Verdict: The AOC Q27G2U is more than just an affordable gaming PC monitor. It’s a 27-inch behemoth, loaded with a razor-sharp response time, stunning display, and enough customisable settings to keep even the most avid tinkerers happy. It’s immersive, vibrant and versatile.
The Review
The AOC Q27G2U’s Quad HD resolution is a real treat to behold, delivering a sharp and detailed image, and at 27-inches, there is plenty of on-screen real estate to utilise. Of course, this size and resolution would mean nothing without adequate colour representation, contrast ratio, refresh rate, and response time. It’s lucky, then, that these four are here in abundant supply.
As a VA panel monitor with 121% sRGB coverage, the colour representation is deep and vibrant. The verdant and sprawling Montana landscape found in Far Cry 5 (PC) is seemingly injected with new life – the sun breaking through forest canopies, the shifting shades and contrasts of the open water, and the bright flare of muzzle flashes, are a delight to behold. The monitor boasts a 144HZ refresh rate and 1ms response time, so manages to keep up when things get a bit hectic without breaking an electrical-sweat. It’s a real treat to be able to access a VA panel’s colour credentials at such respectable speeds.
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These visual powers are, of course, carried over to other sources. Hooking up a PS4 Pro allows you to push the monitor’s resolution, and though it’s not as sharp as on a 4K display, the colour vibrancy more than makes up for the thousand or so missing pixels. We even tried out the Q27G2U with our Nintendo Switch - and though the 720p main menu did look somewhat blurred - the 1080p gameplay was a joy, with the colour-saturated palette of Paper Mario: The Origami King popping with crisp lines, intensity, and energy.
The versatility doesn’t stop at gaming content. The static contrast and accurate colour representation makes the Q27G2U a worthy companion for image editing on Adobe Photoshop or Affinity Photo, with the on-board colour settings allowing the user to refine the colour from the extremes of saturation, down into more muted and understated tones. As you’d rightly assume, this also means that movies, TV shows, and streaming media benefit from this excellent performance.
AOC has provided users with amble resources to drill down into the monitors set up via the OSD buttons, which grant access to the luminance, colour set-up, picture boost, and game settings. As the monitor is bright by default, most will find themselves jumping into these menus almost immediately. There are many powerful features tucked away in these areas, including HDR, DCR, and Adaptive-Sync, amongst the more common colour options, LowBlue modes, and gamma controls.
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Some will rejoice at this ability to refine their experience, but after a little experimentation, we found ourselves happy to stick with one of the preset modes. Though there are several modes available dedicated to bringing the most out of FPS, racing, and sports games, we found ourselves sticking to the movie preset. It provided us with a one-size-fits-all experience and reduced our need to jump back and forth in the menu. Though, be warned, opting for a preset mode blocks control over its parameters, most notably, brightness.
The AOC Q27G2U’s physical form has an imposing and impressive edge, well on point for the gamer aesthetic. This extreme facade manages to house some very welcome extras. On the rear of the monitor, you’ll find two HDMI and one Display Port connection, one audio-out, five USB-A 3.0 ports (one sleep-and-charge), and a USB-B 3.0 port. The monitor’s border is a thin-line bezel, ideal for creating immersive multiple-monitor displays, and the stand offers great positioning through height, tilt, and rotation manipulation. Those with narrow desks will want to note that AOC has put a wide and deep stand on the Q27G2U, however, it is compatible with VESA 100 mounting brackets and arms.
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Features
QHD VA Panel
AOC Q27G2U 27-inch Gaming Monitor is loaded with Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440), providing sharp and accurate picture quality, and the VA panel is designed to deliver vibrant and accurate colour representation. It’s bright too, measuring in a 250-nits.
144Hz Refresh Rate and 1ms Response Time
The impressive 144Hz refresh rate is backed up with an equally exciting 1ms response time, providing plenty of ghost-free frames, ensuring a smooth, blur-free, and flicker-free visual experience.
Adaptive Sync
The inbuilt Adaptive Sync makes sure that the AOC Q27G2U is perfectly in time with your PC’s graphics card, ensuring optimal performance.