30" monitors have been on the market for a couple of years now, but they've never really been all that useful to gamers. The lack of built-in image processors meant that the only devices you could connect to them had to output 2560x1600 over Dual-Link DVI. This severe limitation left the potential customer base for 30" displays limited to those with high-end gaming rigs capable of driving games at such a resolution, and digital artists that wanted all that space to work with. Well, Gateway's about to change all of that with the introduction of their flagship monitor, the XHD3000 30" Extreme HD Display.

What makes it special?

For a quick introduction to the XHD3000 hit the first video in the column on the right. And just to get the technical specs out of the way first, here's a list of the XHD3000's capabilities:

Pixel Resolution: 2560 x 1600

Brightness: 400 cd/m²

Contrast Ratio: 1000:1

Response Time: 6ms (gray to gray)

Colors: 16.7 million (24-bit)

As mentioned in the video, what sets the XHD3000 apart from the competition is its image processor - more specifically Silicon Optix's Realta HQV chipset. For the first time ever a monitor is able to upsample with amazing quality any signal thrown at it to the display's native 2560x1600, what Gateway is calling 1600p. 480i from a camcorder, 720p from an Xbox 360, 1280x800 from a PC - you name it and the XHD3000 can display it. This flexibility means that the XHD3000 is capable of being the perfect centerpiece for a home theater environment, which other 30" monitors just aren't capable of doing.

One huge benefit of the image processor is its ability to make lower res inputs look great at 2560x1600. This means that if you've got an older PC that just can't run the latest games at the display's native resolution you can select something less extreme like 1920x1200, 1680x1050, or even 1280x800. You'll net huge performance gains by lowering the resolution, but the picture will still look great. Gamers are no longer forced into upgrading their PC every 6 months to keep up with their displays high resolution. The XHD3000 keeps you gaming regardless of how good your PC.

Not only will the picture look great no matter what source you throw at it, the built-in (but removable) speaker bar also sounds surprisingly good. Most bundled audio solutions never sound too great, but the XHD3000's speakers offer solid clarity and only start to distort when you really crank the volume. That said, they're capable of being extremely loud. However, my guess is that anyone that spends $1700 on a monitor will have a high-end sound system to go with it, but in a pinch the built-in audio would work. Of course if you do have a receiver for all of your audio controls, the XHD3000 has both optical and coaxial connections for digital audio so it easily integrates into an established home theater.

So many plugs

What would an upsampling display be good for without a myriad of connectivity options? Check out the second video on the right for a breakdown of all the connections on the back of the XHD3000.

In case you missed all of that, here's a list of the connection options:

• HDMI (supports 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p)

• Analog (VGA)

• Digital (DVI-D) (supports HDCP)

• Composite video

• S-Video

• Component Y Pb Pr (supports 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p)

• Discrete audio inputs along with analog, coax and SPDIF audio out.

• USB 2.0 (4)

Just about any device out there can be hooked up to the XHD3000, and the only thing missing is a built-in TV tuner. Of course you'll have no problem hooking up a cable box if you want to watch TV - which it works great for thanks to the included remote and ability to do Picture in Picture. To say that the XHD3000 can do PiP is a bit of an understatement, as not many displays (if any) can do what this one does. Check out the third video for a demo of how Picture in Picture works.

How does it perform?

Alright, so the XHD3000's features are second to none, but how's the picture quality? In a word: incredible. Black levels look great, while colors really pop out at you. The 6ms gray-to-gray response time is also pretty incredible for a display of this size and resolution. Even in fast-paced gaming ghosting was never an issue. The only attribute of the picture quality I might criticize is the brightness, which is almost too bright in some environments. Thankfully that's nothing that can't fixed in the XHD3000's intuitive menus.

A few miscellaneous notes from my times spent with the XHD3000: it's big. That seems like it would be a no-brainer, but you really don't realize how gigantic it is until you get it set up on your desk. In fact, for PC gaming it's actually a little difficult to use on most desks, as you'll end up sitting about 3' from the front of the display. It's a little overwhelming and completely fills your field of view. I found console gaming to be much more enjoyable as I could move away from the desk a couple more feet and view the display much more comfortably. One other thing I noticed about the XHD3000 is how hot it gets, which is probably attributable to the large power requirements and the advanced signal processor. You'll definitely want to keep it in an open area where there's some air circulating, and though you might be able to get away with putting it inside of an entertainment unit, I didn't want to test that myself.

Wrap it up already!

I've definitely enjoyed my time spent with Gateway's XHD3000. Not only did it make gaming an absolute treat, it got the attention of every single person that walked near it. Is it perfect? Well, it comes pretty close. While a lot of consumers might have a hard time grasping what makes the XHD3000 worth $1700, enthusiasts who want the best solution for their gaming needs would be wise to start counting their pennies - this one's worth every cent.