The Portability factor is one of the main reasons why laptops exist but nowadays we have mini-PCs that can be incredibly small and some of them are ready to be carried in a loose pocket. This has made it easier for PC manufacturers to provide better specifications in a smaller footprint and we no longer need a big motherboard to carry the modern hardware.
Mini-PCs or similar compact form-factor computing devices necessitate buying a discrete display and if portability is compromised, there is no reason to buy a Mini-PC. Thankfully, the display market is evolving rapidly and now we have a portable stacked monitor setup that boasts dual displays for better productivity.
Today we are looking at such a monitor from a popular portable monitor manufacturer, Uperfect. The recently launched UStation Delta Max from the company offers competitive specs and features for modern usage. This review will closely examine its performance and functionality by diving deep into its design to conclude whether you should buy it or not.
Packaging and Contents
The Uperfect UStation Delta Max comes in a decently thick box with thick foam packaging to carry and protect the monitor. These are the contents of the box:
- Delta Max dual monitor setup
- 2x HDMI to Mini-HDMI cables
- 2x USB Type C cables
- 45W Adapter/Charger
- User Manual
The User Manual had the basic setup configuration details and is roughly a two-page guide. Unfortunately, the User Manual lacks detail on how to use the monitor. Even though you will eventually find out how to use the monitor’s functions, there were times when I needed to know more about its functionality without having to experiment myself.
Nonetheless, it was good to see numerous high-quality cables for connectivity and a 45W Adapter that can power both the monitor and can also quickly charge mobile devices via the USB-C connection.
Specifications
| Type | Dual stacked monitor |
| Resolution | 1920x1080p |
| Refresh Rate | 100Hz |
| Response Time | 16ms |
| Panel | IPS |
| Screen Size | 18.5-inch |
| Contrast | 1000:1 |
| Brightness | 250 nits |
| Color Gamut | 100% sRGB |
| Viewing Angle | 178/178 degree |
| Display Ratio | 16:9 |
Build Quality
The Delta Max uses aluminum as the primary material for its casing and both the monitors in the setup are highly durable. They don’t feel like any regular portable monitor in build quality. It seems that the construction is close to heavy duty and is quite reliable. No flimsy parts or areas, be it the frame or the hinges. This is why the total weight of Delta Max is 2.36 kg, which is close to a regular laptop.
The monitor setup comes with a sturdy stand attached to the bottom monitor, which balances both monitors. The setup is similar to a laptop but it’s like placing the bottom of it on a vertical stand to ensure the base is also fully visible. Delta Max has even more versatility, allowing you to keep the monitors completely flat on the table or fold it for a 2-in-1 configuration, letting you share the second screen with another person. However, if you want to wall mount it or use a dedicated monitor stand, it comes with four 75x75mm @M5x4mm holes.
Connectivity and Setup
You will find several connectivity options on Delta Max but all of them are present only on the bottom screen. Thankfully, this also helps in minimizing the wiring hassles and you can find all types of ports at the left edge. On the right, you will have controls for adjusting the display properties of both displays. This essentially means that whether you want to control the bottom or the top display, everything will be present on the bottom screen.
On the left, there are 2x Mini HDMI ports and 3x USB Type C ports for different uses. One USB Type C port is exclusively for 45W power delivery input while the second one and the third one are for audio and video input.
The connectivity is highly versatile, allowing you to connect a single or two different devices at the same time. It can be a bit confusing at times as to how many cables or what cable connection you will need for different devices, but eventually, you will understand how the setup works. What you need to take note is at the moment is that whatever and however you want to connect your devices to the Delta Max, there are plenty of ways.
A Closer Look, Display Quality, and Features
Both displays feature an 18.5″ screen size and an IPS panel. IPS panels are generally good at viewing angles and picture quality. The Delta Max has a color gamut of 100% sRGB, making it decent for watching content or even creating it. It’s not the best as displays that boast multiple color spaces with greater coverage are already in the market but 100% sRGB is up to the mark for modern usage.
Thankfully, the displays do not just stick to 60Hz but can be overclocked to 120Hz. However, a 120Hz refresh rate works in certain conditions, which we will talk about in the next section. The monitors can be controlled via the controls given on the right from where you can enable the OSD Menu to further customizations.
There are quite a number of options you can tweak from there, which include basic stuff like brightness, contrast, sharpness, volume, etc. to advanced stuff such as modes, ColorEffect, various built-in features like EyeProtection, 3DSound, Crosshair, as well as options to change the Temperature.
User Experience
It may be a bit confusing to operate it for the first time for most users who have never touched a stacked monitor setup. This is especially true since the functionality of both displays is linked to one another but can be controlled separately.
It’s easier to get the display output on the Delta Max than to configure the monitor setup with different modes on both displays. If you are connecting it via your graphics card’s output port, especially NVIDIA, you may have to manually configure a few Delta Max settings from the Control Panel, especially if you already have another monitor connected. However, even without a dGPU, the monitor is straightforward to work with but if you are not getting the setup right, you may not get a display on either of the monitors or it’s possible that your screen will continue to turn off and on.
The latter happens when the monitors are not getting enough power. Usually, you would want to connect the Delta Max through the power adapter it comes with. It has enough capacity to turn on both displays. However, I have seen the monitors work even with the power source from a regular USB port from the motherboard or the front-panel connector on my PC case.
There are a few issues though which should be expected since regular USB ports won’t be able to supply enough power. Before delving into the issues, I want to briefly talk about the cable connection. As you may have seen from the pictures, there are three Type C ports and 2x Mini-HDMI ports on the left. While the HDMI goes into your PC or console, the Type C port can be connected via a cable to your device or the power adapter.
