I will always remember CES 2017. The yr earlier than I began at Digital Foundry, Razer stole the present with a triple-screen gaming laptop computer prototype referred to as Mission Valerie. Eight years on, I am utilizing an analogous setup to spearhead Eurogamer’s offers protection for Prime Day, and it is each bit as enjoyable and practical as I would hoped again then.
That is the Monduo Professional Duo 16, a £600 accent that clips onto 16-inch laptops just like the MacBook Professional 16 and provides two additional 16-inch shows, one on both aspect of the display. We have coated moveable shows at Digital Foundry for years, however Monduo have achieved some vital strides right here, with a folding design that you can tuck into a median mid-sized backpack, an increasing design that permits for differently-sized host laptops and a few genuinely first rate specs.
Let us take a look at these specs first: every of the 2 screens measures 16 inches, with a 2560×1600 decision, 16:10 facet ratio and a 144Hz refresh price – although my 2021-era MBP appears to restrict this to a reasonably acceptable 120Hz as a substitute. The monitor connects by way of USB-C, with two USB-C to USB-C cables within the field – and two additional Mini HDMI cables for older gadgets that may’t deal with energy and video over a single cable.
The tip outcome is not fairly as seamless as that Razer prototype, with cables seen between every monitor and the aspect of the MacBook, nevertheless it nonetheless leaves one free USB-C slot for me to attach a mouse. We’re not a 4K decision right here both, not that I would be capable to join two 4K shows at greater than 60Hz anyway on this period of MacBook, nevertheless it nonetheless feels prime quality sufficient to justify the faff and the asking value. These are IPS shows, so viewing angles are good and huge, color replica is correct – if not fairly MacBook Professional stage – and that 120Hz refresh price means the whole lot feels snappy too.
The one actual draw back that I’ve observed has been when it comes to battery life – the usually unimaginable MacBook Professional dropped to lower than 10 % cost in a matter of hours, quite than comfortably lasting the day as it will with the only major show by itself. Nevertheless, that is with two 16-inch screens maxed out when it comes to decision, refresh price and brightness, and wherever you may be placing out this explicit setup might be one that you could justify operating an influence cable to.
You may additionally need to just be sure you fastidiously detach the Monduo earlier than placing your laptop computer away, as that is fairly a little bit of weight to topic to the MacBook’s hinge, even with a small assist strut on the base of the unit. That mentioned although, I discovered it simple sufficient to clip and unclip the unit, and it takes only some minutes to take action every time – and possibly much less with apply. The screens fold into the physique of the unit to guard them, with a fabric offered for every one, so it is best to really feel moderately assured tossing this right into a backpack.
Handle cookie settings
I’ve not but had time to run my ordinary gamut of benchmarks on these displays when it comes to response time, color accuracy or gamut, however Monduo declare a 95 protection of the difficult DCI P3 color house, and to the attention they do not have a look at all out of character in comparison with the MacBook’s built-in show.
I additionally must take a better have a look at the Monduo app, which purports to synchronise brightness between the secondary shows and the principle display. This appears to work reliably sufficient, although I am unsure if I choose setting the brightness manually utilizing the touch-sensitive buttons on the inside aspect of every display, which permits entry to your normal monitor-style OSD.
Total although, it is a constructive first impression after a couple of days of use – and the closest I feel you may get to that modern Razer protoype all these years later.
For those who’ve learn this far, what would you prefer to know in regards to the Monduo 16? What ought to I take a look at? Let me know within the feedback beneath.
