Working From Holiday is gonna be the new WFH.
Original deal and discussion thread below. Was available at Scorptec for $359 but they bumped price up quickly after its posted here
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/686881#comment-11848546
Available at Umart for $359 + Delivery $10 = $369 Delivered
A further $30 off if you pay with Klarna and using KLARNA30, bringing it down to $339 delivered
Next best price is Mwave for $379 + $5.99 shipping = $384.99 delivered
https://www.mwave.com.au/product/asus-zenscreen-mb16acv-156-…
With all the flight deals coming up and having booked for a few trips myself, I decided to work out the best portable multi monitor solution for a travelling office set up.
Ordered myself a couple of the ASUS MB16ACV to go with a laptop of choice. Now this is noticeably fewer screens than my 6 monitors set up in the office but will be considerably more portable.
The Asus MB16ACV is the best bang for the buck portable monitor right now, probably. This is the latest model (2021) of the ASUS portable Zenscreen line with the some upgrades, of which the most meaningful being increased Brightness of 250 nits and Contrast Ratio of 800:1, from 220 nits and 700:1 in previous models. These are particularly important due to most reviews commenting on low brightness and contrast being the issue with these low powered portable monitors.
Potential downside of the Zensreen line up is connectivity, having only 1 USB-C port for power delivery and data, except for the GO and Touch models. This means that you will need a suitable laptop. I have an oldish XPS13 with 3 USB-C ports and planning to try using 2 of the MB16ACV as external screens as my travelling office set up. Docking may be required if one of the USB-C port on the XPS13 cannot provide power to the external monitor.
Notable mentions of monitors closely considered VS the Asus Zenscreen MB16ACV
- Dell C1422H & Lenovo M14: Higher brightness at 300 nits, Lower Contrast Ratio at 700:1, Smaller Screen size 14" vs 15.6", More expensive both selling for $469 vs ASUS MB16ACV current sale price of $369. Even at original price of $399 I would still go for the Asus.
- Espresso 15": potentially better spec however comes with glossy screen, too expensive (over $500) and then extra for monitor stand ($60ish) VS ASUS MB16ACV comes with Stand AND Cover at $369.
- Gaming specs: ASUS ROG Strix portable monitor lines, especially the XG17AHPE: Ultimately the best for specs, if money is not an issue at $1000ish a pop. Tempted but way overkill for my needs. If you want to game with a laptop, you would have gotten one with a gaming monitor.
- Other random brands avoided mainly due to lack of thorough testing/reviews online. It is worth mentioning that monitors from Banggood and AliExpress do not come with a warranty like of Asus monitors sold in Australia. For purchases after Feb 2022, ASUS monitors are covered under Perfect Pixel Warranty for 36 months with a promise of Zero Bright or Dark Dot for the warranty period
Other notes from my research and calculation:
- My set up: 2019 XPS 13 with 2 x MB16ACV; external Mouse and Keyboard (bluetooth); Potentially need a Powered Docking Station and if required, I will probably go with the Legion to avoid the external keyboard and extra screen.
Alternative set up considered:
- Old 2019 Lenovo Legion Y7000 15 inch + 1x MB16ACV, can ditch the external keyboard as laptop has Numpad, Probably need docking station
- Getting a new XPS17 for $2,800 + 1x MB16ACV: scrapped plan because of cost. Total weight will be the same as XPS13 + 2x MB16CV.
- If you are going to be ok with 220 nits brightness, i.e. working in a dark room with closed windows or working at night due to time zone difference while on holiday, the best bang for your buck will be the ZenScreen MB16ACE from Amazon for $329 delivered or OW price beat it.
https://www.amazon.com.au/ASUS-MB16ACE-ZENSCREEN-Portable-MN…
The ZenScreen complete line up with different models to avoid confusion
Model Size Brightness Contrast Ratio Inclusion Notes
ZenScreen MB14AC 14" 250 nits 700:1 Stand only
ZenScreen MB16AC 15.6" 220 nits 800:1 Stand only
ZenScreen MB16ACE 15.6" 220 nits 800:1 Stand and cover Best price currently on Amazon for $329 or OW price beat.
ZenScreen MB16ACV 15.6" 250 nits 800:1 Stand and cover GamePlus and QuickFit features
ZenScreen MB16AH 15.6" 250 nits 700:1 Stand and cover Speakers, USB-C & Micro HDMI
ZenScreen Go MB16AHP 15.6" 220 nits 700:1 Stand and cover 7800mAH battery, speakers, USB-C & Micro HDMI
ZenScreen Touch MB16AMT 15.6" 250 nits 700:1 Stand and cover 7800mAh battery, speakers, touchscreen, USB-C & Micro HDMI
+1 for the thorough research!