HP 22cwa Review: Budget 1080p IPS Monitor

The HP 22cwa is one of the most popular and top-rated monitors. So, how does it hold out today? Are there better alternatives? Find out in this review.

Bottom Line

The HP 22cwa delivers an amazing image quality for its price thanks to the Full HD resolution and IPS panel. However, it lacks certain features that are now available in modern budget monitors.

Design:
(2.0)
Display:
(4.0)
Performance:
(3.5)
Price/Value:
(3.0)
3.1

The HP 22cwa was one of the most popular budget monitors available due to its 1080p resolution and IPS panel with wide viewing angles and vibrant colors.

Here’s how it compares to modern alternatives.

Image Quality

While it is a bit smaller in size, the monitor does not fall short when it comes to quality.

The IPS technology is one aspect that makes it the right choice. Another is the slender bezel that provides seamless and borderless viewing satisfaction.

The Full HD display resolution of 1920×1080 is one of the reasons, which has offered the same detail clarity as those offered by more expensive monitors.

The diagonal viewing capability and the full-screen support provided for lower resolutions are also two of the important features you can get from such an affordable monitor.

If you are working on wider images, you can also adjust the scaling without hurting the image’s original aspect ratio.

Performance

Moving on, the HP 22cwa display ensures instantaneous response with an impressive 9ms input lag performance. However, its pixel transition speed is a bit weaker.

Although its 7ms pixel response time speed may not seem significantly slower than 4ms or 5ms of similar IPS panels on paper, there is noticeably more ghosting in fast-paced games. Still, it’s tolerable – especially if you’re not a hardcore FPS gamer.

The IPS display of the HP 22cwa 21.5-inch monitor also allows users to benefit from rich and detailed graphics as well as better color reproduction in comparison to TN panel monitors.

One would instantly see that color depth and a minimal color shift in wide viewing angles.

So, whether you wish to watch in a standing or sitting position, or whether you have the habit of moving from one spot to the other, you can still enjoy the consistent quality of graphics, details and color.

Features

Aside from the quality IPS panel of the HP 22cwa 1080p display, users also get to adjust the settings of the monitor as it is equipped with My Display Software.

Moreover, new users get to receive documentation and software disc, which includes all product records about this HP monitor and all monitor drivers.

If you are an environmentally conscious person, this monitor is a good option.

One important section of this HP 22cwa PC monitor review that I’d like to highlight is the eco-efficiency of the monitor.

The HP Pavilion 22cwa monitor has its own energy-saver technology to substantially lower the consumption of energy when in use, in idle mode, or not in use at all.

The Auto-Sleep Mode, for example, is one mode you can access via the OSD and is designed to ensure the display’s power state is reduced.

For any adjustment or calibration on color, contrast, and others, you may simply access the On-Screen Display, which allows easy setup and optimization.

Design & Connectivity

hp 22cwa amazon

Lightweight and attractive – these are the typical first impressions you would hear about the HP 22cwa IPS monitor.

However, if you are looking for a monitor that you can mount on the wall, you may be slightly disappointed as this monitor does not come with VESA-mount support.

Furthermore, using this monitor under any lighting condition is not a problem. It has a built-in anti-glare coating, which makes its viewing easier on the eye.

Connectivity includes HDMI and VGA ports, but there’s no audio line-out port nor built-in speakers.

Price & Similar Monitors

The price of the HP 22cwa monitor is ~$70.

Make sure to visit our always up-to-date best monitors under $100 buyer’s guide for more deals and information.

Conclusion

The monitor’s unique design and the quality of specs in relation to the price are the main reason behind its popularity and excellent ratings. However, nowadays, there are better alternatives available.

Specifications

Screen Size21.5-inch
Resolution1920×1080 (Full HD)
Panel TypeIPS
Aspect Ratio16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate60Hz
Response Time7ms (GtG)
PortsHDMI 1.4, VGA
Brightness250 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio1000:1 (static)
Colors16.7 million (6-bit + FRC)

The Pros:

  • Inexpensive
  • Unique design
  • Crisp image quality and vivid colors

The Cons:

  • Tilt-only design
  • No AMD FreeSync
  • Not VESA mount compatible
  • There are better alternatives

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.