8ms 19" LCDs: Speed for Gaming, but at What Cost?

In Practice

Except for the extreme brightness in certain situations, this is a pleasant monitor to work on. The height and tilt adjustments have enough range to let you find a comfortable working position. That's just as well, since the panel's viewing angles are somewhat narrow - especially the vertical angle. Adjusting the monitor's base so that the panel is vertical is important for getting the most out of it. If you work essentially on text documents, you can sacrifice a little color fidelity by lowering the brightness. You'll save yourself some eye fatigue.

Games are where we were most anxious to see what the L90D+ can do. And here again Hyundai deserves congratulations. The L90D+ is very responsive; images are perfectly fluid, and immersion in the game is very impressive. At the risk of repeating myself, playing on a 19" monitor is something you have to try right away if you haven't yet had the chance. Dark games take full advantage of the excellent black level. Games with bright colors are also at their best on this panel, with its intense, accurate colors. In short, the L90D+ is a gamer's monitor. You'll have to make no concessions where resolution is concerned, though. Beyond the native resolution, the image deteriorates significantly, so you'll need a good graphics card.

Screening films, on the other hand, was a disappointing experience. There was a little video noise here and there, but the biggest problems were caused by the viewing angles, which were too narrow. If you watch DVDs with friends, the viewers won't all experience the same image quality. While this is generally true of most LCD monitors, the narrow viewing angles are a real drawback on this monitor. A shame.

Conclusion

Bottom line: Hyundai has a real contender in their L90D+. It's currently the most responsive LCD monitor in its size. The best 17" units are more responsive, but for the gaming experience its better to go with a good 19" that can give you better immersion along with sufficient responsiveness. Unfortunately, this monitor's video qualities leave a lot to be desired, so you'll just have to find a good TV set for watching your DVDs.