Thanks for all the videos you made about this monitor. Just ordered mine now that it's on sale in Denmark (312 euro)(if anyone is interested) Unfortunately still far too expensive in Sweden. 491 euro.
In Finland price has increased from the previous price level (~370-380 euros) little bit. Just bought mine at the price of 417 euros, and of course monitors are out of stock everywhere at the moment. Cheapest price was ~396 euros, but there are big differences in product availability (or when more products are arriving) between stores and I'm not willing to wait it forever.
@@tiia98 I think unavailability is not that much bad for the end-user (as soon as the price range stays under €400)... Because AOC does not offer any connectivity option (like a USB stick input) to upgrade the firmware of Q27G3XMN... Instead; they adress the issues down the product line... So waiting for any later batch of production would be better in your case... And I think it would worth the waiting time... 🤔
so I have done some calculations , the width of each dimming zone should be around 3.0955154 cm and the height should be around 1.7393368, assuming the dimming zones are divided by the same aspect ratio as the monitor.
I 100% have to have this monitor on strong overdrive, the motion clarity is unusable for me otherwise. That being said with it on strong its surprisingly good for stuff like counter strike or overwatch.
Hello. Thanks for making this monitor review. For budget HDR monitor, do you think AOC Q27G3XMN is the king or theres better hdr budget monitor out there? mainly for gaming.
@@PCMonitors Thanks. Xiaomi just launch new mini LED in my country (Xiaomi G pro 27 mini led), 1152 dimming zone, 4608 LED with the same price as AOC Q27G3XMN. The spec sheets looks better compare to AOC Q27G3XMN. I will get Xiaomi instead.
Choosing between this and the KTC M27T20 is impossible! The KTC has USB and KVM which is a huge plus. I mostly care about the pixel response though and I can't find any reviewer who has reviewed both. I can't even find out what panel the KTC monitor uses.
Interestingly, RTINGS have just updated their review of this monitor and now they say it has "terrible" VRR flicker (2.0 score), much worse than the Odyssey G7/G8.
VRR flickering is explored in this review, including commentary which relates to actual 'real world' content. Yes, it's an issue with this as with many VA models. But the way RTINGS tests for this, like the VRR flickering test, involves extreme fluctuations which are beyond what you'd normally observe when gaming.
@@PCMonitors Yeah, it's possible that the AOC only looks so bad in the very specific and unrealistic test that RTINGS have created, whereas it looks on par with other VA displays in more realistic situations.
@@tszyn It looks better than some VAs I've tested in game (as noted in the review). The litmus test for me is that I didn't rush to disable VRR as I do with some VA models. 😉
excelent review. i got this monitor a couple weeks ago since my other monitor was a 1080p model and went to RMA, but they didn´t had another to replace and i suggested this one to replace it. Do you have any layout with the best configuration for the monitor on your preference?(optimization for colors, hdr ,responde time,etc). Its mainly to play Valorant.
Refer to the 'Best Settings' video - ua-cam.com/video/-uwV0TabP2k/v-deo.htmlsi=fbJsKFFbf4AZliAG. As noted there you need to consider individual preferences and your own unit and adjust according to that.
You will be my very last advisor, before making a decision. Im currently so split between VA and IPS. Im currently looking at LG UltraGear 27GP850P-B (IPS) and the tested AOC Q27G3XMN (VA). I like the thought of HDR, but i don't know if my usecase justifies it or not. Here is what i use my PC for. I plan on playing a mix of single player and multi player. Regarding multiplayer it is only CS2 and LOL basically, and singleplayers are like Assassins Creeds, Witcher 3, Tomb Raider, Wukong etc. I appreciate good visual quality, though i would guess i prefer looks over actual color accuracy if that makes sense (i just want it to look nice and engaging). I am also using it for Uni, but that is mainly just Excel, Word and reading different articles and PDF documents. I dont work with any editing software or similar of that nature. Given this information, what monitor would you reccommend me choosing? Thank you so much for the video! :)
It depends on how your usage is actually split. If it's more focused on productivity, some competitive gaming and a bit of immersive singleplayer gaming on the side then it's probably best to focus on a faster IPS model such as the LG. If you spend a good chunk of time playnig the single player titles then the strong HDR performance of the AOC (and respectable all-round performance) could make it more attractive.
@@sengan2475 Thank you for your input. i am a bit confused as to whether HDR is actually applicable to a lot of games as of yet? Can you use it on all games? or is it just a handfull of games??
@@nicklashjort5797 Most modern games will include an HDR implementation of some form. Some implementations are much better than others (and you can use 'RTX HDR' etc. if the game's own implementation is bad). The majority of recent or fairly recent single player titles will include at least a reasonable HDR implementation and having a good HDR-capable monitor like the AOC can be enjoyable there.
@@nicklashjort5797 most modern games have it. Auto hdr in windows 11 is surprisingly good for games that don't, and RTX HDR is even better if you have an nvidia gpu
I appreciate your interest but we no longer do written reviews as noted in the main review section and explained in the post linked there - pcmonitors.info/reviews/.
HI author ! When overclocking the monitor to 180, are there horizontal scan lines??? Have you noticed that I'm thinking about getting it or the Odyssey g6?
The monitor runs at 180Hz as a standard refresh rate, it isn't 'overclocked' in that sense. Your question is addressed in the video, it's even timestamped - 3:28.
@@PCMonitors I don’t know English well (I read the subtitles with translation! But I think you’re a real good guy for explaining everything in detail. I’ve already ordered it, but I’m worried that they’ll suddenly interfere with me. I have a 4070ti video card, I want to play at full 180 mhz
The experience is covered in detail in the review. Whether they 'matter' is subjective, they aren't obvious in most scenes in this case per the review.
@PCMonitors I see. I believe games generally default to whatever windows says is the max brightness. in my case, it says 1157. Not sure where windows gets those numbers as it says over 1500 on my a80j TV, which certainly can't hit those numbers 😅. Thanks for the instantaneous reply btw
That value is hard-coded into the EDID of the screen and corresponds to the maximum brightness the monitor is calibrated around rather than the actual capability of the display (our upcoming 'Best Settings' video for the PG32UCDP will give a nice demonstration of this). The in-game HDR brightness calibration slider in games usually provides some form of guidance and they can help provide a suitable offset from the maximum brightness value reported there. You can also run Windows HDR Calibration which will do a similar thing, but that can work for games which don't have their own in-game calibration slider (or have one without appropriate guidance).
Odd video to comment this on considering this is a high quality VA panel that suffers from none of those issues. Maybe "low" refresh rate if 180hz is not enough for you but other than that it's spectacular for the price. TFT central did a review article where you can see everything including ufo test.
@@anitaremenarova6662 is pretty good if you see rtings review but there is also some VRR flicker and dark smearing mentioned and those are pretty annoying things as a previous owner of 3 VA monitors
@@bigninja6472 Plenty of IPS monitors are free from flicker. But the overall experience simply doesn't compare to this VA in other areas. Yes, disabling VRR will get rid of VRR flickering.
I don't get why people want like 1000+ nits of brightness, sure I like good contrast and detail in shadows, but I use my monitor at like 150 nits and a full white page at night in a medium lit room at night is very bright to me. I couldn't imagine 1400 nits, I think I'd burn my retinas out, Oled despite its "drawback" in bright actually is kind of perfect for me as I'd much rather bright highlights be small than the whole screen being super bright. I doubt I'd even use it for HDR as even in SDR you are going to get perfect blacks and perfect whites at like 150-200 nits on an oled. my only concern is text clarity.
Only small highlights or sections of the image would be that bright, so you can't compare what it looks like to a full white page. Actual content is not going to be sustained full white, which of course could be uncomfortable. Sensitivity to brightness varies and if you prefer lower brightness levels then that's fine. HDR has other benefits such as better use of the wide gamut and 10-bit colour processing as explained in our reviews. So on the OLED models you may like their 'DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400' setting or similar for example.
No need to justify your purchasing decisions however that's not how it works. Most people don't game with windows fully sealed or in a basement and even if you did a brighter image is much more impactful if you like HDR. Also no, not even OLED will give you perfect contrast in SDR you're out of your mind lol
Your reviews are perfect. You are the only one with extensive POV footage of the monitor while testing, most just show charts and numbers which is not what I want to see.
Your channel is underrated. This is an incredibly detailed review, it leaves nothing to chance. Will you perhaps review the KTC M27T20 or the koorui GN10 in the near future?
@@soulsmouls I'm not going to purchase them myself because the cost to me won't be justified by the level of interest in them (from me, or from others) nor by any revenue the content would make. So it doesn't make sense in terms of either time or money... As for the manufacturers not being forthcoming with samples, you'd have to ask them.
It's not that hard to beat OLED monitors in terms of HDR, unlike OLED TVs their brightness is abysmal so most mini-LED displays are better even if they only hit 1000-1200nits.
Just to note that under HDR the monitor sat ~6000K with a neutral green channel on our unit. As is often the case colour channels are locked under HDR.
Fantastic review, subscribed. I was initially looking at getting a new OLED 4k240hz, but with using my PC for work (coding/spreadsheets etc.) and gaming it didnt seem appropriate due to risk of burn in, alongside desiring a 27 inch screen and higher SDR brightness (I dislike being in a dark room/straining my eyes!). Think I'll use this as a stop gap before the supposed 27inch 4k OLEDs arrive next year (with hopefully better burn in resistance). This seems the best overall choice, as anything else thats even comparable is about £700+ in the UK market. Although considering I've been on a 27 inch 1080p Acer monitor from 2011, think anything will seem incredible!
