AOC 16T20 Monitor Performance
For our monitor testing, we use a Datacolor SpyderPro (Amazon Affiliate) to measure the monitors’ color performance. This is not the fanciest test equipment by any means, but we just wanted to get some general sense of performance.
Per the official specifications from AOC, this monitor can display 262K colors, indicating it is a 6-bit panel. Backlighting is generated by white LEDs, providing for a maximum brightness of 250 nits.
Above we have the measured color gamut, and below we have the measured color accuracy from our Datacolor SpyderPro.
As one would expect from a 6-bit/262K color display, AOC is not using a panel and backlighting setup that can cover the complete sRGB color space. With the measured gamut covering just 64% of the sRGB space, this is a bit below average for a budget monitor, which are normally in the 66%-67% range.
The smaller gamut also puts the 16T20 on its back foot in terms of color accuracy, leading to it being the least accurate monitor we have reviewed thus far. The limited color space means that significant errors are inevitable from the start, especially with red hues. But the measured delta error (dE) of 15.5 is the largest error to date. Grayscale accuracy is similarly below par compared to other budget monitors, though it is ultimately good enough for text. Overall, with an average dE of 5.30, the 16T20 is not a very accurate monitor.
As a quick comparison point, here is what we saw from the MNN M156F01 portable monitor, a similarly-priced 15.6-inch display that we previously reviewed:
And the color accuracy:
On the whole, the 16T20 ends up slightly underperforming here. The poor accuracy is to be expected from a 6-bit panel, but even then, AOC’s monitor performs just a bit worse than any of the other budget monitors we have tested.
Power Consumption, Brightness, and Contrast
We have found that the monitors often do not scale power and brightness in line with what the settings may indicate. That is important because, as a portable monitor, it may be run off of a battery, making power and brightness an important trade-off. Here is what we captured for monitor power on the Type-C power input at different brightness levels.
- 0% (36.3 nits) is 2.7W
- 25% (47.7 nits) is 2.9W
- 50% (58.9 nits) is 3.1W
- 75% (70.7 nits) is 3.4W
- 100% (104.5 nits) is 4.1W
In case you were wondering about what we saw for the brightness and contrast:
The good news is that the 16T20 ends up being a very power-efficient monitor. Even at 100% brightness, the complete 15.6-inch monitor is only drawing 4.1 Watts of power. The bad news is that it saves on power by not being very bright. With a maximum brightness of 105 nits, we were not able to come anywhere close to AOC’s spec of a maximum brightness of 250 nits. There are some OSD configuration options available to play with that may improve things somewhat, but out of the box it is a rather dim display.
Final Words
We have taken a look at several portable monitors now, including a few at the budget/entry-level segment. This has been a rather competitive market segment, which sees both upstart vendors and established brands like AOC fighting over price-conscious consumers who are looking to get a decent display that will not break the bank. The end result is a class of monitors that, while technically unimpressive, fills the need for cheap displays.
AOC’s 16T20, by extension, is largely cut from the same cloth as the other budget portable monitors we have looked at so far. The monitor’s design makes trade-offs with both color accuracy and brightness, which is to be expected in this segment. On the other hand, it lives up to all of AOC’s portability promises, thanks in part to its tablet-like design and included smart cover. And it does all of that for a very low price.
But the hyper-competitive nature of the budget segment means that AOC has plenty of capable rivals. In that respect, while the 16T20 is not a bad monitor when looked at in a vacuum, it does not look as good lined up next to its competitors. AOC’s monitor does just a bit worse than the other budget monitors in both color accuracy and overall brightness. Consequently, it is the weakest budget monitor that we have reviewed so far.
The end result is that while AOC’s 16T20 is a passable monitor at its $50 price point, other, better monitors can be found for just as cheap. It will fill the role of a cheap, entry-level monitor about as well as anything else, but if you can find something like the MNN M156F01 at a similar price, then there is little reason to settle for the 16T20’s more limited performance.
Where To Buy
If you just want to pick one of these up, here is the Amazon affiliate link to where we purchased this unit.
