AOC CQ27G2S 165Hz Gaming Monitor Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The AOC Gaming CQ27G2S/BK 27 Inch QHD Curved Gaming Monitor is available now from Amazon for just £209.97, which I think is a pretty reasonable price considering it features a 165Hz refresh rate, good response times, and the overall size of the panel. It’s not the most premium-looking monitor in the AOC range, but it’s well-made, and I think it’s all fairly reflected in the retail price. The price is also broadly the same as similarly equipped models from their rivals too, so again, it’s competitive, but not exactly disruptive at the same time.

Overview

This isn’t the greatest monitor in the world, it does have its limitations, but honestly, they’re nothing major and again, I think the price being as reasonable as it is makes this a strong contender for the budget-conscious gamers out there looking to get a lot of great gaming performance without breaking the bank.

The refresh rate is a nice sweet spot, at 165Hz it’s plenty fast for gamers, without being overly extreme and stepping into the more expensive competitive eSports panels. The response time is good too, not competitive levels of speed, but fast enough for someone like me who is playing Halo, Hell Divers 2 and Fortnite in the evening. Newer OLED panels may be sub 1ms, but they cost several times more, so you’re getting what you pay for.

The panel size is great too, 27″ is a lovely size for daily work, gaming, media consumption, etc. Sure, I like my 34″ ultrawide and 32″ 16:9 panels, but being slightly smaller, I simply sit just a little closer to the panel and get the same result. Plus, with the 2560×1440 resolution, the overall pixel density is excellent, so the image is crisp and clear no matter how close you’re sitting to it.

I’d have liked a portrait mode from the stand, but it’s hardly a deal breaker if you’re using this as your primary display. However, the stand offers excellent ergonomics, with a good range of tilt, height adjustment and rotation to ensure you can get that optimal viewing position. Furthermore, there’s a decent anti-glare on the panel and it’s got reasonably good brightness and contrast, so the image pops from the screen in the day or the night time.

Colour reproduction is very good, but overall, I’m happy to see this monitor exceeding its specifications in terms of colour reproduction, brightness and contrast ratio, it feels like I’m getting a little more than I’m paying for, and that’s no bad thing.

Should I Buy One?

With a reasonable price, fast refresh rate, good ergonomics, and a mixture of a decent 27″ curved panel and 1440 resolution, it just feels so usable and functional, and ticks all the boxes I want for daily work, gaming and media consumption. Are there better monitors out there? Sure, but they simply cost more money, and if you’re spending around £200, this is a solid investment for any PC user.