I've seen a lot of videos about this monitor, yours is well done and you covered pretty much everything about it, superb! 👍 I'd like to know though, many videos talk about "smearing" or "black smearing" which you never talked about; is that a term you don't recognize?
That's covered in detail in the responsiveness section. You can see it in the pursuit photos, you can see its cause from some of the measured response times and I even give subjective visual examples of it in the review. It may have been referred to as "smeary trailing", but it's exactly the same thing. As covered in the review it isn't particularly bad on this model, it's much better than many VA models actually. This is something I have been demonstrating for over a decade by the way, before many of these other reviewers were looking at monitors (ua-cam.com/video/27fCKZGAgFA/v-deo.html) .
Do you agree with the opinion that local dimming is near-unusable on this display at anything below 20 brightness due to dark crush? The reason I'm asking is that I typically play videogames and watch movies late at night. I would like a nice low black level (so tired of IPS greyish blacks), but I don't want a high maximum brightness level that will disrupt my circadian rhythm. (PS. Excellent review, so many details other reviewers missed! Thanks for the detailed discussion of sRGB clamping -- I learned about novideo srgb from your review, which sounds like a great solution for spotty sRGB emulation.)
It depends on the content. If there are sufficient bright or medium-bright shades it's fine. Also if you're in a dark room and you're sensitive to light you might not find it crushes things down too much (especially using 'Gamma2'). Tricky to say really.
@@tszynThe 'black crush' on OLEDs is quite subtle. Sometimes people exaggerate it because they don't understand the '2.2' gamma curve actually has quite well-blended dark shades by design. The consistency and distinctions on OLEDs plus per-pixel illumination make for a much more impressive representation of dark shades than on LCDs and this is further enhanced under HDR. I'd recommend watching some of our QD-OLED reviews, we cover this experience.
Had this monitor for a couple of days here's my two cents: Pro: Contrast is great, gets really bright, HDR works, colors after manual calibration are okay. Con: Monitor came with buggy sRGB clamp giving me a horrible red tint. Seems to be an issue with the /BK model sold in EU. Still waiting for AOC to reply. Also the bad VA viewing angles make uniform color backgrounds look weird, appears like a strange vignette effect. Black smearing is alright but noticable in some situations, greens (like foliage in videogames) are smearing a bit aswell. Would probably keep it if it werent for the buggy sRGB and bad viewing angles. Makes perfect sense to me now why most VAs are curved. Overall seems to me like a bit of a niche product, if you *really* want HDR, local dimming and great contrast under 500€, this is a good monitor.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As mentioned in the review, the 'BK' model usually has an sRGB clamp that does nothing (or nothing useful), but there are alternatives you can use for clamping. The red tint is odd, nothing like that on my unit but it may not be clamping to sRGB for you anyway. Curving VA models does little to improve the colour consistency, unless perhaps you sit particularly close to the screen and the curve is very aggressive. One of the worst VA models I've used in this respect in recent times is the 32" Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 - with a 1000R curve. I've used flat and curved variants of the same VA model side by side before as well and the curve didn't really help. As covered in the review this model is reasonable in that respect for VA, irrespective of the fact it's flat. Not to say it's the best out there (it isn't), though curving it alone wouldn't do all that much and that lack of uniformity you describe for shades is a typical VA characteristic which always persists to some degree - pcmonitors.info/articles/lcd-panel-types-explored/#VA_Vertical_Alignment_panels.
Guess i'll switch to IPS, the color shift really bothers me. Ordered an MSI MAG274QRX, will compare both monitors side by side and pick my poison. The sRGB clamp sets the monitors color temperature to the default 50-50-50 for me, which leads to the red tint, had to agressively change these values in panel native mode to make up for it.
@@poeagnpnpgeangSeeing for yourself is definitely the best way to pick your compromise. And yes, the sRGB setting will lock the monitor to 'Warm' (default) and you can't control the colour temperature. But that's not specific to the 'BK' model - what is specific to the 'BK' model is the fact the setting doesn't actually clamp the gamut.
Finally he came to me. I played Resident 4 remake, the hdr is incredible, I think that you can hardly find something like that for under 600 dollars. I am very glad. If you are not a cyber athlete, but just a good player, then there are no problems in shooters.
This thing was a good deal back when it was like 260 now it's like $100 more so I'll pass until it goes down again. I had the chance to test one out. The colors are WAY off but the contrast is very deep. The dimming algorithm is truly impressive.. good motion handling for a VA panel although my IPS is noticeably a bit better I just wish they made a 32-inch version so I could watch movies in a comfortable way... the 32 inchers from other brands cost almost as much as oled panels despite being gen 1 mini led.
@@anitaremenarova6662 true. But that's high end vs low-mid end. Would love to own one, but way out of price range. I lost patience in waiting for more VA based mini led to arrive. So last night I pulled trigger on the 32 Dell QD oled on sale for 1k , which is half the cost of the high end mini LED. ( yes, it's apples to oranges comparison at this point, but I use my monitor as a TV half the time).
Would you be willing to take a look at the newly released Xiaomi G Pro 27i? It has an IPS panel, 1152 diming zones, same size, resolution and refresh rate as this one and, at least here in Poland, it's priced similarly. Could be the new king of budget HDR.
Afaid not. We don't have Xiaomi contacts and that model isn't available from places which support our work. Likely the same panel which is used on a few other models - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/144hz-4k-uhd-boe-mini-led-ips-discussion-ex321ux-x32q-fs-32m2n6800m/.
Thank you! This video mostly answers my question about viewing from afar. I am usually 6 to 10 feet away and I want to watch with friends from at least 6 or 7 feet. I am worried about the viewing angle but if you are far its ok to be a bit off to the side a bit? Also is this VA panel tolerable with really Dark games like RE4 remake and RE 2 Remake?
It should be fine at that sort of distance a bit to the sides (as long as it's not too far off to the sides). The distance also decreases 'black crush', so it will actually work out better for you for dark games like that if anything. Pixel responses are a different matter, though you could argue weaknesses are less apparent from a bit of a distance as well.
@@PCMonitors Pixel response is bad on this? (maybe I missed that in your video) Does this mean I am in for an acid trip when things move? Your review makes me doubt myself if I should buy it lol. Is there a IPS that is comparable at all in this price range?
It is covered in detail in the review, both objectively and subjectively. So it's definitely worth paying careful attention to the responsiveness section. There is no remotely comparable IPS model to this. No monitor is perfect and you need to pick your own compromises - it's all very subjective.
Hi Oswald I see you checked this video already, nice, Anyhow I'm replying to your message about the AOC monitor, look in the comment section where the video maker answered my question about AOC vs Dell.
Very good review, you made me make the right choice of buying an upgrade for my old Acer VG270UP. One question, i have the BK variant but in my case the srgb actually work so, do you recommend staying in srgb mode all the time in SDR content? I feel that i get comfortable using in srgb and when i play a game in HDR made me realise the pop colors and vibrancy that HDR provides. Also thx for the recommendation, playing death stranding looks so good with the dark details and i feel is very close to an Oled without the drawbacks of that tech
@@PCMonitors thx for the fast response. Then, yeah. I will keep using srgb and then switch for color and more in hdr. I feel like im training me eye since i was a oversaturation kind of guy haha
Dear author, can you recommend a good miniled for a 2k monitor? Is Q27G3XMN the best option or is there a better one? I need it for horror games. I would be grateful!
@@PCMonitors Thank you for the prompt response! I’m ready to buy a more expensive one, but I don’t know what else I can get. Are you satisfied with this monitor?
It should be clear from the review that I'm satisfied with the monitor in certain areas and given the performance and price and I clearly recommend it. There's nothing I'd specifically recommend above it for your uses unless you're going to consider OLED alternatives.
@@PCMonitors I would love to buy an OLED, but I’m very afraid of burnout (I don’t know how long OLED monitors last, I’d like to buy a monitor for 5 years, but I don’t think that an OLED will last 5 years. Thank you very much for your answer! I’m subscribed to you! !!
Yes, but that's only a small subset of transitions. In practice I found it eye-catching in places (discussed 58:01 for example and a good example 58:50). It was far from extreme overshoot, it's definitely a setting some will like to use.
@@PCMonitors Ah, yes, especially the second one (dark overshoot) is a very obvious example. Did you see distracting ghosting when scrolling text or moving windows around?
@@PCMonitorsHow about on Medium? How bad does it ghost when scrolling text compared with an IPS? BTW, maybe you could include this type of test (text scrolling, moving windows) in future reviews? (PS. Made a small donation to support your honest and thorough work. I hope your channel takes off.)
@@tszynI did actually demonstrate some weaknesses on the desktop in this one, using 'Medium' - 1:00:14. This included a demonstration of moving a window around (and you can see some of the weaknesses), though I actually cut the section down a bit as the whole video was getting too long.
there are rumors, that EU version have quite broken firmware when sRGB on some other stuff does not really work. since it's impossible to update it, I'm quite concerned (as being in EU)...
They aren't "rumors" - this is covered in the review. sRGB emulation doesn't work, but there are other methods to achieve that. And that doesn't mean the monitor is"broken" or defective in other ways.
Apples and oranges and depends whether you value strong contrast and HDR (which this model provides) or better colour output and responsiveness (ASUS).
