AOC AG273QCG Monitor Review
It so happened that for many users, the Taiwanese company AOC is associated exclusively with inexpensive monitors for office use. But in fact, this manufacturer has enough models that can interest a real gamer with requests that are much higher than average. And the 27-inch AG273QCG monitor from the premium AGON 3 line is one of them.
Design
Since it is the appearance of the device that we pay the first attention to when choosing, it makes sense to start the review with the design. Modern monitor manufacturers have nowhere to turn around, everything rests on a simple rectangular panel. However, by giving a somewhat unusual shape to the base and adding a little color, you can achieve good results. This is exactly what the creators of the AG273QCG did.
The monitor sits on a sleek yet stable metal base with a red painted bottom. The screen can be easily adjusted in height and tilt. Moreover, these movements are very smooth, almost no effort is required. The screen does not have a portrait mode, but this is logical, gamers do not really need this.
Of the pleasant things, it should be noted the side mount for the headset, located on the right and left. It seems to be a trifle, but nice. There is a small carrying handle at the top of the base.
In other words, the developers have made efforts not only to make it beautiful, but also to be practical. So this model received the Red Dot Award 2018 for design quite deservedly.
By the way, I would like to tell you about the very thin bezels around the screen. Thanks to them, you can make a whole gaming place from two or three monitors. Well, in this case, the gameplay will become simply luxurious.
Characteristics
The monitor has a TN panel, a diagonal of 27 inches (68.6 cm) and a resolution of 1440p (QHD, 2560x1440 pixels). It should be noted that such a resolution is currently optimal. It is quite high, but it does not require absolutely sky-high performance from the video card. You can see individual pixels (their density is approximately 109 PPI), but for this you need to look closely. The image in any case is better than with Full HD.
The screen of the monitor is curved, while the bending radius is 1800R, which, according to the manufacturer, is ideal for the eyes. The refresh rate is an impressive 165 Hz, while the response time is just 1 ms. That is, you can not be afraid for blurring, tearing and twitching of the image, there will simply be nothing like this, no blurry frames.
All this is complemented by Nvidia's G-Sync technology, the purpose of which is to synchronize the screen frequency with the speed of the GPU. This once again helps to improve the dynamics of what is happening on the screen.
The high brightness of 400 cd/m2 means you can comfortably use the monitor in bright environments. The presence of Light FX technology, which is responsible for the interactive illumination of the monitor, will make, according to the manufacturer, immersion in the game deeper. Well, the Flickerfree technology (backlighting with variable brightness LEDs) is designed to protect the user's eyesight by reducing screen flicker.
The set of connectors cannot be called the richest to date. But it includes everything you need. There are four USB 3.0, audio jacks, as well as HDMI v.1.4 and Display Port v.1.2.
Also, the monitor boasts the presence of two built-in speakers with DTS at 2 watts. They sound good, but nothing more, it is rather just a good addition that cannot replace a high-quality audio system.
Finally, I would like to mention some software features. The undoubted advantage of the monitor is an easy-to-use menu that provides the user with access to the settings. To navigate it, a four-position sensitive joystick is used, located directly below the logo on the front panel and having a subtle, but still noticeable red backlight. Dealing with the menu is not difficult, this process will not take much time.
It offers users not only a wide variety of settings and modes, but also some additional features. For example, "game mode" allows you to quickly set the most appropriate settings for the gameplay. The Dial Point function (or simply "sight") serves to display the image of the sight in the center of the screen, which allows you to increase the accuracy of your shots. And the FPS Counter indicator will allow you to always be aware of the current frame rate, right during the game.
Conclusion
For the average user, the AOC AG273QCG monitor will definitely be a redundant purchase. But this model will be just a godsend for the gamer. Provided, of course, that the latter has a sufficiently productive computer (preferably with an Nvidia graphics card) that can reveal all the advantages of this monitor. Well, if you have an AMD video card, then pay attention to the AOC AG273QCX (AMD FreeSync) with a VA matrix. True, its refresh rate is slightly lower and is 144 Hz.