Already, 2014 has proven to be a great year for gamers. Beyond the fast, efficient CPUs, amazingly powerful graphics configurations, and gorgeous 4K displays, we're seeing more monitors with high refresh rates for gaming, along with technologies like Nvidia's G-Sync. As new capabilities are added and specification sheets grow to include the corresponding jargon, it's more important than ever to quantify what sets all of the options apart. We've received a ton of reader requests for more gaming monitor coverage, so we're sharpening our focus on that genre.
By now, it's commonly accepted that high refresh rates are a key ingredient in a monitor able to anchor the most fully-loaded gaming rigs. When you spend four figures on graphics cards alone, you don't want to flip on v-sync and get stuck at 60 Hz. That'd be like trying to drive a Ferrari in Manhattan.

Displays capable of running at 144 Hz are fairly rare in the PC world. However, we just received our third example from AOC, the brand-new G2460PQU. We’ve mentioned before that many HDTVs run at 120 and even 240 Hz, and many of you have wondered why the same is not true for monitors. The distinction is that HDTVs cannot accept a signal faster than 60 Hz. For the most performance-sensitive games, you want a display that can actually process a 144 Hz signal, and that just doesn’t exist in the realm of television.
| Panel Type | TN Film |
|---|---|
| Backlight | W-LED, edge array |
| Screen Size | 24-inch |
| Max Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Max Refresh Rate | 144 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Native Color Depth | 8-bit (6-bit w/FRC) |
| Native Gamut | sRGB |
| Response Time (GTG) | 1 ms |
| Brightness | 350 cd/m2 |
| Speakers | 2 x 2 W |
| VGA | 1 |
| DVI | 1 |
| DisplayPort 1.2 | 1 |
| HDMI 1.4 | 1 |
| Audio In, 3.5 mm | 1 |
| Headphone | 1 |
| USB v2.0 | 1 up, 4 down |
| Media Card Reader | - |
| Panel Dimensions W x H x D | 22.3 x 15.5 x 9.6 in 566 x 394 x 244 mm |
| Panel Thickness | 2 inches / 51 mm |
| Bezel Width | 0.6-1 inched / 15-25 mm |
| Weight | 13.9 lbs / 6.3 kg |
| Warranty | Three Years |
If you read our reviews of the BenQ XL2720Z (a 27-inch screen for $450) and Asus VG248QE (a 24-inch display priced at $270), this screen's specs will look pretty familiar. It is unfortunate that manufacturers still have to rely on a 6-bit/FRC TN panel to run at rates higher than 60 Hz. But for now, that is another universally accepted constant. Overlord Computer is attempting to buck the trend with its IPS-based Tempest X270OC, which we expect to review very soon. But a monitor like that is the exception, not the rule.
The principal hurdle to moving pixels at a high rate is bandwidth. A TN part has a much easier time dealing with 120 or 144 Hz refresh rates because its processing demand is much lower than that of an 8-bit IPS display. We’ve seen enough examples to say that image quality is not noticeably impacted by the reduced bit depth. Frame Rate Conversion continues to be an effective means of rendering 8-bit color with a 6-bit native LCD panel.
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While the G2460PQU is new to gamers in the U.S., it’s been available abroad for several months. Comparisons to the Asus and BenQ 144 Hz displays are inevitable. The base specs are nearly identical. But there is one feature AOC doesn’t offer, and that’s any sort of motion blur reduction.
We talked quite a bit about BenQ’s Blur Reduction, which strobes the backlight between frames and can help reduce or eliminate motion blur at the expense of light output. Asus’ VG248QE does the same thing if you connect it to an Nvidia LightBoost-enabled graphics board. AOC, however, does not offer a comparable capability. Is this a potential deal-breaker? We’ll go into more depth about the implications on page nine, after our response and lag tests.
Aside from that one omission, the G2460PQU's specs suggest that it's a well-made gaming-oriented screen with the sort of performance attributes discerning enthusiasts are looking for. Let's see if those figures bear out in practice.
Our sample arrived in a slim suitcase-style box made from sturdy double-corrugated cardboard. The contents are completely enclosed in Styrofoam, so it’s quite unlikely any damage will befall mail-order buyers. The cable bundle includes VGA, DVI, and USB 2.0, along with a standard IEC power cord for the internal power supply. There is no separate brick or wall wart to deal with. Also enclosed is a CD with the user manual, drivers, and AOC i-Menu software, which allows control of monitor functions from the Windows desktop (rather than the OSD).
Once unpacked, the only assembly required is to attach the base with its single captive wingnut.
Product 360

