Asus ZenScreen USB-C Monitor Review - Portable 15.6" 1080p IPS Display - MB16AC
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Buy it on Amazon - lon.tv/qrg-4 (affiliate link) - The Asus MB16AC is a USB-C 1080p portable display that works with just a single USB-C connection to a PC. See more monitors: lon.tv/monitors and subscribe! lon.tv/s
VIDEO INDEX:
00:33 - Connection demonstration
01:05 - Hardware overview
01:17 - Lack of brightness
02:05 - Price
02:15 - Traditional USB with an adapter
03:07 - Size and weight
03:20 - Included protective sleeve/stand
03:54 - Auto rotation issues with the Mac
04:04 - Included pen stand
04:55 - Screen reflectivity
05:10 - Image quality
05:39 - Gaming
06:16 - Game controller input lag / latency
06:51 - Does not work with non USB-C Displayport adapters
07:23 - Conclusion and final thoughts
See other USB-C devices:
This monitor sets out to accomplish my desire for a lightweight and portable display for my Macbook. All it needs is a single USB-C connection to the Mac: the cable supplies power and display data to the monitor. Very convenient and no need for a bulky power adapter.
Because it is powered over USB the display is not as bright as monitors with a separate power adapter. It's also not great for gamers as it seems to have a slow response rate and the input latency is hovering around 100ms or so.
Otherwise the display quality is nice - great contrast and nice colors due to the IPS panel. No noticeable bleed through. But it's a bit too reflective (I'd prefer a matte display in something portable like this) and a little dimmer than I'd like especially when it's paired up with my Mac and its very bright display.
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It really looks like something that would be a touchscreen. And the included pen tricks you even more. If Asus ever manages to make a touchscreen USB Type C monitor, that would be killer.
There is a touchscreenm, but its made by gechic. Its about twice the price though, and the panel is better and brighter. Im actually going to be making my own, there are youtube videos on it.
Yeah that's what I thought. Must be cool to make your own.
They will have one out later this year. Same screen but with a battery and touch capabilities. And there is currently the same one with a battery out already.
What about cellphones like the s8 and oneplus 3T?
Have been waiting several months for this to be released, but sadly the reality doesn't live up to the promise.
Main Issues:
1. Brightness
I was aware that due to being USB powered, the screen wouldn't be as bright as my MacBook Pro but the actual brightness is only about 50-60% of the MacBook (both set to 100% brightness). Also, however you configure it there is just no whiteness to this display. I plain white Word doc page that looks like a clean white on the MBP is mid grey on the Asus. I am a pro photographer and graphic designer and if I was to estimate the relative shade, I would say it was about 15-20% black. This makes it all but useless for any photo editing and seriously compromised for general design work.
2. USB Drivers
Unless you have a 2016/2017 Mac with USB-C that can directly drive the monitor from the video card, you have to use a USB-C to USB-A adaptor and USB video drivers to get everything working. This is where things really start to fall apart as the drivers are VERY BUGGY! Lots of flashing around windows in Mail, Safari and Chrome and you get a lot of artefacts left on the screen when you are moving windows around.
The load it puts on your CPU is incredible and trying to use Adobe Illustrator CC soon had the fan running on full and the top of the keyboard area heating up very quickly. This eventually made trying to work on the document like wading through mud. I would be seriously concerned that running that way for an extending period of time would cause the laptop to overheat and would reduce the lifespan of the computer.
I am running a fully tricked out MacBook Pro 13" 2015 (i7 3.1Ghz). I also have a Samsung 24" external monitor that has none of the lag issues that the Asus shows. I know this is down to the USB-A drivers, but I am not looking to upgrade to a USB-C Mac for at least 12 months.
Looking at the product descriptions and marketing materials, there is no mention of the brightness issues or the fact it will severally tax your processor if you are not connecting via USB-C. I really wish this had worked out better, as I still need to find a workable portable solution for when I am on the road without my external monitor.
For now, this is going back to Amazon.
Appreciates you also mention the weight using Metric unit
is there a new version of it?
With a touch screen, this would make a lot more sense.
So a point of confusion here with your review and description, the product page, etc.:
Your description specifically says this is targeted for your Macbook. The product page mentions nothing about Operating System requirements.
So this does NOT need Thunderbolt, correct? Just standard USB 3.1 over USB Type C? The mixed-up nature of this connector has any sort of product cohesion just completely screwed, even as a techie.
So in theory plugging this into my Windows Desktop w/ USB 3.1 Type C should work fine, yes?
Also it's interesting that they have "gechic" in the product name, a collaboration of sort between them. Again, just wish it was a touch screen.
Yes it's just USB-C , I bought it for use with my Macbook but it will work with any USB-C device that supports displayport. Unfortunately for consumers not every USB-C device supports that!
Yep, even more inconsistency. Mine probably doesn't.
