Dell UltraSharp 2001FP

Dell originally sold the UltraSharp 2001FP only as part of its Dimension XPS gaming system. Now available as a standalone display, it comes loaded with multimedia features, including extra USB ports, an acrobatic range of adjustability options, and most notably, a 16-millisecond pixel-response time. Although that's the fastest time we've seen for a 20-inch display, we still think that hard-core gamers will prefer the superior performance of a high-end CRT over that of any currently available LCD--the 2001FP included. Nevertheless, the 2001FP is one of the better multimedia LCDs we've tested, and it will please all but the most graphically demanding users. Don't want to shell out more than $800 for an LCD? Check out Dell's 1901FP, which offers similar features for about $200 less, or the 1703FP for about $400 less.

The 2001FP's design combines style and functionality. Sitting on a stable, silver, semicircular base, its slim, black bezel adds only three-quarters of an inch to the top and the sides of the display and one inch along the bottom. The 2001FP is highly adjustable, too: it swivels smoothly 45 degrees to each side, tilts 20 degrees backward and 5 degrees forward, and the telescoping neck adds about five inches of height. The push of a button releases the panel from the neck, which makes the 2001FP easy to store, transport, or connect to a VESA wall- or arm-mount. And as we've come to expect from larger LCDs, the 2001FP pivots from Landscape to Portrait mode, making legal-size documents and Web pages easier to view. Unfortunately, you'll have to download pivot software from Dell's Web site; we wish it had come bundled with the display. The onscreen menus are fairly easy to control using three small adjustment buttons on the lower right of the bezel; a fourth button selects the signal input.

A true multimedia display, the 2001FP has loads of connections. It's compatible with PCs and Macs and accepts both analog and digital video signals (unfortunately, you can't adjust the contrast and some other image settings when connected via the digital video interface). Tube watchers can take advantage of the 2001FP's picture-in-picture capabilities by connecting additional video sources, say, a camcorder, via its composite and S-Video inputs. The display also sports four downstream USB 2.0 ports--two on one side and two in back--useful for connecting a joystick, a keyboard, or any other USB-driven peripheral. A pliable silver loop on the back is big enough to corral a handful of cables.

The 2001FP generally scored well in CNET's image-quality tests. Text looked sharp in documents and spreadsheets and on Web pages. However, we found some bumps and spots in blocks of colors, and there were minor flaws in some of our grayscale tests. In our informal video-motion tests, the 2001FP didn't perform noticeably better than the other LCDs we've tested, despite its 16ms pixel-response time; although the streaking and ghosting was not egregious, there was detectable noise and some degradation of fine detail. Still, such flaws are present on all LCDs to some degree, and the 2001FP's image quality should satisfy most users.

Dell backs the 2001FP with a three-year warranty on parts, backlight, and labor. The company offers 24/7, toll-free tech support. A comprehensive, well-illustrated manual, complete with troubleshooting tips, is included on a CD.

CNET Labs DisplayMate tests  (Longer bars indicate better performance)

Formac Gallery 2010 83  Sharp LL-T2020 76  Apple Cinema Display 74  Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 68

Brightness in nits

Apple Cinema Display 266  Sharp LL-T2020 209  Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 205

Note: Measured with the Minolta CA210 or the Sencore CP500.

Find out more about how we test LCDs.

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