Review: BenQ G920WL LCD display

Investing in a new LCD display for general use is often a balancing act between resolution, ratio, performance and, importantly, value for money. BenQ has always done a solid, if unspectacular, job of offering a range of combinations at specific price points, and the G920WL combines this with some impressive technology that may elevate it over similarly priced rivals.

The G920WL is reasonably priced, yet offers a 1000:1 (5,000,000:1 dynamic) contrast ratio, a 5ms response time and a range of presets to tailor the screen for specific environments, namely films, gaming, photos, eco-aware and sRGB.

What's more impressive is that the monitor uses LED backlighting to offer improved colour reproduction and power-efficient operation, tipping its hat towards greener components that are in increasing demand.

The 19in display sports a tidy, sleek black design with a diminutive yet stable stand, offering tilt control and a choice of D-sub and DVI-D inputs, although notably no HDMI for those who prioritise media applications.

Performance
A typical array of basic functions to tweak settings manually or invoke one of the presets depending on current use are a little awkward to operate at a glance, at least until you get used to their positions and the layout of the menus, but we were very impressed by how effectively they adjust levels to ensure optimum performance.

We ran the G920WL through a typical series of tests involving general use, multimedia, gaming and document creation, and were impressed by its performance in presenting a clear and colourful representation of the source material and how easy it is on the eye after extended periods.

Video footage was crisp and clear, and deep blacks contrasted extremely well even during fast moving scenes. Colour reproduction is impressive for photo viewing, and even the 'eco' mode is bright enough to set as default during normal operation.

'Eco' mode
The display's green credentials combine with the low price to make it particularly suitable as a replacement display in an office, as it uses 36 per cent less power than traditional monitors owing to the LED backlit design. In addition, the 'eco' mode drops energy consumption to just 10W, a 75 per cent saving that could certainly mount up over time.

The G920WL should be an impressive all-rounder, but some may be put off by the relatively low native resolution. Also, a 1,440x900 19in display may not be roomy enough for those who prioritise business applications and the ability to work with multiple documents on a single screen. And a 16:10 aspect ratio isn't exactly ideal for those looking to view widescreen video in its preferred format.

As such it probably won't tick enough boxes for purists who prioritise specific applications, but at under £100 it's difficult to be too critical considering the overall performance. The G920WL would be ideal as a second display or for use in an office where value and eco-credentials are as important as solid performance, in which case its advantages should outweigh its inherent drawbacks for most.