The 2232bw is no stranger to PC Authority’s labs, having gained a recommended award from us in June, missing out on the A-list only because of its price, and it performed as well as you might expect in its first full Labs workout.

The familiar TV-style Pebble design remains eye-catching, and more than a few visitors to the Labs grew wide-eyed as they passed it. You’re limited to DVI or VGA inputs, and there are no speakers integrated, but elsewhere it’s luxury all the way, with touch-sensitive control buttons, and a menu system that’s as well-designed as it is easy to use.

Not that it needed much adjusting out of the box: the stunning backlight was crisp and even, and colours were neutral too. It even has some preset colour modes worth looking at, not the usual once-tried-forever-forgotten settings we see on most monitors.

Our technical tests backed up the impression of quality. The black level test showed minor bleeding at the foot of the screen, but this was tempered by the blinding white level. The 3000:1 dynamic contrast produced excellent gradient ramps, and made for fantastic videos and games – our clip of Cars was by far the most vibrant of the group, and photos showed strong detail, even in shadowy areas.

The desktop is bright and clear, and avoids the ludicrously oversaturated look of other LCDs. The 1680 x 1050 resolution is plenty for two documents side by side, and the 2232bw is a great showcase for how good Crysis can look, provided you have a graphics card powerful enough to match.

There’s the odd foible – the wobbly adjustment and lack of height adjustability, plus the lack of USB port makes the Samsung less of an all-rounder than some. But at just $349 for such a high quality panel, the SyncMaster 2232bw remains a great choice