BenQ FP71V+ review

The FP71V+ is the latest flat-panel monitor from manufacturer BenQ. It has a 17in diagonal viewing angle and a standard resolution of 1280x1024. Nothing special in those specs - so what is the fuss about?

What sets the BenQ apart from your average 17in TFT monitor is its response time. 'Response time' normally refers to the length of time it takes a liquid crystal pixel on the monitor screen to change from white to black and back again. The lower the time, the better the display will cope with rapid movement and changes of colour - in games, for instance. BenQ has put its weight behind a new measure of response time. 'Grey-To-Grey' (GTG) response time measures how long the monitor takes to go from one shade of colour to another.

Most applications rarely require your monitor to go from complete black to pure white, it's more important to have a monitor that responds quickly to small changes in colour tone. And with a claimed GTG response time of 5ms, the BenQ promises to be quick.

The FP71V+ has both an analogue D-Sub connector and a digital DVI socket. There's also a 3.5mm mini jack so you can plug the monitor's built-in speakers into your PC - they're pretty tinny, though.

Once we had the BenQ up and running, we were impressed by its image quality. It produces solid blacks and crisp whites without a hint of any colour cast. In our tests, the FP71V+ managed smooth gradations of colour with very little, if any, banding.

Fast-moving games were handled with equal aplomb. The BenQ's rapid response time and vibrant colours kept images free from any blurring. Lesser TFTs can encounter real problems rendering gloomy environments in games such as Doom 3, without all the subtle detail turning into inky black.

If you're serious about games the BenQ's a good buy. Otherwise, get our Best Buy TFT, the cheaper NEC Accusync LCD72VM.