Well known for its mini PCs, Minisforum is expanding its catalog with the MSS-A156, a high-definition portable touch screen that can be used with a laptop, a smartphone, a game console or a camera.
In the space of a few years, Minisforum has carved out a good reputation thanks to its mini PCs, these miniature computers which advantageously replace the old towers of yesteryear – as we have been saying for a while – and which are enjoying growing success. but while continuing to offer new, ever more powerful models, like the excellent Venus UM773 Lite and Venus UN1265 that we have already tested, the Chinese manufacturer has recently decided to extend its catalog with other types of products. And while waiting for the upcoming arrival of the V3, a curious hybrid PC (see our article), it’s the turn of the MSS-A156 to see the light of day. As its name hardly suggests, it is a portable screen. It’s certainly not the first external monitor of its kind, but it has enough going for it to stand out.
First of all, the MSS-A156 is a touch screen: you can therefore use your fingers on its panel for various actions, exactly as you do on a smartphone or tablet, which can be useful when you connect it to a computer laptop without touch screen. Then, the MSS-A156 works using a simple USC-C cable which both supplies it with electricity and sends it data to display. A feature all the more valuable since, like any self-respecting portable screen, the MSS-A156 is both compact and light: it measures only 357 x 223 x 8 mm (its thinnest part is even 4 mm ) for a weight of 900 g. You can therefore take it anywhere (it is barely larger than an A4 sheet) without even having to carry a power adapter, which makes it an ideal accessory for nomads. Not to mention that it can be positioned in both landscape and portrait mode.
This compactness and lightness do not come at the expense of quality since the MSS-A156 benefits from a luxurious aluminum alloy metal chassis. Nothing to do with cheap plastic models. Above all, it promises excellent display quality. Its 15.6-inch panel (the classic diagonal of many laptops) is IPS, a well-known technology which ensures good viewing angles. Minisforum announces a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which is very correct, but also, and above all, 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 and a Delta E less than 2, guaranteeing very faithful color rendering (to be checked during testing, obviously). Better yet, in addition to its comfortable WQHD type definition (2560 x 1440 pixels), it ensures a high refresh rate, at 144 Hz, which makes it a model suitable for “fast” games requiring a large number of frames per second. (FPS).
So many features that make this screen very versatile, especially as it has great connectivity (a Mini HDMI port, two “full function” USB-C sockets, a Micro-USB socket and even a minijack audio output 3.5mm stereo). In fact, it can be used as a primary screen on a Mini PC, as well as as a secondary monitor on a laptop (it is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, or even with a smartphone, a tablet, a game console or even a camera. And its price remains very reasonable: theoretically offered at 259 euros, it is sold for 209 euros for its launch on the Minisforum site.