Samsung SyncMaster 913N/915N
This is the first 19” 8ms LCD screen and it has a Samsung panel. Being that one of our favorite 17” LCD panels is also a Samsung (see this test we thought that this could be the potential winner of this comparative test.
With such a response time the panel could only be a TN. If you knew this from the fact that it has good reactivity, reduced viewing angles and it doesn’t display 163.7 million inborn colors, congratulations, you were right!
ErgonomicsDespite the last generation of fast panels, the 913N/915N is a basic model screen. It has a large body, unmovable stand, isn’t vertically adjustable, and doesn’t have pivoting capability. It’s only equipped with an analogical input.
The only “high end” touch is the MagicBright button on the front of the screen to automatically adjust contrast and brightness for the working environment. Four modes are also available; “Custom" (you choose your own parameters), "Text", "Internet" and "Entertain" (for games and movies).
The base is also quite handy as cables go through a little hole in the back to keep a clean desktop.
Color qualityWith standard settings in Custom, the screen has a very bright white at 251cd/m² and a good black at 0.34 cd/m². The contrast ratio was 738: 1.
In “Text” mode, the brightness was 147 cd/m² (black is at 0.20 cd/m²), 181 cd/m² for “Internet” mode and 249 cd/m² in “Entertain” mode.
It is exceptional that all four modes were very accurate, even the text mode at 147 cd/m². The following graphs show (Delta Tracking and color spectrum) great results (other modes are very close or almost identical).
How to interpret the graph? The X axis is 0 to 100, 0 is black and 100 is white.
When Delta E > 3 the desired colors is noticeably different from the one on the screen.
When 1 < Delta E < 2 colors are accurate. When Delta E < 1 the result is perfect.
Viewing angles are, however, lower than average for screens equipped with TN panels. Vertical viewing angles (from the top or bottom) are usually smaller, but horizontal ones can be satisfactory. Samsung’s viewing angles are noticeably smaller than the NEC (the screen on the right), for example.
Games
Is this 19” the most reactive screen on the market?
YES!
But the performance difference between the 913N/915N and its competitor is small. The low level of afterglow is slightly less than in AU 16 ms panels. To see the afterglow you need to focus on a bright object and slowly move the mouse, something we rarely do. With games, the BenQ FP931, Nec LCD92VM, Philips 190S5FS and 913N/915N provide equivalent performances. Afterglow is sufficiently low to satisfy the most demanding gamers.
And compared to a CRT?Even if the afterglow is the lowest of all screens tested, it’s still superior to CRTs. Our reference Mitsubishi DiamondPro 930SB is still more reactive. LCDs have attained a new level of quality, but there is still some progress to be made until reaching CRT reactivity. For the time being they compensate with reduced bulkiness, lower energy consumption, and equivalent color quality and brightness (or three times more if necessary). We remind you that we’ve covered all of these topics in
this article InterpolationAs soon as resolution is reduced, lack of sharpness considerably increased afterglow. If it not at all bothersome in 1280 x 1024, it’s barely tolerable in 1024 and below.
Movies
It’s quite annoying that a monitor is never perfect with both games and movies. As usual, with TN screens the fact that it only displays 256k inborn colors increases the “twinkling” effect for video sequences. Some video isn’t affected by this phenomenon. If a game scene with various colored elements is in motion, the displayed image is perfect and accurate. If there is a uniform object mostly the same color, such as a wall, in slow tracking shots you will see a twinkling effect in the form of darker or lighter moving pixels.
VerdictIf you are looking for the fastest screen on the market, here it is. However, the difference with the other screens of this comparative test is so small that we suggest you consider other aspects, such as ergonomics, before making your decision.
Fortunately for Samsung, this screen’s ergonomics are a little more advanced than the others tested here. At least with this screen, standard settings are efficient, and the cables are hidden away thanks to the well conceived stand.
The problem, however, is availability. A couple hundred units will now be available per country with greater numbers arriving in January.
Take a look at this manufacture’s dead pixel policy by clicking here! 