The first thing that catches my eye is the cool brushed finish of the bezel and the red stripe across the bottom. If style is an important factor in the design of your gaming rig, AOC's G2460PQU should satisfy you with its good looks. For those using multiple screens, a slim 15 mm side width means you can get those monitors fairly close together with only minimal interruption in the image. The display is fairly light in weight, so its small base is sturdy enough to keep everything upright.
Like the other gaming monitors we’ve tested recently, the anti-glare layer is medium-aggressive. It strikes a good balance between reflection mitigation and clarity. The image looks nice and sharp, and since we’re working with a 24-inch screen, its FHD resolution results in a pixel density of 92 ppi.
Speaking of the upright, it allows for a full range of ergonomic adjustments.

You can rotate the G2460PQU to portrait mode easily. But because the bottom bezel is a little wider at 25 mm, a multi-monitor setup in portrait mode isn't going to look as slick as a landscape configuration. The base allows nearly 300 degrees of swivel. You can also raise and lower the panel five inches, and tilt it up to 20 degrees back or five degrees forward. For a mid-priced product, the construction is quite solid. All of the screen's movements are precise and sure. Gamers concerned about getting just the right position in front of their screens should enjoy the flexibility that AOC enables.

Measuring two inches thick, the panel is a tad slimmer than others we’ve seen. The upright has a cable management bracket that snaps on and slides up and down. You’ll notice there are two side-facing USB ports, one of which is red. That connector can charge a peripheral device, be it your smartphone, camera, or tablet, so long as the monitor is in standby. It doesn’t even need to be connected to your PC. Very cool!

The brushed finish continues around back, covering the bulge. Everything else is finished in traditional matte-textured plastic. Below the bulge you can see the speaker vents. Like all of the built-in drives we've auditioned, they reproduce high-mid frequencies reasonably well, but little else. Gamers definitely want to use a headset or high-quality 2.1-channel speaker system. Removing four screws reveals a 100 mm VESA mount for use with aftermarket brackets and arms.

AOC leaves a legacy VGA input on its panel, along with one DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort 1.2 connector. On the far right are the audio input and headphone output. The left side contains the power jack, plus a toggle switch if you want to save even more power than standby mode enables. Last, you have the USB upstream port and two additional downstream connections.
OSD Tour
The G2460PQU’s OSD looks a little different than most displays, but should still be familiar to those who have used AOC monitors before. The menu is always at the bottom of the screen and is broken up into five main sub-menus. Press the first button left of Power to activate it.
The Luminance menu has brightness and contrast controls, along with gamma presets. The default setting is Gamma 1, but we found Gamma 2 to be more accurate.
Eco Mode is AOC’s term for picture mode and there are six to choose from. The only one that allows full calibration control is Standard. The others, Text, Internet, Game, Movie, and Sports, lock out the RGB sliders. Moreover, some of them eliminate the brightness, contrast, and gamma controls.
There are three Gamma presets available. The default is 1, but 2 is far better if your goal, like ours, is 2.2. We suggest dialing in that setting before adjusting the color temp sliders.
DCR stands for Dynamic Contrast Ratio. Leave it off for the best image quality. While turning it on increases measured contrast, it also crushes detail in both shadow and highlight areas.
Overdrive can reduce the ghosting that sometimes occurs behind fast moving objects on-screen. When you’re running at high refresh rates, it won’t make a difference since motion blur is already negligible.
i-Care utilizes a sensor mounted on the front bezel to adjust brightness based on the room light.
DPS (Dynamic Power Saving) cuts energy use by up to 50 percent. Of course, light output is also reduced. Since the G2460PQU has output to spare, you can use this control to keep from maxing the backlight.
We didn’t bother to snap a photo of the second menu, Image Setup. It contains controls for tuning analog signals, along with a Sharpness slider. The menu is grayed out when using a digital connection.
Color temp controls are found under the Color Setup menu. The default preset, Warm, is actually a bit cool according to our measurements. Switch to User for better accuracy and access to the RGB sliders. Kudos to AOC for starting those adjustments in the center of their range. It’s much easier to dial in grayscale without reducing contrast that way.
DCB stand for Dynamic Color Boost and is designed to enhance specific colors in the palette. There are modes like Nature Skin and Green Field that tweak flesh tones or grass, for instance. Using them is a matter of personal preference. They won't make the monitor’s color more accurate, only different.
Picture Boost creates a user-defined area on the screen where one can adjust brightness and contrast separately from the rest of the image. You can size and position the window anywhere you like and use it to highlight content.
The most useful tool in the OSD Setup menu is the timeout feature, which can be set for as long as two minutes. Since the menu is so wide, there isn’t much point in moving it around, as it’s already well away from a typical test pattern. You can also adjust the menu’s transparency.
The last few ergonomic options are in the Extras menu. Input Select defaults to the Auto setting and never failed to lock on to whatever source we connected.
Auto Config will sync with analog signals and usually eliminate the need for any phase or clock adjustments.
The Off Timer can be set for up to 24 hours.
Image Ratio can replicate several aspects and screen sizes from 17-inch 4:3 up to the full 24-inch 16:9 image.
DDC-CI should always be left on to allow two-way interaction between the G2460PQU and your computer.
Reset returns all settings to their factory defaults.
Information is limited to input resolution, and the horizontal and vertical refresh rates. We would also like to see the monitor’s firmware version displayed, as well as its serial number.
AOC G2460PQU Calibration
Since the only picture mode that allows full adjustment is Standard, that’s where we perform our calibration. To get maximum output down to 200 cd/m2, we had to drop Brightness to 37 out of 100. The G2460PQU is an exceptionally bright display. The Contrast control doesn't clip information beyond a setting of 50, but we reduced it to 45 for better grayscale accuracy at 100-percent brightness.
If you don’t calibrate, the best grayscale and color performance are found at a Color Temp setting of either User or sRGB. Further manipulation of the RGB sliders brings color to a fairly high standard of accuracy. For best results, leave DCR, DPS, and DCB off. All of these are dynamic settings that will change your calibration depending on content.
| AOC G2460PQU Calibration Settings | |
|---|---|
| Eco Mode | Standard |
| Contrast | 45 |
| Brightness | 37 |
| Color Temp | User |
| RGB | Red 53, Green 51, Blue 47 |
As mentioned, the RGB sliders start in the center of their range, which is a good thing. To maintain the highest possible contrast, make your changes in a balanced fashion. Keeping the three values as close to one another as possible results in little to no contrast reduction.
To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer, a Spectracal C6 colorimeter, and version 5.2.0.1374 of SpectraCal’s CalMAN software.

The i1Pro is very accurate and consistent measuring color on all types of displays, regardless of the backlight technology used. When we just need a luminance value, the C6 works better, especially in low light.
For patterns, we employ AccuPel DVG-5000 and DVDO AVLab TPG video signal generators. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.

