The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is a mediocre portable monitor. It has a 14" screen that provides enough space to place one or two windows, great for use as a second monitor while traveling. Text clarity is excellent due to its high pixel density, but the image looks faded and washed out because it has a very narrow color gamut, so it isn't ideal for work that requires accuracy or media consumption. It isn't recommended for gaming due to its slow response times and lack of variable refresh rate support. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR at all. It can display a signal from any device with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. It also comes with a USB-C to USB-A adapter so that you can use it with a device that doesn't have a USB-C port; however, you need to install a driver to use it, and input lag is significantly higher.
Our Verdict
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is mediocre for most uses. It's best suited for work that doesn't require image accuracy, like text documents, because it has a narrow color gamut that makes the picture look washed out and inaccurate. Its response times are too slow to provide a good gaming experience, and it doesn't support VRR or HDR.
- High pixel density.
- Low input lag.
- Flicker-free backlight.
- Very narrow color gamut.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Limited ergonomics.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is okay for office use. It's big enough to open one or two windows side-by-side but still small enough to be portable. Although it has a 1080p resolution, the pixel density is quite high, which results in excellent text clarity. It doesn't get very bright, so it's best suited for a moderately lit room. The viewing angles are okay for sharing work as long as image accuracy isn't important.
- High pixel density.
- Low input lag.
- Flicker-free backlight.
- Very narrow color gamut.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Limited ergonomics.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is mediocre for gaming. Even though its input lag is incredibly low, it has a 60Hz refresh, bad response times, and no VRR support. Also, it's not ideal for gaming in the dark due to its low contrast ratio.
- High pixel density.
- Low input lag.
- Flicker-free backlight.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- 60Hz and bad response times.
- No VRR.
- Limited ergonomics.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is passable for consuming media. Its compact size makes it very portable, but it's not the most immersive. On top of that, the picture quality isn't good because it has a very narrow color gamut that makes the image look washed out. Its viewing angles are okay, good enough for sharing content casually, as long as you don't mind a less accurate image.
- High pixel density.
- Low input lag.
- Flicker-free backlight.
- Very narrow color gamut.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Limited ergonomics.
- No HDR support.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC isn't ideal for content creation. It has a basic 1080p resolution, and its sub-par color gamut makes the image look washed out. It's also not a good choice for use in well-lit environments because it doesn't get bright enough to overcome intense glare.
- High pixel density.
- Low input lag.
- Flicker-free backlight.
- Very narrow color gamut.
- Mediocre contrast ratio.
- Limited ergonomics.
- No HDR support.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC doesn't support HDR.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 14" ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC, and it's only available in this size. ASUS has many portable monitors in its ZenScreen lineup, some of which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MB14AC | 14" | 1080p | USB-C |
| MB16ACV | 15.6" | 1080p | USB-C |
| Go MB16AHP | 15.6" | 1080p | USB-C, micro-HDMI, speakers, 7800mAh built-in battery |
| Touch MB16AMT | 15.6" | 1080p | USB-C, micro-HDMI, speakers, 7800mAh built-in battery, Touchscreen |
If you come across a different type of panel or your ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit was manufactured in September 2020; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC is a mediocre portable monitor. It's very similar to the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 and the ASUS ProArt PA148CTV, but its image quality is worse due to its much narrower color gamut.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best monitors for MacBook Pro, the best office monitors, and the best monitors for dual setup.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC and the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 are 14" portable monitors with a 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. They perform similarly overall, except that the Lenovo has a much wider color gamut, so the image doesn't look washed out like it does on the ASUS. If you don't have a USB-C port on your device, the ASUS has an adapter that allows you to use it over USB-A.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC and the Lepow Z1 Gamut are portable monitors with a 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. The Lepow has a slightly bigger 15.6" screen versus the ASUS' 14" screen, and it has better picture quality due to its much wider color gamut. If you plan on using it in a well-lit environment, the Lepow has better reflection handling, but it doesn't get as bright as the ASUS. While you can use both in portrait mode, it's more complicated on the Lepow because it has ports/buttons on both sides, so you need something that can prop up the monitor.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC and the Samsung Odyssey G3 F27G35T are very different monitors. The ASUS is a 14" portable monitor with a basic 60Hz refresh rate, while the Samsung is a 27" budget desktop gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. The ASUS has a very narrow color gamut that makes colors look washed out, so it's not ideal for work that requires image accuracy or media consumption. It's also not a good choice for gaming because it has bad response times and no VRR support.
The ASUS ZenScreen MB14AC and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV are very different monitors. The ZenScreen is a 14" portable monitor with a 1080p resolution, while the ProArt Display is a 27" desktop monitor with a 1440p resolution. Unless you need portability, the ProArt Display is a better choice for most uses. The ZenScreen is only recommended for displaying text documents or spreadsheets because it has a very narrow color gamut that makes it unsuitable for content creation, and its slow response times aren't ideal for gaming.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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