Philips 170X6

While monitors will never be the most exciting peripherals, a good display really can make all the difference to your eyes.

If you’re going to stare at a screen all day, you want it to be clear and bright, with a rock solid picture that won’t have you reaching for the eye drops.

The Philips 170X6 certainly gets off to a good start. This smart 17in model has a crisp 1,280 x 1,024 SXGA resolution, a cracking 8ms response time and both VGA and DVI inputs.

You also get a USB2 port for additional devices, while the audio input and built-in stereo speakers can be used with an external audio player even when the screen is switched off.

The 170X6 comes with Lightframe Digital Reality software for adjusting brightness, contrast and other settings to suit various situations. It has seven preset modes, such as graphics, video and text, which can be applied to the whole screen or just a portion.

The inclusion of jpeg and skin-tone enhancement in the Internet preset raised a smile; we’re not sure how useful Lightframe will be in the long run, as most users will want to adjust the monitor just once to suit their preference.

We found the on-screen menus and controls on the side of the screen fiddly, while the lack of a height and swivel adjustment is also a concern.

If you’re looking for a stylish, well-specified screen, the 170X6 is a good choice that should last through several system upgrades. It’s covered by Philips’ Perfect Panel policy, which means the company will replace or repair a unit with even one defective pixel. However, there are cheaper and larger options available.