A portable monitor is a great travel companion and an ideal second monitor for tight work-from-home setups, but the picture quality of cheaper models can leave something to be desired. Brightness, contrast, and color performance are all better on the Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG, but the improvements don’t come cheap. In the Windows world, 16-inch computers are very popular, so it’s not surprising to see that size class move into the portable monitor space. The new ZenScreen MB16QHG, which costs $399, is Asus’s way of putting its weight behind 16-inch TVs.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Description
The ZenScreen MB16QHG has an IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 (16:10) and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which is twice as fast as most portable monitors. The MB16QHG has a lot going for it. It has good color performance, a strong stand, and one of the best screens we’ve seen on a portable monitor. But is it good enough to be considered one of the best compact monitors? Let’s get started. The ZenScreen MB16QHG has a lot of features that give users different ways to view the screen.
One of these features is a kickstand that can be folded up and used to hold the monitor at any angle. The ASUS DisplayWidget Center lets the monitor instantly switch between landscape and portrait modes based on how it is set up. Users can place the monitor close to either side of a laptop because it has USB-C ports on both sides. This creates an almost smooth extended-screen experience. Also, an HDMI port makes sure that it works with a wide range of devices, such as laptops, PCs, and game consoles.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Pricing
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG cost $399, which seems like a lot for a small monitor that doesn’t have an OLED display. Shoppers can compare it to the Viewsonic ColorPro VP16-OLED, which sells online for an average of $399. The MB16QHG is not cheap, with a price tag of $399. That’s the same price as the ZenScreen MQ16AH (15.6-inch, 1080p, OLED) and $100 more than the ZenScreen MB14AHD (14-inch, 1080p, IPS).
But the MB16QHG has a screen that is a little bit bigger and has a better resolution. When you look at some of the less well-known competitors, like the InnoCN 15A1F, which has a sharp 15.6-inch 1080p OLED panel for $169, things get a little trickier. You give up a lot in terms of resolution, but for the price of one MB16QHG, you could buy two 15A1Fs and still have money left over.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG Specifications Table
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG isn’t like most small monitors on the market right now. Instead of a 15.6-inch 16:9 screen, it has a 16-inch 16:10 screen with a resolution of 2560×1600. The frame rate is also bumped up to 120Hz.
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS LCD |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Color Depth | 8-bit |
| Max Brightness | 500 nits |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Contrast | 1,200:1 |
| Ports | 1x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort (USB-C Alt Mode), 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Speakers | None |
| VESA mount | None, tripod mount available |
| Check Price |
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Design
Most travel monitors don’t have a stand like the Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG does. The stand folds down from the bottom of the monitor so that it can sit flat on a desk or table. It’s similar to the Viewsonic ColorPro VP16-OLED, but the Asus stand doesn’t raise the height of the monitor like the Viewsonic stand does. The stand is stable and lets you tilt the screen in a wider range than most portable computers. It can also be used in a portrait mode.
The tripod stand for the monitor is hidden under the kickstand. This is helpful for photo and video makers who want to see how their work looks. Unlike many portable monitors, Asus’s stand doesn’t double as a cover for the screen, but it does come with a carrying case.
The shape of the monitor isn’t as cool as what it can do. The frame is mostly made of plastic, and it isn’t any more rigid than other options that cost half as much. The lower bezel has a decorative lip that adds a bit of style, but it is shiny and may cause glare in bright areas.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Display
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has a 16-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and a response time of 5ms. The brightness gives off 500 cd/m2, and the contrast is said to be 1200:1. This model is one of only a few that has HDR 400 approval, but it still can’t make all HDR effects.
