NEC MultiSync LCD2180UX review

The MultiSync LCD 2180UX is NEC's flagship desktop 21.3" LCD panel.

A thin matte silver bezel surrounds the panel, framing the image perfectly. Although the whole assembly is pretty bulky, it has an understated professional air, although its light beige stand and rear parts make it look a little old-fashioned.

Its native 1,600x1,200 resolution means that, even at maximum resolution, Windows doesn't feel too cramped, or icons and text too small. With a pixel size similar to that of much smaller displays, this combination of resolution and panel area genuinely provides more space on the desktop rather than just finer detail.

As you would expect from a panel aimed at design professionals, image quality is superb. Colours are bright and true across the whole screen and, using the DVI input, text and graphics are displayed pin-sharp. Greyscales are rendered faithfully, with a smooth transition from light to dark tones.

At its native resolution, the 2180UX struggled to auto-adjust to a standard D-sub image. Although these glitches can be lessened by manual tuning, best results are always achieved though DVI.

In order to lure design professionals away from the CRT, NEC has included many colour tools. Four colour temperature presets are complemented by an sRGB channel. The latter is fixed, as it is a cross-platform standard, but the four presets can be adjusted along the Red, Green and Blue axis, and also Yellow, Cyan and Magenta. All the above can be manipulated using the onscreen menu or your computer's display properties using the supplied NaViSet software.

Contrast is rated at 500:1 while the panel can produce 250cd/m2 on its full brightness setting. Although the 20ms response time is slower than smaller high-performance screens, there was no notable lag or ghosting during games or movie playback. The contrast remains high until about 10 degrees from side on, making the 2180UX a superb tool for presentations.

Although at 11kg the 2180UX is on the heavy side, it is easily manipulated. The whole assembly rotates fluidly on a base-mounted disk while the panel itself tilts a total of 30 degrees to provide the perfect viewing angle. A ball joint attached to the VESA mount allows the screen to pivot into portrait mode. This is especially useful for publishing and layout design, as a full A3 sheet can be viewed at life size on a screen this large.

If you require complete control over colour matching on a screen of these proportions then the 2180UX is an excellent option. On the other hand, if you can forgo an inch on the diagonal, dropping to a 20" display will prove better value for money overall while retaining the same high native resolution.