Accessory Portable LCD monitors for work and gaming, recommendations?

Testifier

Average Stuffer
Oct 16, 2017
55
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That's a shame! At $300, I thought they would make the enclosure at least more durable

I was thinking something like this though
 

Ankacat

Trash Compacter
Silver Supporter
Mar 11, 2016
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@Nightblade
One question I've been pondering is if anybody has used a graphics tablet as a portable monitor?

I've used my little 10" yiynova tablet with my Cerberus for a somewhat comedic travelling hotel build.

As a proof of concept it worked like a charm for both working and playing some games even though it's on the small side as far as screen real estate goes.
 
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Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
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Anyone look at this portable monitor
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079K99LNT/?tag=theminutiae-20

It’s from Gstory 12.9” with HDR and FreeSync, 1700P and from the specs alone seems amazing.

I currently have the Gstory monitor mentioned, but I'm thinking about returning it. What do guys you want to know? I can confirm it has AMD FreeSync V2 and HDR. Also @b0bby199, can you tell me what site you bought the Magedok monitor from. The amazon reviews make the Magedoks sound shady and there is a magedok shopify site up, but I can't confirm it's actually owned by the company.

I've been following this thread for a while hoping for a good portable monitor to take with me to LAN events. That's why I got the Gstory last week.
 

Nightblade

Airflow Optimizer
Nov 29, 2017
294
243
Just put the order in for a Sibolan S4 @
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074M8RFH3/?tag=theminutiae-20

17" 1080p@60hz with hdmi and mini-DP. It doesn't have any VRR tech or HDR but I'm hoping it will fit my needs for a substitute gaming monitor while I'm out of town. Any chance that someone here has this or another Sibolan model and would love to brag on them?

@loader963 I saw that one and thought of getting it until I found out the response time is an abysmal 25 ms.
 

loader963

King of Cable Management
Jan 21, 2017
662
569
I saw that as well. But that’s probably not much different than the hotel tvs I’d be using otherwise while out of town. Actually the main reason I’ve been looking for one is that one of the last hotels I stayed at actually had a plate blocking the rear inputs so that I couldn’t use my rig :(
 

Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
52
So I just got the ASUS ZenScreen MB16AC for $240 from amazon and I think I might keep it. I had to return the G-Story because 12.9 was just a bit too small and the odd native resolution means playing most games at full screen without black bars will make the graphics slightly distorted/stretched. Also, I've had a bad experience with Magedok and now don't trust that seller.

So real quick the Pros of the Zen Screen are:
  • Super thin (9mm), light weight, and very small bezels. I don't think you'll find a more compact 15.6" screen on some modern laptops.
  • Good construction. Although thin and light it doesn't seem like it will break easily. (Unless you drop it...)
  • Decent cover/stand. The cover is thin and can hold the screen up with just the magnets inside it. This demonstrates how light the screen is.
  • Display-Link software that you must use if your GPU doesn't support USB-C DOES use the GPU. Somehow the GPU is used to create each frame, but the frames are routed over USB. Played a few games of PUBG and GPU was working.
  • Standard 1920x1080 resolution. I've noticed a lot of the foreign monitors from small distributors have nontraditional resolutions.
  • Screen is bright, there are no dead pixels and colors seem good to me.
  • ASUS 3 Year warranty. Support centers in the U.S. so it should be easier to send back for repair if needed.
Cons:
  • Only 1 USB-C port for video connection and power. GPUs may begin to have USB-C in future, but that's not the norm now. Display Link software seems to be "good enough".
  • No FreeSync or G-Sync. I noticed occasional screen tearing and small visual hiccups while playing a few games. I haven't tried with VSync enabled though so that may help a lot.
  • No HDR.
  • NO VESA. However, the monitor is thin and compact enough that you may be able to get away with using some tablet mounts on Amazon If you don't like the cover stand that's included.
  • Some minor backlight bleed and/or IPS glow. I've tried many IPS monitors and I've given up trying to find one without backlight bleed. The backlight bleed I notice on my screen is not bad, but must be mentioned.
 

ignsvn

By Toutatis!
SFFn Staff
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Apr 4, 2016
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... I had to return the G-Story because 12.9 was just a bit too small and the odd native resolution means playing most games at full screen without black bars will make the graphics slightly distorted/stretched. Also, I've had a bad experience with Magedok and now don't trust that seller.

Sorry, I don't quite get it. Is G-Story = Magedok?
 

Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
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Sorry, I don't quite get it. Is G-Story = Magedok?

