The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG belongs to a growing and increasingly competitive monitor category, but not without tricks up its sleeve. It’s twice the price of a typical portable monitor like the older MB16ACE, but it also offers double the speed since it goes up to 120Hz and has QHD resolution. However, it also costs twice as much as the widely available options out there, so let’s check to see if it’s a worthy investment.
Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG Specifications
- Screen Size: 16 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1600 WQXGA
- Aspect Ratio: 16:10
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Response Time: 5ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Brightness: 500 cd/m2
- Built-in Speakers: No
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Stand: Pivot – No
- VESA Compatibility: No
- Connectivity: USB-C x 2, HDMI 2.0 x 1, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions With Stand (WxHxD): 14.16″ x 9.72″ x .28″
- Weight: 2.65 lbs
Design and Features
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has a sleek, business-class design, but it is slightly bulkier because of its improved design. The monitor has a sleek black finish, so it won’t look out of place next to a workstation, even if it has some gaming pedigree. It has thin bezels, but it still has borders and a thicker bottom strip like most portable monitors.
It’s a 16-inch panel, so it’s not gigantic by portable monitor standards like the MB249C. It is slightly heavier at 2.65 pounds than similar models, but it’s a welcome addition since it’s due to the built-in kicks stand. It’s still very manageable as far as portability is concerned, even if you include a suitable tripod in your kit.
Its build quality is noticeably better, just like most of the brand’s professional and gaming offerings. The plastics used are thick and sturdy, plus the hinge on the kickstand doesn’t feel flimsy or squeaky. You also have the option to use the brand’s tripod stand, which essentially transforms the monitor into a smaller desktop display.
Another thing we love about the Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is it has a joystick instead of buttons or a scroll wheel for the OSD. It’s located at the back, but it’s still very accessible, especially if you are holding the monitor like a tablet. It sticks out from the chassis, but it has a lower profile, so it won’t snag that easily.
Another favorite characteristic is the MB16QHG’s stand which is built into the chassis as opposed to the magnetic folio covers its predecessors had. It adds bulk, but it’s more stable, and it allows for better arrangement since it’s where the device’s ports are. You can also use a tripod for it, but it’s sold separately just like a regular VESA mount.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG has two USB-C ports for video input and power, but it also has a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port. The I/O layout’s placement on the kickstand instead of the chassis allows the ports to have more room, so you don’t have to deal with mini and micro adapters. It also has a 3.5mm jack for headphones.
It doesn’t have speakers, but that’s fair since portables are thin, so there isn’t a lot of room to accommodate them. It’s also pretty much guaranteed that you will get a very limited one, which won’t be capable of bass response or decent volume levels.
Display and Performance
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG sports a 16-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 5ms response time. The backlight has a 500 cd/m2 output while the contrast is listed at 1200:1. This model is one of the very few that has HDR 400 certification, but it is still limited when it comes to producing HDR effects.
This model’s WQXGA resolution offers a substantial increase in sharpness and clarity versus the more common 1080p options. WQXGA screens are now more prevalent on laptops for both gaming and work, so it makes sense for Asus to create a portable that will match its current products. It’s also considerably better for viewing purposes, but laptops with entry-level GPUs might struggle with the resolution and refresh rate.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG covers 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3, and 86% of the Adobe RGB gamut. It’s one of the most vibrant options out there, and only the OLED options like the Ricoh 150BW can go toe to toe in this regard. However, it’s not accurate out of the box due to a deltaE average of 3.12 due to the extended gamut.
Calibrating it reduced the deltaE average to a fantastic 0.96, making it usable for color-critical work. The downside is that you will need a colorimeter to achieve this since not every panel will have equal imaging properties. The gadget itself costs as much or even more than the monitor, so it is only going to be worth it if you will use the display for work.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG’s backlight reached 481 cd/m2, unlike most portables which have less than half of that. Its contrast peaked at 1504:1 at 50% brightness, so it’s capable of improved black luminance. It is great for outdoor and nighttime use, plus it’s capable of better overall image quality because of the higher contrast ratio.
Panel uniformity for the test sample was excellent since there were no backlight leaks or clouding issues. The colorimeter saw some variances, but it did not affect the picture output to a visible degree. Note that this can change with every monitor made due to tolerances, so it is possible to get a worse unit if you are unlucky.
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG only lists 5ms for its pixel response time, but it’s surprisingly great when it comes to motion clarity. Some persistence can still happen, but they are barely visible while gaming. The screen’s 120Hz refresh rate is tremendously beneficial since portable monitors usually aren’t great in this regard.
The only downside here is that it doesn’t have Adaptive Sync capabilities, which are essential for higher-resolution displays. It’s going to need a more powerful laptop if you want consistent 120 FPS at this resolution. Its input lag sits at 6ms at 120Hz, so it’s faster than most portable options in the market.
Thoughts on the Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG
The Asus ZenScreen MB16QHG is one of the best portable monitors you can buy if you want excellent image quality and gaming performance. It offers a vibrant WQXGA panel that’s perfect for multimedia and editing if calibrated, but it also goes up to 120Hz. Its also built and designed better than most portable monitors without sacrificing build quality.
It costs twice as much as other premium portable monitors, but our main complaint is that it doesn’t have Adaptive Sync. VRR usually works via USB-C DP Alt Mode, although it is understandable that it’s not always the case. But overall, it’s one of the best portable monitors you can buy right now for both gaming and professional applications.
Pros:
- Wide Gamut Coverage
- 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Excellent Design and Features
Cons:
- No VRR
- Limited HDR
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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