Verdict: Not quite good enough

It isn't hard to spot the family resemblance between the 20in 2070NX and the 19in 1970NX. In the broadest physical terms, they're the same monitor, but the 2070NX is larger and has a fetching ivory/light silver finish. Given this, it's still a brilliant design; it's sleek and understated, and there's a black version available too. The similarities don't end there either. The 2070NX employs the same joystick-driven OSD, the same range of three DV modes, and the same NaVISet Windows monitor control panel. The only major difference between the two is the 2070NX's provision of one upstream and four downstream USB 2 ports, two of which are handily mounted on the left side of the panel.

As before, there's no real explanation of what purpose the DV modes are intended for. Mode 1 seems to enhance brightness and contrast quite evenly, mode 2 pushes the brightness a little harder, and mode 3 delivers a darker, high-contrast image. However, they make a big difference. In Doom 3, mode 2 did a brilliant job of picking out more detail from the shadows, while mode 3 made the game virtually unplayable.

Generally, the 2070NX performs similarly to the smaller 1970NX. Neither monitor fared badly in our technical tests, but both have difficulties in differentiating colours at the high end of the tonal scale without compromising contrast at the low end. Colour graduations were smooth in the intensity range and colour spectrum tests, however, and detail is a real strength. This helped the panel in our photo-editing tests, where the excellent clarity made up for colours that are a little less vibrant than those of the Sony. DVD playback is also very good, with nice, natural colours making up for a barely noticeable loss of crisp detail during moments of extremely rapid movement. In Doom 3, the 2070NX couldn't match the rich tones of the best 20in monitors, but it maintained a crystal-clear, smear-free picture. In the end, the 2070NX isn't the best of the best, but out of so many good monitors, there's no shame in being a runner-up.

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