When compared to the dozens of 19- and 17-inch models on the market, stepping up to 21 inches narrows down your choices considerably. However, for computing-intensive jobs, the extra 30 percent of screen space you get with a 21-inch over a 19-inch model can make your job that much easier. The higher native screen resolutions, coupled with the boost in display space, means that presentations won't require huddling around a smaller screen. Two standard 8.5 x 11-inch pages can be viewed side by side. Big spreadsheets become more manageable. And you can multitask applications without crowding.

When you hook up a 21-inch LCD, you get the feeling that you're driving a stretch limo instead of an ordinary sedan.

In addition, 21 inches is the practical entry point for true widescreen ratio screens. Given that broadcast standards are moving to 16x9, if you're planning to use your monitor for presentations (or sneaking in the occasional movie), picking a widescreen LCD can future-proof your investment to an extent. For that reason, we included two displays that are capable of widescreen presentations: the Gateway FPD2185W and the HP f2105.

			In This Roundup • Introduction • Gateway FPD2185W • HP f2105 • NEC MultiSync LCD2170NX-BK • Samsung 214T • Viewsonic VP2130b • Conclusions And Product Specs

There are a few downsides to this equation. For one, the bump in price point will easily break slim hardware budgets. While plenty of 19-inchers hover around $300 to $500, 21-inch LCDs require a much bigger payout, with street prices coming in closer to $700 or above. In addition, you'll need a graphics card capable of driving a monitor at 1200 x 1600, since native resolutions for these 21-inch screens start there. Both the Gateway and HP widescreen monitors have slightly different native resolutions of 1680x1050, so you'll need to check your graphics card's capabilities before you upgrade.

Testing Criteria
In order to test the displays, I put five 21-inchers (one each from NEC, Samsung, Gateway, HP, and Viewsonic) through the same DisplayMate setup and benchmark scripts I used for last June's roundup of 19-inch LCDs. I also used the same computer: an Athlon64 3400+ with 1GB of RAM and a Radeon 9800 Pro video card. However, for the multimedia test, I swapped Star Wars IV: A New Hope for the newly released Revenge of the Sith, since the latter was shot in digital format; this gave me a more precise test bed to judge color representation. I also changed the test game from Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault to the faster Serious Sam II to tax monitor speed a bit harder.