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Surface Pro 3 + ASUS MB168B+ portable monitor = Ultimate Road Warrior Productivity

mcsenerd

Active Member
So from what I see this GeChic product isn't a (DisplayLink) USB monitor. It's an HDMI monitor, but also uses a USB connection for the 10-point capacitive touch input as well as optional power source (it also has a DC-in port for alternative power supply). Supports Windows and Android, but otherwise you can connect this as a plain HDMI monitor.

That's right. It isn't a DisplayLink monitor, but an HDMI/VGA monitor. In practice though, I hardly think this is extremely important for my particular use case (mainly Visio, business apps, etc.) but it certainly could bother others. Like I said though, I find the display to be far superior to the TN displays that I've seen...at least according to my eye.

Per Laptop mag, the Asus MB168B+ (15.6" TN) is 14.9 x 9.26 x 0.26 inches at 1.6 lbs (15.25 x 10.75 x 0.7 inches at 2.6 lbs inside its case).

Whereas the GeChic On-Lap1502I (15.6" IPS touch) is 16.94 x 9.78 x 0.39 inches at 2.98 lbs, not including its stand.

Again, like I said, I was willing to trade the increased weight for the better display quality. It certainly is heavier than the TN (non-touch) display that I previously had, but not so much that I avoid bringing it along in the cases where I know I'll need to use it.

The Asus spec states <5W "typical" power consumption which Laptop mag claims is already too much for some computers to supply via a single USB port (they had to purchase a USB Y-cable to draw power from a second port, though the SP2 obviously only has one USB port).

The GeChic is bundled with a 5V 2A (ie. 10W) power supply, which is iPad-charger territory. If I had to guess, some computers may not be able to supply enough power even from two USB ports in parallel? If using with the SP2, I guess we have to use the alternative power supply via the DC-in jack?

It certainly does draw more power than my old TN display. Crazy thing is, that the USB port on my old SP1 was enough to drive the display by itself, but on the SP2 I do have to use the USB power from the AC Adapter to give the display enough juice to work. The included cable is a USB Y-Cable, so you don't really need to connect another cable to get it done but it can make for some interesting situations getting the brick close enough to work. I've also used a 14000 mAh battery by RAVPower to power the monitor and that works quite nicely as well. I think their specs are quoting max power draw (including speakers), so I've disabled the speakers in the monitor (which suck by the way) and just use the speakers which are internal to the SP2. This helps reduce power draw...
 

mtalinm

Active Member
well I ordered one and installed the drivers but it won't work oN my SP3.

will try on my SP2, which is more impt as I'm returning the SP3 anyway
 
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CrazyT

New Member
well I ordered one and installed the drivers but it won't work oN my SP3.

will try on my SP2, which is more impt as I'm returning the SP3 anyway
The monitor works just fine on my SP1 without issues. However, on my SP3, because the USB port doesn't output enough power, I had to use a dual USB Y to micro-USB cable to split the source. One is plugged into my SP3 while the other is plugged into an external power source (you can use mobile battery or the USB port in the charger). This enables the monitor to power on just fine. Once it's powered on, you can unplug the external power source and the monitor will continue working.

It just need that extra boost to power on initially.
 

thw

New Member
It is the same on the SP2, I could not get it to work without an external power source. I use an USB Y cable. The cable can supply power to an external USB 3 hub, too.

Here is a picture of the my setup. https://twitter.com/ThomasWeinert/status/483568616907214848/photo/1

The box to the left is an Intocircuit 26000mAh battery pack. Like CrazyT said, a small battery pack for a cell phone is enough, but this one can provide power for the SP2.
 

mtalinm

Active Member
you had to split the cable and get an external power source? pathetic. or is that only when on battery? I'm OK if it will only work plugged in
 

thw

New Member
I already had the external battery.

The device manager says that the usb port supports 0.500 A, but the screen needs up to 1.3 A (label on the back). So yes, you will need a second port for power.

It is not that big a problem. Most of the time you will use it with the power supply connected (customers office, hotel room, ...) and the power supply provides the additional usb power port.
 
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