Not many monitors can run at 144 Hz, but AOC is adding to your list of choices with its G2460PQU 24-inch TN-based screen. We’ve already tested similar displays from Asus and BenQ. Can AOC match their speed and performance at a roughly $250 price point?
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.
- Can A 144 Hz FHD Display For $250 Achieve Gaming Nirvana?
- Packaging, Physical Layout, And Accessories
- OSD Setup And Calibrating AOC's G2460PQU
- Measurement And Calibration Methodology: How We Test
- Results: Brightness And Contrast
- Results: Grayscale Tracking And Gamma Response
- Results: Color Gamut And Performance
- Results: Viewing Angles And Uniformity
- Results: Pixel Response, Input Lag, Blur Reduction
- AOC G2460PQU, Unparalleled Speed and Responsiveness
TL;DR: G2460PQU = DO NOT BUY, G2460PG = BUY.
A typo:
Bezel width: 0.6-1 inched / 15-25 mm
The PQU does accept 144 Hz over DisplayPort.
-Christian-
The PQU does accept 144 Hz over DisplayPort.
-Christian-
A bit of googling brought up this article - http://pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-g2460pqu which says: " The image provided by DisplayPort is very similar on this monitor and it should also support the maximum (144Hz) refresh rate. Unfortunately that was not the case during our testing" and "The PC resolutions below this should feature 1920 x 1080 with 100Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz selectable – but that isn’t the case.". It seems there are different revisions of this monitor with the same model number. So if you buy one of those than you are practically gambling about the 144 Hz support.
I will be the first one to congratulate you when you publish the next review of a monitor with a non-TN panel working over 60Hz.
I understand that.
It doesnt worth 300€ for this model. All you need is 60hz and 24" Panel that you can take it with 120€. For me IPS Panels offer you way better colors so for me its better. Now if you want it for a GTX780 and above and you wanna play over 60FPS it may worth.
But have in mind that a normal monitor cost ~120$ and this model cost double. You can spend that money in other hardware areas like better GPU for example.
I guess the thought process involves "and you can watch HD movies on it". Needless to say the 16:9 ratio is cheaper for manufacturers, and it's a great sales pitch. Well, give me a break. I got suckered into that line of thinking and I probably watched 2-3 movies on my "gaming" 23 inch monitor in 4-5 years.
Let's keep the movies where they belong in the living room and re-focus "gaming" screens where they should have never left - in the 16:10 aspect ratio.
I kind of agree, but if you don't have a G-sync capable GPU or don't want to throw the required funds at a G-sync monitor, these 144Hz monitors are the best options for gaming and they're far less expensive than G-sync monitors.
I will be the first one to congratulate you when you publish the next review of a monitor with a non-TN panel working over 60Hz.
Yes. I just finished up testing of the Overlord Tempest X270OC. The article will publish soon. I'm also expecting a sample of the Asus PG278Q in the next few weeks. Please stay tuned!
-Christian-
3D is not supported.
-Christian-
That should arrive right after the car that does 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds, carries 9 people, gets 87 miles per gallon and is priced at $17,995
But I hate the requirement of running 120fps at 120hz.
Get any less than 120fps and the quality drops pretty noticeably (stuttering, double images). To the point where I prefer playing games like Civ 5 without motion blur reduction/strobbing.
But G-Sync should remove the 120/144fps requirement, so I'm quite excited about that.
Right now TN panels is where gaming is at, but hopefully not for much longer. I value motion clarity more than color accuracy and viewing angles.