The AOC 27G2U has been the best budget 27in gaming monitor on our Elite list for a while, but the pricier 27G2SPU is set to be its replacement, costing a bit more money but offering plenty of upgrades. Read our AOC 27G2SPU Review.
27IN GAMING MONITOR
EDWARD CHESTER
It doesn’t look particularly fancy, but it has slim, low-profile edges and a generally compact design that means it doesn’t dominate your desk, although the flashes of metallic red on the stand and bottom bezel look a bit cheesy. Its V-shaped base projects further forward and is wider than necessary too. On the plus side, the stand offers height, pivot, rotation and tilt movements, so you can easily set up the display how you want it.
Connection options are good as well. While you don’t get USB Type-C video input, you do still get an extra input – a D-SUB VGA port! Along with that marvel of modern technology, you also get a DisplayPort input and two HDMI ports, plus a 4-port USB 3 hub, headphone jack and pair of basic 2W speakers.
SPEC
| Screen size | 27in |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 |
| Panel technology | IPS |
| Maximum refresh rate | 165Hz |
| Stated response time | 4ms GTG |
| Max brightness | 250cd/m2 SDR and HDR |
| Backlight zones | 1 |
| Stated contrast ratio | 1,000:1 |
| Adaptive sync | FreeSync and G-Sync compatible |
| Display inputs | 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x HDMI 2, VGA |
| Audio | 2 x 2W speakers, headphone out |
| Stand adjustment | Height, pivot, rotation, tilt |
| Extras | 100 x 100mm VESA mount, 4-port USB 3 hub, MBR blur reduction mode |
The menu control system could be better though. It uses a row of four buttons on the underside of the panel’s edge, where they sit alongside an identical-feeling power button. Not only is it easy to hit the power button accidentally, but the buttons are small and difficult to press, plus the menu system isn’t intuitive.
Thankfully, while menu navigation is cumbersome, the options are excellent. You get a proper brightness-adjustable sRGB mode for reining in the panel’s otherwise extended colour gamut (124 per cent sRGB), there are extensive, clearly labelled colour-tweaking controls and you get all the gaming options you could expect at this price.
As this is only a 1080p panel, image quality is rather let down by overall sharpness, with a pixel density of just 81 pixels per inch (ppi). That compares to 93ppi for the 2,560 x 1,440 32in screens in this month’s Labs test and 110ppi for typical 27in 2,560 x 1,440 screens. That’s not great for detailed image editing or watching the latest 4K video, but it’s great for gaming, especially if your graphics card has limited processing power.
Moreover, in every other regard, this screen’s image quality is exceptional. Its out-of-the-box colour temperature (6,474K) and gamma (2.21) are all but perfect, while contrast is very high for an IPS panel at 1276:1. We also measured a maximum brightness of 354cd/m2 – miles above its rated 250cd/m2.
Being an IPS panel, viewing angles are excellent too. All told, there’s no need to touch any settings but the brightness control on this display, unless you’re using the sRGB mode, which also delivers spot-on image quality.
On paper, this 165Hz screen’s gaming performance is less immediately compelling, as its initial response time varies between 13.2ms with no overdrive and 8.9ms at maximum overdrive. There are IPS screens available that are twice as rapid. However, in practice, this display still feels plenty snappy enough for accurate aim tracking.
Moreover, its blur reduction mode tightens it up even further, bringing greater clarity to fast motion.
Conclusion
Although its response time is far from the lowest for an IPS gaming panel, the AOC 27G2SPU still delivers reliable gaming performance. Add in its excellent image quality, good connection options and pivoting stand, and you have a compelling panel for its price.
VERDICT
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