Asus ZenScreen MB27ACF monitor review: A slick portable screen with solid gaming performance

Portable monitors have long occupied a niche market of small, lightweight displays that usually sacrifice features and performance on the altar of convenience. And rightly so, because if you loaded them up with tech and cred, they wouldn’t be very portable. Still, it would be nice to have something of decent size to game on, maybe as a second screen for that giga-hauler gaming laptop weighing down your tech bag.

Asus attempts to fill that role with its ZenScreen MB27ACF. Most of the portables I’ve interacted with are 15 inches at best, but this one is 27 inches in size. However, it still weighs just 6.57 pounds and is 20mm thin. The panel is IPS with QHD 2560x1440 resolution, 100 Hz, FreeSync/VRR, and three internal speakers. It includes an integrated fold-out stand and a nice C-clamp arm for the desktop. Let’s take a look.

Asus ZenScreen MB27ACF Specs

The MB27ACF isn’t strictly a gaming monitor; it gives you most of what’s needed for decent play. The 100 Hz refresh rate is relatively low, but coupled with a decent overdrive, it delivers reasonably smooth motion processing with just moderate input lag. It includes Adaptive-Sync but only for FreeSync and VRR applications. It is not certified for G-Sync, and I was unable to use Nvidia’s frame-tear-eliminating tech. However, it works fine with Radeon video cards and consoles.

The image comes from an IPS panel with QHD 2560x1440 resolution. That’s 109ppi in pixel density speak, enough for a nice, sharp image at close viewing distances. I also found decent off-axis quality and good reflection rejection from the screen’s matte finish. The color gamut is slightly larger than sRGB; I refer to it as sRGB+. I missed the greater volume offered by many gaming monitors, but in typical Asus fashion, it is accurate, and the MB27ACF makes the most of its capabilities. Calibration isn’t required, but you can make a few tweaks for a slight improvement.

Ergonomically, the package is more complete than other portables I’ve encountered. There’s no carrying case included, but you do get a metal fold-out stand with rubber feet to keep it from sliding around. The stand doubles as a handle. A snap-on fixture in the back interfaces with a high-quality arm terminated in a large C-clamp. You can quickly install it on any desk or tabletop up to around four inches thick. And it comes with brackets to hang it from a cubicle partition. Should you want an aftermarket solution, there’s a 75mm VESA mount.

For power, you get a small external brick, or you can connect the MB27ACF via USB-C for a one-cable solution. The only limitation is an 85-nit brightness cap. A 3.5mm headphone jack provides audio, and there are three internal speakers, one of which is called a subwoofer. My idea of a subwoofer is around a thousand times the size and volume of a computer monitor, but in practice, the MB27ACF puts out more bass than other desktop displays with internal speakers, so it is a definite improvement over the norm.

Asus offers a solid package here for $449 at this writing. It sits in the middle between premium and budget pricing, but from what I’ve seen in this sparsely populated genre, the MB27ACF has no real competition.

Assembly and Accessories

The MB27ACF’s diminutive box is brimming with accessories. The panel can be used without any extras, including the power supply, if you plug it into a PC or laptop equipped with USB-C. The fold-out stand has a large angle range and includes rubber feet in just the right spots to keep everything from sliding about. The arm ends in a large C-clamp with around four inches of range. A small snap-on adaptor interfaces with the arm’s Z mount. Also included in the box are brackets for cubicle partitions, allowing you to hang the MB27ACF like a picture. HDMI and USB-C cables round out the parts bundle.

Product 360

Image 1 of 5

From the front, the MB27ACF is all screen with a 7mm bezel around the top and sides. The bottom trim says “Asus” and is capped underneath by a clear plastic strip that floats the panel about 12mm off the desktop. Like the fold-out stand, it is also rubberized for added stability.

The arm is super nice and could easily cost $100 on its own. It has a large clamp with rubber pads that protect your furniture from scratches. The panel snaps onto it using a small, round bracket, which is removable. The Z mount offers almost unlimited swivel plus fore and aft movement. The height adjustment is nearly seven inches and features a locking mechanism. The mount also includes a 90-degree portrait mode.