The Type C port on the bottom is designed exclusively for the power adapter but the monitors do turn on even if you connect a USB cable directly from your computer. However, that may introduce some issues since you need at least 18W of power to turn on both displays.
Types of Modes/Configuration
Link: Connects both panels in a way that creates a single display.
CloneMode: Displays the same content on both panels.
StandAlong: Treats each panel as a different monitor.
Workflow in Link Mode
I have yet to test DPMST but it’s disabled by default. The Link mode is my favorite which is pretty similar to how you can put two monitors on top of each other or side by side through NVIDIA Control Panel. You can easily move around items but will have more fluidity since the Link mode on the Delta Max doesn’t allow you to max out the browser or application window on individual displays. You have to manually increase the length and width of the app windows if you want to view them at close to 100% size on each display.
This did create difficulty in cases such as watching a YouTube video because watching a 16:9 video on a 9:16 aspect ratio in Link mode wasn’t pleasant. On the other hand, there was no workaround to maximize the video window fully on a single monitor. So, I was forced to watch the videos in Theatre mode. Nonetheless, the workflow was smoother than having the configuration done from the NVIDIA Control Panel. As I dragged the app window from the bottom to the top display or vice-versa, the monitors didn’t force me to drag the window vigorously to bypass the automatic full-sized window mode.
Powering the monitors via a regular USB C connection
Now coming to the connection, when you connect the monitors to the power adapter, you will have no issues at all. Once you power it through your regular USB C port, it works just like any other portable monitor with a single display. What’s surprising is that both monitors can turn on via one or two such connections from your device and you can still work on them without using the power adapter.
Why I am even talking about this in the first place is because, in certain circumstances, you may want to power the monitors without a power outlet. This is more convenient and is necessary for traveling. However, the issues I will be talking about with such connections won’t have any impact on how we rate this monitor since it’s our experiment.
All types of monitor modes like Link, Clone, and Standalone work with such connections but there were scenarios where I was able to get both displays from a single regular Type C connection. In that case, there are some issues though. The number is that as soon as you increase the brightness of any or both the monitors above 50%, the monitors start turning on and off rapidly due to insufficient power.
The second issue is as soon as you start playing a media file with some audio, the same issue occurs. This is definitely due to the lack of power but weirdly I wasn’t able to get the display on both monitors with the same single-cable configuration afterwards. I did manage to get the display on both with two regular USB connections and there wasn’t any frequent display turn-off/on issue even at the highest volume.
There were cases of some flickering though but that didn’t always happen. However, when I increased the brightness of the top panel by close to 70%, the panel turned off since it was getting the power from a regular USB A to C cable from the front panel of my computer. The bottom panel kept on going at 100% brightness and 100% volume as it was receiving power from the USB C port from the back of my motherboard. So, it all depends on how much power you are feeding it.
Simply powering the system with the adapter will solve all these issues but as I said earlier, there are cases when some users will have no other option other than connecting the Delta Max to their devices such as when traveling with a laptop or a handheld console.
Refresh Rate
Each panel can run up to 120Hz of refresh rate, which can be configured via your GPU’s software. To run the displays at higher than 60Hz, you will have to run either of them because when you turn on both, you are limited to just 60Hz on each display if you are running them on the Link or Clone modes. So, through the StandAlong mode, you can let either or both panels run at 120Hz to have smooth movements, which are pleasant for the gaming experience.
Sound
The Delta Max features dual built-in speakers but these are rated at just 1W. I have seen that most portable monitors don’t offer more than 1W of speakers, which makes them horrible for the audio experience. The same is true with the Delta Max. Even though the volume was somewhat higher than what a single portable monitor with a single 1W speaker can deliver, it was a bad experience.
There is no clarity and nothing you can benefit from. I would recommend using your headset or an external speaker for audio delivery. The Delta Max, unfortunately, doesn’t provide any 3.5mm audio jack, which is available on many portable monitors.
Verdict
To summarize the whole review, I would say that the UPERFECT UStation Delta Max is a terrific portable monitor overall. The versatile adjustments, large screen size, and thin build make it ideal for portability. It’s surely a bit heavier than most standard portable monitors but is still as easy to carry as a gaming laptop. I am particularly impressed with its build quality, which is somewhat close to heavy duty and doesn’t have any flimsy parts.
As both displays boast 1080p resolution and can reach up to 120Hz refresh rate, it’s also perfect for gaming. You can game alone or can play with your friends or family members without needing a separate monitor. By flipping the other panel to the other side, it becomes much easier to manage and can be powered by two different devices.
The Link mode is particularly excellent and helps in productivity but the best part is that both screens can be powered by a single USB C connection. On the flip side, it does lack things like decent speakers and a 3.5mm jack for audio output but other than these two, I haven’t come across any major flaws, that would stop us from recommending this monitor.
Of course, price is another factor that needs to be considered. When you check retail stores, you will find that most portable 18.5″ dual monitor setups cost over $500. The only ones that cost less than that are mostly 15.6″ dual monitor setups and luckily UPERFECT has one too. However, you will have to downgrade in a few areas if you are going with the smaller version.
The UPERFECT UStation Delta Max is available for purchase on the official UPERFECT website for $499.99. The company is providing free delivery worldwide and offers a 2-year warranty.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Versatile adjustability, 2-in-1 setup | – Lackluster speakers |
| – Good visual quality and viewing angles | – No 3.5mm audio jack |
| – Supports up to 120Hz refresh rate | – Occasional issues with a regular USB C connection |
| – Great color accuracy and brightness | |
| – Can be powered via a single USB-C connection | |
| – Multiple high-quality cables inside the box | |
| – Various modes for work and gaming | |
| – Can work with two devices simultaneously | |
| – Durable build quality |