The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.
The DVDO generator is a new addition to our lab. It supports resolutions up to 4096x2160. We’re using it to verify the proper signal handling of QHD and UHD displays.
The i1Pro or C6 is placed at the center of the screen (unless we’re measuring uniformity) and sealed against it to block out any ambient light. The AccuPel pattern generator (bottom-left) is controlled via USB by CalMAN, which is running on the Dell XPS laptop on the right.
Our version of CalMAN Ultimate allows me to design all of the screens and workflows to best suit the purpose at hand. To that end, I’ve created a display review workflow from scratch. This way, we can be sure and collect all the necessary data with a concise and efficient set of measurements.
The charts show us the RGB levels, gamma response, and Delta E error for every brightness point from zero to 100 percent. In the table, we get raw data for each measurement. And the area in the upper-left tells us luminance, average gamma, Delta E, and contrast ratio. The individual charts can be copied to the Windows clipboard to easily create graphics for our reviews.
Every primary and secondary color is measured at 20-, 40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-percent saturation. The color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. You can see the targets moving out from white in a straight line. The further a point is from center, the greater the saturation until you hit 100 percent at the edge of the gamut triangle. This shows us the display’s response at a cross-section of color points. Many monitors score well when only the 100-percent saturations are measured. Hitting the targets at the lower saturations is more difficult, and factors into our average Delta E value (which explains why our Delta E values are sometimes higher than those reported by other publications).
Uncalibrated
Before calibrating any panel, we measure zero and 100-percent signals at both ends of the brightness control range. This shows us how contrast is affected at the extremes of a display's luminance capability. We do not increase the contrast control past the clipping point. While that would successfully increase a monitor’s light output, the brightest signal levels would not be visible, resulting in crushed highlight detail. Our numbers show the maximum light level possible with no clipping of the signal.
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For the comparison group, we’re including the 144 Hz Asus VG248QE and BenQ XL2720Z, plus a 60Hz BenQ RL2460HT. Rounding out the group are our recently-reviewed QHD professional screens from NEC.

The G2460PQU is the brightest monitor we’ve seen in a while. In fact, only Planar's PXL2790MW measures higher in our tests. It’s a shame there’s no backlight strobing feature available, because the extra output would likely combine to provide blur reduction and decent brightness.
A bright display often means higher black levels, though.

Sure enough, we measure a less-than-great black level result. But if you need to turn the backlight up all the way, it’s not a big deal. Why? Because as you’ll see below, this screen maintains solid contrast ratios at all light levels.
The max contrast result doesn’t suffer at all considering the G2460PQU’s prodigious output.

Any contrast ratio over 1000 to 1 is good. Even with an elevated black level, the image still has plenty of depth and detail. You’d have to be sitting in a brightly-lit room or outside to really need this much brightness, though it's good to know the option is available.
We believe 50 cd/m2 is a practical minimum standard for screen brightness. Any lower and you risk eyestrain and fatigue. The G2460PQU bottoms out at 91.5339 cd/m2. For our taste, that's a little high if you're gaming in a dark room. A small amount of ambient light helps offset the effect, though.

Even though AOC finishes last in our comparison group, .0866 cd/m2 is still a decent black level result. The other screens have much lower white levels when their backlights are at the minimum, which accounts for their superior black levels. The exception is Asus' VG248QE. That display has almost freakishly-high contrast.

The G2460PQU maintains its contrast result of over 1000 to 1. While the Asus is another universe at over 6500 to 1, it’s not consistent at different backlight settings like the other displays are. I prefer monitors to not have a sweet spot for contrast. Rather, I like to see the same contrast performance at all backlight settings.
After Calibration
Since we consider 200 cd/m2 to be an ideal point for peak output, we calibrate all of our test monitors to that value. In a room with some ambient light (like an office), this brightness level provides a sharp, punchy image with maximum detail and minimum eye fatigue. On many monitors it’s also the sweet spot for gamma and grayscale tracking, which we'll look at on the next page. In a darkened room, many professionals prefer a 120 cd/m2 calibration. We have found it makes little to no difference on the calibrated black level and contrast measurements, though.

The G2460PQU’s black levels don’t suffer after calibration like some displays do. We didn’t have to make any large adjustments to the RGB sliders or the contrast control, so excellent contrast can be maintained without sacrificing color accuracy.
The corresponding reduction in contrast is very minor.