Lamonier I really am having the same issue now. I ordered this one from Amazon but found out it does not have VRR capability with PS5, and then I found out the Dell model G2724D which is an IPS panel, same specs and scores on RTINGS and with VRR... Don't know what to do...
@@mosheargaman9249 That just shows that you need to look beyond those scores, they're utterly meaningless with such an apples to oranges comparison. The G2724D can't hold a candle to this model when it comes to HDR performance or contrast and the QC seems to have gone downhill with the newer revisions (forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/dell-g2724d-thoughts-and-feedback/page/4/#post-75807 ). It is naturally stronger when it comes to colour output (though not vibrancy necessarily, due to its gamut being weaker) and responsiveness. You need to decide how important VRR actually is to you and what you're willing to sacrifice just so you have it.
@@PCMonitors thanks for you comment and your time looking into this. Could you please explain it to me in easier terms? In the link you provided the worse revisions are for the G2724D monitor. Not the AOC if I understood it correctly. I am not sure how much VRR functionality is important with PS5. I am just playing COD and want to upgrade myself from 60hz TV experience to a better competitive experience. Also you said that the HDR of AOC is much better then the Dell's right?
@@mosheargaman9249Yes, I was talking about the G2724D in terms of the QC. They use multiple different panels interchangably and the newer revision (A01) seems to be quite poor compared to the earlier revisions reviewed by the likes of RTINGS. VRR is nice to have if you're sensitive to tearing and stuttering, but it's not essential and some people don't find it as 'game changing' as others. For competitive play on COD and the like the frame rate itself (being high) is likely the main thing you'll appreciate regardless of VRR. Yes, HDR is much better on the AOC. The panel type and crucially the backlight is much more capable for contrast and the wider gamut (= greater saturation and vibrancy potential) is more appropriate for HDR. The Dell has a weak gamut for HDR so can't deliver appropriate saturation levels, has no real local dimming capability and a panel with worse native contrast. There's simply no comparison with what the AOC offers, with its 336-zone local dimming, panel with stronger native contrast and vastly superior brightness capability. This experience is explored in detail in the review.
I have the same monitor but it is only 24 inches, I know it is the same model and has the same specs but it says on the website it is 27 inches and everyone else is also saying that, should I get a refund? or is yours the same?
@@PCMonitors that is really weird. i measured the monitor and it was 24 inches, however it is the same model with the same specs. Should I just return it?
@OnlyReelsReposts What does it say on the label at the back for the model code? Also remember that screen sizes are measured diagonally. A 27" 16:9 monitor is roughly 24" wide.
AOC Q24G2A/BK vs AOC Q27G3XMN? I know one is VA and one is IPS on a 24 inch (more Pixel Density). But for someone who plays both E-sports games and Single players games (more Moba like LoL), would the XMN be more justified? I am a bit worried about the black smearing. Subscribed!
It's really too subjective to say. Some people find competitive gaming fine on the Q27G3XMN, but not everyone would. Might be worth seeing for yourself, it's definitely more immersive for single player gaming as well. 🙂
Hi, check out the TFT central article on this monitor. They provide ufo test and at strong preset there's only minimal smearing under the worst circumstances (completely dark background).
@@anitaremenarova6662 No need to refer to another resource. The video includes pursuit photographs, measured response time data and thorough subjective analysis using a broad range of transitions. It gives about as complete a picture you can get short of seeing the monitor yourself.
Hey pc monitors info. Do you know of any other decent 1440p or 4k mini LED monitors to compare to this? They seem to be pretty scarce. I was thinking IPS mini LED would be nice and eliminate backlight bleed? But I dont know if any even exist?
I don't - and any of the Mini LED IPS models of anywhere near this price don't perform like this one. The mainstream manufacturers really need to step up their Mini LED game, they're largely focused on OLED or 'plain' LCDs at the moment.
KTC M27T20 or Koorui GN10 are the other best budget HDR picks. IPS is worse because of the low native contrast, that being said if you have 900-1200 bucks to spend then Asus PG32UQX or LG 27GR95UM are the best premium mini-LED displays. They don't have as good of a contrast as VA variants but they're much brighter thanks to their higher zone count which results in more impactful images.
Aside from lack of HDMI VRR support for the PS5, the use of HDMI 2.0 doesn't matter. "ALLM" is simply to allow a TV to automatically switch over to a 'gaming' mode with lower input lag. It's not a useful option for monitors as they don't have game modes which are associated with input lag levels, input lag is low on this monitor regardless of preset used and 'Low Input Lag' mode is automatically used with any VRR signal on this and most other AOC models with such a mode. This monitor is vastly superior for immersive HDR gaming on the PS5 than anything LG has in the price range. P.S. Nothing personal, but don't use the term "2K" to describe the QHD or 1440 resolution as it's inaccurate - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/sacrificing-refresh-rate-for-resolution/#post-53418. Edit: This was replying to "yurarnd8135". UA-cam doesn't always tag replies properly when you do it through the Studio as a creator or it is showing me a reply they made which is now deleted or hidden. They said: "New Lg 2K monitors have hdmi 2.1 ports support VRR and ALLM", which is what I was replying to.
@@PCMonitors Where is "2K"? It wasn't mentioned. It would be interesting to test VRR on this monitor, as some people write that in some cases HDMI 2.0 works (possibly with HDMI 2.0 b). I'm not sure, if it's true or not.
I was replying to "yurarnd8135". UA-cam doesn't always tag replies properly when you do it through the Studio as a creator or it is showing me a reply they made which is now deleted or hidden. They said: "New Lg 2K monitors have hdmi 2.1 ports support VRR and ALLM", which is what I was replying to. Sometimes (though rarely) manufacturers include 'HDMI VRR' even on HDMI 2.0 connections - this is an 'HDMI 2.1' feature but can be added by the manufacturer if they wish to 'HDMI 2.0'. In this case it wasn't and generally it isn't, though. You can tell as well because 'G-SYNC Compatible' is supported via HDMI if this feature is added.
hey, genuine question, how did you get HDR to work on this monitor on windows? the colors are super drab and unsaturated. i own the same model as you. thanks!
You don't... The general advice is to use HDR only when you're actually wanting to view HDR content, not SDR content (like the Windows desktop, general environment). If you mean it looks like that when viewing actual HDR content, I'm not sure what to tell you - look at the 'Best Settings' video for guidance. Maybe try Windows HDR calibration as well. Your unit could be poorly calibrated or something else is off with the setup.
@@PCMonitors thank you for your reply! Also, just another question if you don't mind. Have you tried using HDR with a PS5 if you own one by any chance? I can't tell if its working properly. Calibrating the HDR brightness on PS5 doesn't seem to change anything on the monitor. I saw a review online saying it doesn't work nicely with it. Again, sorry for taking up your time and thanks for your reply.
I don't use a PS5 so can't help with that I'm afraid. The monitor doesn't support HGiG (most don't) so that may be why it's not responding as expected to PS5 calibration.
Probably something like the Cooler Master GP27Q (~$500 USD), but I don't recommend it. That model has janky firmware and it doesn't really compete with the AOC for contrast in SDR or HDR. Really IPS models need very careful tuning and ideally a much higher number of dimming zones to offer compelling HDR.
@@PCMonitors Dell G2724D, MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and Gigabyte M27Q-P were the ones i was considering beside the AOC. Dell is good but the local dimming is terrible. MSI has fake hdr. Gigabyte no local dimming it can't even swivel.
@@PCMonitors so basically sounds like for the budget category, there is no better option than the AOC. So do you still recommend the AOC over the other options i mentioned? Would love a good HDR option with local dimming, but i'm not sure it's worth the risk of the downsides with VA panel particularly with the AOC, especially things like smearing, 58:50 trailing, overshoot. I probably would not consider the dell because the local dimming on it is terrible to the point you might be better off without it.
@alG0wnIf you're interested in HDR there's simply no comparison. Responsiveness is a very individual thing, something you'd have to assess in person really. The only guarantee here is all the options you're considering except the AOC offer rubbish HDR, but you might actually be fine with the level of responsiveness on the AOC.
@tors i was really unsure about VA monitors vs IPS. This AOC really did bring this to the next level for budget with the HDR and local dimming (it did the local dimming way better than the Dell IPS i mentioned). But since i game a lot especially first person shooter, now i am really confused between the AOC and something like the MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2. Would love HDR but not sure i can stand some of the quirks of VA (viewing angles, black smearing). What is your opinion on this monitor? for yourself are the cons worth getting this monitor over say the MSI? yes i understand i shouldn't count on the fake HDR (no local dimming), so i understand that trade of. just not sure if the HDR wow factor for AOC would worth introducing the cons inherent from VA monitors. But anyway, i checked availability, there is no stock for the AOC model for my locality. So my only choice then is the MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2. Did you do a review on this monitor? Seems they added KVM to it, so now less reason for going for the Gigabyte M27Q-P (unless it's cheaper by much) in that regard (not to mention the MSI comes with quantum dot which the gigabyte doesn't), and the MSI added a faster panel than the Gigabyte.
@@PCMonitors Thanks! If I'd drop HDR of the wishlist, any model that you could recommend? I'd spring for an OLED but I do a lot of 'production' work, i.e. high risk of burn-in. The ones HUB recommends seem to all get atrocious Amazon and Reddit comments (like the LG 32GR93U) or cost a lot more here in the EU than in US or down under.
