IBM T220/T221 LCD monitors

Lore & Background

The IBM T221 began as an experimental technology from the flat panel display group at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. In 2000, a prototype 22.2-inch TFT LCD, code-named 'Bertha', was made jointly by IBM Research and IBM Japan. On 10 November 2000, IBM announced shipment of prototype monitors to the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The production version, the T220, was announced on 27 June 2001, and its replacement, the T221, was announced in November 2001.

The T220 was the first monitor to natively support 3840×2400 resolution. It used an unusual connector arrangement with two LFH-60 connectors on the rear, splitting into four single-link DVI channels. The T220 came with a Matrox G200 MMS PCI-32 video card and two power supplies. The T221 revised the design, using one power adapter instead of two and supporting more screen modes. Later models included the 9503-DG5/DGP/DGM, introduced in September 2003, which had a native refresh rate of 48 Hz and used an external converter box for dual-link DVI input.

IBM and Chi Mei Group formed a joint venture called IDTech in 2001 to manufacture the T221 in Japan. ViewSonic and iiyama OEMed the T221 under their own brands. The Viewsonic VP2290b-3 is a rebadged version. The IBM T221-DG5 was discontinued in June 2005. As of 2023, five manufacturers produce WQUXGA panels ranging from 13.4 to 16 inches.

Reader's Guide

The IBM T220 and T221 were niche products that saw few buyers due to their high cost (around $8,399 after a price reduction in 2002) and unusual connectivity requirements. Their 204 ppi pixel density was far ahead of contemporary monitors (about 100 ppi) and approached the resolution of print media. Driving the monitors at native resolution required multiple DVI channels and specialized graphics cards, such as the Matrox Parhelia HR256. The displays supported various tiling modes, splitting the screen into four 960×2400 stripes or two 1920×2400 stripes, depending on the model and firmware. The T221's internal refresh rate was always 41 Hz, though the DG5 model achieved 48 Hz with specific converter box configurations. Such high-resolution displays remained niche for nearly a decade until modern high-dpi displays like Apple's Retina line saw wider adoption. The T220/T221 thus represent an early, technically ambitious attempt at ultra-high-resolution desktop displays, predating the mainstream shift to high-DPI screens.

Did You Know?

• The T220 was the first monitor to natively support a resolution of 3840×2400.
• The T221 9503-DG5 model had a native refresh rate of 48 Hz.
• The Viewsonic VP2290b-3 is a rebadged version of the IBM T221.