Budget Gaming LCDs

Chimei CMV 946D

Price $390 Street Price $300 Supplier Protac
Specs: 650:1 contrast ratio; 2ms G2G; 1440 x 900; swivel; tilt; DVI and VGA. Size: 19"

Score: 8/10




Chimei’s 19" widescreen suffers from a slightly below average viewing angle, discolouring once you move too far to the left and right. Fortunately, unlike the 22", you can take in the whole screen without having to move your head, which means that this situation will rarely arise.

It performed ordinarily in DisplayMate, giving a four at its darkest in the greyscale tests, and a 248 at the bright end of the scale. This was reflected in the colour gradients, where things got far too bright too quickly. Pronounced banding was also visible in the gradients, especially at the darker end of the scale where things got decidedly non-uniform.

Gaming is acceptable and movies were perfectly fine. In spite of its flaws, at the insanely cheap price above the Chimei CMV 946D screen really can’t be ignored for budget-focused consumers.


Samsung 226BW

Price $799 Street Price $570 Supplier Samsung
Specs: 1000:1 normal contrast; 3000:1 adaptive contrast; 2ms G2G; 1680 x 1050; swivel; tilt; DVI and VGA. Size: 22"

Score: 7/10




Samsung’s offerings are usually high quality – unfortunately this one seems to have missed the mark a little.

The chassis is constructed well, the buttons relatively easy to understand and navigate, but this isn’t the issue.

While it displays a decent one to 251 range in the greyscale tests and the colour ramps show the best gradation we’ve seen (the dark end not going dark until it’s meant to – an obscenely rare thing), viewing angles are close to abominable and there’s a noticeable light bleed at the top and bottom.

Bizarrely, dark tones below 4 in DisplayMate flickered, as if the crystals in the screen didn’t know what to do. This was replicated through the game and movie tests as well, however to be honest if you sat more than 50cm back, you’d never notice it.

Still, a fault is a fault, and at this price you’d do better to look elsewhere.