Best 4K Short Throw Projector for a 12-Foot Golf Sim Room: BenQ TK700STi

For most DIY golf sim builders, the perfect projector lives in the $1,500–$2,500 band — bright enough to look good behind a real impact screen, sharp enough that fairway textures don't smear, and short-throw enough to fit in a typical 12-foot basement room. The BenQ TK700STi is the projector that hits all three. It's the price/performance sweet spot in the 4K short-throw market and the unit most "best of" lists land on for builders who don't want to step up to a laser model.

Why the TK700STi works for sim use

The TK700STi has a 0.90–1.08 throw ratio — slightly longer than a half-throw model like the GT1080HDR, but still short enough to fill a 13-foot impact screen from about 13 feet away. If your room is 16 feet deep, that gives you roughly 3 feet of stance space behind the projector, which is enough for a comfortable swing when paired with a launch monitor that sits beside the ball rather than behind the player. The 106% vertical offset keeps the lens just above the screen top, which is the cleanest possible mounting setup for a ceiling install.

Specs that matter

• Throw ratio: 0.90–1.08 (zoom range gives you mounting flexibility)
• Vertical offset: 106% (lens flush near ceiling)
• Brightness: 3,000 lumens (good for moderate ambient light)
• Resolution: 4K UHD (3,840 × 2,160) via XPR pixel-shift
• Light source: lamp (rated ~6,000 hours in eco mode)
• Bonus: built-in Android TV, low-latency gaming mode (16ms at 4K, 4ms at 1080p)

The latency spec is what sets this projector apart. If you'll use the room for console gaming when you're not hitting balls, the TK700STi gives you a movie-grade 4K image AND the responsiveness of a dedicated gaming monitor — a combination you won't find on the GT1080HDR or the LH820ST.

Tradeoffs vs. the alternatives

Compared to the BenQ LH820ST, the TK700STi gives up two things: laser durability and 1,000 lumens. If you'll run the projector 4+ hours a day, the LH820ST's laser will save you $1,500+ in bulb replacements over its life. Compared to the Optoma GT1080HDR, the TK700STi costs roughly twice as much, but you get true 4K, a longer-lived lamp, and the gaming-mode latency that a budget projector can't match.

Room-fit summary

For a typical golf-sim room — 12 to 14 feet deep with a 9–10 foot ceiling — the TK700STi mounts about 13 feet from a 13-foot screen. Plug your exact dimensions into the calculator below and the SVG will show you the projector position, the beam path, and whether your stance distance keeps your head out of the light cone. Most builders find that a 6-foot stance plus the TK700STi's natural mounting depth fits comfortably in a 16-foot-deep room.