The ViewSonic VX724 uses the company's Amplified Impulse technology, which overdrives the LCD panel's electronics to produce faster transitions between shades of grey. In theory, accelerated grey-to-grey transitions reduce ghosting and blurring of moving images; and because of this, grey-to-grey response time has become the "it" spec for gamers.

A pixel takes three to four times as long to change from one shade of grey to another as it does to change from black to white and back to black. ViewSonic claims that its overdrive technology shortens the grey-to-grey time considerably. The company reports a grey-to-grey response time for the VX724 of 4 milliseconds and a black-to-white-to-black (also called rise-and-fall) response time of 6ms.

We conducted motion testing that reflects actual use: observing a video game intro, watching a DVD excerpt, and moving a window on the screen. In these tests, the VX724 performed no better than other 17" monitors we've reviewed. If you're a hardcore gamer in search of a fast LCD, try to examine your shortlisted monitors in person instead of buying on specs alone.

We found text crisp on the VX724. There was no problem with its graphics display performance, although the monitor did not distinguish itself from other 17" LCDs.

I liked the look of the VX724's stand, a hollowed-out, matte-silver rectangle that sets off the black bezel. I was disappointed, however, that it provided only tilt adjustment, the minimum for ergonomics and usefulness. The VX724's most pleasing physical characteristic is its shiny silver buttons and their descriptors. The buttons stand out visually from the bezel, and though their markings consist of ViewSonic's usual enigmatic mix of numbers and arrows, the contrasting paint makes them far more legible than on most of this company's products.