It uses whats known as Displayport Alternative mode www.vesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/USB-DevDays-DisplayPort-Alternate-Mode-2016-final4.pdf
I think it's great they made this slimmer, UBS-C and 1080p.
Have one in order and if it works out fine I'll order two more (niche power user here)
Portable displays may end up being a great category for mobile warriors.
-4K
-touchscreen
-multi in- USB-C, HDMI, Display port, wireless display
who knows what else
Powered my the USB cable so if I unplug the screen to go off?
Have you tried the Nintendo Switch with this?
Unfortunately it doesn't work with the Switch.
For those wondering yes you can get HDMI based ones like this www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7RMBV9/ but they are going to be more expensive for example that one is $350 compared to the $250 of the ASUS. In case your laptop does NOT support Displayport Alternative Mode www.vesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/USB-DevDays-DisplayPort-Alternate-Mode-2016-final4.pdf
Randomly stumbled across your channel, great content. Subscribed and keep it up!
Welcome aboard!
It's more expensive at about $350, but I think the GeChic 1503H is a better choice because it has HDMI and VGA display and USB-C power inputs. Yes, there's an extra cable to contend with, but the panel quality and overall design handily beat this.
and it will work with more laptops out of the box as well as other devices that allow for hdmi/vga output. Such as the intel compute stick for example. Just need a USB-C battery bank to power the display.
Thank you for the fantastic review. I'm shopping for a portable monitor and this definitely just took top spot on my list. Curious, how is performance with the USB A adapter? Response rate acceptable for business use (non-gaming) ?
Yes I think it'll be fine for business use with just USB-A adapter. It will drain some system resources from the PC it's plugged into but otherwise acceptable. Although if your plan is to use it just with USB-A there are similar options that are much less expensive.
Great review! Very thorough. I'm going to get one. I'm about to start a programming bootcamp. I plan to practice and study at cafes. The extra screen will come in handy.
thenikkiroom verdict?
Man USB-C, What can't it do?
Nice video. Wonder if it works with DisplayPort instead of USB-A or USB-C?
Hello Lon. Thanks for this review, even though it's 3 years old. Question please. Are you still using this Asus external monitor? If so, how's it holding up for durability? I just ordered this item from Best Buy online cuz it's currently on sale today for only $129.99. I know this isn't 4K screen quality, nor is it touchscreen, however I think it will pair well with my Asus Zenbook Flip 15.6" laptop which does have a 4K monitor and a touchscreen. 2nd question please. For the USB-C cable, will this monitor work if I plug in the cable to an external USB hub dock station? Or does it need to be plugged directly into the laptop? My Asus laptop only has 1 USB-C port and that one port is already occupied by having it connected to a Targus USB-C docking station (which is then connected to an external monitor and many accessories). Or if that doesn't work, I suppose I can use the included USB-A adapter tip and connect the monitor into my Asus' USB 3.0 port? Thank you!
It's holding up fine - but it won't work with a hub unfortunately unless that hub supports alt mode through its USB-C port (i.e. a Thunderbolt 3 dock)
@@LonSeidman Hi Lon. Thanks for letting me know your Asus monitor is still holding up fine. Sometimes I wonder if these things will simply die over time. Unfortunately, my Targus docking station is only USB-C, so I will need to plug the monitor directly to the laptop. Since my one single USB-C port on the laptop is already occupied, I will try using the supplied USB-A adapter tip to plug the monitor into my laptop's USB 3.0 port instead. Thanks for your update!
keep the good reviews coming
I'm considering it, but 200 nits is just too dim to use.
will it work with phones with usb-c?
Phone in question would need to support Displayport Alternative Mode for this to be usable
@@ampanman2000 tried with a note 9 and wont work - was hoping for dex
@@futurevideomedia5114 it works on Dex....
Looks cool. Will it work with a desktop PC with a USB type C on its motherboard? If so - will i take advantage of a graphics card connected to that motherboard (ie. Geforce 1060 and so on)? IMHO this would be a good solution to a portable gaming rigg ;)
Sadly no, that would only work if the graphics card itself had a USB type C output. It would be powered off the integrated gpu on the CPU, which you will not be doing any modern day gaming on.
1st question: yes, it works on a desktop PC with an USB type C on its motherboard, it also has a USB type C to USB type A converter.
2nd question: no.
I love this channel!
The manual indicates that there is a "Game Mode" setting. When you tested input lag, did you use this mode? If not could you give some feedback on if there is a difference between "Standard Mode" and "Game Mode".
Yes that was with game mode enabled.
Thank you for your review! On the Amazon link it indicates "Note: DisplayLink driver needed for Type-A connection" so does that mean by installing the driver on an older Macbook Pro (2011 running Sierra 10.12.4) that it'll make this monitor work?
Yes although I think they have a version of this display that for that specific configuration that costs less.
