Lenovo ThinkVision M14t evaluate: A dear moveable monitor with contact

Worth When Reviewed

$399

Finest Costs At present: Lenovo ThinkVision M14t

Shopping for a conveyable monitor is extremely straightforward, or surprisingly tough, relying in your wants. There’s plenty of cheap moveable displays on Amazon, and a few are fairly good for the worth. However if you would like extra particular options, like a touchscreen, stylus, or a show with above-average sharpness, your choices start to slender. The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t caters to these on the lookout for such extras, although it expenses a excessive value for them.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 specs and options

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t is a 14-inch widescreen moveable monitor. That’s a typical dimension, however a couple of specifics stand out. This can be a 16:10 show, not 16:9, which offers a bit extra vertical house. It additionally offers a decision of 2240×1400, which is kind of a bit increased than the 1080p decision widespread to funds 14-inch moveable displays. Lastly, the show is a touchscreen, and it’s bundled with a passive stylus (Lenovo’s lively pens are supported, too, however should be bought individually).

• Show dimension: 14-inch 16:10 widescreen
• Native decision: 2240×1400
• Panel kind: IPS 10-point capacitive touchscreen
• Refresh fee: 60Hz
• Adaptive sync: None
• HDR: None
• Ports: 2x USB-C with DisplayPort and as much as 65 watts USB Energy Supply
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Audio system: None
• Worth: $400 (approximate)

The monitor is generally bought by retailers that cater to enterprise clients, like CDW, and is comparatively costly at almost $400. That’s a excessive value for a 14-inch moveable monitor, although not out of line with top-tier choices just like the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED.

Additional studying: See our roundup of the greatest moveable displays to find out about competing merchandise.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 design

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t is a part of the corporate’s “Suppose” model, which incorporates the well-known ThinkPad — so, unsurprisingly, it seems lots like a ThinkPad. Meaning an all-black design with a grippy, soft-touch coat on the bottom of the show panel. The coat readily exhibits fingerprints, but in addition makes the show simpler to deal with and fewer more likely to slip or slide on uneven surfaces.

A stand is constructed into the underside half of the M14t. It folds up in opposition to the again of the show when not in use and, when wanted, can rotate as much as 90 levels. Meaning the show can accommodate any place from flat on a desk to completely upright, which is about as extensive a spread of adjustment as a conveyable monitor can provide.

Cheaper moveable displays, just like the Arzopa A1 Gamut, typically use the show cowl as a prop for the monitor itself, offering a way more restricted vary of viewing angles. The M14t has an edge in opposition to the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED, which additionally has a built-in stand, however can’t sit upright in the identical approach because the Lenovo.

For defense, Lenovo ships the M14t with a smooth cloth sleeve. It seems good and gives some cushion in opposition to bumps. I would like a canopy that may clip excessive of the show, however the sleeve does the job, and house owners who deliberate to make use of a sleeve anyway may want it.

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t ships with a stylus designed to work with Home windows and Android/Chrome gadgets (Mac help isn’t listed, and didn’t perform in my testing). The bundle’s stylus is passive, nevertheless, so it’s not exact and solely works effectively for jotting down an occasional observe or tapping a contact button in an app. Lenovo says the M14t can be appropriate with the corporate’s lively pens, that are far more exact, however you’ll want to purchase the lively pen individually (they’re sometimes round $50).

The stand gives sufficient stability to just accept contact enter at angles as much as about 60 levels. Past that, the stylus nonetheless features, however attempting to attract or write in direction of the highest half of the show could cause it to wobble backwards.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 connectivity and menus

Lenovo offers simply two ports on the ThinkVision M14t: a pair of USB-C ports with DisplayPort and as much as 65 watts of USB Energy Supply. Meaning each ports can be utilized as a video enter and/or to cost the M14t.

Lenovo doesn’t ship the M14t with a USB energy brick, so that you’ll have to depend on the USB Energy Supply capabilities of the pc you employ with the M14t or use a third-party energy adapter. The M14t’s specs quote a most energy draw of about 10 watts, although, so most USB ports with Energy Supply ought to be capable to deal with it, as will most USB-C chargers.

The monitor’s on-screen menu system is exclusive and glorious. As an alternative of counting on buttons to navigate the menu, which is commonly fiddly, tapping the menu button opens a touchscreen menu within the monitor’s decrease proper quarter. It’s responsive and simple to make use of. There’s not a ton of menu choices to alter, nevertheless: The monitor solely offers obscure shade temperature controls and doesn’t have gamma presets.

What it does have, although, is a wake-on-touch perform and an auto rotation perform. Each are glorious for a touchscreen moveable monitor. You should use a contact to wake the monitor, if desired, and simply swap between portrait and panorama orientations.