Sometimes you're forced to choose between high contrast or better color accuracy. That’s not the case with the G2460PQU. It only loses eight percent in the final contrast ratio measurement. We doubt anyone will notice.
ANSI Contrast Ratio
Another important measure of contrast is ANSI. To perform this test, a checkerboard pattern of sixteen zero and 100-percent squares is measured. The test is somewhat more real-world than on/off measurements because it gauges a display’s ability to simultaneously maintain both low black and full white levels, and factors in screen uniformity. The average of the eight full-white measurements is divided by the average of the eight full-black measurements to arrive at the ANSI result.

The G2460PUQ’s ANSI contrast stays solid at 953.9 to 1. That’s only a two-percent drop from the uncalibrated, full-brightness result. There is absolutely no penalty for calibrating this display, and you can set the backlight at any level to enjoy consistently excellent image depth.
The majority of monitors, especially newer models, display excellent grayscale tracking (even at stock settings). It’s important that the color of white be consistently neutral at all light levels from darkest to brightest. Grayscale performance impacts color accuracy with regard to the secondary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. Since computer monitors typically have no color or tint adjustment, accurate grayscale is key.

In Standard mode, the default color temp preset is Warm. Our chart tells a different story. Grayscale errors are skewed towards the cool end of the scale due to excessive amounts of blue. If you don’t plan to calibrate, set the preset on User. That will drop the average error from 5.27 to 3.21 Delta E, which is a visible improvement.
If you have the tools to adjust the RGB sliders, use them. The result is well worth your time.

Except for a little spike at 10 percent, this is pretty close to perfect. As you saw in the previous section, there is almost no reduction in contrast performance when calibrating the G2460PQU’s grayscale tracking.
We now return to the comparison group.

A Delta E measurement of 5.27 is below average out of the box. At least there is relief to be had by switching the color temp preset to User or sRGB. Of course, calibration yields the lowest error of all.

Now that's more like it. A 1.09 Delta E reading is right up there with the best screens we’ve tested. And if you just compare the 144 Hz-capable monitors, the result is a wash. None of them display visible grayscale errors once we get them calibrated. Considering accuracy is not the primary purpose of these panels, the gaming monitors in our results database perform extremely well.
Gamma Response
Gamma is the measurement of luminance levels at every step in the brightness range from 0 to 100 percent. It's important because poor gamma can either crush detail at various points or wash it out, making the entire picture appear flat and dull. Correct gamma produces a more three-dimensional image, with a greater sense of depth and realism. Meanwhile, incorrect gamma can negatively affect image quality, even in monitors with high contrast ratios.
In the gamma charts below, the yellow line represents 2.2, which is the most widely used standard for television, film, and computer graphics production. The closer the white measurement trace comes to 2.2, the better.
Most displays have three or more gamma presets that represent the same tracking at different values (1.8, 2.0, 2.2, and so on). AOC's G2460PQU is different in that each preset renders a markedly different gamma response. I’ll show you all three so you can see what I mean.

Gamma 1 is the G2460PQU's default setting. It takes an unusual path in that the luminance errors become darker as brightness rises. Then the 90-percent level suddenly becomes too bright. In a game, tracking like this would manifest as crushed or reduced detail in the brighter portions of the image.

Gamma 2 is the best choice, whether you calibrate or not. It’s not perfect, but the slight aberrations at 10 and 90 percent represent 1.5 cd/m2 at most. That’s a negligible error.

If you’re hoping for a 2.4 power function or BT.1886 gamma result at the number 3 preset, you’re out of luck. The majority of the trace is much too dark. Even at a high backlight setting, gaming would be difficult thanks to a loss of detail. The image is just too murky at this preset.
Here is our comparison group again.

The G2460PQU is right in middle of the gamma range results. All of our test subjects demonstrate tight tracking, including the AOC. And none of them show a visible error.
We calculate gamma deviation by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.

The G2460PQU’s Gamma 2 preset tracks close to our standard of 2.2. In this chart, the top four finishers are particularly close, while the EA274WMi and XL2720Z are a little off the mark. If you want maximum detail in gaming titles, or any other application for that matter, accurate gamma is a must. AOC can deliver it.
Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). This provides a more realistic view of color accuracy.
In the G2460PQU’s case, calibration has a noticeable effect on gamut accuracy, so we’re showing the before and after results.