The inputs are on the left side and include one HDMI 2.0 and a USB-C with DisplayPort function. You also get a DC plug for the small external power brick. A 3.5mm jack provides headphone support. If you power the MB27ACF through USB-C, brightness is limited to 85 nits. On the opposite side are control keys for power and menu navigation.

OSD Features

Pressing one of the MB27ACF’s side control keys opens a small menu with brightness, OSD, and power options. The user can change these shortcuts. The full OSD resembles a typical Asus menu, except that the background is white instead of black.

Image 1 of 9

There are eight picture modes, and I was surprised to see no Racing mode. Standard is the default, and it is fairly close to standard, so calibration is optional. Next up is the blue light filter and color adjustments for different states of color blindness, called Color Augmentation. The Image menu has luminance sliders and a five-level overdrive called Trace Free. You can also toggle VRR here.

In the Color menu are five gamma presets and three fixed color temps plus a set of RGB sliders. You can achieve a very precise calibration if you wish. In My Favorite, you can program the shortcut keys that appear on the right side of the screen to the settings you use most often.

In case you were fuzzy on the MB27ACF’s gaming intent, Asus has thrown in its complete GamePlus suite with six aiming points, timers, frame counter, stopwatch, and display alignment marks. I wish they’d thrown in G-Sync too, but users of consoles and Radeon cards will get Adaptive-Sync/VRR through the full 100 Hz refresh rate range.

From Asus’ ProArt side comes QuickFit, which is a handy set of on-screen templates for different paper sizes. It’s ideal for visualizing documents that you plan to print since they can be viewed at actual size.

Asus ZenScreen MB27ACF Calibration Settings

The MB27ACF doesn’t require calibration in its Standard picture mode, but I went for a grayscale adjustment anyway. The RGB sliders got me dialed in easily with a visible and measurable improvement. Gamma is spot-on whether you calibrate or not, and I was glad to see accurate presets included. Choices are always welcome. Unfortunately, HDR is not supported, so there’s nothing to report in that regard. My SDR settings are below.

Gaming and Hands-on

The MB27ACF impressed me unexpectedly with its gaming ability. I’ve said for years that 144 Hz is a starting point, and I’m not changing that mantra. But Asus makes excellent use of every Hertz with a superb overdrive that is precisely tuned. Locking the frame rate at 100fps in QHD resolution is easy work for many video cards so the lack of G-Sync for me wasn’t an issue.

Motion blur wasn’t invisible, but it didn’t distract me from precise aiming. I could dispatch targets with very little wasted ammo. Input lag is low enough that I didn’t perceive it. The MB27ACF is only 40 Hz quicker than an enterprise display but it feels like more than that. A 144 Hz monitor with less precise overdrive would not look this good.

Color and contrast were good but after enjoying HDR and wide gamut color on other monitors, the MB27ACF came up a tad short. Warm tones show better than cooler textures which were a bit flat. If you’re trooping around a forest or jungle, the image has more impact than the icy cold environments of Doom Eternal’s first horde map. For casual gaming on the go, there is little to complain about. And the draw of a 27-inch monitor cannot be ignored. Most portables are 15 or 16 inches. The MB27ACF’s extra area more than makes up for the missing HDR and wide gamut.

From a usability standpoint, the MB27ACF shines. It’s thin and light and slips easily into a tech pack or large briefcase. I would recommend using a bag or sleeve to protect the screen. That’s one thing Asus left out. However, the fold-out stand is extremely well-engineered, with firm movement. The monitor feels very secure on it thanks to the rubberized bits. I also used the included arm, which clamps down in just a minute. Snapping the panel on creates a solid package with precise adjustment. The locking height movement is convenient. And the Z mount allows for nearly unlimited swivel.

The MB27ACF boasts its 2.1-channel sound with subwoofer, and indeed, I heard more bass than what comes from typical integrated speakers. The sound is a bit thin in the midrange, but upper frequencies were clear and precise. When playing on the go, you’ll be using the headphone jack more often, and I appreciate its convenient location on the side.

Takeaway: The MB27ACF is a complete package, not just as a portable monitor, but also as a desktop display. Though it lacks HDR and wide gamut color, it games very well and comes with multiple mounting options that are well thought out. It’s thin and light as a portable should be, but the build quality is rugged and befitting its price. It has no real competition at present.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor