By Depending on your demands, purchasing a portable monitor might be either remarkably straightforward or extremely complicated. Numerous low-cost portable monitors are available on Amazon, with some being excellent value for the money. However, your options get more limited if you want more specialized capabilities, like as a touchscreen, stylus, or a sharper-than-average display. The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t caters to customers wanting such extras, however, it asks a hefty price for them.
Specs and Features
The ThinkVision M14t from Lenovo is a portable 14-inch widescreen monitor. Although that is a typical size, a few details are noteworthy. Instead of 16:9, which offers a little bit extra vertical room, this display is 16:10. Furthermore, its resolution of 2240 x 1400 is far higher than that of most inexpensive 14-inch portable monitors, which have a resolution of 1080p. Last but not least, the touchscreen display comes with a passive stylus (Lenovo’s active pens are also compatible, but they need to be bought separately).
- 14-inch widescreen 16:10 display
- 2240 x 1400 at native resolution
- Type of panel: IPS 10-point capacitive touchscreen
- 60 Hz refresh rate
- None with adaptive synchronization
- HDR: Not at all
- Ports: two USB-C (up to 65 watts) with DisplayPort USB Power Delivery
- Mounting VESA: 100×100 mm
- Presenters: None
- Cost: around $400
The monitor, which costs around $400, is mostly offered through merchants that serve business clients, such as CDW. For a 14-inch portable monitor, that is a steep price, but it is comparable to more expensive models like the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED.
Design
The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t bears a striking resemblance to the ThinkPad, as it is part of the company’s “Think” line of products. This indicates that the display panel’s back will have an all-black design with a gripping, soft-touch coating. fingerprints easily on the coat, which also makes the display easier to handle and less prone to scuff or skid on uneven surfaces. The M14t’s lower part has a built-in stand. When folded, it rests against the back of the display and may be rotated up to ninety degrees when needed. This indicates that the display can be positioned in any way, from completely upright to flat on a desk—roughly the full range of adjustments that a portable monitor can provide.
A far smaller range of viewing angles is provided by less costly portable monitors, such as the Arzopa A1 Gamut, which frequently employs the display cover as a prop for the monitor itself. Although it cannot sit as upright as the Lenovo, the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED, which also has an integrated stand, is inferior to the M14t. Lenovo included a nice fabric sleeve with the M14 T in the box for protection. It has a pleasant appearance and provides considerable bump resistance. Although the sleeve works well, owners who were already planning to use a sleeve would like it. I would prefer a cover that could snap over the top of the display.
The stylus that comes with the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t is made to work with Windows and Android/Chrome devices; Mac users are not supported, and the stylus I tested did not work. However, because the stylus in the bundle is passive, it lacks precision and is best suited for occasional note-taking or tapping an app’s touch button. Lenovo claims that the M14t is also compatible with its considerably more precise active pens, albeit you will need to purchase the active pen separately; these normally cost about $50.
The stand is stable enough to support touch input at angles up to around sixty degrees. The stylus continues to work after that, but attempting to write or draw in the upper half of the screen may cause it to sway backward.
Performance
The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 makes no claims that might hint at greater motion performance. It’s a 60Hz IPS panel and doesn’t support adaptive sync. Not a very clear motion. Test screenshots scrolled from titles such as League of Legends and DOTA 2, revealing that hitpoint bars and character names were unreadable above characters, and that character silhouettes and terrain elements were hard to discern. This is still not ideal, but it is normal performance for an IPS panel on a 60Hz monitor.
Lenovo offers an “Extreme” response-time mode as their one amusement-focused concession. Although it helps provide just a little bit more motion clarity, this is like trying to pick apart hairs. Fast motion isn’t any more readable despite the improvement.
Conclusion
If you need a portable monitor that supports touchscreens, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 is a good choice. It includes several impressive features, including a large adjustable fold-out stand, a stylus that comes with it, and a 16:10 aspect ratio with 2240 x 1400 resolution. However, the M14 it’s image quality isn’t particularly impressive, and its almost $400 price tag feels excessive. The M14t Gen 2 is ideal for those who require a dependable, adaptable portable touchscreen monitor but aren’t too concerned about color gamut or contrast.
