Hamburg  - Flat screen displays for gaming PCs might not be ready for prime time yet, but they're not far off, either, according to a recent test by Computer Bild Spiele magazine.

The Hamburg-based periodical put six 22- to 24-inch monitors through their paces. One of the 24-inchers earned a score of "good"; the rest achieved only "satisfactory."

The test winner was the Samsung Sync Master 2493HM, which the testers saw as having a high image contrast, good anti-reflection characteristics and very good colour fidelity.

The judges complained of an overly long reaction time, however, although that criticism applied to almost all of the tested devices. Another critical point in most cases was the low flexibility in terms of acceptable viewing angles and the low number of ports.

The price/performance figures vary greatly between the units: The test winner, a relatively expensive 394 dollars, achieved only a "sufficient," while several devices were even rated "unacceptable." The cheapest monitor, the 199-dollar Hannspree Hi221P, managed a "very good" in that area. (dpa)