MaximumPC 2008 09

IN THE LAB^

REVIEWS OF THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

I

t’s a shame to test an LCD monitor that’s
able to create sharp whites and rich blacks,
only to watch it struggle to display common
color gradients. And it’s downright frustrating
given our benchmarking process. We fi rst test a
display’s ability to produce detail in blacks and
whites. And in that race, NEC’s 24WMCX fi nishes
toward the front—a noteworthy start.
But when our DisplayMate benchmark
included a larger range of gray gradients, this
24-inch monitor quickly faltered. Banding and
color-tracking issues plagued the 24WMCX; in
fact, we can’t remember testing a monitor with
this severe a coloration issue.
And these defi ciencies aren’t limited to syn-
thetic benchmarks. The 1920x1200-resolution
display’s inability to produce smooth gradient
blending between lighter and darker colors was
evident in high-defi nition digital photographs as
well. Where subtle shade changes should have
been apparent, the 6-bit display showed chunky
patterns of discoloration.
The ugly patterns also emerged in games.

We use the fi rst moments of

BioShock for our gaming test

with displays, and the exact same

gradient issues popped up when

fog eff ects billowed across the

screen. This was the most disastrous

example of the 24WMCX’s problems.

Minor gradient issues also aff ected lighting and

glows throughout the game.

We believe the monitor’s color-tracking

problems are also responsible for another

issue: Any adjustment to the screen’s contrast

adds green to the picture to varying degrees. In

real-world content, the issue was most appar-

ent when the image was light in color, but we

detected the color imbalance in all content.

On a positive note, NEC included a wide

array of connections: DVI, VGA, HDMI, and

connections for both composite and compo-

nent cables. Had the company put as much

care into the picture quality as it did with the

video inputs, we might have had a real winner

on our hands. –D A V I D M U R P H Y

NEC 24WMCX

It’s unplayable, unwatchable, and undesirable

in any situation

VERDICT

$535, http://www.necvisualsystems.com

3

Hits dark and light

extremes; includes a

wonderful number of

connection options.

Severe banding and

coloration issues

destroy any and all

picture integrity.

PURPLE TENTACLE

NEC 24WMCX

GREEN TENTACLE

You can’t see it in this static image, but the 24WMCX

brings out noise in HD movies—single-color walls

can appear to be crawling with tiny critters.