Without calibration, the G2460PQU tracks pretty close to the sRGB/Rec.709 standard. The main issues are the over-saturation of blue, and hue errors in magenta and cyan. Hue is usually corrected by a grayscale calibration. But color saturation can only be adjusted using a CMS, which this display does not have. To compensate, AOC decreases luminance for blue and magenta.
Adjusting the RGB sliders and selecting the Gamma 2 preset results in a much better chart.

Blue and magenta are still over-saturated. However, the hue errors are now much smaller. Not only that, luminance is much improved across the board. The resulting drop in Delta E errors is pretty significant. We’d love to have a functioning CMS on every display to achieve even better results, but it’s easy to see how much improvement can be made with a simple grayscale calibration and proper gamma selection.
Now we return to the comparison group.

The G2460PQU’s average color error is a low 2.00 Delta E. That's not good enough to pierce the rarified space of professional displays. It does beat the other two 144 Hz screens in our group, though. BenQ’s RL2460HT almost qualifies as an over-achiever, posting results as good as some very expensive factory-calibrated monitors.
Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998 And sRGB
There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec. 709 standard like HDTVs, and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from our actual measurements.

The AOC comes within a whisker of filling the complete sRGB gamut volume. If it weren’t for slight discrepancies in magenta and green, it would render that last four percent easily. Given our results, we consider the G2460PQU an excellent choice for gaming, video content, or productivity. You can edit photos, too, if the wider Adobe RGB 1998 gamut isn’t necessary.
The more monitors we test, the more we can see that off-axis viewing performance is dependent not only on pixel structure (IPS, PLS, TN, etc.) but the backlight technology as well. And we can see that the anti-glare layer makes a difference too.
For the time being, high-refresh monitors are based on TN-film technology and therefore subject to its inherent disadvantages. At a 24-inch size, head-on viewing is essentially unaffected. But any shift to the sides creates a noticeable color shift to red. Setting the screen height is important too, as you can see. Moving vertically off-center means you’ll see a significant loss of detail in the image.
Screen Uniformity: Luminance
To measure screen uniformity, zero and 100-percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured, their values expressed as a percentage of the baseline (above or below). This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor sends us. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently.
First up is black field uniformity.

Our particular G2460PQU sample shows a few visible flaws in both uniformity tests. The main culprit in our black field measurement is hotspots at the center and lower-left zones. They’re hard to point out with the naked eye, but of course our C6 sees better than we can. Our standard is 10 percent or below, so an 11.15-percent measurement represents only a slight error.
Here’s the white field measurement.

The hotspot in the white field measurement is again at the screen’s center, where it’s about 20 cd/m2 brighter than the surrounding area. We had no issues viewing actual content, fortunately.
Screen Uniformity: Color
To measure color uniformity, we display an 80-percent white field and measure the Delta E error of the same nine points on the screen. Then we subtract the lowest value from the highest to arrive at the result. A smaller number means a display is more uniform. Any value below three means a variation that is invisible to the naked eye.

Color uniformity is better, with no visible tints anywhere on the screen. We like to see a result under three, and all of the displays in our group achieve that. In fact, it’s unusual for us to ever receive a monitor that exhibits anything but excellent color uniformity.
To perform these tests, we use a high-speed camera that shoots at 1000 frames per second. Analyzing the video frame-by-frame allows us to observe the exact time it takes to go from a zero-percent signal to a 100% white field.
We had to do things a little differently for this review because our pattern generator only goes up to 60 Hz. So, we filmed a mouse movement that triggers the field pattern’s appearance. Since this is less precise than using the generator, we averaged five measurements.
Here’s the screen draw result.

The G2460PQU becomes our new response champion with an extremely low time of five milliseconds. We really wish this display had a blur reduction feature because its panel response speed could certainly take advantage of it. Its extreme light output would easily counter the 50-60 percent drop in brightness caused by backlight strobing.
We have a new winner in the next test as well.