They use a completely different measurement methodology, you can't cross-compare. RTINGS also reviewed the US model and got some relatively low readings for their Rise/Fall data. Again, different methodology.
Unless you tested with a colorimeter or another measurement instrument, that's not an accurate reading. Visual readings on VA and TN models in particular are too dependent on viewing angle. It's influenced by the position of the 'test' on the screen and your viewing position.
@@PCMonitorsSorry to bother you but I just got this monitor for 420usd in mu country. Do you think I can get a better deal for that money? I wanted neo g7 which is more than twice the price, but it isn't available anymore here. I want hdr monitor that I can use for static content too. Thank you in advance!
@@martinkarov7236 My recommendation for the monitor is clear. If you're happy to pay that for the monitor I suggest you stop second-guessing your decision.
@@PCMonitors First, thank you for replying to my comments! So many reviewers don't care. The problems with my unit so far are that the screen flickers when using freesync. Also there is some strange brightness problems when local dimming is on. When an object is moving across the screen the object brightness dims and then brightens again. I don't know if this problems are present in all units or it's just particular one. Thank you again, you are awesome. Edit: Never mind the freesync flickering, you already covered it in the video.
Hello. Can you tell something about vrr flickering? I have this monitor and flickering is terrible. Did you experience this in your review? I'm thinking to return my unit. Thanks for great content!
It's covered in the review, it's an issue common to many VA models (including this one) and not unique to your unit. You should consider whether you can reduce refresh rate or use a frame rate cap to reduce fluctuations or perhaps live without VRR. Because you won't find a monitor equivalent to this one but without VRR flickering.
@@PCMonitorsThank you very much for your quick response. Until now I used a monitor with an IPS panel, it was also a model from AOC. I really liked the color reproduction, accuracy and fantastic viewing angles. Is there any interesting model with IPS panel, could be more expensive than presented AOC Q27G3XMN/BK, with similiar or better capabilities?
In a word, no. There aren't any IPS alternatives that perform similarly to or better than the AOC under HDR that are really comparable in terms of other specs and price.
@@PCMonitors Thank you so much for your reply. In general, I do not care about HDR, and more about comfortable work with text and various media. It's about a fast panel with good image refresh and viewing angles. Playing games is also important, especially fast one. Regards!
Plenty of good IPS alternatives if you aren't interested in HDR - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/making-sense-of-the-current-27-1440p-144hz-ips-segment/. Price and availability is all over the place at the moment and varies regionally, but as you'll see in that thread I've found MSI pretty consistently good in this segment so look out for their models.
According to a limited number of measurements that were taken using the setting, it didn't significantly impact input lag. Per the review it might not be a setting you should use for competitive gaming anyway, given that it can mask detail.
@@villekoskela9073 As I said, limited number of measurements so accuracy is not super high. But the readings were basically the same with and without. So likely
FOr past week I've been obsessed with picking a 27 1440p monitor, and this looks one of the unique ones, with unbelievable combination of colors, contrast, HDR and gaming prowess. Too bad its not appearing on Amazon, and not existent in offline stores in Israel...
Question: the amazon link brings me to a model that's called "AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN", in that link says the contrast ratio is 3.000:1, but this monitor is supposed to be 4000:1 - is this the same model?!
Yes, it's the same model. That value is just specified differently in different regions or even by different retailers depending on where they get their data from.
are the colors punchy and vibrant? or not so much, because its not QLED? at the moment i'm using my edge lit samsung odyssey g7, which is an QLED monitor, will i miss something, when i change to this monitor, when it comes to colors? but obviously this have much better blacks, because its a mini led
I have just bought this monitor and the picture on it when playing games like call of duty is absolutely awful, absolutely nowhere near 4k. I cannot understand why it’s so bad? I play on console so should be getting 4k 120hz. The only half decent picture I can get is if I set it to HDRgame but even then it’s not great. What can I do? If I can improve the quality I’m going to have to send this back. The picture is extremely blury, almost as if motion blur is on but it’s not
It's not a '4K' monitor, so there's that. And the pixel respnosivenesss isn't very strong, as covered in the review. It might just not be what you're looking for in a monitor.
@@PCMonitors I have the U27G3X, is this the same? My Xbox setting says the monitor supports 4k display at 120hz? I just want an improvement on my previous monitor which was only 1080p at 75hz. I’ve seen on other reviews that you can somehow get ‘boost’ overdrive but I only appear to get up to strong. Is there anyway to get this? Thanks
That's a completely different model. To enable 'Boost' (which enables MBR i.e. the strobe backlight setting) you need to disable Adaptive-Sync / FreeSync / G-SYNC (or whatever they call it on the U27G3X menu).
➡ Affiliate link: geni.us/OZpAg6U
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Introduction: 0:00
Refresh Rates & Scaling: 01:47
Interlace Pattern Artifacts ('Scan Lines'): 03:28
Features & Aesthetics: 04:56
Subpixels & Calibration: 07:31
Contrast & Brightness: 11:19
Colour Reproduction: 26:24
HDR (High Dynamic Range): 35:18
Responsiveness (General): 52:23
Responsiveness (VRR): 01:01:16
Conclusion: 01:09:31
How can I reduce shipping on Amazon?freight forwarding?
Thanks for all the videos you made about this monitor. Just ordered mine now that it's on sale in Denmark (312 euro)(if anyone is interested) Unfortunately still far too expensive in Sweden. 491 euro.
500euro in greece and out of stock !!! with 700 euros monthly salary 😬😬😬
In Finland price has increased from the previous price level (~370-380 euros) little bit. Just bought mine at the price of 417 euros, and of course monitors are out of stock everywhere at the moment. Cheapest price was ~396 euros, but there are big differences in product availability (or when more products are arriving) between stores and I'm not willing to wait it forever.
@@tiia98 I think unavailability is not that much bad for the end-user (as soon as the price range stays under €400)...
Because AOC does not offer any connectivity option (like a USB stick input) to upgrade the firmware of Q27G3XMN... Instead; they adress the issues down the product line...
So waiting for any later batch of production would be better in your case... And I think it would worth the waiting time... 🤔
@@Chris.Thanopoulos You can try Poland they have it still available at nearly €377...
so I have done some calculations , the width of each dimming zone should be around 3.0955154 cm and the height should be around 1.7393368, assuming the dimming zones are divided by the same aspect ratio as the monitor.
You are the ONLY creator that’s been able to answer what the BK model does differently. Thank you so much!!
what it is?
@@rafinha.777 the color of the stand
The BK models are those selling in Europe, that is the difference not the thing they said.
@@rafinha.777 It means the stand base is black, and not the original silver color. Reference 5:22 and 0:47
BK at the end of a model name just means black color on the monitor shell or stand
watching this on my Q27G3XMN :)
Same! :D
Same
im with you
How bad is flickering?
@@QiQskww not flickering detected yet
Great review!
I 100% have to have this monitor on strong overdrive, the motion clarity is unusable for me otherwise. That being said with it on strong its surprisingly good for stuff like counter strike or overwatch.
Glad you like it!
I was surprised as well, this is hands down the best budget 1440p monitor out there and it's not even close.
@@anitaremenarova6662 does it feel different from 240?
Hello. Thanks for making this monitor review. For budget HDR monitor, do you think AOC Q27G3XMN is the king or theres better hdr budget monitor out there? mainly for gaming.
My recommendation is clear - pcmonitors.info/articles/best-gaming-monitors/. For HDR it's simply the best option out there on a budget.
@@PCMonitors Thanks. Xiaomi just launch new mini LED in my country (Xiaomi G pro 27 mini led), 1152 dimming zone, 4608 LED with the same price as AOC Q27G3XMN. The spec sheets looks better compare to AOC Q27G3XMN. I will get Xiaomi instead.
Choosing between this and the KTC M27T20 is impossible! The KTC has USB and KVM which is a huge plus. I mostly care about the pixel response though and I can't find any reviewer who has reviewed both. I can't even find out what panel the KTC monitor uses.
Ktc mini led (va panel)
ips for pro version
Almost rtings reviewed both, but then m27t20 lost against other monitors in voting for a review
Interestingly, RTINGS have just updated their review of this monitor and now they say it has "terrible" VRR flicker (2.0 score), much worse than the Odyssey G7/G8.
VRR flickering is explored in this review, including commentary which relates to actual 'real world' content. Yes, it's an issue with this as with many VA models. But the way RTINGS tests for this, like the VRR flickering test, involves extreme fluctuations which are beyond what you'd normally observe when gaming.
@@PCMonitors Yeah, it's possible that the AOC only looks so bad in the very specific and unrealistic test that RTINGS have created, whereas it looks on par with other VA displays in more realistic situations.
@@tszyn It looks better than some VAs I've tested in game (as noted in the review). The litmus test for me is that I didn't rush to disable VRR as I do with some VA models. 😉
I would love to see you compare this monitor to the KTC mini-led offerings
They aren't forthcoming with review samples, so no plans to review them I'm afraid.
It's not available really. Any chance for reviews of the competing Koorui GP10 and KTC M27T20?
There's not an overall winner, best price - Q27G3XMN then best competitive/multiuse - GN10 and finally best HDR - M27T20
excelent review. i got this monitor a couple weeks ago since my other monitor was a 1080p model and went to RMA, but they didn´t had another to replace and i suggested this one to replace it. Do you have any layout with the best configuration for the monitor on your preference?(optimization for colors, hdr ,responde time,etc). Its mainly to play Valorant.
