Iiyama ProLite B2712HDS review

Iiyama's B2712HDS is an unusual size for a PC monitor. Its 27in diagonal is a touch larger than the common 26in displays, but its 1,920x1,080 resolution is arguably lower than you'd expect on such a big monitor. Even 22in monitors have Full HD resolutions these days.

However, unless you specifically need a higher resolution, the B2712HDS still provides plenty of pixels to have two documents or applications running side by side without giving you eyestrain while trying to see the details in each.

Although it sits in Iiyama's business range, it's just as well suited to home use for watching videos and playing games. There are three inputs - HDMI, DVI and VGA - with the former being ideal for hooking up games consoles or even Blu-ray players if you want a large computer monitor to double as a TV. Of course, there's no built-in TV tuner, but USB models are inexpensive to add to a PC these days.

The matt black finish and plain design make the ProLite inoffensive and, while you can't rotate the screen to portrait mode, there's 115mm of height adjustment. This allows the bottom edge of the screen to hug the desk or sit roughly 155mm above it. It also swivels on the ample base, which keeps the heavy panel from wobbling too much.

A pair of tinny speakers are built in, but these are good only for Windows sounds. Beyond this, there are few frills - no USB hub, no ambient light sensor and no headphone output - but that's to be expected at this price.

The controls are located on the bottom edge. They're clearly labelled, but are so close to each other it's hard to tell which is which. The on-screen menu has been revamped from previous models. It's clearly laid out, but is transparent and becomes illegible if there's a document or photo open behind it. We couldn't find any way to make it opaque. Image adjustment controls are standard fare, including a user colour temperature setting plus several image presets, although no sRGB mode. The left and right buttons become shortcuts to eco mode and volume when you're not in the main menu. Eco mode reduces power consumption from 45W (at maximum brightness) to 21W, at a much reduced brightness.

Image quality is good, but not outstanding. Brightness is more than adequate, but contrast isn't great. Photos tend to look sharp and have accurate colours, but lack vibrancy and appear slightly washed out. Viewing angles are consistent with this type of LCD panel, with colours changing swiftly as you move off centre. We saw no problems with lag or ghosting in movies or when playing games, though.

If you're after a large monitor but don't need superb image quality, the B2712HDS is fairly good value. However, it's hard to overlook the fact that you can buy two 22in Full HD monitors, such as BenQ's G2220HD for just £230, giving you twice the resolution and more than £60 change.