Business monitors typically forgo the flashy aesthetics found on consumer-centric models and instead focus on usability features such as ergonomic stands and conveniences like built-in USB hubs. Such is the case with the Lenovo LT2223p; this 21.5-inch monitor offers three video inputs, two of which are digital, a flexible stand, and a four-port USB hub. However, it's priced on the high side for a monitor of this size that uses TN (Twisted Nematic) panel technology, and its viewing angle performance can't match that of an IPS panel.

Design and Features
The LT2223p is done up in the same business-black finish that Lenovo uses on most of their ThinkVision products. The cabinet is 2.2-inches thick and thin (0.75-inch) bezels surround the full HD (1920 x 1080) screen. The panel is supported by a versatile stand that provides tilt, swivel, and height adjustments. It also has a hinge that lets you rotate the screen 90-degrees for portrait mode viewing. The stand can be removed and an optional VESA mounting kit can be used to hang the monitor on a wall.

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There are five buttons on the lower bezel, including a power switch and menu, input select, auto-adjust, and brightness hot keys. Picture settings are scarce and are limited to brightness, contrast, DCR (dynamic contrast ratio), and color temperature (4 settings) for digital signals and the usual clock, phase, and position settings for use with an analog signal.

At the rear of the cabinet are HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA inputs as well as one upstream USB port, and one downstream USB port (all USB ports are of the 2.0 variety). On the left side of the cabinet, conveniently located for easy access, are three additional USB ports.

Lenovo covers the LT2223p with a standard three year parts, labor, and backlight warranty. Included in the box are VGA, HDMI, and USB cables, and a resource CD.

Performance
As far as mainstream business monitors go, the LT2223p is a decent performer. The panel was able to clearly display every swatch on the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test, although the darkest shades could have been darker.

Color accuracy was less impressive, but still acceptable. As shown on the chromaticity chart below, greens were oversaturated and reds were slightly hot as well. I didn't notice any tinting in the grayscale or in my test photos, however, and overall color quality was good. That said, you don't get the rich, bold colors that you do from an IPS panel.

On a similar note, TN panels are notorious for narrow viewing angles, especially when compared to IPS panels. The LT2223p suffers from narrow angle that cause the image to dim when viewed from an extreme side angle. Top and bottom angle viewing is significantly worse; the image becomes washed out when viewed from the top and very dark when viewed from the bottom. This comes into play when the monitor is being used in portrait mode. If you work with large documents you'll appreciate the LT2223p's ability to display small fonts cleanly and legibly.

The LT2223p is energy efficient. It used only 13 watts of power during testing, which on par with the Viewsonic TD2220 (16 watts). It is also EPEAT Gold, TCO Edge, and Energy Star 6 certified, all of which earn it our Greentech stamp of approval.

The Lenovo LT2223p is a versatile monitor packed with the features that business users crave, including a fully adjustable stand, multiple video inputs, and a USB hub that helps keep cable clutter to a minimum. Business owners will appreciate its low power characteristics as well. It's not a stellar performer but it's more than adequate for everyday office computing. If you have some wiggle room in your budget, consider our Editors' Choice, the NEC MultiSync EA244WMi. It has a larger screen and uses IPS technology to deliver better overall performance.