The WQXGA resolution on this model makes it much sharper and clearer than the more popular 1080p options. More and more game and work laptops have WQXGA screens, so it makes sense for Asus to make a portable that matches its other products. It’s also a lot better to look at, but low-end GPUs in computers might have trouble with the resolution and refresh rate.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has a range that is 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3, and 86% Adobe RGB. It’s one of the most colorful choices, with only OLED options like the Ricoh 150BW being able to compete. But it’s not correct right out of the box because the extended gamut gives it an average deltaE of 3.12.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Features
The ZenScreen MB16QHG has a lot of functions that can be changed easily, so users can set it up in a way that works best for their needs. The kickstand is in the shape of an L, and it can be folded up. You can also lay it flat on a table in landscape mode to work with other people. The display can be set at different heights because it has a built-in tripod socket that fits normal tripods.
When connected to a Windows PC, the ASUS DisplayWidget Lite tool lets the ZenScreen MB16QHG sense its orientation and instantly switch between landscape and portrait modes. Landscape mode is great for presentations and spreadsheets, and portrait mode is great for coding websites and reading papers or books.
The OSD on the Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is controlled by a joystick instead of buttons or a scroll wheel, which is another thing we love about it. It’s in the back, but you can still get to it easily, especially if you hold the computer like a tablet. It sticks out from the frame, but its height is lower, so it won’t get caught on things as easily.
Another thing that people like about the MB16QHG is that the stand is built into the frame. Its predecessors had magnetic covers for their stands. It makes the gadget bigger, but it’s more stable and can be set up better because the ports are there. You can also use a tripod with it, but like a standard VESA mount, the tripod is sold separately.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Connectivity
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has a lot of ways to connect to other devices, making it a useful partner for many kinds of gadgets. It has two USB-C ports, one on each side of the monitor. These ports can be used for both power and display signals, making it compatible with laptops that support DP-Alt mode. This gives you the freedom to put the screen on either side of your laptop, depending on how your desk is set up.
Also, the fact that it has an HDMI port means that you can connect media players or game consoles to it for entertainment on the go. A 3.5 mm audio jack is available for wired earbuds to complete the connectivity package. This makes sure that your multimedia experience is both immersive and easy.
Color Performance and HDR image quality?
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is made for business people who move a lot, but its image quality is better than what they need. It makes images that are bright, clear, and have good color performance. The monitor can handle many photography, videography, and digital art processes. When it’s time to relax and watch a game or Netflix, it also looks good.
Brightness is one of the monitor’s best features, and it can get as bright as 479 nits in SDR. As the graph shows, that’s more than any portable monitor we’ve tried this year. It’s not a small benefit. When there is no way to control the light, people are more likely to use portable computers. The light of the MB16QHG will make it easier to use in these places.
The MB16QHG has decent contrast, but its performance relies on how you look at it. It’s better than other compact monitors with an IPS LCD panel, like the Azorpa A1 Gamut and AOC I1601FWUX. But portable OLED panels like the ViewSonic ColorPro VP-16 OLED and the Innocn 15K1F show more depth and dimension.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has VESA DisplayHDR 400 approval and works with HDR input. Even though it sounds good, HDR performance isn’t good enough. Brightness is not a good thing. The monitor’s HDR brightness is close to 500 nits, but that’s still not enough for a good HDR experience. Scenes with a lot of contrast, like the black hole in “Interstellar,” show that a lot of light information is lost. Bright parts of a scene look like a bright, uniform glow with no details. This happens because the monitor isn’t bright enough to make the scene’s best parts stand out.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG: Pros and Cons
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is a great portable monitor for work and play. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, fast response time, and a wide range of connectivity options.
Pros
- Useful kickstand with tripod mount
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Excellent Design and Features
- Good color performance
Cons
- Lacks Adaptive-Sync
- Expensive
Final Words
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is a good portable monitor for people who need more space at their work or when they are traveling. The 2560 x 1600 resolution gives you a little more vertical resolution than QHD panels, and the 16-inch screen size is great for the growing number of 16-inch laptops that are coming out.
It’s twice as expensive as other high-end portable monitors, but the biggest problem is that it doesn’t have Adaptive Sync. Most of the time, VRR works with USB-C DP Alt Mode, but it’s reasonable that this isn’t always the case. Overall, though, it’s one of the best portable monitors you can buy right now, both for games and work.
