Once I decided the Luggable PC Mark II project will be built around a retail available 24″ monitor with QHD (2560×1440) resolution, it narrowed down the list of screens I need to keep an eye open for deals. A few weeks after the decision, a promising candidate popped up: Best Buy put the Lenovo L24q-20 on sale for $170, a 15% discount from its usual $200 price.

The specifications look promising. The panel type is IPS, which is great as I had expected to find only the TN panels in the lower price range. The physical dimensions are impressively minimal, with a very thin bezel on the top and sides. More than half of the back side is flat, making it easy to pack computer components in that space. The shipping weight is light, implying either the screen is lightweight (good) or that they really skimped on packaging (not as good).

The monitor had few inputs (one HDMI port and one DisplayPort) but I only need one so that’s fine. I was less thrilled with the fact all the plugs (video and power) stick straight out the back instead of pointing downwards. The latter would have made it easier to package everything in a slim enclosure.

The other disappointment is the lack of standard VESA mount points. Their presence would make chassis integration straightforward, but it is not itself a deal-breaker. It depends on whether I can work with the nonstandard mount.

Having done all the research I could over the web, I went into the local Best Buy for a look at the display unit to learn things they don’t put on the spec sheet.

Item #1: Power. I could tell the monitor uses an external power converter, but the specifics were not listed. Ideally the monitor can run on 12V DC because then I could rewire it to draw that 12V from the computer power supply. Sadly this Lenovo takes 19V. On the upside, its DC power converter is very small so I think I can package it in my enclosure.

Item #2: Mount. The final make-or-break factor… how the monitor is mounted to its stand. Again, not something listed on the spec sheet. I turned the Best Buy display unit around, found the release latch, and separated the monitor from the stand. I saw the mating surface of the stand is a metal bracket fastened by 7 Philips screws. I can remove those 7 screws and use the metal bracket in my own chassis as attachment point for the monitor.

Yes, I can work with this! I put the display unit back together and grabbed a box to take home. I bought what turned out to be the last new unit in stock.