Iiyama ProLite E511S

This monitor is a treat for the eyes. Even if its shell is made of plastic, the E511S looks very refined.

Ergonomics

The monitor is very large, the shell is polished, it has a quality IPS panel and two analog and digital video plugs. All of this would be satisfactory if we hadn't noticed the price tag. The E511S is indeed expensive. In the U.S., the recommended retail price is close to the Dell FP2001, and it's more expensive in Europe. But the Dell boasts even better ergonomics. Its shell looks more refined to us, its height can be adjusted, it contains a USB hub and it can be switched to pivot mode. The E511S doesn't have all these options. Too bad.

Colors

The E511S is a very large, very expensive monitor aimed at satisfying both gamers (attracted to its very fast response time) and imaging professionals (interested by the IPS panel). Bad news: both audiences may be a little disappointed.

For starters, it's a shame that a monitor of this kind only allows warm, cold, neutral or personalized settings in its OSD menu, and none of the pre-set temperatures (5000K, 6500K, 9300K...) that we would expect.

6500 K

6500K is a commonly used temperature for multimedia purposes: video, games, etc. It's also a good compromise for multi-purpose uses, between the usual 9300K for Internet browsing and text processing, and the 5000K used by graphic designers.

While color temperature calibration at the chosen level is not a problem here, the main issue is the same as with previously tested IPS panels: the level of black is a bit less satisfying than with latest generation of VA panels.

5000 K

As usual, color rendering is a bit less accurate than at 6500K. CRTs are still the best in this area.

Interpolation

Still pictures at 1600 x 1200 are impressively sharp. The next resolution below, 1280 x 1024, is also satisfactory. The pictures retains its details, without too much blur. That resolution is OK for gaming.

It's not, however, the case for resolutions below 1024 x 768.

Games

While this technology has its fans, a 16 ms IPS panel is less responsive than a 20 ms PVA panel, and so is clearly slower than a 12, 16 or 20 ms TN panel.

Testing, once more, demonstrates that a fast response time according to the specs is not enough to guarantee a perfectly fluid picture in fast games.

That said, as usual, everything depends on the user's sensitivity to certain effects. Occasional gamers will surely not be annoyed at all by the afterglow noticed here. However, UT 2003 and 2004 addicts will surely blame the monitor when they get fragged.

In sum, the E511S will meet the needs of weekend gamers and enthusiasts of slower games. The others, speedsters and FPS-maniacs, will have to find something else.

Movies

The E511S knows how to display your movies very well with its great color rendering, its wide viewing angles and no disturbing flickering. Of course, do not use the integrated speakers, as they would spoil such a beautiful picture.