AOC Introduces 24- And 27-inch FreeSync 144 Hz Gaming Monitors

News
By Christian Eberle
published

With FreeSync displays coming steadily from every major display manufacturer, prices have been dropping with each new model introduction. AOC has achieved a new level of value with its new G2460PF and G2770PF FreeSync monitors.

At 24 and 27 inches, respectively, both screens utilize 1920 x 1080 resolution TN panels with a claimed 1 ms response time. Also of note is their 144 Hz refresh rates. Although this is the norm for G-Sync products, some FreeSync panels top out at lower speeds. At press time, we aren't sure if FreeSync works up to the max rate, but our reviews so far have shown that beyond 100 Hz or so, FreeSync and G-Sync both have little impact on motion quality.

At a more real-world 40-80 fps, however, FreeSync means that you'll never see a torn frame or any stutter. Smooth motion and low lag are the order of the day, even with more budget-oriented video boards.

And speaking of budget, pricing for these new models has been set at $269 for the 24-inch and $359 for the 27-inch model. These prices are valid from Newegg at present. Thanks to the fact that FreeSync requires no additional hardware like G-Sync does, it looks like you'll save around $200 over a G-Sync screen with the same size and panel tech. Further, because the user experience is pretty much the same from both technologies, it comes down to what graphics hardware you choose and what your overall budget is.

Sometimes inexpensive gaming monitors cut out features in order to showcase new technologies. AOC has not gone this route. Both screens include USB hubs, though they're version 2.0 only. You also get two-watt stereo speakers and four-way adjustable stands. The panels are also flicker-free, with constant-current LED backlights. No pulse-width modulation is used, which means a more comfortable experience for all users.

Inputs include VGA, HDMI with MHL, DisplayPort and DVI. Operation at 144 Hz is possible over both DVI and DisplayPort, but only the latter allows for FreeSync.

While we always hope for more choices in IPS gaming screens, TN is still the best way to achieve both high speed and low price. Our reviews have shown that except for off-axis image quality, you won't be giving up contrast or color accuracy by going with TN. And you'll save quite a bit of cash in the process.

Both monitors are available now.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

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16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • InvalidError
    If people were skeptical that FreeSync would become a non-premium, it looks like display manufacturers are well on their way to showing that it really does not cost them much if anything extra.
    Reply
  • Supporter
    Still waiting for a clear winner, for now nvidia and amd are still exchanging massive blows at each other.
    Reply
  • sr1030nx
    Any idea what the freesync range on this is?
    Reply
  • eldragon0
    Any idea what the freesync range on this is?

    FreeSync has a dynamic refresh rate range of 9–240 Hz, although anything under 30 will still look teribad, and anything under 15 feels like a flip-book. It's completely up to the discretion of the monitor creator to chose what they want to support.
    Reply
  • gggplaya
    Damn, now i wish i had gone with AMD instead of the nividia 970 i just bought. $269 for a freesync monitor is way better than the $400+ gsync monitors out there.
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    16740981 said:
    Still waiting for a clear winner, for now nvidia and amd are still exchanging massive blows at each other.
    AdaptiveSync will 'win' eventually since it is part of the DisplayPort specification and every scaler will eventually include it. A few years from now, it will be nearly impossible to get a display without AdaptiveSync support since it adds practically no cost.

    Unless Nvidia manages to maintain its GPU performance and efficiency lead well enough to convince people to pick G-Sync which costs ~$150 extra over AdaptiveSync, Nvidia will eventually be forced to implement it either as a footnote in their tech specs or under a different marketing name from AMD's FreeSync.

    I bet Nvidia already has some degree of AdaptiveSync support in Maxwell chips, just waiting for a firmware and driver update to enable it if they start hemorrhaging sales specifically due to much cheaper FreeSync monitors.
    Reply
  • gggplaya
    16744111 said:
    16740981 said:
    Still waiting for a clear winner, for now nvidia and amd are still exchanging massive blows at each other.
    AdaptiveSync will 'win' eventually since it is part of the DisplayPort specification and every scaler will eventually include it. A few years from now, it will be nearly impossible to get a display without AdaptiveSync support since it adds practically no cost.

    Unless Nvidia manages to maintain its GPU performance and efficiency lead well enough to convince people to pick G-Sync which costs ~$150 extra over AdaptiveSync, Nvidia will eventually be forced to implement it either as a footnote in their tech specs or under a different marketing name from AMD's FreeSync.

    I bet Nvidia already has some degree of AdaptiveSync support in Maxwell chips, just waiting for a firmware and driver update to enable it if they start hemorrhaging sales specifically due to much cheaper FreeSync monitors.

    I can only hope.
    Reply
  • hannibal
    Well... I am sure that Nvidia can/could release Adaptive sync drivers any day if they wish to do it, but as long as those G-sync monitors sells nicely, there is no need for them to release those kind of drivers.
    So they milk money as long as they can, because they did put some money to develop the G-sync technology. They already have something like Freesync in laptops, so they definitely can do it.
    Reply
  • siluro8x8
    Apparently Freesync works between 48Hz and 144Hz on both displays (you can check full specifications on their website). In personal experience the top range doesn't really matter, but the bottom does make a lot of difference. Basically you'll need a minimum of 48 FPS on whatever you're playing to not see tearing, so better make sure you've got a good videocard paired with one of these if you wanna go for high details. Ofc the max resolution here being 1080p compared to my 1440p should make that a whole lot easier ^^
    Reply
  • wkwilley2
    I was excited when I saw this article, but they're only 1080p monitors......bah.....still look nice for the price range.
    Reply