Choosing a monitor to accompany our computer is not an easy task. There are many different designs, features and prices. Perhaps the gaming models are the most identifiable. But some teams aimed at a more general audience can also stand out. This is the case with the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design, a monitor that offers a really attractive exterior design . As the name suggests, AOC has enlisted the help of the design studio Studio FA Porsche.
With an ultra-slim body and a near borderless display , this monitor is designed to look great on any desktop. However, on a technical level, we have a somewhat simpler screen than expected. The AOC PDS241 Porsche Design has an IPS panel with Full HD resolution and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This positions it in the middle of the market, as it is not a particularly good monitor for gaming and not for graphic designers. Without a doubt, its two great attractions are its design and its price. We can get the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design for 220 euros. We have had the opportunity to test this monitor, so we are going to tell you in detail what we think about it.
Data sheet AOC PDS241 Porsche Design
| Diagonal | 23.8 inch | |
| Resolution | Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) | |
| Panel type | AH-IPS | |
| Flat / Curved | Flat | |
| Aspect ratio | 16: 9 | |
| HDR | Not | |
| Response time | 4 ms | |
| Contrast ratio | 1000: 1 | |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | |
| Support | Twisted metal bracket with cable management | |
| Sound | No (headphone or speaker jack) | |
| Connectivity | HDMI v.1.4 | |
| Others | AOC Flicker Free technology, AOC Low Blue Light technology | |
| Dimensions | 54 x 32.3 x 18 centimeters (with base) | |
| Weight | - | |
| Release date | Available | |
| Price | 220 euros |
Design by flag
As we were advancing, if the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design stands out in something, it is in its design. Its appearance is really attractive and it can be a great option for offices that take great care of their image. At the front we have a 23.8-inch screen with very thin edges . Although AOC advertises it as a 3-sided borderless monitor, the truth is that we do have borders. However, these are almost laughable, at 5 millimeters thick.
Much larger is the lower edge, with a nice silver color to match the base . This lower frame measures, specifically, 15 millimeters. And in it we find the AOC logo in shiny silver, as well as a small LED that tells us if the monitor is on. Nowhere on the body of the monitor will we see the Studio FA Porsche logo, only when we turn on the device.
The back features a nice black design, with the AOC logo large and slightly brighter. One of the most striking features of this monitor is its extreme thinness . However, the lower third of the body becomes a bit thicker to house the necessary electronics. It is something similar to what we see in most OLED televisions.
To achieve such a slim monitor, AOC has removed the connections to the outside of the monitor. So accompanying the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design we have a small box that includes the power port and a full-size HDMI port . This box connects to the screen using a micro HDMI cable, which provides both the power and the video signal.
This box is quite large when compared to the general size of the monitor. However, it offers a very careful design . It looks the same silver color that we see on the rest of the screen. And if we don't want it to be seen, we can always hide it, since the cable that connects this box to the screen gives us a certain margin.
To place the monitor on the desk we have a metallic support in silver . It offers a curved design and is attached to the monitor at the rear with a rounded bar. The stand is already assembled, so we just have to take the monitor out of the box and place it on the table. Also, the cable that comes from the junction box connects inside the bracket, so we will only see one cable coming out of the bracket.
However, this emphasis on design has certain consequences. For example, the only video port we have is an HDMI . That is, we do not have Display Port connectivity of any kind. In addition, we will not be able to connect several devices simultaneously to the monitor.
On the other hand, the monitor does not include speakers . To make up for this lack, the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design has a 3.5mm jack port next to the power button. This will allow us to connect headphones or external speakers.
And speaking of the power button, this will also help us to control the monitor menus . It is another of the negative points that we have found. To control the monitor's OSD menu, we will have to use a single button, which can only be pressed.
Thus, to show the menu we will press once and again to move between options. To select an option we will have to leave without pressing for a few seconds. And if we want to change the values of, for example, brightness or contrast, we will have to press to increase the value. How do you get off? We will have to press until we exceed 100 and "turn around" the counter to start from zero . It is certainly not the best way to work on a monitor setup.
Picture quality
Luckily, we won't have to touch much of the monitor settings. First, because it doesn't offer too many options. And second, because it comes quite well calibrated from the factory .
Without adjusting anything, the image quality is quite good. Thanks to its IPS panel we will have striking and precise colors . In addition, it has a viewing angle of, according to the manufacturer, 178 degrees, which we have been able to verify.
The AOC PDS241 Porsche Design offers a 1080p resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels . Its performance in office automation and videos with this resolution is quite good. Also, the screen has an anti-reflective coating that works really well.
In terms of color, it includes AOC's Supercolor WCG technology, which achieves 100% color gamut coverage in the sRGB color space and 90% in NTSC . Maybe for photography professionals it is not enough, but it is for an average user.
However, we cannot recommend this monitor to gamers. First, because the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design has a response time of 4 ms . And second, because its refresh rate is 60 Hz, something low for the most demanding gamers and far from other monitors designed to play, such as the Samsung C49HG90.
In summary, if we use the monitor to work or watch some video occasionally, the image quality is more than acceptable . However, it is not a monitor designed for video or photography professionals. And not for gamers.
Conclusions and price
The AOC PDS241 Porsche Design offers one of the best designs that we will find in this price range . Although it is true that it does not specialize in any type of user, it is an interesting work monitor. So, as we said, it could be the perfect monitor to be located in a minimalist or design office.
Perhaps this beautiful design penalizes excessively the other characteristics. We will only have one HDMI port and the management of the monitor menu is very unintuitive. In spite of everything, if we do not need more connections and we are going to make normal use of the monitor (office automation, navigation, schoolwork, etc.), this monitor offers a very good image quality and a great design .
As we already anticipated, the AOC PDS241 Porsche Design is already on sale with an approximate price of 220 euros .