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NEC MultiSync P221W

NEC MultiSync P221W
  • Manufacturer: NEC (http://www.nec.co.uk)
  • Pros: Good image quality and colour reproduction; sRGB mode
  • Cons: Maximum resolution limited to 1,680 x 1,050
  • Price: £375
  • Star rating: 5 Editors Choice

There are many similarities between NEC’s P221W and the Eizo SX2262W, but NEC keeps the price down by providing a more limited range of features. The company hasn’t compromised on quality, though, as they’ve opted for a 22in VA panel similar to that used in the more expensive Eizo model.

The screen provides a bright, colourful image with a good viewing angle. And, more importantly for design work, it matches the wide colour gamut of the Eizo. That will make it a good choice for designers and photographers who want accurate colour reproduction on a budget. And, like the Eizo, it has an sRGB mode that can be activated via the on-screen menu, which will be useful for web design work.

The one real compromise that NEC has made is that the P221W provides 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, compared to Eizo’s 1,920 x 1,200. That means the P221W isn’t ideal for watching high-definition video – but that’s not really a major weakness in a monitor that is clearly designed for work more than play. It’s also a weakness that many people will be prepared to overlook as the P221W comes in at under £400, compared to more than £600 for the Eizo.

There are standard DVI and VGA connectors for hooking it up to your Mac or PC, and the stand allows you to tilt, swivel and adjust the height of the screen as well as pivot it around into portrait mode. The only minor hiccup we encountered here was that the onscreen menu sometimes got confused when we switched between landscape and portrait orientations and took a little while to catch up and adjust its own orientation on screen.

It can’t match the wide range of features offered by its Eizo rival, but the P221W gets the basics right and provides good image quality and colour output at a price that will appeal to money-minded designers and photographers.

This product is part of our Budget monitors group test group product review. Other products in this group are:

 

Eizo FlexScan SX2262W

  • Star rating: 5

 

HannsG HZ281

  • Star rating: 4

 

LG E2350

  • Star rating: 3

 

Samsung SyncMaster XL2370

  • Star rating: 3

 

ViewSonic VP2365wb

  • Star rating: 4

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