In the crowded market of TFT monitors, the race is always on to provide a little bit extra in terms of value, style or performance, to get the edge over rivals. BenQ has certainly made its splash for fame with the FP783.

The first thing you notice when you take it out of the packaging is its sturdiness - this display is not going to get tipped over when you cross from desk to desk. This is partly due to the weight (7kg) but more to the eminently sensible and coolly designed four-legged stand which guarantees its stability.

The 17-inch screen can be tilted back a complete 90 degrees, which certainly helps with storage, but you don't have the ability to alter the height or pan it left and right, which is a shame. However, the controls are well positioned on the right-hand side of the bezel in a wavy pattern that's in keeping with the overall style. A detachable back cover ensures that all your cables are kept conveniently out of sight and the general impression is one of smart functionality.

What you have in addition are two useful bits of kit to make Web conferencing a breeze. The first is a set of detachable 2-watt SRS surround sound speakers which clip neatly onto the underside of the monitor. The second is a rotating Webcam that slots handily into the top of the screen, connecting via the USB port.

As for performance, this display has clearly been designed with gamers in mind as its response time runs at 12ms as opposed to the more usual 16ms, which can make all the difference when you're playing a high energy game of Doom 3 or Unreal Tournament.

With a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1024, handling 16.7 million colours, and with an impressive brightness level and a contrast ratio of 500:1, this monitor handles both action-intensive games and DVDs without flicker or colour degradation.

In terms of connectivity, as well as the standard D-Sub VGA signal cable, the package includes a DVI-D digital cable which further enhances the clarity of the picture. As such digital cables will inevitably become the norm, this is another reason why the FP783 might outlast many of its rivals.

There's not much in the way of included software apart from the necessary drivers, a User's manual and the ikey Display Auto Adjustment Utility; the latter pretty much sorts all the settings for you.

The price tag might be slightly higher than you would like to pay (although prices fluctuate quite considerably - it's worth browsing) but for serious gamers in particular this could be just the monitor you need to show off your skills while still looking cool.