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The 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor is blazing hot for those seeking the best gaming monitors right now, with over 68 choices available at one online retailer alone. Even with the huge number of options available right now, monitors like AOC Q27G3XMN stand out from the crowd by offering high-end features at very reasonable prices compared to mainstream competitors from Asus, HP, and LG that often cost a lot more.
If you have the money to spend on a high-end monitor like the Samsung G93SC, you can get everything: high resolution, high refresh rate, high contrast, and the latest bleeding-edge tech. But if you’re looking for value, in most cases, you’ll have to prioritize the features you need. The gaming experience mostly relies on panel speed and response, so spending money on a fast refresh rate is more preferable before considering screen size or resolution.
AOC seems to have made that consideration with the Q27G3XMN – a 27-inch mini-LED monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution, 1ms response time, and a 180Hz refresh rate. And, it sells for under $300, you can buy it for much less on a sale.
AOC Q27G3XMN specs
- Display size: 27-inch widescreen
- Native resolution: 2560×1440
- Panel type: VA Mini LED
- Refresh rate: 180Hz
- Adaptive Sync: FreeSync Premium
- HDR: Yes, HDR 10
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5mm audio jack
Design & Features
The AOC Q27G3XMN sports a simple aesthetic with just enough flourishes to tell you it’s a gaming monitor. The upright has a bit of red trim, reminiscent of AOC’s Agon line, with a cable hole turned to face the V-bevels. That means you’ll see light through it from the front. It’s a small but unique design element that I have not seen before.
The base has a dark gray finish, while the rest of the parts are matte black. AOC logs are emblazoned on the front and back; the back also features some curves and tapers to emphasize the ‘gamer look.’
The stand includes full ergonomics with a 4.8-inch height adjustment, 5/23 degrees tilt, 20 degrees swivel, and a 90-degree portrait mode. Movements are firm with little play and a solid feel. Though the CQ27G4ZH is light in weight, its build quality is tight.
The input panel is located at the bottom around the back and includes two HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, which can drive speakers: There are non built-in nor are there USB ports.
The CQ27G4ZH is controlled via four tiny buttons just right of the center under the bezel. They are a bit difficult to use, especially when you’re used to the joysticks that have become more commonplace. And it’s very easy to click the power toggle by mistake, but the menu interface is straightforward and has all the OSD functions you’ll need to adjust your monitor’s settings.
Gaming and Graphics performance
For gaming, a 27-inch monitor like the AOC Q27G3XMN strikes a good balance of size and usable screen area. It doesn’t take a lot of space on the desktop but provides plenty of space to view documents and run games. The thin bezel and low price mean putting two screens together is as reasonable as it can get, and can be done without breaking the bank.
The AOC Q27G3XMN uses mini LED backlighting with 336 dimming zones, which is something you’d ordinarily find on more expensive monitors. It also has a maximum refresh rate of 180Hz, which is the middle-ground between 144Hz and 240Hz that’s common among gaming monitors. A refresh rate this high provides good motion fluidity in fast-paced games.
The monitor doesn’t officially support AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync, but it does support Adaprive Sync, which both of these are based on. Nonetheless, the monitor’s adaptive sync works well with both AMD and Nvidia video cards. The display includes additional gaming features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support and AMD FreeSync Premium that prevent screen tearing during fast play.
The AOC Q27G3XMN is an affordable 27-inch gaming monitor that prioritizes speed over other factors and delivers a solid gaming experience.
The Q27G3XMN is built for speed more than image quality, but that doesn’t mean it looks bad. Fortunately, the monitor delivers good SDR and HDR gaming image quality overall, though it carries along the downsides typical of most gaming monitors sold below $500. Further, it has a strong peak brightness of 450-nits in SDR and up to 1300-nits in HDR for punchy highlights and bright full-screen flashes. This is typical of a mini LED that is considerably brighter than traditional panels.
The contrast ratio, on the other hand, comes in at a decent 4000:1, which can go lower in testing, but is still good enough for a VA gaming monitor. The colors are bold and crisp, and blacks remain fairly deep. Screen images pop nicely when playing more visually demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, but one thing you need to avoid is Black Equalizer, as it does more harm than good when it comes to image quality.
Productivity is nicely enhanced by the Q27G3XMN’s fast VA (HVA) panels with their 1ms GtG, which makes it faster than traditional VA panels. This VA panel uses a quantum dot-enhanced backlight for an exceptional 96% DCI-P3 and 90% Adobe RGB color gamut coverage. With a wide color gamut relative to ~145% sRGB volume, you get vibrant colors, but this also means that sRGB SDR content will be oversaturated. Luckily, there’s an sRGB emulation mode in case you wish to clamp the gamut down to ~100% sRGB.
AOC Q27G3XMN Review: Bottom line
If one sets clear their needs for a gaming monitor, a lot of performance can be achieved for relatively little money. The gaming experience mostly relies on speed and response, so a high refresh rate and Adaptive-Sync are must-haves in any ideal gaming monitor. Even players of average skill will greatly benefit when a game runs consistently at 240fps.
To achieve immersive gameplay without putting an expensive video card in your PC, FHD or QHD resolutions are the smart choice. Up to 27 inches, there’s enough pixel density to render a detailed image. A resolution of at least 144Hz ensures smooth motion and low input lag.
By using a premium VA panel with Mini LED backlighting (336 dimming zones), the AOC Q27G3XMN achieves a solid, bright picture with high contrast and saturated color. Among budget gaming screens, it boasts one of the largest color gamuts I’ve measured, and it delivers deep blacks and bright highlights. Add a full ergonomic stand and solid build quality, and you won’t miss your USB ports or internal speakers as much.
If you’re on a budget but need something bigger than a 22 or 24-inch screen for gaming, the AOC Q27G3XMN is a great choice. It prioritizes speed over everything else and delivers an elevated gaming experience for much less than competing 27-inch Mini LED monitors. It costs less than $300, but it delivers plenty of speed for gaming, accurate extended color, and terrific contrast. What more could one need?
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