Refer to the 'Best Settings' video - ua-cam.com/video/-uwV0TabP2k/v-deo.htmlsi=fbJsKFFbf4AZliAG. As noted there you need to consider individual preferences and your own unit and adjust according to that.
You will be my very last advisor, before making a decision. Im currently so split between VA and IPS. Im currently looking at LG UltraGear 27GP850P-B (IPS) and the tested AOC Q27G3XMN (VA). I like the thought of HDR, but i don't know if my usecase justifies it or not. Here is what i use my PC for. I plan on playing a mix of single player and multi player. Regarding multiplayer it is only CS2 and LOL basically, and singleplayers are like Assassins Creeds, Witcher 3, Tomb Raider, Wukong etc. I appreciate good visual quality, though i would guess i prefer looks over actual color accuracy if that makes sense (i just want it to look nice and engaging).
I am also using it for Uni, but that is mainly just Excel, Word and reading different articles and PDF documents. I dont work with any editing software or similar of that nature.
Given this information, what monitor would you reccommend me choosing? Thank you so much for the video! :)
It depends on how your usage is actually split. If it's more focused on productivity, some competitive gaming and a bit of immersive singleplayer gaming on the side then it's probably best to focus on a faster IPS model such as the LG. If you spend a good chunk of time playnig the single player titles then the strong HDR performance of the AOC (and respectable all-round performance) could make it more attractive.
HDR is a massive visual upgrade. I wouldn't trade good HDR for a 4090
@@sengan2475 Thank you for your input. i am a bit confused as to whether HDR is actually applicable to a lot of games as of yet? Can you use it on all games? or is it just a handfull of games??
@@nicklashjort5797 Most modern games will include an HDR implementation of some form. Some implementations are much better than others (and you can use 'RTX HDR' etc. if the game's own implementation is bad). The majority of recent or fairly recent single player titles will include at least a reasonable HDR implementation and having a good HDR-capable monitor like the AOC can be enjoyable there.
@@nicklashjort5797 most modern games have it. Auto hdr in windows 11 is surprisingly good for games that don't, and RTX HDR is even better if you have an nvidia gpu
@PC Monitors Local Diming can be turn on in SDR mode or only HDR ?
In SDR as well - this is covered in the review.
@@PCMonitors thx
Do you have an article for this up on your site?
I appreciate your interest but we no longer do written reviews as noted in the main review section and explained in the post linked there - pcmonitors.info/reviews/.
@PCMonitors Which monitor would you reccomend the benq mobiuz ex2510s or the AOC Q27g3xmn. I want to pair it with a ps5.
My recommendation is clear - pcmonitors.info/articles/best-gaming-monitors/.
After 5.04 where he himself and the G3XMN are alone together in an empty room, and his voice echoing :)))
Where did you buy the BK version I've never seen it on Amazon or Newegg
@@benbreshears2812 It's the European model.
HI author ! When overclocking the monitor to 180, are there horizontal scan lines??? Have you noticed that I'm thinking about getting it or the Odyssey g6?
The monitor runs at 180Hz as a standard refresh rate, it isn't 'overclocked' in that sense. Your question is addressed in the video, it's even timestamped - 3:28.
@@PCMonitors I don’t know English well (I read the subtitles with translation! But I think you’re a real good guy for explaining everything in detail. I’ve already ordered it, but I’m worried that they’ll suddenly interfere with me. I have a 4070ti video card, I want to play at full 180 mhz
I'm considering switching out my samsung c27jg50 for this monitor, is it worth it though 🤔
Yup.
do haloing or holoing matter? I saw some review he seems disappointed or just sad about it
The experience is covered in detail in the review. Whether they 'matter' is subjective, they aren't obvious in most scenes in this case per the review.
What would you recommend to set the hdr max luminence to in games for this monitor?
Whatever the in-game calibration guidance suggests. Or you can try raising it above that and see if you prefer it.
@PCMonitors I see. I believe games generally default to whatever windows says is the max brightness. in my case, it says 1157. Not sure where windows gets those numbers as it says over 1500 on my a80j TV, which certainly can't hit those numbers 😅. Thanks for the instantaneous reply btw
That value is hard-coded into the EDID of the screen and corresponds to the maximum brightness the monitor is calibrated around rather than the actual capability of the display (our upcoming 'Best Settings' video for the PG32UCDP will give a nice demonstration of this). The in-game HDR brightness calibration slider in games usually provides some form of guidance and they can help provide a suitable offset from the maximum brightness value reported there. You can also run Windows HDR Calibration which will do a similar thing, but that can work for games which don't have their own in-game calibration slider (or have one without appropriate guidance).
Nah man i can't use VA anymore. Can't stand the VRR flicker or the smearing. Also anything below high refresh rates feels awful
Odd video to comment this on considering this is a high quality VA panel that suffers from none of those issues. Maybe "low" refresh rate if 180hz is not enough for you but other than that it's spectacular for the price. TFT central did a review article where you can see everything including ufo test.
@@anitaremenarova6662 is pretty good if you see rtings review but there is also some VRR flicker and dark smearing mentioned and those are pretty annoying things as a previous owner of 3 VA monitors
@@anitaremenarova6662 if you scroll white text on a black background it smears and flickers, just like every other VA.
Can i get vrr if i limit the range between 50 and 70 or 50 and 80 and not getting flickering
No, it can still occur within that range. Shouldn't be too extreme though.
@@PCMonitors so disabling vrr and using vsync will it solve the flicker ? And is there any other freesync monitor without flicker at lower fps ? 🤔
@@bigninja6472 Plenty of IPS monitors are free from flicker. But the overall experience simply doesn't compare to this VA in other areas. Yes, disabling VRR will get rid of VRR flickering.
@@PCMonitors i need the contrast for horror games 😢. thanks man 👍
I have this monitor and it seems hdr isn’t working properly on my unit I don’t know but it’s my first time trying hdr monitor
Based on what - what system are you using and what are you testing specifically?
@@PCMonitors pc windows 11 when gaming when watching movies the brightness is very weak
@felmahdi817 Do you have HDR enabled in Windows with the 'DisplayHDR' setting used on the monitor? Is 'Local Dimming' active? What GPU are you using?
@@PCMonitors rtx 3060 ti latest driver i turn on hdr from windows then it automatically goes on display hdr settings local dimming on medium
@@PCMonitors sdr brightness is better than hdr and brighter
I don't get why people want like 1000+ nits of brightness, sure I like good contrast and detail in shadows, but I use my monitor at like 150 nits and a full white page at night in a medium lit room at night is very bright to me. I couldn't imagine 1400 nits, I think I'd burn my retinas out, Oled despite its "drawback" in bright actually is kind of perfect for me as I'd much rather bright highlights be small than the whole screen being super bright.
I doubt I'd even use it for HDR as even in SDR you are going to get perfect blacks and perfect whites at like 150-200 nits on an oled. my only concern is text clarity.
Only small highlights or sections of the image would be that bright, so you can't compare what it looks like to a full white page. Actual content is not going to be sustained full white, which of course could be uncomfortable. Sensitivity to brightness varies and if you prefer lower brightness levels then that's fine. HDR has other benefits such as better use of the wide gamut and 10-bit colour processing as explained in our reviews. So on the OLED models you may like their 'DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400' setting or similar for example.
No need to justify your purchasing decisions however that's not how it works. Most people don't game with windows fully sealed or in a basement and even if you did a brighter image is much more impactful if you like HDR. Also no, not even OLED will give you perfect contrast in SDR you're out of your mind lol
Your reviews are perfect. You are the only one with extensive POV footage of the monitor while testing, most just show charts and numbers which is not what I want to see.
Underrated channel. Excellent review. Subbed and gave you a like.
Your channel is underrated. This is an incredibly detailed review, it leaves nothing to chance. Will you perhaps review the KTC M27T20 or the koorui GN10 in the near future?
Won't be reviewing those I'm afraid, those manufacturers aren't forthcoming with samples and they aren't models I'm interested in purchasing myself.
@@PCMonitors why not?
@@soulsmouls I'm not going to purchase them myself because the cost to me won't be justified by the level of interest in them (from me, or from others) nor by any revenue the content would make. So it doesn't make sense in terms of either time or money... As for the manufacturers not being forthcoming with samples, you'd have to ask them.
The fact an oled is a point of even a passing comparison says a lot of good things about this display
It's not that hard to beat OLED monitors in terms of HDR, unlike OLED TVs their brightness is abysmal so most mini-LED displays are better even if they only hit 1000-1200nits.
your men are dying things are blowing up and you're looking at the grass.. lol
Complete dereliction of duty! 😂
Just to note that under HDR the monitor sat ~6000K with a neutral green channel on our unit. As is often the case colour channels are locked under HDR.
Fantastic review, subscribed. I was initially looking at getting a new OLED 4k240hz, but with using my PC for work (coding/spreadsheets etc.) and gaming it didnt seem appropriate due to risk of burn in, alongside desiring a 27 inch screen and higher SDR brightness (I dislike being in a dark room/straining my eyes!).
Think I'll use this as a stop gap before the supposed 27inch 4k OLEDs arrive next year (with hopefully better burn in resistance). This seems the best overall choice, as anything else thats even comparable is about £700+ in the UK market. Although considering I've been on a 27 inch 1080p Acer monitor from 2011, think anything will seem incredible!
bro same, but for me the stop gap should be 2-3 years. Oled is not ready for productivity yet, but we are near they have made a lot of improvements
I've seen a lot of videos about this monitor, yours is well done and you covered pretty much everything about it, superb! 👍
I'd like to know though, many videos talk about "smearing" or "black smearing" which you never talked about; is that a term you don't recognize?