Simply be warned that portrait orientation is a bit awkward, because the stand doesn’t tilt in that course (which means that, in portrait mode, you possibly can solely place the monitor upright 90 levels or flat on a floor — until you employ a third-party stand, in fact). Portrait mode may also hinder one of many USB-C ports, and can depart the opposite positioned in a clumsy angle. Lenovo did give this some thought, although, and compromises with an included 90-degree USB-C adapter that makes the USB-C cable a bit much less obtrusive in portrait mode.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 SDR picture high quality

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t doesn’t make any large claims about its picture high quality. It doesn’t help HDR, it quotes a distinction ratio of simply 1500:1, and it solely guarantees to cowl 100% of the sRGB shade gamut (which is the least spectacular of contemporary shade gamut requirements). That’s to not say the monitor’s picture high quality is unhealthy — however it’s extra targeted on sharpness and performance than wow issue.

I measured a most SDR brightness of solely 250 nits, which isn’t nice. The touchscreen is shiny, too, so glare can simply overwhelm the monitor if it’s utilized in a brightly lit room. Utilizing the monitor outdoor, or close to giant sunlit home windows, borders on unattainable.

Many moveable displays have related issues. Growing brightness will increase energy draw, which is a matter for a conveyable show. Nonetheless, consumers ought to maintain this in thoughts when enthusiastic about how they’ll use the M14t. It’s greatest in a room with gentle management.

The M14t achieved a distinction ratio of 1880:1 at 50 p.c of most brightness. That’s really not unhealthy for a monitor with an IPS touchscreen, and it’s sufficient to ship a great sense of depth and immersion when utilizing the monitor in a lit room. OLED displays, just like the Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED, ship a a lot better distinction ratio, however the M14t’s distinction is ok for day-to-day productiveness.

Shade gamut is a weak spot for the M14t. It may well cowl your complete sRGB shade gamut, however solely 79 p.c of DCI-P3 and 77 p.c of AdobeRGB. That may be a slightly restricted shade gamut, and it means the M14t can’t show as many colours total as its competitors. OLED moveable displays have a critical edge, and supply a vivid, punchy picture that’s extra alluring than what the M14t achieves.

Foundry / Matt Smith

Foundry / Matt Smith

Foundry / Matt Smith

Whereas the M14t can’t show a formidable vary of shade, the colours it could show are far more correct than typical for a conveyable monitor. The monitor’s common shade error is shut sufficient to good that most individuals gained’t discover shade imperfections. The only exception is blue and cyan hues, which had a shade error a lot increased than all different colours. Nonetheless, most individuals will discover the M14t’s presentation sensible.

That is helped by the monitor’s gamma curve of two.2 and shade temperature of 6300K. The gamma curve is precisely on-target, and it implies that content material displayed on the monitor won’t look brighter or darker than it ought to. The colour temperature of 6300K is a bit hotter than our goal of 6500K, however not a lot that it’s an issue. With that stated, the M14t doesn’t have any gamma changes and solely 4 shade temperature changes, which may be an issue if you wish to change the gamma or shade temperature to your choice.

Sharpness is clearly the M14t’s best energy. The 14-inch 16:10 panel offers a decision of 2240×1400, which works out to roughly 189 pixels per inch. That’s a better pixel density than a 27-inch 4K monitor. Video seems ultra-sharp and small textual content is surprisingly legible with no noticeable pixelation round high-contrast edges at a traditional viewing distance. It’s a super-crisp expertise.

On the entire, the M14t appears extra fascinated by nailing the fundamentals of picture high quality, like sharpness and accuracy, than stretching to supply a extra alluring, vivid show. That’s an affordable choice, because the M14t is pitched as a conveyable monitor for productiveness and enterprise. Nevertheless, opponents just like the Innocn 15A1F and the ViewSonic VP16-OLED ship a a lot wider shade gamut and higher distinction at the same value, although on the expense of a softer 1080p picture.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 movement efficiency

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 makes no claims that will trace at superior movement efficiency. It’s a 60Hz IPS panel and doesn’t help adaptive sync.

Movement readability isn’t nice. Scrolling take a look at photographs from video games like DOTA 2 and League of Legends confirmed that character silhouettes and map particulars had been tough to make out, whereas the names and hitpoint bars above characters had been unattainable to learn. That is typical efficiency for a 60Hz monitor with an IPS show, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not nice.

Lenovo’s one concession to leisure is an “Excessive” response-time mode. It does barely provide a tad extra movement readability, however this seems like attempting to separate hairs. The development isn’t sufficient to make quick movement any extra legible.

Do you have to purchase the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2?

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 is a strong choice in case you want a conveyable monitor with touchscreen help. It has a number of robust options together with a fold-out stand with a major vary of adjustment, a bundled stylus, and a 16:10 facet ratio with a decision of 2240×1400. The M14t’s picture high quality doesn’t stand out, although, and its price ticket of almost $400 feels steep. The M14t Gen 2 is greatest for individuals who aren’t overly involved about shade gamut or distinction however as an alternative want a dependable, versatile moveable touchscreen monitor.