NEC MultiSync 90GX2 19-inch Flat Panel Monitor

If you’re considering any other flat panel monitor, you’re about to make a horrible mistake. Nothing beats the Multisync 90GX2.

A slightly unconventional monitor, the 90GX2 has a glossy screen rather than a matt-surfaced one, something its manufacturer refers to as “Opticlear.” While slightly prone to glare under harsh lighting, this texture-less surface allows the screen of the 90GX2 to display precise, flawless pixels. Everything on it looks like a huge, laser-sharp photograph.

In addition to being nice to look at, the 90GX2 is quick. Often advertised as a gaming monitor, it offers a four millisecond response time. Most contemporary flat panel monitors weigh in at six to twelve milliseconds. The result is a complete absence of cursor ghosts, flicker and other common monitor artifacts.

One of the surprising small-print features of the 90GX2 is a built-in USB port extender, with two ports hidden with its other cable connections and two protruding from the side of the screen. This is a clever way to get USB connectivity onto your desk without having a hub dangling at the end of its cable.

The setup controls for the 90GX2 are unusually well thought out, with comprehensible menus and a tiny front-mounted joystick to navigate them. You’ll only use them once, but you’ll unquestionably appreciate them when you do.

The NEC 90GX2 is the flat panel monitor of the gods. It costs somewhat more than lesser screens – once you plug it in, you won’t care what it cost.