NEC MultiSync PA241W Monitor Review

NEC MultiSync PA241W Monitor Review

Manufacturer: NEC
UK Price (as reviewed): £824.47 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): $1,069.99 (ex Tax)

If you've read our reviews of the HP LP2475w and Dell U2711 then you'll know what a huge difference In Plane Switching (IPS) technology makes to colours. The improvement in accuracy and vibrancy are so staggering IPS monitors are fast becoming a no-brainer purchase for photographers and designers. Thankfully for us here at bit-tech they make games look rather yummy too. There really is no comparison between an IPS, PVA or TN panel, even though the latter may boast lower response times and suffer less from input lag.

As the technology marches on, so does the range of available IPS-based monitors. It's now possible to grab a 22in IPS-based monitor for around £250 but they also go all the way up to the likes of the H-IPS equipped Dell U2711 and it's 30 inch big brother the 3008WFP. H-IPS has been noticeably more appealing than standard or E-IPS panels such as the NEC MultiSync EA231WMi, so when the P-IPS (the P here standing for performance according to NEC) equipped PA241W turned up on our shores, we were expecting similar visual splendour.



The PA241W is a 24 inch 16:10 monitor so sports a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 rather than 1,920 x 1,080 of 16:9 monitors such as the EA231WMi. The extra vertical space is welcome and does make the PA241W a little more adept at photo editing and the like although playing 1080p content won't fill the screen as nicely as a 16:9 monitor.


The usual connections are here including two dual-link DVI ports and a single DisplayPort. There are three USB 2 downstream ports and also two USB 2 upstream ports meaning you can connect the PA241W to two PCs allowing them to both see a single USB device connected to one of the downstream ports. This can't happen at the same time, instead you need to switch between the two in the OSD - still a handy function.

This is a pretty respectable range of inputs, although there's no card reader unlike most Dell monitors at this price. There is however a picture-in-picture function which allows you to view another input as a small overlay in the corner of the screen. This is activated using a button on the bezel above the rest of the OSD controls.


There's plenty of adjustment too and the PA241W can rotate, tilt and pivot and has a large amount of height adjustment. The stand is one of the best we've seen and is easy to move around but extremely sturdy, if a little unattractive.

Specifications

• Display Type P-IPS TFT
  
• Dimensions (mm) 556 x 227 x 378 - 528 (W x D x H)
  
• Colour Black
  
• Connections DisplayPort, two Dual-link DVI (with HDCP), D-Sub, five USB 2 ports (two up, three down)
  
• Viewable Screen Size 24.1in
  
• Native Resolution 1,920 x 1,200
  
• Contrast ratio 1000:1 (dynamic), static not quoted)
  
• Colours (Billion) 1.073 (10-bit per colour)
  
• Colour Gamut / Coverage 107% / 98% Adobe RGB
  
• Brightness 360cd/m2
  
• Response time 8 (grey-to-grey), 16 (8 white / black; 8 black / white)
  
• Warranty Three years, including backlight