NEC MultiSync LCD175VXM+

I was unlucky enough to win a Liyama Pro Lite E2200WS on a competition site, with a RRP of £220 and threw away my old monitor confident that my new one would be head and shoulders in terms of performance. Anoyone who has read that review will now that I thought it was poor to say the least with a wide range of expletives used to describe it. Needless to say it got wanged on Ebay and was sold thankfully for £135 much to my amazement. That left me with £135 to purchase a replacement and this came in the form of the NEC MultiSync LCD175VXM+ for £130 in a stylish silver finish. For £130 you get a 17-inch LCD monitor with digital TN+ film TFT display, slightly smaller than my Liyama but in terms of colour and resolution it beats the pants of it destroying the myth you get what you pay for.

The MultiSync LCD175VXM+ has a slim design so it looks nearly flat and came with a 3 year manufacturers warranty which added that like bit of peace of mind to clumsy old me. Setting it up was a piece of cake as I had made room for the previous 22 inch monitor on my computer desk. There is only one cable required which is compatible with every known PC around and the adjustable stand meant that I could place it at the optimum height so I didn’t strain my neck when working at my desk.

The MultiSync LCD175VXM+ has a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024 which supports 16.2 million colours all of which come out brilliantly. The actual brightness and range of colours is enough to take your breath away and even screensavers now take on more of a lifelike image rather than the dull and sometimes limp images I previously had to put up with. Everything looks crisp and clear and it never fails to impress me when playing games or surfing the web.

There are two integrated speakers that sit just behind screen attached to the side. These pump out enough sound to keep even the most avid gamer satisfied but they will not set the world on fire. I would describe them as satisfactory but don’t feel the urge to go out and buy replacements.

I am very happy with my replacement monitor, it is just so much better than the more expensive monitor I previous owned and for £130 I think it is a buy I will remain proud of for many years to come, safe in the knowledge that if it breaks down I have the manufacturers warranty as a backup.