BenQ FP93GX review: BenQ FP93GX

BenQ FP93GX
Equipped with a superfast, 2-millisecond (ms) rated response time, one would expect excellent gaming and DVD performance from the BenQ FP93GX. Though it performed well on our gaming tests, its lackluster DVD performance disappointed. The ViewSonic VX922 also boasts a 2ms response time and is an overall performer (though DVD performance is also unimpressive), but it costs $80 more than the $429 BenQ FP93GX. If precise gaming performance is your greatest concern, the ViewSonic VX922 is your best choice. If gaming is a part-time hobby and your budget doesn't allow for a $500 display, the BenQ FP93GX will deliver. And for more general use, the Dell UltraSharp 1907FP offers much better DVD performance and performance and adjustability for less money.

The BenQ FP93GX comes in all black or two-tone black and silver. We saw the monochrome black version and found it to be plain but elegant. The FP93GX's 10-by-5.5-inch rectangle plastic base is substantial but provides little stability; it tends to wobble backward when the panel is tilted. Adjustment options on the BenQ FP93GX aren't plentiful: the panel tilts forward 20 degrees and back 5, but it doesn't offer swivel or pivot options. The height is not adjustable, and the panel is suspended a rather short 3.5 inches above the desktop; we prefer at least 4 inches of height to best fit the average user.

The BenQ FP93GX's backside is as presentable and restrained as its front. There are just three inputs: power, DVI-D, and VGA, and all three cables are included in the package. A square plastic cover conceals the port and a wall mount. A small U-shaped plastic clip on the back of the display's neck is as close as you get to a cable management system.

The control panel buttons are almost invisible along the monitor's bottom bezel. Each of the six keys is labeled with black-on-black lettering that is next to impossible to read except at close range under a bright light. The iKey button automatically adjusts the image quality when you're using the VGA signal. The other buttons open and exit the onscreen menu (OSM), switch between the signal inputs, adjust brightness and contrast levels, and scroll through the OSM. The BenQ FP93GX's OSM is easy to navigate and offers standard image configuration options, but it also includes three color presets named Bluish, Reddish, and Normal. According to BenQ, Bluish is for standard PC use, Reddish is a newsprint standard, and Normal, the default setting, is best for viewing photos and videos.

Tested at its 1,280x1,024 native resolution, the BenQ FP93GX's displayed dark, legible text with ease. CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based series of test screens, however, revealed average grayscale and color performance. We saw uneven jumps in the grayscales and a few color tracking errors, such as faint blue tints in the light grays and hints of red in the midlevel grays. The BenQ FP93GX's colors overall were dark and slightly muted. This was especially apparent in red, which took on a distinctly orange tint at both the dark and light ends of the intensity spectrum.

Despite its quick, 2ms pixel response rate, the BenQ FP93GX's DVD playback performance was unimpressive. We saw more noise than average in our test as well as areas of ghosting and blurring. Games looked much, much better with sharp details, good-looking colors, and no visible errors in displaying moving images.

The FP93GX comes with an industry standard three-year warranty that covers parts, labor, and the backlight. Toll-free technical support is free for the life of the warranty. Support hours are weekdays only, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT. When we called midweek, we waited on hold for 15 minutes before our question was courteously answered. Manuals, drivers, answers to FAQs, and a searchable knowledge base are found at the BenQ Web site.