For colour critical applications, this monitor is ideal. Its colours were vibrant and its black level was perfect.

A nice all-rounder, BenQ's 24in G2400W offers HDMI connectivity for media enthusiasts and balanced colour reproduction for professionals.

A competent multimedia-oriented monitor, the HP w2228h offers HDMI connectivity and good image quality. However, the reflective coating will bother many users, particularly under fluorescent lights.

HP's w2448hc is a fairly good but not outstanding 24in panel. While its HDMI connectivity and built-in webcam are both boons, the glossy finish is extremely distracting and there are some colour issues that may annoy image quality purists.

BenQ’s V2400W features a stylish design, and its excellent performance in most areas means that it’s ideal for the typical PC user or gamer. The addition of HDMI should also appeal to console owners.

Philip's 190SW is a solid entry-level display

ASUS' MK241H is a solid 24in widescreen display. It has strongly saturated colours and some of its extras, such as the speakers, aren't perfect, but it should satisfy most media and gaming enthusiasts.

Offering the ability to connect to your PC directly via USB, ASUS' VW223b is a very cool product but its lack of DVI and unsuitability for entertainment tasks mean it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

It'll deliver a good quality image and has plenty of inputs, but it's expensive.

The Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM is a great monitor at an average price — and that's a winning combination.