AOC Agon AG271QX AOC’S monitor is a crystal-clear winner
Quicker pixels
When flatscreen monitors first replaced the chunky old cathoderay-tube models, they used a ‘twisted nematic’ (TN) system, which was basically LCD crystals between two polarised glass plates. The screen is lit from the back, but any light that passes through the first plate can’t pass through the second. When a voltage is applied, the crystals twist the light, which can then pass through, lighting up a pixel.
IPS (in-plane switching) works in a similar way, but with the crystals parallel to the screen rather than perpendicular. This overcomes some of the problems with TN, including limited colour reproduction and colours looking wrong from an angle. But TN has one advantage: the pixels can change faster. That means it’s stuck around as an option for gamers, who value smooth, steady motion and higher refresh rates (measured in hertz). The AG271QX goes up to 144Hz.
Whether any of this matters to non-gamers is an interesting question. When monitors were limited to 30Hz or less, their subtle flicker could be tiring on the eyes. Doubling this to 60Hz seemed to fix the problem. But many people can still see a difference between 60 and 120Hz, with the latter looking more ‘real’ – as if objects on the screen (including simple things like the mouse cursor or scrolling text) are moving seamlessly, rather than frame by frame.
As you might expect then, the AG271QX’S picture is rock steady. It’s helped by low input lag (the time it takes for your action to be reproduced on screen) and – if you run games on a recent AMD graphics card – Freesync frequency matching. Using Overdrive (which uses higher voltage to make the liquid crystals change colour more quickly for even faster response) caused unwanted ghosting – but monitors that avoid this cost a lot more. For most gamers, we can’t really fault this screen.
For general Windows use, fast refresh rates certainly don’t hurt, and the 2560x1440 resolution beats Full HD (1920x1080) monitors. We found 96.5 per cent of the SRGB colour range was covered with excellent accuracy, good enough for photo and video editing.
Contrast wasn’t brilliant, but with good brightness levels, we were happy with the picture. In terms of build quality and adjustability the AG271QX excels. The sturdy plastic stand has plenty of height and tilt control, plus 90-degree pivot, and even a fold-out arm to hang your headphones on. There’s a jack for these, and another for a separate mic. The built-in USB 3.0 hub has no less than eight ports.
Produces seamless motion and stunning colour accuracy