but doesn't say how it produces that 4K.
Screen shapes and brightness
Both list 1:1 and 4:3 among their stated modes. The LK830ST also lists 5:4. Both are rated at 4,000 lumens. Neither spec sheet names a measurement standard, but both figures come from BenQ, so they read the same way. Neither one is brighter on paper.
Size, warranty, price
The AH500ST weighs 11.2 lb at 12.60 x 5.14 x 10.04 in. The LK830ST weighs 7.93 lb at 10.99 x 4.74 x 9.03 in, so it's 3.27 lb lighter. The LK830ST lists auto vertical keystone. The AH500ST carries "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US." BenQ doesn't publish a warranty term for the LK830ST. The AH500ST came out in 2024 and the LK830ST in 2025. At list, the AH500ST is $1,999 and the LK830ST is $2,499.
My read is that the published warranty and the $500 gap outweigh the lag and resolution figures for a bay that only needs the throw and screen-shape basics covered. Those basics are identical here.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AH500ST 1080P Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if:
- You want the lower list price, at $1,999 against $2,499.
- You want a warranty term in writing. BenQ publishes 3 years parts and labor on this one.
- Your screen is square or 4:3. It lists both modes, the same as the LK830ST.
- A 1920x1080 image is all your setup is asking for.
Get the BenQ LK830ST 4K Short Throw Laser Projector if:
- The input lag figure is your priority. It lists 16.7 ms against 33.4 ms at 1080p 60Hz.
- You want a 3840x2160 image.
- Your screen is 5:4, a mode only this one lists.
- The mount has a weight limit. At 7.93 lb, it's 3.27 lb lighter.
- You're fine buying without a published warranty term for this model.
The Bottom Line
Mounting position, image width, square and 4:3 support, brightness rating, golf mode, and light source life all line up within a rounding error. Image width is still throw distance divided by throw ratio, and from 10 ft back they land at 20.0 ft and 20.2 ft. What separates them is $500 at list, a published warranty, and a 16.7 ms input lag gap. Seems like most bays get everything they need from the cheaper one, and the LK830ST is the step up if lag or 4K matters to you.