By Although it’s not always the case, the majority of portable monitors are designed for basic productivity. With a 180Hz refresh rate, the Arzopa Z3FC is a sizable IPS LCD portable monitor designed to be useful for both gaming and business productivity. Although its debut price is a barrier, it is successful.
Specs and features
Compared to low-cost portable monitors that cost $100 or less, the Arzopa Z3FC offers some improvements. Naturally, the Z3FC’s resolution of 2560 x 1440 is better than most low-cost rivals’ 1920 x 1080 resolution. Additionally, the Z3FC boasts a quick refresh rate of 180 Hz, which is high for a compact monitor.
- 16.1-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio
- Resolution in native: 2560 x 1440
- Type of panel: IPS-LED
- Rate of refresh: 180 Hz
- Yes, AMD FreeSync offers adaptive sync.
- HDR: Not present
- Ports: 1x Mini-HDMI 2.0, 2x USB Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery
- Sound: two one-watt speakers
- Extra features: Integrated kickstand
- Measurements: 13 x 8 x 0.39 in.
- 1.72 pounds in weight
- Cost: $199.99 at retail, $229.99 at MSRP
I don’t believe the Arzopa Z3FC was ever sold at MSRP, which is not uncommon for an Amazon product listing, even if its MSRP is $229.99. More often than not, it costs $199.99. Even that falls in the upper range of where I anticipate this product to be as it ages. Originally priced at $259.99, the Arzopa Z1FC has sold for as little as $96.98. I anticipate that the Z3FC will progressively approach that number.
Design
The Arzopa Z3FC has a sleek, long-lasting feel thanks to its metal frame and rear panel with plastic bezels. The Z3FC doesn’t readily exhibit flex and feels sturdy when handled, even though its profile is incredibly thin—less than 4/10-inch thick. Please understand that if you so desired, you could snap this thing over your knee. With the iPad Pro, however, the same might be said. The Z3FC feels good, but big, thin devices are never bomb-proof.
The portable monitor’s tiny form makes it just that—portable. With a weight of about 1.7 pounds, it is slightly lighter than the typical 16-inch portable monitor. The kickstand fully retracts into the monitor’s housing, and Arzopa avoids utilizing a bump-out to accommodate the ports, making the display portable. Nevertheless, the kickstand may be used in both portrait and landscape orientations despite its compact size.
There is also a sleeve provided. It has a flap that is fastened with Velcro, but it still looks fine. I wouldn’t rely on the carrying case alone to protect the monitor when packing it in checked luggage, even though it does a good job overall. However, this is also true of the majority of sleeves that come with portable monitors.
Connectivity
The Arzopa Z3FC has a mixed bag of connectivity. It has an HDMI port as well as two USB-C connections with DisplayPort and Power Delivery. Everything is going OK so far.
However, it’s unfortunate that the HDMI port is mini-HDMI. Although an HDMI to mini-HDMI connection is included with the Arzopa Z3FC, mini-HDMI is often far less prevalent. If you leave the provided cable at home, you might have trouble finding one in an office or for sale in a store.
Of course, it might be simpler to simply rely on USB-C. When plugged into a USB-C port with sufficient power, the monitor can be powered via Power Delivery. Although the specifications are vague, an 18-watt power source proved sufficient.
Power pass-through is supported via the USB-C ports. This implies that a USB-C device connected to one USB-C port can be charged using the portable monitor after a USB-C source with power is attached to the other USB-C port.
Although it is not supplied, a USB-C power brick is necessary if you intend to use an HDMI video source or a USB-C video input that is power-deficient. Although it is a small letdown, the majority of competitive portable monitors do not come with a power brick.
SDR image quality
One advantage of the Arzopa Z3FC is its brightness. It has an SDR brightness of about 400 nits, which is excellent for a portable monitor. Although this brightness is too high for most circumstances, portable monitors are probably employed in places like conference rooms and airport lounges where lighting is uncontrollable. Because of its high brightness, the Z3FC will be more comfortable to use in bright environments and close to wide windows that receive plenty of natural light. The Arzopa Z3FC isn’t particularly costly, but at its current average retail price of $199.99, I wouldn’t classify it as a low-cost portable monitor. Thus, the image quality of the monitor is important. It performs well in a number of categories, although OLED competition puts pressure on it in others.
Conversely, contrast is a miss for the Z3FC. Contrast is a problem for the majority of portable monitors with IPS-LCD panels, and the Z3FC ranks near the bottom of the group. As a result, the image may appear flat and lifeless. It’s disappointing when playing a game, but it’s not an issue with Microsoft Office.
