Monitors without a power brick

[lopri]

Are there monitors of 27" or larger screen (and 2560x1440 or higher res) without external power brick? I am guessing it is a long shot to find one but I am determined to find one. I know this is not a priority for the OEMs since it means there has to be internal power converter inside the monitor. But cable management can be a bitch and not having to deal with the bricks is a breath of fresh air, so I would like to know what my options are.

 

[herm0016]

the hp elitedisplay's i have do not have power bricks. Mine are 23 in.

 

[Rifter]

my dell U2515h doesnt have a power brick. i know its only 25" but is 1440p. Perhaps the larger dell ultrasharps dont either im not sure but might be worth looking into..

 

[lopri]

Thank you for sharing the info. It is encouraging that there is at least an 1440p option, albeit at a lower screen size than usual. I will keep looking. I wonder why this has not caught on yet when all the other display techs - TVs, all-in-ones, tablets - have been able to get rid of power brick. I can see potential thermal challenge as well as compromise on monitor's aesthetics, but I would have thought there were demands for no external ac adapter. I hope some OEMs will take this into consideration and bring more awareness to it.

 

[mnewsham]

Same with my Asus 25" 1440p

I have two of em, they just plug straight in the wall.

 

[Prong]

The Asus MG279Q I just bought doesn't use a brick either.

 

[lopri]

Thank you, mnewsham and Prong. It is a hard to find information so your sharing it is very much appreciated.

I have one side question. What do they mean by "LED" or "LED-lit" when OEMs put that in product descriptions? It confuses me because I thought they ALL used LED by now. For instance, on LG's website:

http://www.lg.com/us/monitors

I cannot imagine all those monitors under the IPS category are using old CCFL lamps. And indeed when I go to the "IPS MONITORS" section, Half the monitors listed are described as "IPS LED Monitor." Even more confusingly, under "LED MONITORS" section they have monitors without "LED" descriptor listed. So sometimes they put "LED" there, sometimes they don't. But I have no clue as to what their qualifications are, at least by LG's standard.

AFAIK there are still some CCFL-lit IPS monitors around, mostly in extreme-high end (e.g. true 10-bit) and extreme budget-end. Strange how such a bimodal distribution has taken place, but whatever the case it is something I would like to avoid if possible. I had one before (HP Dreamcolor) and color management was a hassle because of its wide gamut as well as their tendency to degrade over time. Even a well calibrated one tends to degrade rather quickly in comparison to LED-lit panels. They also seem to consume quite a bit more power, which, I guess, is only natural due to 10-bit reproduction, but for me that is a minus. I have been using heavy, power-hungry monitors and want to switch to a lighter, eco-friendly, and well-calibrated monitor that will maintain the calibration for longer period of time. Which brings me back to the quest of finding a monitor without a power brick.

An ideal monitor for me would be something like (in no particular order):

• NO POWER BRICK
• *2560x1440 / 2560x1600 / 3440x1440 / 3860x1440 / 3840x2160 / 4096x2160
• 27"~34", preferably towards the larger end of size
  
• IPS, PLS, or VA with true color (8-bit without dithering)
• HDR/10-bit is welcome only if the monitor has accurate color profiles for prevailing standards
  
• At least 60 Hz, preferably 75 Hz or above
  
• At least 300 cd/m² in max brightness, preferably 350 cd/m² or higher
• At least 1000:1 static contrast ratio
  
• Better-than or equal-to average input lag
  
• Matte or semi-gloss finish with anti-glare coating
• Two or more digital inputs (SST), one analog input (D-SUB, DVI-I, or Component), Picture-in-Picture or Picture-by-Picture support
• Up-to-date digital connectivity standards including *sigh* DRM schemes *sigh*, but HDR/Dolby Vision support is not necessary: That means HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4, I guess?
  
• Built-in speaker: Sound quality need not be mind-blowing. As is the case with "no power brick," I want to reduce cable clutter. Speakers contribute hugely to the complexity of an entangled net behind a desk. If nothing else, it should at least have audio pass-through.
  
• Built-in USB 3.0/3.1 ports: Another help in reducing cable mess
  
• Low power consumption, e.g. something like <50W at max brightness 350 cd/m² or higher
• No built-in webcam
• Thin bezels

Well, that is it for now. The list is not exhaustive nor do I think it is a realistic one. I just went through my head and scribbled as my train of thoughts lead.

*2560x1440 / 2560x1600 / 3440x1440 / 3860x1440 / 3840x2160 / 4096x2160: I am leaning towards a higher res at the moment but it is likely that my preference will shift as my options become clearer.

 

[mikeymikec]

No Iiyama monitor I've ever bought (I've bought a lot) has had a power brick. That includes 2x 27in monitors. Most of the rest were 22" 1080p models.

 

[Piroko]

Tftcentral usually lists if a monitor has a power brick under the accessories category in their features table.
I believe the Dell Ultrasharp series comes with internal PSUs as well, at least the U2717D does.

As for CCFLs, it's pretty much as you said, most TFTs come with LED backlighting nowadays. Older designs or some super high-end ones can still have CCFLs in them, most mainstream models are LED backlit. One thing that I would look at is if the Monitor strobes its backlight to reduce the brightness or if it dims the backlight. The latter is better. That is also usually tested by Tftcentral.co.uk and Prad.de .

As for your spec list, the 1000:1 static contrast with matte/semi glossy finish might be one of the largest hurdles currently for IPS screens. There are some models that do it, but most fall short in the 900:1 range. VA easily beats the contrast hurdle, but there aren't that many of them out there.

As for sound, thought about getting a soundbar? That would reduce the cable clutter to two strips, one from the PC and one from the wall.