Viewsonic VX924 review

LCD technology might offer thinner, lighter products that require less power, but response times have long been a problem. Early LCD monitors were sluggish, which made them unsuitable for playing fast-paced games.

Now, with the average response time of most LCD screens around 16ms and the likes of the Samsung 913N managing an impressive 8ms, is there really so much of a problem? ViewSonic would clearly argue that there is. Its 19" VX924 has a 4ms response time, which appears on paper to be twice as fast as the company's VX912, which we awarded four stars in What's New, Shopper February 2005.

However, the new monitor shows no discernible difference. We tested it by playing a frantic game of Doom 3 and, while there was no image tearing or ghosting, the picture wasn't noticeably better than the VX912's.

More testing with different games and movies showed a very slight improvement, but you have to pay a lot of attention to notice it. Considering the VX912 is available for £40 less, it's much better value for money.

That said, the VX924 is generally a good monitor, performing identically to the VX912. It displays a bright, clear white and provides smooth greyscales with good range and only a little banding. The colour wheel test was bright and vibrant but some unusually bright aberrations appeared in the transitions. It has DVI and D-sub inputs, but lacks any extra features such as an adjustable base.

The VX924 is a capable and attractive-looking monitor. For the latest technology, it's also well priced. However, the difference when playing games between this and 8ms monitors is negligible to non-existent. If you already have a reasonably fast monitor, there's little reason to upgrade to this. If you're looking for a new monitor, it's a reasonable choice, but we prefer the cheaper Samsung 913N in our Hotlist.