|
|
|
  |
 Gaming monitor: Asus PG221
|
Design and featuresAsus PG221 LCD monitor is a 22” (WSXGA+ 1680x1050) widescreen monitor with a 16:10 aspect ratio, a built-in 1.3MP webcam and two 5W speakers – as well as a 15W subwoofer. The screen is a high contrast glare-type panel, which should provide better saturation and colour density. On the whole, the monitor is pretty solidly built, which shows also in the weight – a respectable 10.7kg. The webcam is positioned on the upper edge of the frame and is vertically adjustable. The stereo speakers are positioned on the left and right side of the bottom panel, while the subwoofer is behind the monitor. The control panel on the bottom is a touchtype design with backlit buttons. This posed a little problem when we tried to turn the monitor on for the first time, since the buttons remained dark until we found the correct spot to touch. The control panel has buttons for almost everything – for example, for a video mode selector (separate settings for games, theatre, nightview etc.), a sound mode selector (separate settings for music, fighting, strategic etc.), TruBass selector, input selector etc. We liked the touchtype design more than the traditional buttons – it makes the overall design that much more attractive. Although we did not notice any problems with the sensitivity of the touchscreen, we wonder how some gamers’ dirty hands might affect it. SpecificationsPanel Size: 22.0" Widescreen Colour Shine Technology: Yes (Anti-Reflection Glare Panel) True Resolution: WSXGA+ 1680x1050 Pixel Pitch: 0.282mm Brightness (Max.): 350cd Contrast Ratio (Max.): 2000:1 (ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio) Viewing Angle (CR≥10): 170°(H)/160°(V) Display Colours: 16.7 million Response Time: 2ms (Gray to Gray) LCD ZBD Warranty: Yes Webcam (built-in): 1.3M Pixel (Rotatable) Stereo Speaker (built-in): 5W x 2 stereo, RMS Woofer: 15W (ASUS Power Bass System) Net Weight (Est.): 10.7kg Tilt: +20° ~ -5° Swivel: +60° ~ -60° Connectors: PC Input: DVI-D & D-Sub PC Audio Input: 3.5mm Mini-jack Video Input: Composite, S-Video, Component (YPbPr) AV Audio Input: RCA (R+L) x 2 Microphone Jack: 3.5mm Mini-jack Earphone Jack: 3.5mm Mini-jack USB 2.0 Port: 3 Ports PerformanceWe tested the monitor with several games, including Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, as well as some older classics, which provide the eye candy and sound effects to test the full performance of any monitor. All in all, the monitor produces a great image quality consistently on every section of the screen. The backlighting is even and there’s no bothersome leakage at the edges of the screen, ruining the image quality in those areas. The wide viewing angles (horizontal 170 / vertical 160 degrees) ensure that you can play games and watch movies with your friends if you want to. When, for example, playing FPS games or watching action movies, a monitor needs to have a fast response time in order to keep the image sharp and clear when the action is hectic. In this regard, Asus PG211 was a pleasant experience and kept up to pace even in the most demanding situations without any evident ghosting. The speakers were definitely a plus side. Neither of us has ever encountered a monitor with integrated speakers that comes even close to the performance of this set-up. For many gamers, it might be an option to forgo external speakers or sound systems completely when using Asus PG221. ConclusionOver a few weeks of test use in various conditions and tasks from movies to word processing we found the monitor to serve excellently. The few issues that we found for this review are 1) the blue light bar at the bottom edge of the frame, which can be a bit distracting when you watch the monitor from further away, although it is hardly noticeable when you sit closer to the screen and 2) the brightview panel which tends to reflect your own face back at you when the screen is dark. A minor issue is the difficult-to-find power button of the touchtype control panel on first start-up, which made us think that the monitor was broken (perhaps, if the test sample had included the manuals, this would have been a non-issue). All in all, Asus PG221 impressed us. Going back to our own monitors after this test period was a tough situation for both of us! Our score 9/10 |
|
|
| Vitals |
    |