I have officially gone mad. I’d like to tell you that this title is clickbait, but that would be a lie and I have the receipt to prove it! Before I explain, let me ask you this: What’s the best way to improve productivity at your computer desk? A good keyboard if you type a lot and extra screen estate if you do pretty much everything else. Most of us do pretty much everything else and it looks like Arzopa thinks they have you covered especially if you play games to unwind. Let’s talk about portable gaming monitors that you should have on your desk right now.
Arzopa 15.6″ Portable Gaming Monitor
Before I justify having a high refresh rate, Let’s talk about the product in general. Arzopa 15.6″ Monitor comes in a white slick box, and I wouldn’t normally pay much attention to it, except the box is exceptionally large for how thin the screen is. Arzopa could definitely re-think the packaging needed to hold the screen, USB-C cable, HDMI cable and power cable with a small charger. If you are asking me, they could drop the charger altogether.
Arzopa 15.6″ Monitor is very thin and extremely light. Without a magnetic cover that folds back and serves as a stand (it has a nice fancy carbon fibre theme), the panel is 6mm thick with a bottom section expanding to 10mm to accommodate electronics and IO. The bezel is also minimal with a 20mm bar at the bottom.
IO
Considering the size, the IO on the panel is also generous. Arzopa 15.6″ Monitor comes with 2 USB-C ports and a mini HDMI port on the left-hand side and OSD controls and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right. Both USB-C ports can carry a video signal and power up the screen so you could have 3 video sources connected to the unit at once. You can quickly toggle between the inputs thanks to the dedicated button.
Portable screens please do this!
It’s my 3rd portable screen and not once made any considerations towards desk use. Adding a 1/4″ screw mount would be a nice addition. In fact, any portable monitor that is delivered with a VESA attachment will win the day. When I don’t need the portability, I’d love to simply use one on my Vesa stand instead of keeping the screen in the corner, gathering the dust, and waiting to be needed again.
2199 pounds later
This monitor was the final nail in my coffin. After 7 years I decided to retire my old laptop (re-purpose it as a garage machine that will control my laser cutter I’m currently restoring) and treat myself to a new machine to earn my online keep. After careful consideration, I ended up with ASUS ROG Zephyrous Duo 16 (and a £2199 bill for it) for a couple of reasons.
I gave up on 4K displays at this size as you can’t really use it at 100% scaling at this screen size and I ended up with a 1080P screen with – you guessed it 165Hz refresh rate “for gaming” and a beloved USB-C port which will finally let me drive all the portable screens I have with a single USB-C cable.
This purchase means that I can put 2 high refresh panels side by side and have a proper feel for it, or 3 of them. Actually, if I count all the screens that this beast of a laptop is outputting right now, the total number is 5!
144Hz is not just for gaming
The most prominent feature of the screen is the refresh rate which goes all the way up to 144Hz. If you have never used high refresh screens, it’s not just a gimmick for gamers. A high refresh rate removes the motion blur and reduces the strain on your eyes. Gaming is a great example of that, but if your workflow includes moving things on the screen a lot, your eyes will thank you.
The simple act of moving a Windows window across looks fresh, snappy and smooth. It doesn’t cause nauseating effects which happen when you move a big object quickly across the screen. We are so used to 60Hz displays that we don’t even think about it. Turns out, the gamers are right and faster refresh rates are simply better and easier to look at.
Refresh rate is available in 60//100/120/144Hz via mini HDMI and USB-C ports giving you the flexibility you need to drive the panel. As for the panel, it’s ISP panel 15.6″ (1920×1080) panel rated at 300cd/m² brightness.
Audio
For a proper sound, the 3.5mm audio jack is included, but the built-in speakers will get the sound out there. It’s good for an educational video or two on YouTube, but as the screen is very light the sound is comparable to a phone’s speaker. Don’t expect the depth or bass.
Gaming
For once, I have a valid excuse to play Spider-Man Remastered on PC – a game that I adored to play on my PS4 and now I can enjoy in 165FPS! Can I tell the difference between the ASUS 165Hz monitor and 144Hz from Arzopa?
I spent a moment increasing the brightness, adding some contrast and colour and pretty much matching the colour profile to what I had on my ASUS screen. After some swinging, fights and web-slinging I decided that I can’t tell if I’m playing on 144Hz or 165Hz especially since my average FPS in the game would oscillate around 120 frames with peaks of 165Hz. What I can definitely say, having a screen with a high refresh rate makes a big difference. It’s hard to show this on YouTube running at 60FPS, but the motion is smoother and gives you that really nice, responsive feel in games.
If you have the hardware to drive the games, that is! I’m sure, you want to know the price of the screen at this point. Amazon lists it right now for $159.99 which considering the quality of the panel is fair.
Final thoughts
While faster refresh rates won’t give you an advantage in Excel or while browsing the web, your eyes will be very happy about the change. Then once the work is done, you can unleash your inner gamer and play a round or two of CS:GO knowing that nothing will hold your skills back (as long as you can render all these frames). Chances are that your gaming laptop already comes with a faster screen, so if you want to double the estate without sacrificing that Arzopa 15.6″ Monitor is also for you. What do you think? Let me know in this Reddit thread.
🆓📈💵 – See the transparency note for details.
