Razer Monitor Stand Chroma Review: Compact RGB Stand With 4-Port Hub

Razer Monitor Stand Chroma Review: Take into account both high-end design and practicality?

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma is a high-end compact aluminum stand with RGB lighting and a USB hub, but its relatively small size and high price limits its overall appeal. Rating: 7/10

Advantages and Disadvantages:

advantage:

• Streamlined design
• Sturdy and durable
• USB hub performs well
• Remapable buttons

shortcoming:

• The bracket is relatively shallow
• The included USB-C cable is too short
• Fingerprints easily contaminated on the surface
• The maximum brightness of RGB lights is low
• Extremely expensive

Price and purchase channels:

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma is available for $200 and can be purchased on the Razer website or Amazon. The box contains an aluminum bracket, USB-C to USB-C cable and instruction manual.

Specifications:

• Connection type (input): USB Type-C
• USB hub: 1 x HDMI 2.0 port, 2 x USB 3.2 Type A port, 1 x USB 3.2 Type C port
• Supported monitors: up to 19.7 inches long, 8.27 inches wide, maximum load-bearing 44 pounds
• Light Control: Chroma RGB Buttons and Software
• Surface material: anodized aluminum
• Size: 19.7 x 8.27 x 3.09 inches
• Weight: 5.5 lbs

Design: Slim, stylish, maybe slightly smaller

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma features an aluminum body that feels smooth and cool. While easily leaving fingerprints, its exquisite, high-end and sturdy design at least proves its relatively high cost. The non-slip rubber foot pad provides good grip.

However, even though its maximum load-bearing capacity is as high as 44 pounds, it is only 19.7 inches long and 8.27 inches wide, making it difficult to accommodate larger monitors, especially those with wider bases. For example, the INNOCN 40-inch ultra-wide display 40C1R weighs well below the limit (35.5 pounds), but has a base depth of 9.5 inches, causing some of the base to hang outside the stand platform.

While many smaller monitors can fit perfectly, measuring size is still very important due to the large variation in base types of modern monitors, from flat bases to flared feet. Of course, you don't have to use it strictly as a monitor stand, especially since it has a USB-C hub built in, making it for other purposes.

Interface: Are three interfaces sufficient?

Razer claims that the Monitor Stand Chroma has a four-port USB-C hub, which is technically correct, but also slightly misleading. On the right side of the stand are a remapable Chroma button, two USB 3.2 Type A ports, and one USB 3.2 Type C port. On the right side of the rear, there is a full-size HDMI 2.0 port and a USB Type C connector for connecting to one of the USB-C ports available on your computer.

Unfortunately, the included USB-C to USB-C cable is only about 39 inches long, so if you don't replace longer cables yourself, you'll want to make sure the bracket is closer to your computer. To use the HDMI 2.0 output of the stand, your computer's USB-C port needs to support video output, in which case the maximum output is 3840 x 2160p 60HZ. To make the hub's functionality work in full, Razer recommends using a USB Type C host that supports 15W instead of some connected 7.5W.

There is about 2.4 inches of space under the bracket platform, but the side and rear ports are located in a small enclosed area, so the height of the area is lost by about 0.5 inches. Since this enclosed area is only over 4 inches wide, there is not much loss in the underlying space, but this still needs attention. While I would like the rear port to be flush with the back of the bracket rather than embedded, it is understandable that Razer prefers to center the side ports more for aesthetics and ease of use.

Software: Windows only

Like Razer products, you need to use Razer Synapse (only for Windows 10 or 11 computers) to control the side buttons and RGB lighting of the Monitor Stand Chroma. Since the stand is not very capable, the available options in Razer Synapse are more limited than some other products.

The lower-shooting RGB light bar on the front of the bracket can adjust the brightness and apply various effects, similar to other Razer products. These options include a single static color, various color loops, and other effects, such as responsive audio.

What's more interesting is (at least for me), the remapable Chroma button, called the multi-function button in Razer Synapse. By default, it cycles between various Chroma effects, but can also be set to switch light switches, simulate keyboard or mouse functions, run macros, start programs, and more.

It's a pity for me to include a programmable button like this on Monitor Stand Chroma, as it's really a useful feature. This way, it's hard to choose only one function to perform when there are many possibilities, but I'm at least happy to get one.

Performance: Excellent USB hub, average brightness

Not all USB hubs are the same, so it is not unusual for the hubs included in Razer Monitor Stand Chroma to be incompetent for this task. Fortunately, Razer is known for its performance-oriented gaming gear, so it is no surprise that the USB hub in the stand is also a product with excellent performance.

There was no significant performance drop when connected to the rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port on my desktop computer. For example, using EaseUS DiskMark to evaluate the Lexar D40E 256GB USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C flash drive on the front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port on my desktop computer, I measured sequential read speeds of 33.74 MB/s, sequential write speeds of 22.96 MB/s, and latency of 244.783 milliseconds and 360.005 milliseconds, respectively. Using the USB-C port on the Razer Monitor Stand Chroma, I measured sequential read speeds of 34.26 MB/s, sequential write speeds of 23.80 MB/s, and latency of 241.467 milliseconds and 345.802 milliseconds, respectively.

I found that some of Razer's RGB lighting solutions are relatively high in power and are picky about power, so it's not shocking since the stand does not have a separate power supply, even at 100% brightness, it's a bit dark. Of course, this is not a big deal and should be considered as a secondary light source, not something that can greatly enhance the gaming experience, for example, but I at least wish it would be a little brighter than it is now.

Even though the lights are not bright enough, I'm still happy to have the Razer Monitor Stand Chroma. You almost forget its existence, which is a good thing when I need it, like pressing the remapable Chroma button to start the program or quickly use one of the three available USB ports, it all performs very well.

Is it worth buying Razer Monitor Stand Chroma?

The Razer Monitor Stand Chroma is perfectly in line with its advertised features and works well. It is a beautiful, sturdy stand that can also be used as a USB hub and decorative lighting. Of course, even with the high price aside, it isn't perfect, as it has limitations in its relatively small size, the included USB-C to USB-C cable is shorter, and the light has limited brightness.

If you make sure the monitor’s base fits in the size of the Razer Monitor Stand Chroma and don’t mind spending too much on work or entertainment space, this product is definitely better than a regular plastic monitor platform. It's just a pity that Razer didn't do a better job for this price.

Rating: 7/10

The above is the detailed content of Razer Monitor Stand Chroma Review: Compact RGB Stand With 4-Port Hub. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!