Different sellers. The G-Story didn't work out for me and Magedok is not an option because I've had a bad experience with them. These are both monitors that have been discussed recently in this thread so that's why I mentioned them.
 

ignsvn

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Different sellers. The G-Story didn't work out for me and Magedok is not an option because I've had a bad experience with them. These are both monitors that have been discussed recently in this thread so that's why I mentioned them.

Gotcha. May I know what's your problem with Magedok? I once considered to get one of their products in the past.
 

Petano

Caliper Novice
Aug 24, 2017
27
21
I actually recently ordered one. It is ubelievably thin and light.
Picture quality is very good. Not as good as lg 27 inch desktop monitor but quite good.
No dead pixels, quite good colours and speed.
BUT
Because it is so thin it is also fragile. One corner on my slitghtly bended when I had it in backpack together with laptop. Monitor still works but it introduced noticeable backlight bleed in that particular corner. Visible during night.
If you want one i stronly recommend doubletape or glue cover to monitor to increase structural integrity. Cover itself is just magnet and not enough.
Funny is meanwhile I left monitor lying flat with some weight on it. It "fixed" that bended corner and there is still small backlight bleed from side but in acceptable level. During daylight not visible at all.
 

Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
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Gotcha. May I know what's your problem with Magedok? I once considered to get one of their products in the past.
They don't communicate. Once you use their shopify site to purchase from them directly there are no guarantees to resolve issues you have.I purchased the Magedok 13.3 monitor mentioned in this thread, but then changed my mind to buy Magedok's 15" monitor. I went online to cancel my initial order and purchase the larger monitor, but there is no way to cancel your order through Magedok's web store. I then went and sent a message to the email Magedok provides on the site for customer service. I waited about 24 hours since I understood Magedok is in China, but I got no response. I sent another email after that, this time to their email listed in PayPal and their customer facing one, but Magedok still didn't reply. Then about 3 business days after my first email Magedok started to ship the monitor I no longer wanted.

So I had no choice but to start a claim with PayPal for a refund and refuse the international shipment from DHL. During the claim Magedok had 10+ days to respond in the PayPal system, but they didn't. Around the 8th day I got a 1 sentence email from Magedok to pickup my package from DHL which completely ignored the situation, the emails and the PayPal claim. Yesterday was the end of my claim and PayPal refunded my money.

The reason it was so important to cancel the order is the cost it would take to return the device. Paying for shipping back to China would be very expensive and maybe close to the cost of the 13.3" monitor . After this experience there's no way I would deal with Magedok again. Imagine if the monitor had a hardware issue? No chance I would be able to get it repaired.

So sorry for the long post @ignsvn , but you did ask. :)
 

ignsvn

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Got it, thanks for the info.

Communication & after sales service are important, after all.
 
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MOFO

Cable Smoosher
Apr 15, 2018
8
1
Nightblade's monitor is also sold in HDR (see the other options on the Amazon page).

@Nightblade this monitor does not come with a VGA cable? It looks like it has a (mini?) VGA port on the Amazon photos, but if it doesn't come with the cable then that wouldn't be very helpful (for the occasional server use).
Any chance you can give me a direct link?
I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find the one you posted about.
Thanks
 

MOFO

Cable Smoosher
Apr 15, 2018
8
1
I currently have the Gstory monitor mentioned, but I'm thinking about returning it. What do guys you want to know? I can confirm it has AMD FreeSync V2 and HDR. Also @b0bby199, can you tell me what site you bought the Magedok monitor from. The amazon reviews make the Magedoks sound shady and there is a magedok shopify site up, but I can't confirm it's actually owned by the company.

I've been following this thread for a while hoping for a good portable monitor to take with me to LAN events. That's why I got the Gstory last week.
Sorry for the late questions but I just seen your post.
I’m mainly looking to set up a mini game room for a Xbox ONE X and Nintendo Switch when my younger family members come over to visit and they won’t hog the main TV in the family room.
1)How is gaming at 1440p with the Gstory screen?
I know it’s 1700p and has a weird aspect ratio but wondered if 1440p looked good.How about 1080p?do both resolutions use the full screen or are there bars?Is the image stretched or look weird?
2) Are the speakers any good?
3)How is the actual screen itself is is bright and images clear and crisp?
4) Does the Freesync and HDR work as advertised?
5) Was the main reason you returned the Gstory just the screen size or was it a that and a combination of other things.
6)How is the actual build quality? And light bleed or any other flaws?
I would love to hear your pros and cons of the Gstory screen.
I’m thinking of just using it at 1080p for the game consoles set up but with the Xbox One X setting it at 1440p if possible if there are no issues with bars being too distracting or the image looking distorted.
Thank you so much for your time and I’m really hoping you can answer some questions .
 
