NEC is better known for its reference-quality monitors than for providing bargain-basement gaming panels, but with an asking price of £181, this 22-inch example will certainly be within the realms of affordability for most PC enthusiasts.

As with virtually all other sub-£300 panels, the EA221WMe uses a TN-type panel, a technology that generally sacrifices colour accuracy and viewing angles for ultra-fast response times and low cost. This is actually one of the better examples we have seen, however, with a clear and even display that provided consistently better results in our gamut tests than Samsung alternatives that have also recently entered the IT Reviews lab. Nevertheless, you'll still want to be sitting reasonably square on in front of the screen, as with even minor deviations the tell-tale green and purple distortions start to creep in.

With a matt black bezel and little in the way of adornment, the NEC has business-like aesthetics. Fortunately it also has a business-like feature set, with the stand allowing for horizontal height and angle adjustment, rotation and even a pivot feature that allows you to rotate your screen through 90 degrees and view it in a portrait rather than a landscape orientation.

Whilst these features in high-end panels are far from unusual, in the competitive sub-£200 market you'll struggle to find another 22-inch panel with such a feature-rich stand. Do not underestimate the importance of proper monitor alignment; particularly if your desk is reasonably shallow.

In terms of image quality, the 16:9 aspect ratio, 22-inch NEC delivers crisp results from its 1680 x 1050 resolution panel. Black levels are impressive and we were pleased to see movie playback did not suffer from the usual obtrusive active-backlight correction that so many manufacturers now use to artificially boost their contrast ratio specifications.

We were also highly impressed by the panel's gaming prowess, with ghost-free images and an impressively vivid colour palate. NEC also adorns the EA221WMe with stereo speakers, and whilst they are no match for even a basic set of discrete speakers, by monitor standards they are surprisingly spritely and clear.

This inclusion would have lent itself perfectly to an HDMI connector, but unfortunately only DVI and VGA are present. Although this is disappointing, NEC redeems itself somewhat by adding a handy USB hub with two downstream and a single upstream port.

As with other monitors in NEC's expansive range, the EA221WMe features an extremely in-depth menu system that will allow you to tinker with just about every feature imaginable. Thanks to its mixture of buttons and a joystick interface it is also very easy to navigate, though novice users may feel overwhelmed by the expanse of tweaks on offer.

All in all the NEC EA221WMe is a great screen. Its image quality is amongst the best we have seen from TN panels and we were extremely impressed by both the features and quality of its stand. Nevertheless, for the same outlay you can buy any one of a number of full HD 22-inch alternatives that may be more attractive to movie fans and gamers.

Verdict
The NEC is an excellent TN-based panel that's equally well suited to business and gaming use thanks to its mixture of great image quality and high-end stand features. Other firms may offer full HD panels for the same money or less, but you'll usually have to make significant image quality sacrifices.

Company: NEC

Contact: 01223 468777

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