I like it because of its glossy display. Do you know alternative displays with a glossy screen? : )
Hello.
ASUS notes "adapters" for old devices in the FAQ.
Where can we find such "adapters".
I imagine a Y-cable with USB-A plug for a usual 3.1-socket (for energy and data) and a dp plug for the video signal from my graphic card.
Combined to a USB-C with DP and "Alternative Mode". I think, it does not need active electronic, only a passive Y-cable.
What do we have to search for?
Are there cheap adapters from China on Ebay, Amazon etc. :-)?
long cables, or only small adapters.
I could install a small adapter in the computer case.
Route the DP cable out to the graphics card and insert the USB C end into the chassis wall. Tapping USB3.1 internally.
I have a powerful gamer laptop! I have a tiny desk, and I'm looking for a 15-inch screen next to my laptop. This Asus screen is it a good solution to have the return of my Twitch stream, chat, and OBS? I would play on the screen of my laptop which is better than this Asus!
Another question, if you connect a Chromecast on this screen asus, does it work autonomously? Hoping that my questions obey an answer! I thank you in advance!
Hi, how can I connect Asus Zenscreen MB16AC (with only one USB-C port) to the smartphone which does not support usb alt mode? (Google Pixel 5). Basically, I wanna split the power and signal and merge into one usb-c for the Zenscreen. Thanks!
i watched a couple videos about these asus monitors, i wonder that is the monitor work with mac mini?
This is listed as 5ms response time elsewhere. Really odd that it did so badly, wonder if the other variants with on this screen would perform better with a HDMI connection or whether the USB-C connection with a Mac and bluetooth with the controller somehow had an impact
Response time is different than the processing lag.
what happens if I do not have USB type-c in my laptop?
you use the USB Type C to Type A Adapter that's included in the box
Would the apple usb-c to hdmi and usb-c adapter work so you can connect a hdmi device to it?
Hi Lon , i believe this Asus monitor is very limited , i think i found a better one ,GeChic 1503H 15.6" this one has an HDMI port , i think it can work also with Android devices or phone with mhl capability , is it possible for you to check that ? Thank you very much
have a great day
Do you have any idea on how to get two of these displays to work on my laptop that has one usb-c gen1 port, while still getting the full performance of the gpu? And is there any way to make the screens brighter with a hub or dock while still getting the full performance of the gpu? Thanks!
Are there any issues with a Mac vs. PC? I want to use it with Final Cut as the viewer window.
Can you connect it to a Nintendo Switch??
I also want to know this
why does the information about the sceen say 5 ms if its not that low??
can i just use this as a monitor for a compact pc setup by just plugging it in?
mini pc + power bank + this
Best tablet/backpack pc ever
If the mini pc is capable of display alternative mode over USB-C then yesh otherwise you would need something like the GeChic 1503H which gives you hdmi and vga inputs while being powered by USB-C which allows it to work on way mre devices then the ASUS one does.
Would you recommend this for trading ? I'd use this just to have charts on
Thanks for the video, wondering about what you said about the GPU getting full power on it. What will happen on a desktop pc with lets assume a nvidia GTX1080ti and z270 mobo, with a USB C connector, will the motherboard still be able to send image to it (its not coming from the GPU but the motherboard)?
No it won't unfortunately on a desktop. So it really would only work in the case of a mobile device that's able to push everything through the USB-C port.
Is there something like this that works with a stylus to markup pdfs?
Why would a driver slow down the PC?
If my laptop is not usb c, will it work to a usb adapter?
Can you please show us how to replace the battery on the everdrive gb and the everdrive x5 please I would like to know.
I must be the only person in the world that likes glossy or metallic and considers matte mostly ugly.
I put a lot of emphasis on aesthetics as well....hence why I completely stayed away from the LG monitors Apple have offered as substitutes to their Apple displays.
Can i use this screen as a bigger screen for my galaxy S9 plus
Does it work well outdoor bright sunlight?
for that price they should have made it dual purpose with a touch screen and Android. tablet / monitor
I would not buy it if it was touch screen. There are reasons everything does not have touch screen. For instance, my dell XPS 15, I bought 2, the matte and the glossy touch screen version. The matter looks better outside, you cannot see the glossy. Touch screens are glossy. If this also had a OS it would consume more power. SO I would always chose a monitor that does only that, monitor.
How does this compare to the Asus MB169C ?
The MB169C look like same except it's only USB-c compatible and much cheaper
+EL EL got a link ?
www.asus.com/us/Monitors/MB169C-plus/
I find some refurbished on Ebay for $ 150 very tempting.
how to start computer on this monitor and connect peripherals...
I just got me a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 off eBay for $300. I'll be using that as a secondaryl monitor for my laptop (amongst other things). This thing is just too expensive for what you get, IMO.