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Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
52
Sorry for the late questions but I just seen your post.
I’m mainly looking to set up a mini game room for a Xbox ONE X and Nintendo Switch when my younger family members come over to visit and they won’t hog the main TV in the family room.
1)How is gaming at 1440p with the Gstory screen?
I know it’s 1700p and has a weird aspect ratio but wondered if 1440p looked good. How about 1080p?do both resolutions use the full screen or are there bars?Is the image stretched or look weird?
2) Are the speakers any good?
3)How is the actual screen itself is is bright and images clear and crisp?
4) Does the Freesync and HDR work as advertised?
5) Was the main reason you returned the Gstory just the screen size or was it a that and a combination of other things.
6)How is the actual build quality? And light bleed or any other flaws?
I would love to hear your pros and cons of the Gstory screen.
I’m thinking of just using it at 1080p for the game consoles set up but with the Xbox One X setting it at 1440p if possible if there are no issues with bars being too distracting or the image looking distorted.
Thank you so much for your time and I’m really hoping you can answer some questions .

I didn't game too much in the other resolutions because both 1440p and 1080p give you black bars. With a screen that small there really isn't any room for black bars in my opinion. The image is just too small. Now I'll try to answer the questions:

1) Didn't like having black bars. Seemed too small for me to play any type of FPS game where aiming is required.
2) Didn't test the speakers since I had my gaming headsets on and I plan to always play with them.
3) Screen itself looked bright and crisp. Colors seemed good. There was some backlight bleed I think, but every IPS monitor has that.
4) FreeSync works. I turned on the Radeon settings since I own an AMD R9 Nano. When looking at the monitor specifications in Radeon FreeSync was listed as on. While playing PUBG and moving fast screen was smooth and couldn't see any screen tearing. Also, There are two HDMI ports. From my testing FreeSync only works with one of them.The one behind kick stand has FreeSync if I remember correctly.
I didn't test HDR much. There is an HDR mode in the settings and turning it on definitely made the colors more saturated. Since this monitor has FreeSync over HDMI that means it has FreeSync v2. All FreeSync v2 monitors are required to support HDR.
5) The 1700p native resolution of the monitor didn't look good in PUBG to me. PUBG doesn't support a 1700p resolution so even playing in 1440p fullscreen (without changing the monitor resolution) the graphics were stretched. This also made this like moving items to the inventory a bit odd. The screen looks great for using it as a standard monitor for web browsing and office work, but I didn't like it for gaming because it feels like most games won't support it's native resolution. Thus, I sent it back because I didn't want to have to deal with stretched graphics or black bars.
6) It's hard to describe the build qualtity. The frame around the screen is made completely from plastic. I would say it feels like the nicest cheap @ss monitor you could get. It doesn't feel good, but it doesn't feel "that" bad. I don't think it will just fall apart or anything. The monitor gets pretty hot around where the ports are. It comes with a nice remote and carrying case. Never used the remote. The carrying case has a nice sized pocket to fit all of the accessories. I was pretty happy with the carrying case.

I would advise to go with a 13-15" monitor with a standard 1440p or 1080p resolution. FreeSync v2 is awesome, but it's not worth it on a screen this small with an odd resolution. I think most people would rather not play with black bars than notice some slight screen tearing in certain games. Sorry for any typos above. I'm in a rush.
 
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MOFO

Cable Smoosher
Apr 15, 2018
8
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Thank you Majestic that was very informative.
Would love to find 13”-15” 1080p/1440p screen that has FreeSync and HDR ( mainly FreeSync ) but so far no luck.
If anyone has and suggestions I’d love to see what options I have.
Majestic how big/wide were the black bars? Inch? More - less?
If they don’t take up much space or are to distracting it still might be a option.
 

Majestic

Average Stuffer
May 12, 2018
67
52
Thank you Majestic that was very informative.
Would love to find 13”-15” 1080p/1440p screen that has FreeSync and HDR ( mainly FreeSync ) but so far no luck.
If anyone has and suggestions I’d love to see what options I have.
Majestic how big/wide were the black bars? Inch? More - less?
If they don’t take up much space or are to distracting it still might be a option.
I don't remember how big the bars were exactly. I don't think they were sooo bad, but for me the 12.9" at fullscreen was already really small. I was squinting to shoot people who were between 100-20m. Once I tried shortly with the black bars and I instantly decided I couldn't do it. I prefer having a screen that's large enough for me to be competitive than mitigating a bit of screen tearing.

Honestly though the monitor is sold on Amazon and the manufacturer seems pretty reputable. Try buying it from Amazon, test it out, and return it if needed. I mainly tried it because I new it would be easy to return.