Price When Reviewed

$139.99

Best Prices Today: AOC I1601FWUX

$139.39

The AOC I1601FWUX is a conveyable 15.6-inch monitor at a rock-bottom worth. It’s slim sufficient to slot in a backpack and is powered by a single USB-C cable, so it’s a superb match with a USB-C laptop computer. Just be conscious: This is a funds show higher suited to primary productiveness than leisure or content material creation.

Note: See our roundup of the best monitors to study competing merchandise, what to search for in a monitor, and shopping for suggestions.

AOC I1601FWUX: The specs

AOC’s I1601FWUX is much like most within the funds portable-monitor class. It has a 15.6-inch IPS show with 1080p decision and a 60Hz refresh price. 

• Display measurement: 15.6-inch
• Native decision: 1920×1080
• Panel kind: IPS monitor
• Refresh price: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: None
• HDR: None
• Ports: 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode
• Stand adjustment: Tent, rotation
• VESA mount: None
• Speakers: None
• Price: $139.99

Both energy and video come over a single USB-C cable with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. The monitor lacks USB-A, HDMI, or DisplayPort enter, so it’s greatest paired with a laptop computer or desktop that has USB-C out. 

AOC I1601FWUX: Design 

Matt Smith

The AOC I1601FWUX’s rear panel has a silver steel end that appears enticing, delivering a extra premium look than anticipated for the worth. However, the entrance bezels are manufactured from black plastic, which detracts from the look of the system. 

Build high quality is stable. The rear panel doesn’t simply flex and solely permits for a couple of levels of motion. There’s minimal flex within the show panel, too, which gives hope that dropping an merchandise on it wouldn’t trigger an excessive amount of injury. I’d nonetheless advocate shopping for a sleeve for the show, as any show is liable to scratches when left unprotected.

A removable kickstand is included with the monitor and works magnetically to assist the system in both a panorama or portrait orientation. The stand could be very secure in portrait orientation, although utilizing it this manner means the USB-C energy cable awkwardly juts out the “top” of the show.

Matt Smith

The stand presents about 20 levels of adjustment for tilt, which isn’t a lot, however a perk on this worth vary. Some opponents don’t modify for tilt or, in the event that they do, enable only a couple fastened positions. The AOC’s stand is designed to permit tilt adjustment throughout your entire vary of tilt supported.

The stand doesn’t modify for peak, and a VESA mount isn’t an possibility. This is true for many moveable displays, nonetheless—Viewsonic’s ColorPro VP16 OLED is an exception, but in addition greater than twice the worth. 

AOC I1601FWUX: Features and menus 

The AOC I1601FWUX has a single USB-C enter that helps DisplayPort Alternate mode. This bundles USB-C, DisplayPort connectivity, and USB Power Delivery, providing a one-cable connection. That’s a helpful benefit over older moveable displays, which regularly have separate video and energy inputs.

This is a blessing and a curse, because the monitor doesn’t include some other ports, reminiscent of HDMI or DisplayPort. It’s USB-C or bust. The single port additionally means the monitor doesn’t work as a USB-C hub and may’t hook up with a number of inputs for simple switching between gadgets. Most of AOC’s opponents provide extra enter choices apart from USB-C. 

Matt Smith

The monitor has only one button: energy. That’s it. Despite this, the monitor presents a couple of primary picture high quality changes (reminiscent of brightness and distinction). The menu is opened with a fast press of the ability button when the ability is on, and extra fast presses transfer by means of the choices. It’s a bit awkward, however common for a monitor on this worth vary—and, given the shortage of choices out there, there’s not often a have to entry the menu.

AOC I1601FWUX: SDR Image Quality

Let’s be clear: The AOC I1601FWUX is a funds monitor, and that impacts its efficiency. Unlike the Viewsonic VP16-OLED, which is a number of occasions dearer, the AOC I1601FWUX is constructed to offer primary productiveness at a cut-rate worth.

Matt Smith

The monitor reached a most brightness of 228 nits, which is a hair above the promised peak brightness of 220 nits. That’s a modest degree of brightness for a contemporary monitor, although typical at this worth level.

