Product Reviews

In our recent LCD monitor Labs test (Shopper, August 2006), we gave four-star ratings or higher to two-thirds of the models reviewed. NEC's AccuSync 92XM has to work hard if it's to compete.

In common with other monitors of this size, it has a native resolution of 1,280x1,024. The contrast ratio of 550:1 is a little lower than other 19" monitors; in our recent group test most were 700:1 or higher. That said, it didn't appear to make much difference in our quality tests.

There are DVI and D-sub inputs, and we ran our tests over both. If you have the option, it is best to use the digital DVI connection, as you'll always get a better picture and won't have to use the monitor's auto-calibration.

The 92XM has good viewing angles, with very little colour or contrast lost when viewed from the sides. Focus is sharp, with crisp, clear images and colours. We found that the screen was exceptionally bright straight out of the box; however, just a little tweaking

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of the brightness control fixed this.

We were pleased with the clean, bright whites the monitor displayed, and the dark solid blacks. However, when showing a screen of solid colour there was a slight darkening in the corners of the display. While you're unlikely to notice these problems if you're playing games or using standard Windows applications, if you do a lot of colour-accurate work such as photo editing you should choose a different model.

The 92XM didn't do as well in our picture-quality tests as the winner of our 19" LCD group test, Iiyama's ProLite E483S-S. In our greyscale test, the 92XM showed banding right across the spectrum. There were also some transition problems with the light blue in our colour wheel test. This was disappointing, as the monitor did an excellent job with our video clips, producing rich colours and sharp details.

There was no ghosting or smearing in evidence, either in our tests or when we played games, as you'd expect from a monitor with an 8ms response time. If you play games or watch movies on this monitor, we'd recommend you invest in a decent pair of speakers. The built-in speakers on the monitor are tinny and extremely quiet, even when the volume is turned all the way up.

NEC's 92XM is a decent monitor, well suited to office life, and it has a good price, too. Iiyama's ProLite E483S-S produces a better picture and costs less but it has been discontinued, so you may find it hard to buy. If you want excellent image quality, Samsung's SM940FN fits the bill, but it's almost £90 more expensive.