AOC Agon AG271UG 4K G-Sync gaming monitor review
AOC AGON AG271UG 4K gaming monitor
£699
Pros
- 4K resolution
- Well made
- Range of adjustment
- Good viewing angles
- Bright and sharp images
Cons
- Colours don't 'pop'
- Serious gamers might want more than 60Hz
AOC Agon recently announced a 4K monitor, the AG271UG, and kindly sent me one to put through its paces.
The AOC Agon AG271UG boasts a 4K (3840×2160) resolution for its 27-inch IPS panel.
Has it’s a gaming screen, they even throw in G-Sync for you NVIDIA graphics card fans.
A large screen, 4K, G-Sync and the striking looks of the Agon-series. What’s not to love?
Agon AG271UG design
The AG271UG follows the aesthetics of its stablemates, which is no bad thing.
The black bezels are quite slim with the bottom bezel being treated to a brushed effect and unobtrusive dark red AGON logo. Those bezels measure 10.1mm on the top and sides and 15.8mm on the bottom edge.
To the right are the OSD (On Screen Display) controls. These are nicely spaced and have good feedback.
A single white LED shows that the power is on.
Front to back the monitor panel measures 64mm. Including the stand, the whole thing is about 218mm deep.
The rear of the screen is dressed in the now familiar matte black plastic with dark red brushed-effect plastic wings of the Agon range.
The stand attaches centrally using a captive screw in the base and then 4 screws in order to attach the stand to the panel. Included in the bundle is a Vesa mounting plate, should that be more your thing.
2W speakers provide audio – best just use this for notifications if you want my opinion.
Connectivity
On the right side you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, 3.5mm audio input and 2 USB 3.0 ports. The top, yellow USB port, supports fast-charging for compatible devices.
Above these ports is a flick-out headphone hook. When not in use it is stored at the rear of the screen pointing upwards.
At the rear there is another pair of USB 3.0 ports (making 4 in total, plus upstream) and the DC power input.
Here you will also find your HDMI port and Display Port inputs as well as a 3.5mm audio out.
Stand
The metal stand is remarkably heavy and solidly built. This is powder-coated with a forked design that offers good stability without an excessive footprint.
The stand is adjustable and allows the monitor to be rotated, tilted, swiveled and raised or lowered. There are the handy scales so you can remember the favorite settings.
Agon AG271UG performance
Specifications
The 3840×2160 resolution (4K) WLED backlit monitor uses a 27-inch IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s viewing ratio is 16:9, as to be expected.
This panel offers a 4ms grey to grey response time.
AOC, are lovely and kind, as such bundle in a Display Port and HDMI cable along with the power brick and cable.
Ergonomics
As alluded to previously, the screen can be tilted back 22 degrees or forwards by 4 degrees. You can also swivel the screen 20 degrees to the left and right.
The display can be spun around to portrait mode thanks to full 90 degree rotation.
The Agon features scales and pointers so that you can log where your optimal settings are. Very handy should you have to share your station or have different preferences for work and play.
The top of the stand neck terminates in a handy (pun intended) carry handle. You can raise and lower the screen through 130mm.
Eye care
The AG27UG comes with all the AOC eye care measures too. AOC Flicker Free Technology and AOC Low Blue Light are all present and correct in order to ensure your eyes aren’t overly strained during gaming marathons.
AOC Shadow Control is here to enhancement for dark areas. This helps uncover sneaky in-the-shadow types lurking in dark corners.
Image quality
The display really does dominate my corner of the desk – but that’s 27-inch screens for you.
The colours are decent but, I was expecting them to ‘pop’ more, they are good but I think I was ready to be wowed. On the default settings they seemed a little washed out compared to other IPS screens but there is a level of tweaking that can be done through the OSD.
A little more colour accuracy would have been lovely. Again, perhaps my expectations were set a little too high, and I was a little too excited about this monitor.
Is that a bad thing? Perhaps, perhaps not. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the images this monitor produces. As for the response time; as a gaming monitor, people like me would most likely enjoy it.
Competitive gamers, a little less so.
Gaming
This is, after all, the whole reason for the Agon range.
I found the AG271UG playable right enough. Once I got the colour levels to my liking the usual suspects of Left 4 Dead 2, Project Cars and Counter Strike: Global Offensive came out to play.
Project Cars looked really good and the scenery stayed sharp. I didn’t really notice much input lag, even in the single seaters.
Left 4 Dead 2 played quite smoothly although this is where the response time started to show its weaknesses.
CS:GO highlighted this a little more as there was less to attract my eyes away from it. Punching the Overdrive to Strong in the OSD gives improved response times but also some overshot ghosting. Dialling down the Overdrive is a compromise but this will always be a 60Hz monitor.
If you want speediness as well as pixel-packing output, you should check out the 24-inch AG241QG also from AOC’s Agon range.
Viewing angles
The viewing angles are impressive at 178 degrees horizontal and 178 degrees vertical with little to no discolouration from the corners or ends.
Image quality overall
AOC’s AG271UG provides good picture quality with good colours and contrast. During gaming, there were no real annoying artifacts or tearing but there were moments where the 60Hz refresh time became evident. The monitor didn’t really have an issue with input lag though.
Working on it as my main monitor has been a joy thanks to the increased real estate. Splitting the screen for multitasking still leaves plenty of room to work on.
Casual gaming which, unfortunately, is all I really have time to do these days is fine on this Agon screen. I think if I was more serious then I’d be looking for swifter response and refresh rates
Agon AG271UG review conclusion
The AG271UG is a lovely looking monitor. It’s size is the right fit for multitasking, watching videos, as well as playing games.
This 4K screen is sharp and editing images and video were a joy thanks to the overall accuracy of the colours. Personally, I was expecting the colours to jump out a bit more.
Having 4K also means 60Hz and 4ms GtG – this is where you have to make the choice. G-Sync does help but if speed is your thing then there’s alternatives at a slightly lower price.
Agon AG271UG price and availability
The AG271UG’s RRP is £699 but you can snaffle one for £622 +PP from Amazon.co.uk.