Fortunately, the I1601FWUX has a matte show coat that reduces glare and makes the many of the brightness out there. The monitor is usable, although not good, in most rooms with synthetic lighting. Sunlit home windows can overwhelm it, although, so it’s an iffy selection for vacationers wanting to make use of it outside or in places of work with huge home windows missing blinds or shades.

Matt Smith

The distinction ratio is available in at a good 930:1. Contrast is much from distinctive, but in addition significantly better than the worst: briefly, it’s common. That’s a stable outcome for a funds monitor, and it gives an inexpensive sense of depth and dimensionality. My evaluate unit’s uniformity was good, too, with out giant blotches or variances in brightness which may trigger the distinction to look decrease throughout parts of the show. 

Matt Smith

Color gamut is the place the I1601FWUX’s funds focus is most blatant, because it covers simply 63 % of sRGB and 47 % of DCI-P3. This degree of shade efficiency is relegated to solely to the least costly displays and seems noticeably duller and extra muted than most shows. It’s wonderful for doc enhancing or looking the online however received’t maintain up in content material creation and leisure. 

Matt Smith

The I1601FWUX disappoints in shade accuracy, too, with a a lot increased shade error than most displays we’ve not too long ago examined. I seen that colours which ought to seem punchy and impactful as an alternative shifted in direction of a extra pastel look.

I seen comparable inaccuracies within the gamma efficiency, which got here in at a gamma curve of two.5. This is off the goal of two.2 and signifies that content material will seem a bit darker than it ought to. I seen this most in scenes the place individuals wore darkish clothes, which lacked texture that must be seen. Color temperature got here in at 7400K, which is cooler than the goal of 6500K. I seen this most in pores and skin tones, the place hotter tones melted away to a flatter, extra sterile look. 

While the I1601FWUX’s shade efficiency is unremarkable, it does look sharp. The 15.6-inch 1080p panel packs 141 pixels per inch. For comparability, that’s a lot increased than a 27-inch 1440p monitor (109 ppi) and near a 27-inch 4K monitor (163 ppi). Videos and video games look crystal-clear and small fonts seem crisp.

It might seem to be I don’t have many form phrases for the monitor’s picture high quality, however the worth should be remembered. Portable displays bought beneath $150 can’t afford to make sure exact manufacturing unit high quality management, so the I1601FWUX’s efficiency is about what I anticipated. The excellent news is that this: The monitor avoids any apparent, surprising picture woes, and its excessive sharpness makes it well-suited to the essential productiveness duties homeowners are more likely to demand of it.

AOC I1601FWUX: HDR Image Quality

The AOC I1601FWUX doesn’t assist HDR. That’s excellent news. Just a few displays in the identical worth vary declare HDR assist, however don’t be fooled—they provide little greater than the flexibility to just accept an HDR sign and don’t provide a satisfactory HDR expertise. AOC’s resolution to maintain HDR off the function checklist is an trustworthy, correct illustration of the monitor’s capabilities. 

AOC I1601FWUX: Motion Performance

Gaming isn’t a precedence for the AOC I1601FWUX. It presents an ordinary 60Hz refresh price and doesn’t assist adaptive sync. Still, it really works effectively sufficient in a pinch.

Motion efficiency is ok for informal gaming. Ghosting is saved to a minimal and scenes are fairly clear throughout quick digital camera pans or when scrolling throughout a map. Small particulars, like character names or floating hitpoint bars, appear blurry and obscured. This is typical for any 60Hz IPS monitor. 

AOC presents three Overdrive modes: Weak, Medium, and Strong. The Weak mode presents some enchancment in readability with out important issues, however the Medium and Strong settings introduce lots of noise into transferring photographs. I’d advocate sticking to Weak.

Should you purchase the AOC I1601FWUX?

The AOC I1601FWUX’s construct high quality and design stand out, providing a extra strong and premium really feel than typical on this worth vary, and the stand works higher than equally priced opponents. The versatile USB-C enter is one other perk, however the lack of extra ports limits the monitor’s versatility. Image high quality doesn’t stand out and might be a disadvantage for content material creators. On the entire, it’s a good selection if you need a primary USB-C moveable monitor that feels extra strong than the alternate options.