MSI Pro MP165 E6 Review: A No-Frills Portable Monitor at a Great Price
Benefits
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Advantageous price
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Slim and portable
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Powerful anti-glare
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Decently bright
Disadvantages
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Very small color range
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Basic panel specifications
Sometimes you need a simple tool to accomplish a simple task and that’s what MSI aims to provide with the MSI Pro MP156 E6. While other portable monitors try to dazzle with 4K displays, OLED panels, touch sensitivity, fast refresh rates, or complex multi-monitor assemblies, the MSI Pro MP156 E6 sticks to the basics. It’s a modest 15.6-inch, 1080p display, with simple connection options, solid visibility, and no frills. It’s priced at a commendable $95, and I’ve seen it discounted even less.
The MSI Pro MP156 E6 is basically everything the Pluggable USBC-PDMON should have been, and it’s a nice alternative to the Arzopa Z1RC for anyone who wants to save a little money and doesn’t need the extra resolution, size, or color.
MSI Pro MP165 E6
| Price | $89 |
|---|---|
| Size (diagonal) | 15.6 inches |
| Panel and backlight | IPS |
| Flat or curved | Flat |
| Resolution and pixel density | 1920 x 1080, 141 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Maximum range | 47% DCI-P3 |
| Brightness (nites, peak/typical) | 343/343 |
| HDR | n / A |
| Adaptive synchronization | No |
| Maximum vertical refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Gray to gray response time | 4ms |
| Relationships | HDMI 2.0b, 2x USB-C (PD 60W) |
| Audio | Headphone jack, stereo speakers |
| VESA mountable | Yes, 75x75mm |
| Panel warranty | 36 months; 3 bright pixels maximum, 5 dark pixels maximum |
A basic screen for basic tasks
Let’s get this out of the way: the MSI Pro MP156 E6 doesn’t have a great screen. It has a narrow color gamut, covering only 64% of the sRGB color space. It will look dull with just about anything you use it for, including spreadsheets. But if you just need to see data, that’s no problem. It gets very bright, offers the mediocre contrast of an average IPS LCD, and has a strong anti-glare finish to improve visibility.
This monitor’s poor color gamut reproduction and 60Hz refresh rate aren’t the best for watching movies, creative workloads, or gaming. Instead, it’s an affordable second screen that you can easily pair with a laptop. It’s best used for basic things like email, chats, or instructions, while freeing up your main screen for more important activities.
A bright display with a flexible kickstand.
Lightweight, strong and portable
The MSI Pro MP156 E6’s hardware isn’t anything to write home about either, but it’s decent. Its basic design feels reasonably sturdy, despite its plastic construction. It’s not very thick, just half an inch on its bottom half, where most of the electronics and a kickstand are located. At the top it is only a quarter of an inch thick. It only weighs 1.75 pounds, so it doesn’t add a ton to your on-the-go carry.
The kickstand is firm and can rotate 90 degrees to hold the screen at different angles. If you need more flexibility, the rear has two holes to attach to a 75 x 75mm VESA mount or a quarter-inch hole to work with a tripod mount. Since the ports and controls are on either side of the monitor, you’ll need a separate stand if you want to position it vertically.
There are ports on both sides, so you can’t stand this screen upright if you want to use it in portrait mode.
The monitor includes basic but simple controls, with a click wheel, power button, and headphone jack.
On the left edge, you have a pair of USB-C ports that can handle power and video on a single cable, while still allowing 60 watts of direct charging. MSI’s specs list only claims 15W for this, so the remaining 45W will be delivered to the laptop. This is enough to charge many thin and light laptops.
The monitor port indicates 5-20V/3A. So I tested it with a USB power meter, and it showed 19.5V at 2.93A.
There is also a full-size HDMI port for wider compatibility. MSI includes cables with right-angled connectors for tidier cables. I was pleasantly surprised that you also get a felt pouch, which is more than I expected for the price.
There is an HDMI port and two USB-C connections.
Much like the screen, the MSI Pro MP156 E6’s speakers aren’t exceptional. They don’t play very loud or offer high fidelity sound, but they’re useful if you just need to hear what someone is saying. In most cases, a decent laptop’s speakers will sound better.
Final Thoughts
You won’t want to use this monitor for watching movies or playing games, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be useful. It is affordable and sturdy, best used for basic tasks. If you work on the go and need a simple second screen, the MSI Pro MP156 E6 gets the job done at a good price.
MSI Pro MP165 E6 test results
| Product Name | Size | White point | Gamma | Maximum brightness | Default brightness | Gamut coverage (P3 and sRGB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Pro MP156 E6 | 15.6 inches | 7300K | 2.2 | 343.4 | 192.6 | 47% P3, 64% sRGB |
How we test monitors
Measurements of the MSI Pro MP165 E6 were taken using a Spyder X2 Ultra colorimeter using DataColor’s Spyder X2 software for SDR. Results of color accuracy measurements are reported in Delta E 1976 using Datacolor’s 48-color patch test.
On the most basic models, we can only test brightness, contrast and color gamut. With higher performance displays, we can also test user-selectable modes for gaming or color usage and consistency. We can also run tests to check how white point accuracy varies depending on brightness. We also use Blur Busters’ motion testing to evaluate motion artifacts (such as ghosting) or refresh rate issues that can affect games.
Keep in mind that individual results can and often do differ from the manufacturer’s reported results for a variety of reasons.
