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Deal | 23.8-inch SideTrak VA monitor is just 3.2 kg with >95% sRGB colors for US$199

23.8-inch SideTrak VA monitor is just 3.2 kg with >95% sRGB colors for US$199 (Source: SideTrak)
23.8-inch SideTrak VA monitor is just 3.2 kg with >95% sRGB colors for US$199 (Source: SideTrak)
The SideTrak STMNHD23L is extraordinarily light and with a small footprint to be perfect for tight workspaces. Features are limited, however, with no tilting or USB-C options.

If you're looking for a basic external monitor but don't have much table space in your home office, then the SideTrak 23.8-inch FHD monitor might be worth considering. The model is now shipping for $199 USD directly from the manufacturer and a unit was provided to us for our honest impressions.

STMNHD23L Core specifications:

  • 23.8-inch screen size
  • 1920 x 1080, VA LED, 8-bit
  • 250 nits maximum brightness (advertised)
  • 8 ms response times (advertised)
  • 60 to 75 Hz native refresh rate
  • 3000:1 contrast ratio (advertised)
  • HDMI, VGA, AC adapter ports
  • 9300K, 6500K, user
  • 21.3” x 15.6” x 0.3”
  • 7.1 lbs

The monitor is surprisingly thin and lightweight. The narrow bezels, plastic construction, and lack of any internal speakers help to minimize weight. Be ready with a Philips screwdriver to attach the metal base and arm to the monitor, however, as one is not included in the box.

Unfortunately, we're able to notice the first drawback to the model immediately after attaching the base to the monitor. Since everything is so lightweight, the entire screen tilts or sways rather easily which makes the SideTrak feel cheap. The point where the arm attaches to the monitor is secured by just one small Philips screw instead of several like on most other monitors. The angle is fixed as well meaning no angle adjustments are possible unless VESA mounted.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
VA viewing angles are narrower than IPS
VA viewing angles are narrower than IPS
gray-to-gray response times
gray-to-gray response times
Black-white response times
Black-white response times
Pulse-width modulation is present on all brightness levels albeit ay very high frequencies
Pulse-width modulation is present on all brightness levels albeit ay very high frequencies

There are just two video-in ports available: HDMI and legacy VGA. Many laptops these days are skipping HDMI in favor of USB-C and so you may have to provide your own USB-C to HDMI cable depending on your laptop. We're able to connect our Razer Blade 18 to the monitor via HDMI without any issues.

The onscreen menu is easy on the eyes and well organized, but navigation is not intuitive. The power button on the rear doubles as a 4-directional joystick to navigate through the menu, but pushing left, right, up, or down corresponds to down, up, cancel, or enter, respectively. Thus, a simple setting like DCR can be frustrating just to scroll to.

We discovered a bug on the model as well. If the brightness is set to 9 out of 100, then the screen will begin flickering on and off at infrequent intervals. This would occur only at this brightness level and not any others.

Matte subpixels are slightly grainy and not as crisp as a glossy or pricier alternative
Matte subpixels are slightly grainy and not as crisp as a glossy or pricier alternative
No uneven backlight bleeding unlike on most IPS panels
No uneven backlight bleeding unlike on most IPS panels
vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. P3
vs. P3

The display does not come pre-calibrated which is to be expected at its price range. Average grayscale and color deltaE values are high at 9.4 and 6.12, respectively. The panel covers >95 percent of sRGB and so a proper calibration can significantly improve accuracy. We recommend applying our calibrated ICM profile below to get the most out of the display.

A distinguishing factor separating the SideTrak from most other monitors is its VA panel instead of IPS. In general, VA offers both deeper black levels and colors at the cost of slightly slower response times for the same cost. Thus, the display is well-suited for browsing, video, and some photo editing while being less suited for gaming.

Pros Cons
Narrow bezels OSD controls are unintuitive
Very lightweight Weak arm
>95% sRGB coverage No pre-calibration
VA panel for deeper black levels Average response times
Uncommon VGA port No USB-C port
211.4
cd/m²
205.7
cd/m²
182.3
cd/m²
199.7
cd/m²
217.8
cd/m²
180.7
cd/m²
175.1
cd/m²
206.6
cd/m²
173.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 217.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 194.7 cd/m² Minimum: 0.08 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Contrast: 2178:1 (Black: 0.1 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.11
ΔE Greyscale 9.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
67.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2
SideTrak STMNHD23L desktop monitor
1920x1080, 23.80
GMK KD2 Portable Monitor
3840x2160, 15.60
Vissles Monitor 15.6
1920x1080, 15.60
Ananta 17.3-inch Touchscreen Portable Monitor
RTK3B3A, , 1920x1080, 17.30
AirTab Portable Monitor 15.6-inch
1920x1080, 15.60
Display
31%
-29%
13%
-37%
Display P3 Coverage
65.8
92.3
40%
47.33
-28%
78.8
20%
40.72
-38%
sRGB Coverage
95.3
100
5%
66.4
-30%
100
5%
61
-36%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.9
100
47%
48.6
-28%
77.6
14%
42.11
-38%
Response Times
-85%
-64%
-44%
-52%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
30.2 ?(11, 19.2)
55.6 ?(30, 25.6)
-84%
41.2 ?(22.8, 18.4)
-36%
38.4 ?(20, 18.4)
-27%
36 ?(18, 18)
-19%
Response Time Black / White *
22.7 ?(13.6, 9.1)
38.8 ?(22.4, 16.4)
-71%
35.2 ?(22.4, 12.8)
-55%
26.8 ?(18, 8.8)
-18%
31.2 ?(19.6, 11.6)
-37%
PWM Frequency
202490 ?(100)
2451 ?(30)
-99%
1000 ?(99)
-100%
24510 ?(20)
-88%
1042 ?(20)
-99%
Screen
3%
-42%
-14%
-35%
Brightness middle
217.8
415.1
91%
248.1
14%
244.6
12%
206.5
-5%
Brightness
195
412
111%
237
22%
231
18%
198
2%
Brightness Distribution
80
91
14%
91
14%
88
10%
88
10%
Black Level *
0.1
0.36
-260%
0.28
-180%
0.27
-170%
0.33
-230%
Contrast
2178
1153
-47%
886
-59%
906
-58%
626
-71%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.12
5.93
3%
6.85
-12%
3.7
40%
4.25
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
14.8
8.64
42%
20.8
-41%
9.36
37%
18.11
-22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.11
1.48
30%
5.69
-170%
3.08
-46%
4.08
-93%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.4
5.6
40%
5.8
38%
6.1
35%
3.1
67%
Gamma
2 110%
2.18 101%
2.34 94%
2.24 98%
2.31 95%
CCT
5987 109%
5820 112%
6402 102%
8089 80%
6994 93%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
42.8
69.8
38.7
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
65.8
100
60.8
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-17% / -9%
-45% / -43%
-15% / -14%
-41% / -39%

* ... smaller is better

Just a single small screw attaches the arm to the monitor
Just a single small screw attaches the arm to the monitor
Power button doubles as a 4-directional joystick for OSD control
Power button doubles as a 4-directional joystick for OSD control
Kensington lock, HDMI, VGA, and AC adapter
Kensington lock, HDMI, VGA, and AC adapter
Very narrow top and side bezels
Very narrow top and side bezels

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 03 > 23.8-inch SideTrak VA monitor is just 3.2 kg with >95% sRGB colors for US$199
Allen Ngo, 2023-03-10 (Update: 2023-03-10)