We shot 10 sequences rather than five because we wanted to be sure of our findings. The G2460PQU does indeed have the lowest input lag we’ve tested, and by a big margin. If responsiveness and speed are the most important factors in your monitor-buying decision, your research may very well end here.
Blur Reduction: Is It Missed?
I mentioned at the beginning of the article that AOC doesn't implement any sort of blur reduction feature. After running through several of the Blur Busters tests, I can say that it is not sorely missed. When the refresh rate is maxed at 144 Hz, motion is quite smooth and resolution in the most detailed images stays solid at fairly high motion rates. Would backlight strobing make it better? Yes, but only a little.
Remember that the downside to backlight strobing is a corresponding reduction in light output. This was an issue with BenQ's XL2720Z because its brightness maxes at about 300 cd/m2. After factoring in a 58 percent drop with Blur Reduction on full, you’re left with only 150 cd/m2, which means you need a very dark room to see full detail in gaming titles.
AOC provides a lot more output from the G2460PQU, so it would make an excellent candidate for backlight strobing. Why the company leaves it out, we can’t say. Still, its motion performance is admirable. And armed with the best input lag we’ve measured, the G2460PQU becomes a compelling choice.
Now that the results are in, we can revisit our 144 Hz gaming monitor comparison. AOC becomes the new champ in our screen draw and input lag tests. It also comes close to matching the VG248QE’s prodigious light output. The biggest concession AOC's G2460PQU makes is a lack of blur reduction functionality, which Asus and BenQ do offer.
Then again, I can't say I missed backlight strobing in any of our tests or when I played games on the G2460PQU. Enjoying fast-paced titles on a system with a 144 Hz monitor becomes more pleasurable regardless. And even productivity-oriented tasks benefit from an almost intoxicating smoothness as your cursor moves around on-screen. Blur reduction would certainly enhance this further but frankly, I don’t consider it a deal-breaker.

We believe this monitor should be considered for its class-leading speed and excellent brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. There were a few anomalies in the gamma results, but if you stick to our suggested Gamma 2 preset, you’ll be within a whisker of the desired 2.2. Contrast is a strong point of the TN-based screens we've tested recently, and this one is no exception. In fact, the overall ratio holds up to calibration better than a majority of displays, regardless of panel technology. If you choose not to calibrate, selecting the Standard mode and User color temp generates results that come pretty close to our standards.
Comparisons based on price are pretty much a wash, given the 144 Hz options available. Whichever brand you choose, anticipate spending around $275 for a 24-inch model or $500 for a 27-inch version. Personally, I’d go for three 24s in a panoramic setup.
So is the G2460PQU a harbinger of things to come? I suspect it is. As technology allows, expect manufacturers to increase refresh rates wherever they can. After all, there are benefits to be had that transcend gaming. As the lines get blurred between traditional broadcast and streamed delivery of video content, I believe some users will want the improved motion resolution that comes with frame interpolation. It's already common on HDTVs. But with more people turning to their computers to watch TV, the demand for that same functionality on computer monitors could increase as well.
The performance of graphics cards is only going to go up. The best boards blast past what it takes to deliver smooth performance at the most demanding quality settings, particularly at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440. Enthusiasts who prefer playing with v-sync enabled can only relieve the 60 Hz ceiling with a monitor like AOC's G2460PQU. We think it deserves to be on every gamers’ short list. For its best-in-class speed and responsiveness, we're giving it the Tom's Hardware Smart Buy award.

Just so you know what's coming, we have several unique displays in the lab. LG just sent us its latest 21:9 screen, the 34UM95. It breaks that aspect ratio's mold in that it’s 34 inches diagonal with 3440x1440 resolution. Also on the test bench is BenQ’s BL3200. It’s a jumbo 32-inch QHD display with a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel. It promises black levels and contrast equal to TN, but with the low power consumption and better viewing angles of IPS. Stay tuned!



