The Sceptre E209W-16003RT is a cheap monitor for everyday computing needs. It comes loaded with plenty of features, and it is excellent for office and gaming use. This highly popular monitor has many positive feedbacks, making it one of the best cheap monitors under $100 for home-office use.
It has many purposeful features that even some budget monitors do not offer. This is a great choice if you are searching for a good monitor for the office to give your employees so they can extend the display. The best part is the pricing which stays easy on the pocket, and you can make multiple display setups without breaking the bank.
Overview
Best Features
- 20″ TN Panel
- 1600x900p Resolution
- 99% sRGB Color
- Adaptive Sync
- Built-in Speakers
Sceptre E209W-16003RT
Sceptre E209W-16003RTThe Sceptre E209W-16003RT has eye-care features and is more focused on home-office use.
Casual gamers might be interested in this monitor because it has Adaptive Sync, but we doubt the small screen might be a deal breaker for many.
It has built-in speakers, so it is usable for entertainment purposes, but media creation is not this monitor’s cup of tea.
Office
Gaming
Entertainment
Media Creation
Design & Ergonomics
Front
Monitor Type – Flat
Width – 45.7cm
Height – 34.4 cm
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT has a flat design, and at first sight, you will notice that the monitor has an elegant appearance. It is suitable for office spaces. The bezels are thin, and the Sceptre logo goes in the middle of the bottom bezel.
The dimensions of this monitor are small, so it does not require much space on the desk
Back
Depth – 17.8 cm
VESA Mount – 75x75mm
Ports Position – Back-Facing
The back of this monitor is mostly plain, and you get a big Sceptre logo at the back. There are buttons for the OSD menu on the right side of the back and connectivity ports on the left with differentiated colors.
This monitor is not that deep because the stand is basic, so you will not need much space away from the wall. There are VESA holes at the back for mounting purposes, but you must remove the stand first.
Bezels
Thinness – 1.1 cm
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT has 1.1cm bezels which are thin, but we have seen monitors with bezels thinner than this. It is still not noticeable, making this monitor bezel-free for distraction-free viewing. Multiple monitor setups should work seamlessly with this monitor.
Build Quality
Weight – 4.29 lbs
Unfortunately, the build quality is flimsy, and it is of cheap quality. The chassis is skinny, and there is some flex that you should take care of from bending. Its weight is very light; hence it is not the most stable monitor on the desk, and the parts do not seem well put together, so that is one thing you will sacrifice for the low price.
Stand
Removable Stand – Yes
Cable Management – Yes
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT’s stand is detachable and has a cable management hole for clutter-free cable routing. Its stand has a large circular footprint that requires a lot of space.
We have seen monitors larger than this covering lesser space. It holds the display very well, but expect some wobble during movements.
Ergonomics
Tilt – 15° Backward, 5° Forward
Swivel – N/A
Height – N/A
Pivot – N/A
The ergonomics of this monitor are poor as it only offers tilt function with a very low range of 15 degrees only.
It misses out on swivel, pivot, and height functions, but you can mount this monitor on a custom monitor arm for adjustments.
Display & Performance
Panel
Panel Type – TN
Panel Size – 19.5-inch
Aspect Ratio – 16:9
Panel Depth – N/A
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT houses a 19.5-inch TN panel with decent colors, low response time but terrible viewing angles. It has 16:9 standard aspect ratio, which is perfect for most tasks.
This cheap monitor has a decent display, but if you are used an IPS monitor, this monitor would feel terrible to you in terms of image quality and viewing angles.
Screen Clarity
Resolution – HD | 1600x900p
PPI – 94 PPI
Screen clarity on the Sceptre E209W-16003RT is decent. It is equal to 1080p monitors but what is missing here is screen real estate, so you will not get much screen space on display.
The PPI count is healthy, and we think 94 PPI is perfect for the size of this monitor, so clarity-wise, this monitor is excellent, but it is not meant for multi-tasking.
Brightness
Peak Brightness – 250-nits
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT gets satisfactory bright making it a great monitor for low to medium-lit rooms. It offers good reflection handling because the monitor has an anti-glare coating.
Contrast
Contrast Ratio – 3000:1
The contrast ratio on this monitor is 3000:1, which can reach 100000:1, making it great for dark rooms. However, the black uniformity is not that great.
Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles (H/V) – 170°/160°
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT has mediocre viewing angles, so it would be tough to showcase work to a client or colleague sitting beside. Also, the vertical viewing angles are average, so mounting this monitor at a height on the wall should create a problem.
Color Coverage
NTSC – 72%
sRGB – 99%
The color coverage is standard 99% sRGB on this monitor, which is excellent for viewing SDR content. It produces rich colors making the viewing experience vibrant and filled with colors.
Response Time
Response Time – 3ms
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT has a 3ms GTG response time which is excellent for a cheap monitor of this price. TN panels are known for their responsiveness, and this monitor is no exception. The gaming performance on this monitor is crisp and responsive. Also, the input lag is very low.
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate – 75Hz
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT can reach the max 75Hz refresh rate, which is slightly more than 60Hz monitors. There will be some extra smoothness, which is noticeable if you are used to 60Hz monitors.
BFI
Black Frame Insertion – N/A
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT does not have BFI (Black Frame Insertion).
HDR
HDR – N/A
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT is not HDR certified.
Features
Anti-Flicker
It provides a consistent image quality by preventing the backlight from flickering.
Blue Light Shift
Blue Light Shift reduces the blue light emission from the screen, which causes eye strain and fatigue.
Adaptive Sync
Adaptive Sync provides a blue-free gaming experience by bridging the gap between the graphics card and the monitor’s refresh rate.
FPS & RTS Modes
FPS (First Person Shooter) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy) modes are available in the monitor’s OSD menu, which enhances the gaming experience.
Security Lock
It has a security lock that secures the monitor and prevents theft.
Built-in Speakers
This monitor has dual 2W speakers, perfect for watching videos and online meetings.
Connectivity
Video Inputs
2x HDMI 1.3
1x VGA
The Sceptre E209W-16003RT has dual HDMI 1.3 ports and a single VGA port, which is great because getting multiple video ports, even on a cheap monitor, is priceless.
USB, Other Ports
1x 3.5mm Audio Input
1x 3.5mm Audio Output
It does not have USB ports, but you get dual 3.5mm audio ports for input and output.
That’s a Wrap!
We think the Sceptre E205W-16003RT is a perfect cheap monitor. There are many shortcomings, but you should not be expecting a lot at a price lesser than $100. It is an excellent package consisting of many features, and we think there is no better and feature-rich monitor under $100 than this.
Sceptre E205W-16003RT: Conclusion
Sceptre E209W-1600R-
Display3/5 MediocreThis monitor's display is average, but it gets the job done.
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Design3/5 MediocreThe design is flimsy, and the build is not that great.
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Features4/5 GoodIt is a feature-rich monitor, which is this monitor's main USP.
The Good
- Good feature-rich monitor
- Very low response time & input lag
- Easy to approach price-tag
The Bad
- Poor build quality
- Terrible viewing angles
- Size too small
