“HP has another winner on their hands in the LP2065.”
- Bright display; deep black levels; plenty of adjustability features; business support;
- Missing cable managment system; expensive
Summary
Business class never had it so good thanks to HP’s new flagship 20.1-inch LCD the LP2065. Let’s face it, a wide-screen display is nice, but not every situation calls for one. And in the business space there are plenty of reasons why a 20.1-inch LCD fits the bill. The LP2065 is unarguably one of the better LCD’s out there when it comes to choosing a new monitor for your company; oh let us count thy ways. Gamers might want to take a look at the LP2065 too, especially if you have a thing for HP monitors.
*Edit 1/20/06 – In our original review we stated that there was no cable management system. We were informed by HP that there is in fact one hidden on the side of the neck behind a rubber wall which helps conceal the cables. It works quite well. Because we recieved a pre-production unit, we did not get a manual with it, but the cable management system will in fact be listed in the manual of the final production unit. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Features and Design
If you didn’t get a chance to read our introduction, let us explain this one more time: the L2065 is a business class monitor. It has the styling and features you would expect for an office or workspace setting; which is both good and bad. Compared to competitors like Dell, Samsung or LG, the LP2065 is pretty bland in the styling department. It lacks the black lacquer or shiny silver finishes we have seen of late. Instead you get a black bezel and neck with a little bit of silver trim outlining the monitor. There is a good reason for this particular design though; it will hold up well against fingerprints, dirt and grime and general rough use. The bezels are also very thin on all sides allowing you to set multiple monitors side-by-side for a multi-view setup without a huge gap between the screens. The LP2065 comes with a quick release which lets you quickly detach the monitor from its neck allowing it to be mounted on a wall, aftermarket arm, or other VESA compliant products. The quick release is the first of its kind that we have seen and works pretty well. The LP2065 comes with excellent swivel capabilities, up to a 90-degree angle, and can be adjusted for exceptional vertical height. The screen can pivot into portrait mode for CAD designers, doctors and nurses or other professionals that made need their monitor to work in this mode. There is an indention behind the top of the monitor which acts as a handle for when you want to move the 2065. HP claims that because the power supply is built into the monitor itself, there are few cables to add to the clutter, but that really isn’t true. The LP2065 is missing a true cable management system, so you will likely see the dangling cables in one form or another.
Feature-wise, the LP2065 pretty much has it all. You can purchase a small speaker add-on which mounts under the monitor and gives you stereo sound. There is an integrated USB hub which gives you two side USB ports and two more rear USB ports, great for workstations where the CPU might be a considerable distance from the keyboard and monitor. There are two DVI inputs on the back of the LP2065 which allow you to connect two devices to it simultaneously, perhaps another computer, or another device with video output. There are four easy-to-find buttons lined up in the center of the monitor: Menu, – (doubles as the auto adjust control), +, and Input select. The power button is located at the bottom right corner of the bezel.
HP includes two DVI cables, two analog-to-DVI cables, a USB hub connector cable and the HP Display Assistance software which helps you with color calibration and when you pivot the monitor into portrait mode.
The LP2065 comes with an 800:1 contrast ration and support up to a 1600×1200 resolution at 75Hz, including a blazing fast 8ms response rate.
HP backs the LP2065 with a three-year warranty and world-wide tech support designed for businesses so you are not left hanging.
Image Courtesy of HP
Testing
In our tests the LP 2065 proved to be a very bright monitor. We still felt that the consumer-centric HP F2105 is a brighter monitor, but not by much. The LP2065 has fairly deep black levels and the grayscale is good enough for a positive DVD playback experience. Transitions between light and dark scenes were very smooth with little, if any, pixelization. The black levels are dark enough to where hospitals could use the LP2065 for accurate X-Ray viewing for example.
Those who do a lot of writing will find the LP2065 to be a suitable partner. Text is very sharp with true-looking white backgrounds. You can adjust the brightness to softer levels if you want without getting the fading effect that some monitors give off.
In our gaming tests the LP2065 did a fantastic job especially in first person games and at the 1600×1200 resolution. Believe it or not, the LP2065 actually has a faster response rate than the F2105 (8ms versus 12ms) but it was hard to distinguish the difference between the two monitors. If you are a hardcore gamer and just want a good LCD for strictly gaming, we would recommend looking at the new BenQ FP71V+ which has a 5ms response rate. We even heard that BenQ will be announcing a 2ms LCD here in the states shortly, so you may want to save your money for that bad boy.
Overall the LP2065 was a very solid performer. It doesn’t have the best panel out there, but it’s definitely above average.
Conclusion
HP has another winner on their hands in the LP2065. Where areas the F2105 is clearly meant for the home, the LP2065 is better used for business purposes. We found the LP2065 to be an extremely versatile monitor with an excellent image, perfect for those that need the very best. Sure you are paying a premium price for the LP2065, but you get world-wide tech support designed for businesses, plus this is a very reliable monitor, and we will probably buy a couple for use in our offices ourselves. How is that for standing behind our review?
Pros:
– Sharp and bright image quality
– Good black levels
– Very adjustable
– Screen pivots and swivels
Cons:
– A tad on the spendy side
– Lackluster design
– Missing cable management