In theory, would a smartphone with USB c work. I'm thinking in the future to get a 10-11" screen to use with a smartphone instead of carrying a computer as well. Just want a big screen for movies documents etc.
Would need to support Display Alt Mode aka Display Alternative Mode www.vesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/USB-DevDays-DisplayPort-Alternate-Mode-2016-final4.pdf
Ps can you review every piece of tech that ever exists just incase I need to buy anything ever, many thanks
Will it work with any devices using dongle?
Does the use of a usb c screen effect the use of HDMI or other video outputs?
I have a presentation need where each side takes their turn on a switch. I'd like to use extrended screen to this asus monitor and duplicate that on my HDMI output. This way the HDMI output could be on a switch and the asus would remain local to view.
Please review zen screen go
Sick and tired of 1080p and 16:9. Why can't they make 15.6" 16:10 1800p monitors?
looking into buying this baby and put a anti-glare film on it. Has anyone done this trick?
does this work over any usb c port or does it have to be thunderbolt or something like that?
It has to support alternate display mode.
So how does it work with USB A devices? Regular USB A doesn't support alternate display mode as well. The german amazon product page of this screen doesn't even mention DP Alt Mode.
using it with Macbook Pro u will still need to download the drivers
That pen......why?
Without USB C, Surface Pro is bummer in 2017
what game was that
That’s weird they included a pen. Must be cheaper than making an actual machine made stand pen like thing.
Yeah really funny they had that in the box. I am wondering how many people are going to try and use it like a stylus.
Lon.TV when I saw that in the box that is the first thing I thought of, that it was a touchscreen and that was a stylus!
Lon.TV and end scratching the screen the first time. :/
I've gone and ordered one off BHphotovideo as I've been looking for something like this for my MacBook.
Brix 1060 + this product = mobility gaming
Not with the ghosting and high latency
From what I understand you wouldn't be able to use the 1060 or any dedicated GPU for this monitor. Only integrated GPUs would work since no one has made a GPU with a USB type C output.
yeah would need something like this www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7RMBV9/
Talk about a niche market : it's portable so you would use it paired with a laptop, but honestly, who needs an extra display with a laptop ? Not to mention this thing would heavily tax the battery. And finally, you basically have to carry 2 laptops, so much for mobility ...
Still a beautiful piece of hardware and props to them to have the audaciousness to sell this.
very niche but as a remote IT consultant this would be a life saver on those times i get a call when im out of town or in a hotel working onsite for a client.
This would benefit programming a whole lot. Having more screen space is a godsend when all you have to work with is merely a single laptop screen.
This would allow me to take my multi montior setup I use on my desktop and apply it to my laptop so I get the same productivity for when I am not at home.
Furrane my friend is constantly traveling and has one of these with his macbook for hotel rooms. He is always saying 1 laptop screen makes his work very difficult
I have a powerful gamer laptop! I have a tiny desk, and I'm looking for a 15-inch screen next to my laptop. This Asus screen is it a good solution to have the return of my Twitch stream, chat, and OBS? I would play on the screen of my laptop which is better than this Asus!
Another question, if you connect a Chromecast on this screen asus, does it work autonomously? Hoping that my questions obey an answer! I thank you in advance!
If it had its own battery and touch screen with camera then it would be perfect. But now it looks like a product that's not done.
Works on Xbox one s?
I bought that one today i cant make it work to my hp laptop
Would be good with a personal portable gaming pc
It'll pair nicely with something like that
Does any one make a USB powered monitor with a HDMI DP or VGA input? this would remove the need for drivers.
Yes OEMs do make those types of displays but they are normally expensive compared to the USB based monitors if you want 1080p otherwise most are 1366x768 or worse like 1280x800 if you want a cheaper one. So yeah its a trade off if you want high res you are going to spend more then you would pay for this. For example $350 www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7RMBV9/
i have this monitor but the problem is i want to use them with a xbox, but there is no driver for xbox did you now how to fix it?
What game is that? The blue warrior
Shahrul Izham shovel knight
I do not see utilities in this monitor, by the stipulated value
will it work with Samsung S8 plus?
Only if the USB C can send power to attached devices. You need to contact Samsung. My guess is the USB C port will only accept power to charge the phone's battery.
The S8 can be used to power other devices but theres more to it then power delivery in this case. The S8 would have to support Displayport Alternative Mode as well.
I was always curious but does your wife mind that you care about collecting different tech items in your room?
What game is that?
Justin Miller Shovel Knight
Nom Nom ah thank you!
can i use it to watch movies in my bed?
Not in bed. Maybe laying on the grass or laying on a blanket on the floor.
yes but be careful with the cable you will be strangled after 30 minutes
Why is this kind of device so rare and costly when tablets aren't?
I'm guessing there's a limited market for these things.
Production cost on actually manufacturering it is expensive
Wish it was touch screen thoooough
144ms?????!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
First!
You're in!