LONCEVON L0798A 2017

The LONCEVON L0798A is a 7 inch portable monitor that punches above its weight for niche utility tasks like Raspberry Pi projects, security camera feeds, and server monitoring. The IPS panel is bright and surprisingly clear, but the 30ms response time and low resolution make it a poor choice for gaming or text heavy work. At around $55 USD, it's a great value if you know exactly what you're using it for.

Let's be blunt: the LONCEVON L0798A is not a performance monitor. In our database, it ranks dead last for performance, in the 0th percentile. The 30ms response time is the main culprit. That's slow enough to cause visible ghosting in fast moving content, and several owners have reported image retention issues where previous screen content leaves a faint shadow for a few seconds. That's not a dealbreaker for a security monitor or a Raspberry Pi status screen, but it's worth knowing before you try to play anything twitchy on it.

The display itself is a mixed bag. The 1024 x 600 resolution is low by modern standards, and text can look soft or hard to read at small sizes. But the IPS panel has a 178 degree viewing angle, and the 500 nits brightness means it stays visible in bright rooms. Color accuracy is actually a pleasant surprise, landing in the 79th percentile for this category. It's not going to replace a calibrated reference monitor, but for a $55 utility screen, the picture is clearer than you'd expect. The 60Hz refresh rate is standard and fine for static content or slow moving video.

Stacked against the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VQMY or the Acer Nitro XV271U M3BMIIPRX, the LONCEVON L0798A looks like a completely different species. Those are 27 inch gaming monitors with high refresh rates and low response times. The LONCEVON is a 7 inch utility screen. They're not really competitors, and if you're shopping for a gaming monitor, you should look elsewhere. The MSI MAG 274CF X is similarly out of this thing's league for gaming.

The more relevant comparison is the Uperfect Portable Monitor M160C01W. That's a 16 inch portable display with a much sharper resolution and better connectivity, but it also costs significantly more. The LONCEVON wins on price and on the specific niche of tiny, always-on utility displays. It's also brighter than many portable monitors at this size. If you need something to mount on a camera rig or tuck into a server cabinet, the LONCEVON is the better fit. If you want a portable second screen for a laptop, the Uperfect is worth the extra cash.

At $55 USD, the LONCEVON L0798A is hard to argue with. You're getting an IPS panel, multiple inputs, a stand with tilt, swivel, and pivot, and a brightness level that beats plenty of $200 portable monitors. The value proposition is strongest if you need a dedicated screen for a Raspberry Pi, a CCTV system, or a server rack. For those jobs, this thing is a steal. If you're looking for a general purpose second monitor for productivity, though, the low resolution and slow response time will frustrate you. In that case, spending a bit more on something like a Uperfect portable monitor gets you a sharper panel and better connectivity. But for niche utility work, the LONCEVON is one of the best cheap options out there.

The LONCEVON L0798A is a 7 inch portable monitor that sits in that weird, wonderful niche between a Raspberry Pi display, a security camera screen, and a tiny second monitor for your desk. At around $55 USD, it's cheap enough to feel like an impulse buy, but it's not a toy. It's an IPS panel with a 1024 x 600 native resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a claimed 500 nits of brightness. That's brighter than a lot of budget laptops, which is handy if you're using this thing outdoors or in a bright kitchen.

People searching for a "small HDMI monitor for Raspberry Pi" or a "portable security camera monitor" will find this thing checks a lot of boxes. It has full size HDMI, VGA, and AV inputs, built in speakers, a headphone jack, and even a 1/4 inch threaded mount on the bottom for DSLR hot shoe adapters. The stand tilts, swivels, and pivots, which is more than we expected at this price. But the stand itself is a known weak point, and we'll get into that.

Is the LONCEVON L0798A good for gaming? Not really, at least not for anything fast. The 30ms response time and 60Hz refresh rate are fine for retro games or a kid's first setup, but this isn't a competitive display. It's a utility monitor. A tool. And for that job, it's surprisingly capable, as long as you know what you're getting into.

Skip the LONCEVON L0798A if you need a monitor for productivity, photo editing, or any kind of fast paced gaming. The 1024 x 600 resolution makes small text a strain to read, and the 30ms response time will show ghosting in anything that moves quickly. If you want a portable second screen for a laptop, look at something like the Uperfect Portable Monitor M160C01W instead. If you're a gamer, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VQMY or Acer Nitro XV271U M3BMIIPRX are in a completely different league. This monitor is for utility work, not entertainment.

Should you buy the LONCEVON L0798A? If you need a small, cheap, bright monitor for a Raspberry Pi, a security camera feed, a server rack, or a camera rig, yes. It's one of the best values in this niche, and the picture quality is genuinely better than the price suggests. The multiple input options and the 1/4 inch mount make it flexible in ways that pricier portable monitors aren't.

But if you're looking for a general purpose second monitor for your desk, or anything involving fast motion or small text, this isn't it. The 30ms response time and 1024 x 600 resolution will drive you nuts. The flimsy stand is another annoyance, though you can VESA mount it and forget the stand exists. For the right job, this little monitor is a gem. For the wrong job, it's a headache.