BenQ FP991 19IN LCD 25MS 700:1C/R 1280X1024 SILVER NARROW BZL (BenQ-FP991)

What's Hot: The FP991 is a smart-looking monitor with a narrow, pewter-colored bezel. The bottom portion of it sports well-labeled buttons linked to attractive and intuitive on-screen menus. The FP991 posted above-average results on several tests, including the display of a Microsoft Word document and of a photograph of a fruit tart. And it took top honors, among all the 19-inch LCDs we've tested to date, for displaying details in both the light and dark extremes of our gray-scale test.

What's Not: Print documentation for the FP991 is sparse, consisting mainly of a thin pamphlet with setup information and a parts list.

What Else: Despite its high marks on some tests, overall the FP991 earned roughly average scores for text and graphics quality, though it did a bit better on text. The panel tilts, swivels, and pivots to portrait mode. (BenQ includes Portrait Displays' PivotPro software, which you can activate to rotate the screen image.) One of the buttons automatically adjusts the monitor, if you have installed BenQ's Ikey driver; it's a nice feature, but some other monitors have auto-adjust buttons that don't require you to install software. If you need extra help with the controls, the on-disc PDF manual provides a helpful illustrated guide to all the controls, plus a brief troubleshooting section.

The FP991 does not come with a DVI cable (which we find with at least half of all digital monitors). By-phone technical support is limited to 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday. (Most vendors provide longer hours, and a few offer round-the-clock support.)

Upshot: The FP991 has an attractive price for a big LCD and average image quality, with slightly better performance on text than graphics.

Séan Captain