Once, NUC was a benchmark in the mini PC field, leading the trend of ultra-small form factor PCs. Today, MINISFORUM has become a leader in this field, being one of the few brands with its own independent R&D center and production base, known for its innovation and dynamism, launching numerous creative and recognizable products, including the Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Neptune, and Uranus series, each with its own characteristics.

For example, the Mercury EM680, which is as small as 0.25L but packs a Ryzen 7 6800U, is known for its powerful performance in the same size;

The Jupiter UM780XTX, which features cool backlighting and Ouclink interface, also boasts a maximum power release capability of up to 70W among its peers;

The Uranus B550 Pro, with its standalone villa design, can transform from an integrated mini PC to a dedicated ITX machine at any time, instantly gaining top-tier gaming power;

The Mars MC560, showcasing a stylish home design, comes with a built-in camera, focusing on enterprise video conferencing and online classes;

There are also models like the Neptune HN2673, HX77G, and HX99G, which integrate mobile discrete graphics and come at lower prices, targeting the Viper Canyon.

Now, MINISFORUM is no longer satisfied with just the mini PC category, but is starting to explore new fields such as ITX motherboards, portable displays, mechanical keyboards, and V3 tablet hybrids, with each product already on the market or about to be launched featuring unique characteristics. In this video, we will focus on MINISFORUM’s first portable monitor, to see what special features this product, known as the “Magic Portable Screen”, has.

Unboxing and Appearance Analysis

The specific model of the MINISFORUM portable monitor is G15Q27, featuring a minimalist white packaging design, with the product’s image and logo printed on the front, and size and production information on the back.

The accessories in the package are very rich, including an HDMI video cable (mini HDMI to HDMI), a C to C power cable, a C to C full-function cable, a C to A data cable, a charging head, a magnetic support, a cleaning cloth, and a screen protective film. The MINISFORUM portable monitor comes with a protective film already applied on the screen from the factory, and the additional screen protective film in the package is a spare, which is very considerate.

The charger is very small, using a USB-C connection with a power of 30W. The monitor weighs about 830g, and with the magnetic support, the total weight is approximately 1122g.

The magnetic support is very unique, with a carbon fiber texture on the surface, giving it a great feel, and it can be directly attached to the back panel of the monitor, providing a stable support structure.

The monitor body is made of aluminum alloy, featuring a two-segment structure that is thin (4mm) on the top and thicker (8mm) on the bottom, with very fine workmanship.

The top bezel of the screen is the narrowest at only 4mm, the left and right bezels are about 5mm, and since its screen ratio is 16:9, the bottom bezel is relatively wide at 23mm, roughly two fingers wide.

The interfaces are located on the left side of the screen, arranged from top to bottom as miniHDMI, full-function USB-C, USB-C, and Micro USB interfaces.

On the right side of the screen, there is a headphone jack, a scroll wheel, and a power button.

In terms of appearance design, the MINISFORUM portable monitor is made of good materials. After adding touch functionality, the overall thickness is still controlled at 8mm and the weight at 830g, making it very portable. Of course, it also has areas for improvement, such as the black chassis easily attracting fingerprints, and it is hoped that a more attractive white version will be launched in the future. The back does not have a screw hole for fixing the stand, requiring the use of screw stickers or magnetic stands to use it as a regular monitor. Additionally, the factory-applied protective film has some reflection issues; those sensitive to glare can replace it with a third-party anti-glare film to protect the screen.

Function and User Experience

Currently, almost all new mini PCs priced over a thousand yuan are equipped with full-function USB-C ports, even if the C port does not support PD charging, it can still achieve “one-cable connection” with the portable monitor. Taking the MINISFORUM UM780XTX as an example, this mini PC is equipped with one full-function USB4 port on the front and back, allowing power supply, video output, and touch functionality to be achieved with just one C to C cable.

It should be noted that although both USB-C ports on the MINISFORUM portable monitor support one-cable connection, only the upper C port is full-function. When using the lower USB-C to connect to a PC, touch functionality is not supported. When using HDMI to connect to a computer, a C to A data cable must also be connected to achieve touch functionality.

Compared to competitors, the core competitiveness of the MINISFORUM portable monitor is its support for 10-point touch functionality, allowing us to directly “point and click” on the screen with our fingers. Even if there is no keyboard or mouse nearby, we can complete most operations on the screen, and it can even be used as a large tablet.

By pressing the power button on the right side of the body, the OSD menu can be brought up, and options in the OSD menu can also be selected directly with a finger, making it more convenient compared to using the scroll wheel and power button together.

Additionally, many mid-to-high-end smartphones are now starting to support video output through USB-C, allowing the screen to receive input from the MINISFORUM portable monitor via wired connection. Similarly, gaming consoles like PS and Xbox (including handhelds) can also expand their visual boundaries through it.

However, only a few smartphones that support computer mode, such as Huawei Mate 40, P50, and Samsung S20, can use touch functionality with the MINISFORUM portable monitor, turning the screen into a large Android/HarmonyOS tablet. Other Android phones can only mirror their screens when paired with the portable monitor.

As a portable monitor, the core characteristics of such products are lightness, thinness, and compactness, making them a perfect companion for mini PCs. The combination of both, along with the one-cable connection, can make the desktop more streamlined and tidy.

Laptops are also the best partners for portable monitors, as portable monitors are essentially encased laptop panels, with similar dimensions, making them more suitable for use as extended screens. Compared to a laptop plus a traditional monitor setup, which has uneven heights, switching views is smoother and feels more integrated. For example, when editing videos on a laptop, the preview window often feels too small, and at this time, the video preview can be placed on the portable monitor, while the laptop screen can display more track information.

Of course, the three-screen setup of laptop + portable monitor + traditional monitor is also a necessity for many users. With the help of the MINISFORUM portable monitor, we can further enhance our efficiency in work, study, or creative endeavors through multi-screen collaboration.

As a monitor, the MINISFORUM portable monitor also boasts impressive display quality, featuring a 15.6-inch IPS hard screen with a resolution of 2560×1440, 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, 144Hz refresh rate, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a peak brightness of 400nits, with a color accuracy of ΔE<2, providing a better viewing experience than my laptop’s screen.

The screen shows no significant light leakage.

Additionally, the MINISFORUM portable monitor features two built-in 1W speakers, providing sound quality comparable to most lightweight laptops. For mini PCs without speakers, this is already a great sound experience; generally, relying on the monitor for sound output is sufficient, while those who pursue sound quality can connect external speakers or headphones.

Conclusion

In summary, the MINISFORUM portable monitor is a relatively versatile product, featuring high resolution, high refresh rate, wide color gamut, 10-point touch functionality, full-function USB-C, and built-in speakers, with no features missing. The biggest regret is that the screen’s aspect ratio is not 16:10. However, with a price of 1299 yuan, it is more competitive than products of the same specifications from well-known brands. I hope MINISFORUM can release a white version of this model in the future and hold a group-buy discount event with its mini PCs to provide a one-stop shopping service for fans of this brand.

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