At first glance, it might appear that the 514PN doesn’t have an on-screen display (OSD). And I assumed as much, since there’s no OSD button and only two physical buttons for display brightness.
There’s no built-in accelerometer, so you’ll need to head into Windows display settings to change from landscape to portrait orientation. You’ll also be able to change other settings natively in Windows, like the resolution (the 514PN has a native resolution of 2560 x 1600) and refresh rate (the 514PN tops out at 75 Hz, which is slightly above the segment-usual 60 Hz).
The 514PN uses an IPS Black panel with Neo:LED and an anti-reflective coating, and it’s excellent. IPS black technology delivers a significant increase in contrast ratio compared to traditional IPS panels. IPS panels used in portable monitors (and laptops) typically have an average contrast ratio of 1,000:1, but the 514PN doubles that metric to 2,000:1. In practice, you will see darker blacks (instead of skewing toward gray) and better color accuracy.
Our instrumented testing showed that the 514PN tended to display colors as a bit oversaturated, covering 193.9 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 137.3 percent of sRGB. The numbers that the 514PN put up were more in line with what we’d see in an OLED panel. The brightness numbers from our light meter came in at 352.4 nits, putting it just behind the ViewSonic TD1656-2K (363 nits) and further behind the Dell Pro 14 Plus (409 nits).
I watched a few movie trailers on the 514PN and was amazed at the deep black levels and rich colors. I watched the trailer for Crime 101 and came away impressed by how well the monitor resolved darkened scenes without appearing like a sea of dark greys (much of the trailer shows action taking place at night).
The 514PN has a native panel resolution of 2560 x 1600, putting it on even footing with the TD1656-2K. However, the HP has a slight advantage in maximum refresh rate, topping out at 75 Hz instead of 60 Hz. I appreciated the extra horizontal and vertical resolution when working on spreadsheets, as most portable monitors – especially the budget models – have a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 (or 1920 x 1200).
The HP Series 5 Pro 514PN is a remarkable entry into the portable monitor market. It might not be the thinnest or lightest in its class, but it’s well-built and looks great next to your laptop. In addition, the IPS Black panel is gorgeous, with deep blacks and vibrant colors. When using the 514PN as a secondary monitor, you’ll appreciate the added resolution that the native 2560 x 1600 panel offers over less expensive 1080p peers. In addition, the two USB-C ports do support 65-watt Power Delivery, allowing you to power your laptop through the 514PN, cutting down on cable clutter.
However, you won’t find HDMI connectivity here, nor are there integrated speakers. But the most significant barrier to entry will likely be the price. $299 is a lot to spend on a productivity-focused portable monitor, but it offers better value than the similarly priced Espresso Display 15 , which has a 1080p panel. The tougher competition comes from the ViewSonic TD1656-2K, which also features a 1600p display and 65-watt PD, but crams in touch support, macOS support, and so-so speakers. If touch support and internal speakers aren’t a big selling point for you, it’s hard to argue against the 514PN for customers looking for a premium portable monitor.
Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-11/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Brandon Hill Social Links Navigation Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
truerock Huge plus – no speakers I hate speakers inside video monitors I just now ran the speaker thing through a couple of AI engines. It's not just me – putting speakers in a portable video monitor is completely irrational. The author needs additional technical training and Tom's needs to improve the selection of its writers. Reply
Notton I don't have one myself, but I hear the Lenovo Tab Plus with the JBL speakers sound amazing. Which brings me to my next point… US$300 for a 14" 2560×1600/75Hz/400nits portable monitor? I can buy a 13" 2880×1840/144Hz/700nits tablet for $333. It even comes with a Snapdragon 7+ Gen3, 15000mAh battery, and glass touch screen so I don't have to worry about cleaning out the dust from the bezel corners on a plastic surface. And yes, it is possible to use a tablet as a second monitor over wifi. It's surprisingly snappy and works better than wireless HDMI dongles. Reply
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/monitors/portable-monitors/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/monitors/portable-monitors/hp-series-5-pro-514pn-portable-monitor-review#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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