The Quick Verdict
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector. Of these two, it's the one BenQ lists with a 1:1 mode for square impact screens and a named golf mode. It's also rated at 4,000 lumens to the TK710STi's 3,200. The BenQ TK710STi 4K HDR Laser Short Throw Projector is worth it if your screen is 4:3 or 16:9 and input lag is the spec you care about most. Its 16.7 ms is 16.7 ms lower than the AK700ST's figure, and it lists at $2,199. That's $700 under the AK700ST at list. Check price at The Indoor Golf Shop →
What They Have in Common
The lens numbers match exactly: a 0.69–0.83:1 throw ratio with 1.2x optical zoom. Both list 3840x2160 resolution and a native 16:9 shape, and both state a 4:3 mode. Both use a laser light source rated for 20,000 hours, and both have 3D keystone at ±30 degrees vertical, horizontal and rotation.
Where They Differ
Throw and image size: dead even
Image width is throw distance divided by throw ratio. Because the ratios are identical, the results are identical too. From 10 ft back, either projector gives an image 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide. For a 10 ft wide image, either one needs to sit 6.9 ft–8.3 ft from the screen.
The zoom is what gives you that range. You get a window of mounting positions instead of one exact spot to drill. Measure from where the lens will hang to the screen, then check that number against those figures.
BenQ lists no lens shift on the AK700ST and marks it N/A on the TK710STi. That makes the zoom range above the mounting slack the spec sheets actually give you. Neither projector produces a wider image from the same spot, so mounting won't decide this one.
Screen shape and golf mode
This is where the pick gets made. The AK700ST lists 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 1:1. The TK710STi lists 16:9 and 4:3.
For a 4:3 impact screen, both have a stated mode. For a square screen, 1:1 is stated on the AK700ST and isn't among the TK710STi's stated modes. That isn't the same as saying it can't do it. BenQ just doesn't list it.
The AK700ST also has a golf picture mode. BenQ doesn't say whether the TK710STi has one.
Brightness and lag
The AK700ST is rated at 4,000 lumens and the TK710STi at 3,200. BenQ doesn't state the standard for either figure, but both are BenQ's own numbers, so the 800-lumen gap holds on paper. I can't tell you either one is enough for your room. I haven't seen them running.
Input lag at 1080p 60Hz flips the other way. The TK710STi is listed at 16.7 ms and the AK700ST at 33.4 ms, a 16.7 ms gap in the TK710STi's favor. Call it a hunch, but I'd let screen shape decide before the lag figure. A projector that lists your screen's shape solves a setup problem. The lag number is a spec you weigh after that.
Resolution, size, warranty, price
Both list 3840x2160. BenQ states the AK700ST's 4K UHD is pixel-shift, but it doesn't say how the TK710STi's 4K is produced.
The TK710STi weighs 6.8 lbs to the AK700ST's 7.48 lbs, so it's 0.68 lbs lighter. The dimensions are 12.0 x 4.4 x 10.0 in for the TK710STi and 11.94 x 4.43 x 9.23 in for the AK700ST.
The warranties are written differently. The AK700ST's reads "3 years parts and labor from purchase date (original retail purchaser), US," and the TK710STi's reads "3 years."
The AK700ST is a 2025 model and the TK710STi a 2024 one. They list at $2,899 and $2,199.
Who Should Buy Which
Get the BenQ AK700ST 4K Short Throw Laser Golf Simulator Projector if:
- Your impact screen is square. It's the only one of the two with a stated 1:1 mode.
- You want a golf picture mode named on the spec sheet rather than left unstated.
- You want the higher listed lumen figure of the pair, 4,000 against 3,200.
- Your screen is 16:10. That mode is on the AK700ST's list and not the TK710STi's.
Get the BenQ TK710STi 4K HDR Laser Short Throw Projector if:
- Your screen is 4:3 or 16:9. Both shapes are stated, so the AK700ST's extra modes don't buy you anything.
- Input lag is your priority. 16.7 ms at 1080p 60Hz is the lower published figure here.
- The $700 gap at list matters more than a golf mode BenQ doesn't confirm for this model.
- You're mounting it somewhere weight counts. It's 0.68 lbs lighter.
The Bottom Line
The mounting math is a wash: same throw ratio, same 12.0 ft to 14.5 ft wide image from 10 ft back, same 6.9 ft–8.3 ft distance for a 10 ft wide image. So the decision comes down to what each projector says it can do on a golf screen. The AK700ST states a 1:1 mode, a golf mode and the higher lumen rating. The TK710STi wins on input lag and lists $700 lower, and that's the right trade for a 4:3 or 16:9 screen. For a sim bay, the AK700ST covers more screen shapes on paper.