Despite the number of 22in LCDs arriving at the PC Authority offices, manufacturers are still making 20in models, and they often shade their larger rivals for crispness of picture. They tend to offer more features too, as demonstrated by the HP L2045w. Push the button on the neck and the stand extends upwards, and it also tilts, swivels and pivots to portrait mode.

A flexible stand adds to the cost of a monitor but it’s solidly built and good looking. The silver bezel isn’t thick at 18mm, and the inclusion of a pair of USB ports adds to the value.

The OSD control buttons are positioned in the middle beneath the screen, and the up-down-select setup is simple to use. From factory settings, we didn’t need to make any tweaks: the brightness is right at 90% – any higher and the impressive black level begins to lighten too much – and the contrast of 80% gave decent grades of light greys in our DisplayMate test screens.

With such deep blacks and a contrast ratio of just 600:1, the dynamic range is quite low, making white levels slightly dimmer than the vibrant Samsung. Vista’s background images lacked their usual vivid tones, and the screen has a slightly mottled effect thanks to the film on the surface that can make video appear grainy if you sit too close. Happily, though, the 5ms response time means you won’t see any blurring or ghosting during games or movies.

With DVI and VGA ports, as well as the flexible stand and USB hub, the L2045w doesn’t want for features. And for work, the lower dynamic range means your eyes won’t get as tired as they might with a very bright monitor.

But the price is too high. LG’s L204WT is over $200 less. It might not offer the features but the quality is similar.