Lenovo P24h USB-C Monitor Review
February 20, 2019
tl;dr: Highly underrated and affordable USB-C 1440p monitor. Great for coding. Look out Dell!
The whole concept of using a USB-C connection for an external monitor was a total game changer once I realized the end state. One cable to rule them all! The video feed goes out from laptop -> monitor of course, just like HDMI or DisplayPort. But with USB-C you get power coming back in from monitor -> laptop and also access to any USB devices plugged into your monitor. In other words, your monitor is the docking station. No more dongles. Glorious.
It was clear I was USB-C or bust for a connection, so then I took a gander at the options. I’ve long been partial to Dell monitors and they had some decent offerings, but there always seemed to be a catch…
The Competition
Dell UltraSharp 24 USB-C Monitor: U2419HC
$340
👍 USB-C, looks mighty nice, adjustable height, rotate, VESA
👎 1080p?
Dell S-Series 27-Inch: S2719dc
$430
👍 USB-C, So slimmmm, 1440p
👎 no adjustable height, no rotate, no VESA, limited ports, no DisplayPort out (for daisy chain to second display**)
LG 27UK850-W 27-Inch 4K
$600
👍 USB-C, 4k!, lots of ports
👎 kinda ugly (what’s with that alien arc base?), pricey
…
The Champ
Lenovo p24h
$250-280
👍 USB-C, 1440p, tiny bezel, plenty of USB ports, DisplayPort out, rotate, height adjust, VESA
👎 no 4k, not uber thin casing
So for ~$260 (or less if you catch in on a sale) you get a 1440p USB-C monitor that has plenty of extra USB ports to use as your hub, and a DisplayPort out for daisy chaining to a second monitor. All for less than the 1080p Dell Ultrasharp USB-C! Theres also a 27” (p27h) version of the same monitor for ~$50 more.
What’s odd is how few reviews there are of this workhorse. Honestly, I only noticed it when someone next to me at work got a p24q (the hdmi only variant) set up with their new workstation. I was instantly wooed by the micro bezel action. I couldn’t believe there was also a USB-C version and the price was so great. Ok so its not quite as purty as the Dell S2719dc, which is mighty tempting desk candy. But ultimately I spend most of my time looking at the front of the display, not the rear. In terms of raw panel value, versatility and connectivity I don’t think the Lenovo p24h / p27h can be beat.
** Fun fact for mac users: while the hardware on most newer macs supports full DisplayPort 1.2 spec and Multi Stream Transport (MST) … for whatever incredibly annoying reason Apple doesn’t support daisy chaining on the software side. I for one sent my thoughts on the matter to straight to VP of Software Mr. Federighi. So for now, my one cable dream is on hold pending a software update 😢