That's covered in detail in the responsiveness section. You can see it in the pursuit photos, you can see its cause from some of the measured response times and I even give subjective visual examples of it in the review. It may have been referred to as "smeary trailing", but it's exactly the same thing. As covered in the review it isn't particularly bad on this model, it's much better than many VA models actually. This is something I have been demonstrating for over a decade by the way, before many of these other reviewers were looking at monitors (ua-cam.com/video/27fCKZGAgFA/v-deo.html) .
@@PCMonitors Oh I'll rewatch then!
@PCMonitors you should review the mini led INNOCN 34M1R
Superb analysis as always.
Thanks! :)
This smearing on foliage is what keeps me from buying this. If you see it you can't unsee it.
same here :(
I've had this monitor for a few weeks now and I love it, I notice the scan lines effect every now and then but it does not bother me very much.
Is it possible to use vrr and fix flickering ? getting stable 60fps with vsync on the rx 6600 is impossible 😢 i need the vrr and the lfc
@@bigninja6472Honestly I haven't really experienced flickering with vrr because i generally get pretty high fps, I don't really have an answer
I don't recommend this monitor for lower fps @@bigninja6472 this is an amazing video but if you want more info check "monitors unboxed" video too
This is an excellent review. At 25:45 that box popping in and out was driving me nuts though lol
Do you agree with the opinion that local dimming is near-unusable on this display at anything below 20 brightness due to dark crush? The reason I'm asking is that I typically play videogames and watch movies late at night. I would like a nice low black level (so tired of IPS greyish blacks), but I don't want a high maximum brightness level that will disrupt my circadian rhythm.
(PS. Excellent review, so many details other reviewers missed! Thanks for the detailed discussion of sRGB clamping -- I learned about novideo srgb from your review, which sounds like a great solution for spotty sRGB emulation.)
It depends on the content. If there are sufficient bright or medium-bright shades it's fine. Also if you're in a dark room and you're sensitive to light you might not find it crushes things down too much (especially using 'Gamma2'). Tricky to say really.
@@PCMonitors Thanks. Are QD-OLEDs better at displaying dark shades when monitor brightness is low? I've read that OLEDs have black crush, too.
@@tszynThe 'black crush' on OLEDs is quite subtle. Sometimes people exaggerate it because they don't understand the '2.2' gamma curve actually has quite well-blended dark shades by design. The consistency and distinctions on OLEDs plus per-pixel illumination make for a much more impressive representation of dark shades than on LCDs and this is further enhanced under HDR. I'd recommend watching some of our QD-OLED reviews, we cover this experience.
Had this monitor for a couple of days here's my two cents:
Pro: Contrast is great, gets really bright, HDR works, colors after manual calibration are okay.
Con: Monitor came with buggy sRGB clamp giving me a horrible red tint. Seems to be an issue with the /BK model sold in EU. Still waiting for AOC to reply. Also the bad VA viewing angles make uniform color backgrounds look weird, appears like a strange vignette effect. Black smearing is alright but noticable in some situations, greens (like foliage in videogames) are smearing a bit aswell.
Would probably keep it if it werent for the buggy sRGB and bad viewing angles. Makes perfect sense to me now why most VAs are curved. Overall seems to me like a bit of a niche product, if you *really* want HDR, local dimming and great contrast under 500€, this is a good monitor.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As mentioned in the review, the 'BK' model usually has an sRGB clamp that does nothing (or nothing useful), but there are alternatives you can use for clamping. The red tint is odd, nothing like that on my unit but it may not be clamping to sRGB for you anyway.
Curving VA models does little to improve the colour consistency, unless perhaps you sit particularly close to the screen and the curve is very aggressive. One of the worst VA models I've used in this respect in recent times is the 32" Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 - with a 1000R curve. I've used flat and curved variants of the same VA model side by side before as well and the curve didn't really help. As covered in the review this model is reasonable in that respect for VA, irrespective of the fact it's flat. Not to say it's the best out there (it isn't), though curving it alone wouldn't do all that much and that lack of uniformity you describe for shades is a typical VA characteristic which always persists to some degree - pcmonitors.info/articles/lcd-panel-types-explored/#VA_Vertical_Alignment_panels.
Guess i'll switch to IPS, the color shift really bothers me. Ordered an MSI MAG274QRX, will compare both monitors side by side and pick my poison.
The sRGB clamp sets the monitors color temperature to the default 50-50-50 for me, which leads to the red tint, had to agressively change these values in panel native mode to make up for it.
I'm trying to decide between this q27g3xmn and the mag274qrf-qd e2. I would be very keen to hear your opinion once you've compared!@@poeagnpnpgeang
@@poeagnpnpgeangSeeing for yourself is definitely the best way to pick your compromise. And yes, the sRGB setting will lock the monitor to 'Warm' (default) and you can't control the colour temperature. But that's not specific to the 'BK' model - what is specific to the 'BK' model is the fact the setting doesn't actually clamp the gamut.
Are curved monitors better? I'm thinking about getting it or the odyssey g 7? I want a VA matrix...it's impossible to achieve black on IPS
Do you have the dimensions for the base/legs specifically? Curious to know the length of each leg.
Finally he came to me. I played Resident 4 remake, the hdr is incredible, I think that you can hardly find something like that for under 600 dollars. I am very glad. If you are not a cyber athlete, but just a good player, then there are no problems in shooters.
Dell Alienware AW2724DM
@@GAMERID-vf5hf What? That's not a HDR capable monitor.
@@anitaremenarova6662technically AW2724DM has local edge lighting, but it looks terrible
That vignette tho, feels like something we shouldnt put up with in 2024.
This thing was a good deal back when it was like 260 now it's like $100 more so I'll pass until it goes down again. I had the chance to test one out. The colors are WAY off but the contrast is very deep. The dimming algorithm is truly impressive.. good motion handling for a VA panel although my IPS is noticeably a bit better
I just wish they made a 32-inch version so I could watch movies in a comfortable way... the 32 inchers from other brands cost almost as much as oled panels despite being gen 1 mini led.
Funnily enough the first-gen PG32UQX is still one of if not the best mini-LED monitor on the market.
@@anitaremenarova6662 true. But that's high end vs low-mid end. Would love to own one, but way out of price range. I lost patience in waiting for more VA based mini led to arrive.
So last night I pulled trigger on the 32 Dell QD oled on sale for 1k , which is half the cost of the high end mini LED. ( yes, it's apples to oranges comparison at this point, but I use my monitor as a TV half the time).
Would you be willing to take a look at the newly released Xiaomi G Pro 27i? It has an IPS panel, 1152 diming zones, same size, resolution and refresh rate as this one and, at least here in Poland, it's priced similarly. Could be the new king of budget HDR.
Afaid not. We don't have Xiaomi contacts and that model isn't available from places which support our work. Likely the same panel which is used on a few other models - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/144hz-4k-uhd-boe-mini-led-ips-discussion-ex321ux-x32q-fs-32m2n6800m/.
how does it compare to xiaomi gpro 27i?
Amazing review! Liked and subscribed
great revew! Im subs now. =D
Thank you! This video mostly answers my question about viewing from afar. I am usually 6 to 10 feet away and I want to watch with friends from at least 6 or 7 feet. I am worried about the viewing angle but if you are far its ok to be a bit off to the side a bit? Also is this VA panel tolerable with really Dark games like RE4 remake and RE 2 Remake?
It should be fine at that sort of distance a bit to the sides (as long as it's not too far off to the sides). The distance also decreases 'black crush', so it will actually work out better for you for dark games like that if anything. Pixel responses are a different matter, though you could argue weaknesses are less apparent from a bit of a distance as well.
@@PCMonitors Pixel response is bad on this? (maybe I missed that in your video) Does this mean I am in for an acid trip when things move? Your review makes me doubt myself if I should buy it lol. Is there a IPS that is comparable at all in this price range?
It is covered in detail in the review, both objectively and subjectively. So it's definitely worth paying careful attention to the responsiveness section. There is no remotely comparable IPS model to this. No monitor is perfect and you need to pick your own compromises - it's all very subjective.
@@PCMonitors Yeah the responsiveness section scared me off lol, the bush, that was bad. Damn, I am going to have to keep looking.
Hi Oswald I see you checked this video already, nice,
Anyhow I'm replying to your message about the AOC monitor, look in the comment section where the video maker answered my question about AOC vs Dell.
Very good review, you made me make the right choice of buying an upgrade for my old Acer VG270UP.
One question, i have the BK variant but in my case the srgb actually work so, do you recommend staying in srgb mode all the time in SDR content?
I feel that i get comfortable using in srgb and when i play a game in HDR made me realise the pop colors and vibrancy that HDR provides.
Also thx for the recommendation, playing death stranding looks so good with the dark details and i feel is very close to an Oled without the drawbacks of that tech
Yeah if you like the representation with the sRGB setting feel free to use it! Seems they fixed it with newer revisions, that's good to see.
@@PCMonitors thx for the fast response. Then, yeah. I will keep using srgb and then switch for color and more in hdr.