For entertainment purposes, portable monitors with an OLED display, such as the Innocn 15K1F, are a far superior option. They offer a rich, captivating image that is instantly noticeable.
However, bear in mind that OLED portable displays with comparable prices will have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. It is a trade-off that you will have to consider.
ARZOPA 16.1” 180Hz 2.5K Portable Monitor, 2560×1440 QHD 107% sRGB Kickstand Portable Gaming Monitor with HDR
Depending on your point of view, the Arzopa Z3FC’s color gamut is either good or mediocre. It covers 78 percent of DCI-P3 and AdobeRGB, and 99 percent of sRGB.
That is average to above-average for a portable monitor with an IPS-LCD panel, as the graph illustrates. The color range of the Z3FC is sufficient to produce a vivid image with good color volume.
The Z3FC’s color gamut, however, lags much behind that of the Innocn 15K1F’s OLED panel and will generally trail behind OLED competitors. Many people enjoy the extremely rich, hyper-saturated picture that OLED offers.
The color fidelity of the Arzopa Z3FC was mediocre. Although the average color mistake isn’t too bad, it does contain observable inaccuracies in blue and cyan. Overall, it appears that the display may appear a little too orange or red. The monitor’s color temperature of 6300K, which is somewhat warmer than the desired 6500K, also reflects that.
However, with an on-target gamma curve of 2.2, gamma was strong. Although the monitor’s overall contrast isn’t very good, it does a good job of maintaining detail in scenes that are dark. Content generally appears as bright as it should.
One of the highlights is sharpness. The resolution of the 16.1-inch panel is 2560 x 1440. This equates to roughly 182 pixels per inch. That is significantly better than a 27-inch 1440p display (approximately 110 ppi) and has a greater pixel density than a 27-inch 4K monitor (around 163 ppi). Text appears crisp and high-resolution video looks fantastic.
What is the conclusion, then? The visual quality of the Z3FC is good, in my opinion. When utilized in a bright room, its great brightness and respectable color gamut help it provide an appealing image. In darker spaces, the low contrast ratio is more apparent, making it less impressive.
HDR image quality and motion
HDR is a feature of the Arzopa Z3FC, but it’s not really noteworthy, and if you did, you might use terminology that your pen friend wouldn’t like. Although HDR is supported, there is little to no advantage to using the monitor due to its low brightness and contrast ratio. The image appears slightly altered, but not improved. I advise staying on SDR.
However, this issue is not exclusive to the Z3FC. To varying degrees, all portable monitors experience poor HDR. Their affordability and portability are the main causes of this. The only portable monitor I’ve tried that offers adequate HDR is the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED, but it costs $519.99.
The IPS-LCD panel’s 180Hz refresh rate, which is high for a portable monitor with 2560×1440 resolution, enhances the motion clarity of the Z3FC. In visuals that are moving and changing quickly, a faster refresh rate results in less blur. This improvement is especially noticeable when compared to a 60Hz option.
On the monitor’s Amazon page, Arzopa states that the pixel response time is 9 milliseconds. The response time of a desktop LCD-IPS gaming display is usually between 0.5 and 5 milliseconds, so that’s not good. For cooperative and single-player games, the motion clarity is generally good, but esports enthusiasts with quick thinking and a keen eye should set reasonable expectations.
Although the Z3FC’s motion clarity isn’t flawless, its affordability and mobility should be considered. Motion blur is substantially more evident on most portable monitors because of their significantly lower refresh rate. Although OLED alternatives with a 120Hz refresh rate start at about $250 ($50 more than the Z3FC) and go up from there, they will still outperform the Z3FC.
For those who want to play games with respectable motion clarity but need to be aware of their budget, the Z3FC offers a price-to-value compromise.
Conclusion
Another good portable monitor in the company’s lineup is the Arzopa Z3FC. For $199.99, it offers a quick 180Hz refresh rate and good image clarity. It also has a user-friendly menu system and a sleek, appealing style.
Nevertheless, at the moment, pricing isn’t in its favor. For $109.99, Arzopa’s earlier Z1FC, which is comparable but has a slightly slower 144Hz refresh rate, is a far better value overall. Although I anticipate a gradual price reduction, the Z3FC is currently too costly for what it provides.
Nevertheless, the Z3FC has good motion clarity, a small shape, strong brightness, and respectable color performance. These characteristics make it a desirable portable display for a variety of uses and particularly helpful for gaming while on the go. Another good portable monitor in the company’s lineup is the Arzopa Z3FC. For $199.99, it offers a quick 180Hz refresh rate and good image clarity. It also has a user-friendly menu system and a sleek, appealing style.
