Summer LCD screen comparative test (page 12: Nec MultiSync LCD 2180UX)

Nec MultiSync LCD 2180UX

Nec has found its new battle horse in the MultiSync LCD 2180UX. They were there in the beginning of the 15" screens, and in the front lines when the first 17"s were released. This year their motto is "let’s go big"

The 2180X is consistent with the previous professional design of the manufacturer. It is black and seems chiseled out. Lines are sharp and the whole screen massive. NEC designed a heavy, impressive screen that works and with such a screen body, the 2180UX demands respect. Face to face we know that this is an expensive screen and guess it’s a good product.

For those interested in technological evolution, the 2180UX is intriguing because its the first of the newest IPS generation. It is a Super Advanced Super Fine Technology IPS or SASFT IPS.

As usual with this screen size, its inborn resolution isn´t 1280 x 1024 pixels, but 1600 x 1200. Image editing software users will appreciate the possibility to put aside toolbars and work on the entire picture. Excel fanatics will also enjoy the advantages of such a big screen. When opening Excel with standard settings it is possible to see the column "U".

Ergonomics

NEC had to up live up to their screen frame claims. In this area at least you won´t be disappointed with an integrated AC adapter, pivot mode, two analogical inputs D-Sub + DVI, and vertical adjustment. The 2180UX has many features.

Colors

Surprisingly, the 2180UX standard settings aren´t that good. The brightness is overly strong. Shades of grey are not gradual and reds are dominant (noticeably in skin colors).

Our colorimeter brought a 262 cd/m² result in white and 0.5 cd/m² in black (not dark enough). This isn´t even a real black. With standard settings the screen displays 97 % of the colors available. The darker 3 % are not accessible.
This screen targets graphic designers and has a pre-set 5000 K mode. This mode is just a little better than the standard sRGB. The brightness is reduced: 224 cd/m². Knowing that the optimum setting in a professional environment is 110 cd/m², this is quite a gap.

With any type of color temperature, it is essential to calibrate the screen.

At 6500 k with a simple grey color scale, we finally succeeded in reaching a satisfying result by adjusting contrast and brightness.

Interpreting the graph

X axis: 0 black to 100 white
If Delta > 3, the desired color is noticeably different from the color displayed.
1< Delta E < 2: colors are accurate
Delta E < 1: the result is perfect.

White was reduced to 151 cd/m² and black to 0.3 cd/m². This improvement for white and black was also beneficial for other intermediate shades (especially for shadows), improving their accuracy.