I feel like im training me eye since i was a oversaturation kind of guy haha
What about ps5
Dear author, can you recommend a good miniled for a 2k monitor? Is Q27G3XMN the best option or is there a better one? I need it for horror games. I would be grateful!
There's nothing comparable to the AOC in this price range.
@@PCMonitors Thank you for the prompt response! I’m ready to buy a more expensive one, but I don’t know what else I can get. Are you satisfied with this monitor?
It should be clear from the review that I'm satisfied with the monitor in certain areas and given the performance and price and I clearly recommend it. There's nothing I'd specifically recommend above it for your uses unless you're going to consider OLED alternatives.
@@PCMonitors I would love to buy an OLED, but I’m very afraid of burnout (I don’t know how long OLED monitors last, I’d like to buy a monitor for 5 years, but I don’t think that an OLED will last 5 years. Thank you very much for your answer! I’m subscribed to you! !!
@@rikokonel1989 Have you owned any OLED TVs or phones before?
Unfortunately no HDMI 2.1 for Ps5..
The overshoot at 54:38 at the Strong setting doesn't seem bad at all. I had to stare at the UFO image for 30 seconds to even notice it.
Yes, but that's only a small subset of transitions. In practice I found it eye-catching in places (discussed 58:01 for example and a good example 58:50). It was far from extreme overshoot, it's definitely a setting some will like to use.
@@PCMonitors Ah, yes, especially the second one (dark overshoot) is a very obvious example. Did you see distracting ghosting when scrolling text or moving windows around?
@tszyn Yes, I didn't like using 'Strong' on the desktop. There was similar 'dirty' trailing and some obvious 'halo' trailing there.
@@PCMonitorsHow about on Medium? How bad does it ghost when scrolling text compared with an IPS? BTW, maybe you could include this type of test (text scrolling, moving windows) in future reviews?
(PS. Made a small donation to support your honest and thorough work. I hope your channel takes off.)
@@tszynI did actually demonstrate some weaknesses on the desktop in this one, using 'Medium' - 1:00:14. This included a demonstration of moving a window around (and you can see some of the weaknesses), though I actually cut the section down a bit as the whole video was getting too long.
Would you recommend this over the ViewSonic VX2728J-2K or MSI MPG 274URF QD in your budget recommendation article ?
@@duy4976 For HDR, definitely. But not if responsiveness, colour quality and pixel density (in the case of MSI) is more important to you.
there are rumors, that EU version have quite broken firmware when sRGB on some other stuff does not really work. since it's impossible to update it, I'm quite concerned (as being in EU)...
They aren't "rumors" - this is covered in the review. sRGB emulation doesn't work, but there are other methods to achieve that. And that doesn't mean the monitor is"broken" or defective in other ways.
I cant decide between this AOC monitor and a ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS.... Any opinions or experience?
Apples and oranges and depends whether you value strong contrast and HDR (which this model provides) or better colour output and responsiveness (ASUS).
ty sir
Thanks for this outstanding and detailed review! Subbed and liked! Do you recommend this monitor for use with a PS5?
It should work well on the PS5, though I don't use it so can't test that myself.
Lamonier I really am having the same issue now.
I ordered this one from Amazon but found out it does not have VRR capability with PS5, and then I found out the Dell model G2724D which is an IPS panel, same specs and scores on RTINGS and with VRR... Don't know what to do...
@@mosheargaman9249 That just shows that you need to look beyond those scores, they're utterly meaningless with such an apples to oranges comparison. The G2724D can't hold a candle to this model when it comes to HDR performance or contrast and the QC seems to have gone downhill with the newer revisions (forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/dell-g2724d-thoughts-and-feedback/page/4/#post-75807 ). It is naturally stronger when it comes to colour output (though not vibrancy necessarily, due to its gamut being weaker) and responsiveness. You need to decide how important VRR actually is to you and what you're willing to sacrifice just so you have it.
@@PCMonitors thanks for you comment and your time looking into this. Could you please explain it to me in easier terms?
In the link you provided the worse revisions are for the G2724D monitor. Not the AOC if I understood it correctly.
I am not sure how much VRR functionality is important with PS5. I am just playing COD and want to upgrade myself from 60hz TV experience to a better competitive experience.
Also you said that the HDR of AOC is much better then the Dell's right?
@@mosheargaman9249Yes, I was talking about the G2724D in terms of the QC. They use multiple different panels interchangably and the newer revision (A01) seems to be quite poor compared to the earlier revisions reviewed by the likes of RTINGS.
VRR is nice to have if you're sensitive to tearing and stuttering, but it's not essential and some people don't find it as 'game changing' as others. For competitive play on COD and the like the frame rate itself (being high) is likely the main thing you'll appreciate regardless of VRR.
Yes, HDR is much better on the AOC. The panel type and crucially the backlight is much more capable for contrast and the wider gamut (= greater saturation and vibrancy potential) is more appropriate for HDR. The Dell has a weak gamut for HDR so can't deliver appropriate saturation levels, has no real local dimming capability and a panel with worse native contrast. There's simply no comparison with what the AOC offers, with its 336-zone local dimming, panel with stronger native contrast and vastly superior brightness capability. This experience is explored in detail in the review.
I have the same monitor but it is only 24 inches, I know it is the same model and has the same specs but it says on the website it is 27 inches and everyone else is also saying that, should I get a refund? or is yours the same?
This is a 27" monitor and there is no 24" "version" of this monitor.
@@PCMonitors that is really weird. i measured the monitor and it was 24 inches, however it is the same model with the same specs. Should I just return it?
@@PCMonitors i will post a video on my channel if you want, I probably just got a faulty monitor or something.
@OnlyReelsReposts What does it say on the label at the back for the model code? Also remember that screen sizes are measured diagonally. A 27" 16:9 monitor is roughly 24" wide.
@@PCMonitors Thank you for the clarification, I always assumed the monitor was measured by width, sorry for wasting your time lol
AOC Q24G2A/BK vs AOC Q27G3XMN?
I know one is VA and one is IPS on a 24 inch (more Pixel Density).
But for someone who plays both E-sports games and Single players games (more Moba like LoL), would the XMN be more justified? I am a bit worried about the black smearing.
Subscribed!
It's really too subjective to say. Some people find competitive gaming fine on the Q27G3XMN, but not everyone would. Might be worth seeing for yourself, it's definitely more immersive for single player gaming as well. 🙂
Hi, check out the TFT central article on this monitor. They provide ufo test and at strong preset there's only minimal smearing under the worst circumstances (completely dark background).
@@anitaremenarova6662 No need to refer to another resource. The video includes pursuit photographs, measured response time data and thorough subjective analysis using a broad range of transitions. It gives about as complete a picture you can get short of seeing the monitor yourself.
Hey pc monitors info. Do you know of any other decent 1440p or 4k mini LED monitors to compare to this? They seem to be pretty scarce. I was thinking IPS mini LED would be nice and eliminate backlight bleed? But I dont know if any even exist?
I don't - and any of the Mini LED IPS models of anywhere near this price don't perform like this one. The mainstream manufacturers really need to step up their Mini LED game, they're largely focused on OLED or 'plain' LCDs at the moment.
KTC M27T20 or Koorui GN10 are the other best budget HDR picks. IPS is worse because of the low native contrast, that being said if you have 900-1200 bucks to spend then Asus PG32UQX or LG 27GR95UM are the best premium mini-LED displays. They don't have as good of a contrast as VA variants but they're much brighter thanks to their higher zone count which results in more impactful images.
hdmi 2.0 so sad.. not for PS5
It doesn't matter, as it's not 4K monitor. It seems that ps5 still can be connected to hdmi 2.0
@@socialreport2836 New Lg 2K monitors have hdmi 2.1 ports support VRR and ALLM
Aside from lack of HDMI VRR support for the PS5, the use of HDMI 2.0 doesn't matter. "ALLM" is simply to allow a TV to automatically switch over to a 'gaming' mode with lower input lag. It's not a useful option for monitors as they don't have game modes which are associated with input lag levels, input lag is low on this monitor regardless of preset used and 'Low Input Lag' mode is automatically used with any VRR signal on this and most other AOC models with such a mode. This monitor is vastly superior for immersive HDR gaming on the PS5 than anything LG has in the price range.
P.S. Nothing personal, but don't use the term "2K" to describe the QHD or 1440 resolution as it's inaccurate - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/sacrificing-refresh-rate-for-resolution/#post-53418.
Edit: This was replying to "yurarnd8135". UA-cam doesn't always tag replies properly when you do it through the Studio as a creator or it is showing me a reply they made which is now deleted or hidden. They said: "New Lg 2K monitors have hdmi 2.1 ports support VRR and ALLM", which is what I was replying to.
@@PCMonitors Where is "2K"? It wasn't mentioned. It would be interesting to test VRR on this monitor, as some people write that in some cases HDMI 2.0 works (possibly with HDMI 2.0 b). I'm not sure, if it's true or not.
I was replying to "yurarnd8135". UA-cam doesn't always tag replies properly when you do it through the Studio as a creator or it is showing me a reply they made which is now deleted or hidden. They said: "New Lg 2K monitors have hdmi 2.1 ports support VRR and ALLM", which is what I was replying to.
Sometimes (though rarely) manufacturers include 'HDMI VRR' even on HDMI 2.0 connections - this is an 'HDMI 2.1' feature but can be added by the manufacturer if they wish to 'HDMI 2.0'. In this case it wasn't and generally it isn't, though. You can tell as well because 'G-SYNC Compatible' is supported via HDMI if this feature is added.
gaming performance and motion clearity ???
