HP Pavilion 22CWA Review – The Best Budget Monitor
Whether you are a hardcore gamer or a techie who loves to upgrade to the latest in monitor technology or just a casual PC user, finding a budget monitor with great features is usually rare. But the HP Pavilion 22CWA packs a number of features to make your eyes go wide in disbelief. Its affordable price tag will make your eyes go even wider. There is no reason now to even think about buying cheap monitors that might give you more of a headache rather than anything else.
From IPS viewing technology for freedom from strict viewing angles to High-definition videos and images to a slim design, the 22CWA will amaze you with its capabilities. Don’t take our word for it but read our detailed review below before you decide to buy one.
HP Pavilion 22CWA Specs
- A 5-inch screen for a great viewing experience
- A slim design for a clean and minimal look
- No bezel around the screen allows for multi-monitor set-up
- IPS (In-plane switching) technology for a wide viewing angle
- Full high-definition viewing with a 1080p resolution
- Contrast ration of 8,000,000 : 1for sharper pictures
- Backed by a 1-year standard warranty and a limited 3-year warranty
Why Is The HP Pavilion 22CWA The Best Budget Monitor?
You may have the best configuration on your computer, but if you really want to fully realize the power of your computer, you need a great monitor to go with it. Even though there are a number of high-end monitors that you can choose from, your choices become limited if you throw in a budget limitation.
But to satisfy the needs of budget-conscious customers who want no compromise on quality or features, brands like HP release a budget-friendly product like the HP pavilion 22CWA. If you too want a monitor that is easy on your pocket and is chock-full of features, then you will love the HP Pavilion 22CWA.
It can give some more expensive monitors a run for their money. Read on as we tease the many features of this monitor so that you can decide if this is the right one for you.
Display
The display comes with a high resolution of 1920 x 1080 for exceptional picture quality. Due to this high resolution, the picture density is 102 PPI. The brightness of the display is 250 nits which bring out the true depth of the colors on the screen.
It has a high contrast ratio of 8,000,000:1 to make your images come alive. The display has a decent refresh rate of 60 Hz and with a response time of 7ms. Though this is good enough for videos and pictures, it might not be super-fast for high-definition games.
IPS Technology
Source: funkykit.com
The HP Pavilion 22CWA uses IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology that gives you full freedom of viewing from any angle. No more do you have to sit directly in front of the monitor for the best viewing experience. No matter where you sit from the screen you will always enjoy the same amount of quality and color. It has a full 178 degrees viewing angle both sideways and vertically.
The IPS technology is different from the standard panels that use TN or twisted nematic technology. In the TN panels, each pixel consists of red, blue and green LEDs that are arranged in a triangular fashion.
Due to this color accuracy suffers if you view the screen from an angle. But in the IPS panels, these subpixels or LEDs are inside a lens housing. This causes a blending of the colors and the result is a much sharper picture regardless of the viewing angle.
Dynamic Contrast
As this monitor is an LED display it comes with what is known as a dynamic contrast ratio. Each pixel is lit by its own LED backlight and the best part is that each of these LEDs can be turned on or off.
So when a portion of the screen displays black it actually does it by turning off the LEDs in that area. Therefore you get to see the deepest black possible. Due to this, the contrast ratio is a whopping 8,000,000:1, unlike traditional displays which were great if they had a contrast ratio of 2000:1.
This dynamic contrast gives you sharp text and lets you read for extended periods of time without causing eye strain. The display, therefore, is also ideal for office tasks.
Design
The stylish looks of this monitor is something that you will fall in love with at first sight. A particularly interesting feature is the thin bezels that give you a wide viewing experience. This feature also comes in handy if you want to add more screens for a multi-monitor set-up for gaming or movie watching.
The panel is very slim for an ultra-modern look. It also saves a lot of desk space and gives a neat and organized look to your desk.The base of the monitor boasts a modern wedge-shaped design and two arms which help in tilting the monitor with ease.
You can tilt the panel 2 degrees forward and up to 25 degrees backward to give you the best angle for viewing. This also reduces strain on your neck, shoulders and back when you have to use the monitor for extended periods of time. This makes it ideal for office use.
The design of the stand also gives you enough room to reach the input ports on the back of the monitor. The stand is made of durable plastic to be long-lasting and is sturdy enough to hold the monitor in place without any wobbling.
Adjustment Buttons
Under the slim panel are four buttons with which you can adjust the display settings and the power options. These buttons are simple and straight forward to use and you can adjust settings by just feeling them with your fingers.
Anti-Glare
Source: allaboutvision.com
Even the best picture quality can suffer if there is annoying glare on your screen. But glare is inevitable at some point or other while using your monitor. But the 22CWA comes with an anti-glare screen that is easy on your eyes and also lets you enjoy the full image quality even when there is too much light behind you.
Input Options
On the back panel are two ports for connectivity. Use the VGA port to connect your monitor to your CPU. You can also use the HDMI port to connect your monitor to a gaming console, a Blu-ray player or even a set-top box.
HP Enhance+
Adding to the great picture quality is the HP Enhance+ technology which improves images by reducing noise. This is made possible with its noise reduction filter which amplifies the output to give you sharper and clear images, games and videos.
Easy Installation
Setting-up your monitor will take you only a few minutes as there is no wall mounting involved though you can purchase wall mounting brackets if necessary. Simply attach the base to the monitor and place it on any flat surface and connect to a CPU to get started. It’s that simple.
Price
The HP Pavilion 22CWA is steal deal for its price point of under $100. Even though the screen size may not excite some, its picture quality and other great features make up for it. Just the use of IPS technology is good enough to set this monitor apart from standard monitors.
Other features such as a high picture resolution, a high dynamic contrast ratio, a slim and stylish design etc. make it an absolute must-buy for budget conscious people who want more from their monitors.
Energy Savings
Not only is the 22CWA easy on your pocket but it also gives you cost savings by using up less amount of power. This is because it is energy star rated to minimize power consumption.
Warranty
This monitor is not only reliable but is also backed by a standard one-year warranty and a 3-year limited warranty.
Pros
- It is the most affordable monitor in the segment
- A high feature to price ratio gives you more value for your money
- High-resolution pictures and images
- A wide viewing angle owing to IPS technology that is comparable to high-end monitors
Cons
- Gamers might experience a bit of a lag due to the 7 ms response time and the 60 Hz refresh rate
Conclusion
Unless you want a truly high-end monitor and don’t mind spending a fortune, the HP Pavilion 22CWA will be a great choice for you. It ticks all the necessary boxes making it a great monitor for both home and business use.
It is not only useful as a monitor for your desktop, you can even use it as an additional monitor to work at home. This is because laptop and notebook screens are much smaller and do not compare to the large desktop screens that you might have at work. Adding this monitor to your laptop is an inexpensive way to get your work done on a large screen without the eye strain.
This monitor has good customer reviews and though it may not the top model it is popular due to its great price to features ratio.
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