Budget-Friendly 14-inch 2K 15:10 Portable Monitor on Aliexpress

Unboxing

Hide

Included in the box

• Portable Monitor

• USB-C to USB-C cable

• USB-A to USB-C cable

• Mini HDMI to HDMI cable

• Stand

• EU Power plug

Features (claimed)

The Portable Monitor boasts a 15:10 Aspect ratio, also known as 4:3, optimised for productivity tasks by providing increased vertical space and reduced horizontal length. Its rare 4:3 aspect ratio enhances productivity, particularly for activities such as writing, coding, and document handling.

The ZSUS PM14A utilises a 2K IPS panel featuring a glossy finish, delivering a crisp resolution of 2160x1440, supported by a claimed peak brightness of 350 nits. You have the flexibility to choose between a touchscreen (PM14T-2k) or non-touchscreen (PM14A-2k) model according to your preferences.

The panel ensures vibrant colour accuracy with 100% sRGB coverage, maintaining a smooth visual experience at a refresh rate of 60Hz.

Connectivity is streamlined with a variety of ports, including a mini HDMI port and two USB-C ports. These ports offer DisplayPort alt mode and power delivery, facilitating a hassle-free single cable setup for seamless operation.

Design and Build Quality

Hide

While the monitor's lightweight and soft plastic body may give off a less premium feel, it stands out as one of the most affordable QHD portable monitors on AliExpress. The included ports feel sturdy and durable, with all necessary cables provided for added convenience. 

The included stand for the monitor feels unstable and lacks the necessary sturdiness, potentially compromising the safety of the monitor. It seems like a cheaply made generic stand that is not even a good fit for this monitor. Choosing a more robust stand would significantly enhance the user experience. Fortunately, there's a wide array of options to consider, including aluminium tablet stands available for as low as $2 on AliExpress. These stands offer superior stability and support, ensuring a safer and more reliable setup for your monitor.

I prefer monitors that come with an integrated kickstand, as it eliminates the need to carry a separate stand, simplifying the setup process.

Display Quality

Hide

The monitor's display quality truly stands out with its high-quality 2160p IPS panel, offering excellent viewing angles that ensure visibility even when positioned off to the side. I was not expecting this, I picked this up because I was surprised to see a 2k 4:3 monitor at this price, and I wasn’t expecting the display to be so nice.

The panel boasts uniform backlighting without any light bleed issues, offering a pleasant viewing experience, so when you are using it the display looks detailed and clean.

While it may not reach extremely high brightness levels, it provides sufficient brightness for indoor use, likely coming close to the claimed 350 nits peak brightness. The colours are vivid and deep, with customisable settings accessible through the OSD menu. The colors can be calibrated from the OSD so if you are after more color accuracy this can be achieved.

I have found that enabling game mode increases brightness and still allows for customisation of other display settings, providing users with flexibility and control over their viewing experience. The panel boasts uniform backlighting without any light bleed issues, offering a pleasant viewing experience.

The display does support HDR however, it's advisable to avoid the HDR mode as it tends to distort colours and gives you less control over the display settings.

Sound Quality

The Monitor comes with two built-in speakers but these lack bass and depth. The downward-facing speakers produce tinny, high-pitched sound, diminishing the overall audio experience. Even utilising the 3.5mm audio jack yields unsatisfactory results, suggesting a potential issue with on-board audio tuning being applied to external speakers. You do not want to use the included 3.5mm audio jack for your headphones or speakers as it removes all bass from the audio.

Conclusion 

For those in search of an affordable 14-inch secondary monitor for both desktop and laptop setups, this Portable Monitor presents an enticing option with its sharp QHD panel. The included HDMI cord is ideal for laptop configurations; however, desktop users may require a longer cable. Additionally, the included stand falls short in terms of quality, yet it can easily be replaced with a higher-quality tablet stand available for just a few dollars on AliExpress. Despite its plastic-like feel, the monitor's high-quality 2K IPS 4:3 display panel offers remarkable value at an astonishing price point. 

The display's 4:3 aspect ratio excels particularly in office work scenarios. With its impressive display performance if you think you can benefit from a portable or even second monitor this is definitely worth considering if you want, what might be the best panel at this price point.