That's covered in the review. Specifically this section - 52:23.
hey, genuine question, how did you get HDR to work on this monitor on windows? the colors are super drab and unsaturated. i own the same model as you. thanks!
You don't... The general advice is to use HDR only when you're actually wanting to view HDR content, not SDR content (like the Windows desktop, general environment). If you mean it looks like that when viewing actual HDR content, I'm not sure what to tell you - look at the 'Best Settings' video for guidance. Maybe try Windows HDR calibration as well. Your unit could be poorly calibrated or something else is off with the setup.
@@PCMonitors thank you for your reply! Also, just another question if you don't mind. Have you tried using HDR with a PS5 if you own one by any chance? I can't tell if its working properly. Calibrating the HDR brightness on PS5 doesn't seem to change anything on the monitor. I saw a review online saying it doesn't work nicely with it. Again, sorry for taking up your time and thanks for your reply.
I don't use a PS5 so can't help with that I'm afraid. The monitor doesn't support HGiG (most don't) so that may be why it's not responding as expected to PS5 calibration.
whats the next model price up for hdr with ips as an alternative to this one?
Probably something like the Cooler Master GP27Q (~$500 USD), but I don't recommend it. That model has janky firmware and it doesn't really compete with the AOC for contrast in SDR or HDR. Really IPS models need very careful tuning and ideally a much higher number of dimming zones to offer compelling HDR.
@@PCMonitors Dell G2724D, MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and Gigabyte M27Q-P were the ones i was considering beside the AOC. Dell is good but the local dimming is terrible. MSI has fake hdr. Gigabyte no local dimming it can't even swivel.
@@PCMonitors so basically sounds like for the budget category, there is no better option than the AOC. So do you still recommend the AOC over the other options i mentioned? Would love a good HDR option with local dimming, but i'm not sure it's worth the risk of the downsides with VA panel particularly with the AOC, especially things like smearing, 58:50 trailing, overshoot.
I probably would not consider the dell because the local dimming on it is terrible to the point you might be better off without it.
@alG0wnIf you're interested in HDR there's simply no comparison. Responsiveness is a very individual thing, something you'd have to assess in person really. The only guarantee here is all the options you're considering except the AOC offer rubbish HDR, but you might actually be fine with the level of responsiveness on the AOC.
@tors i was really unsure about VA monitors vs IPS. This AOC really did bring this to the next level for budget with the HDR and local dimming (it did the local dimming way better than the Dell IPS i mentioned). But since i game a lot especially first person shooter, now i am really confused between the AOC and something like the MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2. Would love HDR but not sure i can stand some of the quirks of VA (viewing angles, black smearing). What is your opinion on this monitor? for yourself are the cons worth getting this monitor over say the MSI?
yes i understand i shouldn't count on the fake HDR (no local dimming), so i understand that trade of. just not sure if the HDR wow factor for AOC would worth introducing the cons inherent from VA monitors.
But anyway, i checked availability, there is no stock for the AOC model for my locality. So my only choice then is the MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2. Did you do a review on this monitor? Seems they added KVM to it, so now less reason for going for the Gigabyte M27Q-P (unless it's cheaper by much) in that regard (not to mention the MSI comes with quantum dot which the gigabyte doesn't), and the MSI added a faster panel than the Gigabyte.
Is there something like this (not too expensive, VA, not Samsung) but in 32 inch 4K? If not with HDR, then without?
No. All of the 32" '4K' models capable of strong HDR come at a significant premium.
@@PCMonitors Thanks! If I'd drop HDR of the wishlist, any model that you could recommend? I'd spring for an OLED but I do a lot of 'production' work, i.e. high risk of burn-in. The ones HUB recommends seem to all get atrocious Amazon and Reddit comments (like the LG 32GR93U) or cost a lot more here in the EU than in US or down under.
@@bakakafka4428 My recommendations can be found here - pcmonitors.info/articles/best-gaming-monitors/.
@@PCMonitors Thanks very much!
It looks like this European model has much better tuned pixel response compared to American model.
What are you basing that on?
@@PCMonitors Just on the reviews online.
"Monitors Unboxed" reviewed the US version and they measured much slower pixel response.
They use a completely different measurement methodology, you can't cross-compare. RTINGS also reviewed the US model and got some relatively low readings for their Rise/Fall data. Again, different methodology.
Can you help me please. I bought this monitor and I tested the gamma and it's 1.4. How can I adjust it. I tried every setting but it's not working.
Unless you tested with a colorimeter or another measurement instrument, that's not an accurate reading. Visual readings on VA and TN models in particular are too dependent on viewing angle. It's influenced by the position of the 'test' on the screen and your viewing position.
@@PCMonitors Thank you!
@@PCMonitorsSorry to bother you but I just got this monitor for 420usd in mu country. Do you think I can get a better deal for that money? I wanted neo g7 which is more than twice the price, but it isn't available anymore here. I want hdr monitor that I can use for static content too. Thank you in advance!
@@martinkarov7236 My recommendation for the monitor is clear. If you're happy to pay that for the monitor I suggest you stop second-guessing your decision.
@@PCMonitors First, thank you for replying to my comments! So many reviewers don't care. The problems with my unit so far are that the screen flickers when using freesync. Also there is some strange brightness problems when local dimming is on. When an object is moving across the screen the object brightness dims and then brightens again. I don't know if this problems are present in all units or it's just particular one. Thank you again, you are awesome.
Edit: Never mind the freesync flickering, you already covered it in the video.
Hello. Can you tell something about vrr flickering? I have this monitor and flickering is terrible. Did you experience this in your review? I'm thinking to return my unit. Thanks for great content!
It's covered in the review, it's an issue common to many VA models (including this one) and not unique to your unit. You should consider whether you can reduce refresh rate or use a frame rate cap to reduce fluctuations or perhaps live without VRR. Because you won't find a monitor equivalent to this one but without VRR flickering.
@@PCMonitorsThank you very much for your quick response. Until now I used a monitor with an IPS panel, it was also a model from AOC. I really liked the color reproduction, accuracy and fantastic viewing angles. Is there any interesting model with IPS panel, could be more expensive than presented AOC Q27G3XMN/BK, with similiar or better capabilities?
In a word, no. There aren't any IPS alternatives that perform similarly to or better than the AOC under HDR that are really comparable in terms of other specs and price.
@@PCMonitors Thank you so much for your reply. In general, I do not care about HDR, and more about comfortable work with text and various media. It's about a fast panel with good image refresh and viewing angles. Playing games is also important, especially fast one. Regards!
Plenty of good IPS alternatives if you aren't interested in HDR - forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/making-sense-of-the-current-27-1440p-144hz-ips-segment/. Price and availability is all over the place at the moment and varies regionally, but as you'll see in that thread I've found MSI pretty consistently good in this segment so look out for their models.
Does local dimming add input lag?
According to a limited number of measurements that were taken using the setting, it didn't significantly impact input lag. Per the review it might not be a setting you should use for competitive gaming anyway, given that it can mask detail.
@@PCMonitors so you actually measured it, nice! Can you say was the difference more than 1 millosecond?
@@villekoskela9073 As I said, limited number of measurements so accuracy is not super high. But the readings were basically the same with and without. So likely
FOr past week I've been obsessed with picking a 27 1440p monitor, and this looks one of the unique ones, with unbelievable combination of colors, contrast, HDR and gaming prowess.
Too bad its not appearing on Amazon, and not existent in offline stores in Israel...
Yeah I hope it comes back in stock, it was heavily in demand!
Question: the amazon link brings me to a model that's called "AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN", in that link says the contrast ratio is 3.000:1, but this monitor is supposed to be 4000:1 - is this the same model?!
Yes, it's the same model. That value is just specified differently in different regions or even by different retailers depending on where they get their data from.
Any chance you have the IPS counterpart, AOC Q27G4X for review?
No plans to review that one. It's not the IPS counterpart really as it's not a Mini LED monitor, so apples to oranges.
are the colors punchy and vibrant? or not so much, because its not QLED? at the moment i'm using my edge lit samsung odyssey g7, which is an QLED monitor, will i miss something, when i change to this monitor, when it comes to colors? but obviously this have much better blacks, because its a mini led
Watch the review, that's covered.
I have just bought this monitor and the picture on it when playing games like call of duty is absolutely awful, absolutely nowhere near 4k. I cannot understand why it’s so bad? I play on console so should be getting 4k 120hz. The only half decent picture I can get is if I set it to HDRgame but even then it’s not great. What can I do? If I can improve the quality I’m going to have to send this back. The picture is extremely blury, almost as if motion blur is on but it’s not
It's not a '4K' monitor, so there's that. And the pixel respnosivenesss isn't very strong, as covered in the review. It might just not be what you're looking for in a monitor.
@@PCMonitors I have the U27G3X, is this the same? My Xbox setting says the monitor supports 4k display at 120hz? I just want an improvement on my previous monitor which was only 1080p at 75hz. I’ve seen on other reviews that you can somehow get ‘boost’ overdrive but I only appear to get up to strong. Is there anyway to get this? Thanks
That's a completely different model. To enable 'Boost' (which enables MBR i.e. the strobe backlight setting) you need to disable Adaptive-Sync / FreeSync / G-SYNC (or whatever they call it on the U27G3X menu).
is it matt or glossy?
Watch the review, that's covered.