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Results: Brightness And Contrast

AOC G2770PQU 27-Inch 144Hz Gaming Monitor Review
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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. Brightness and Contrast testing is covered on page two.

The comparison group consists of all the 120/144Hz gaming monitors we’ve reviewed in the past year. Asus' PG278Q boasts G-Sync, but that doesn’t impact any of our benchmark results. TN is the dominant panel tech. However, we recently reviewed Overlord’s Tempest X270OC as well. Right now, it’s the only IPS screen that can reliably hit 120Hz.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

A measurement of 334.9013 cd/m2 exceeds AOC’s spec of 300 cd/m2 by a healthy margin. In general, TN screens tend to be a little brighter than their IPS counterparts. We feel a wide ranging backlight is a good thing in a gaming monitor. If you take your rig on the road, you never know what the lighting situation will be. More brightness means more flexibility and a better image in any environment.

A brighter backlight also means higher black levels. Fortunately, .3132 cd/m2 isn’t too bad. In a room with moderate to low lighting, the screen isn’t quite a deep black, but rather a very dark gray.

Even with the backlight on maximum, the G2770PQU maintains a contrast ratio over 1000 to 1. This is average performance for a TN monitor. Compared to our lone IPS representative, though, it’s pretty good. The VG248QE continues to dominate the contrast tests thanks to superb black levels and extremely bright whites.

Uncalibrated – Minimum Backlight Level

At the backlight’s minimum setting, the G2770PQU bottoms out at 84.4525 cd/m2, yielding a great light level for playing games in total darkness.

A black level of .0798 cd/m2 is good. However, among the other TN-based screens, it’s an average result. The Asus is likely to retain its place atop this test for some time to come. In reality though, numbers this low are difficult to distinguish from one another with the naked eye. As long as a contrast ratio over 1000 to 1 is maintained, all of the monitors in the group will look about the same.

As expected, the Asus is off in the stratosphere while the rest show typical performance for modern LCD panels. The Overlord IPS panel is a little behind the rest. But visually, its lower contrast is barely noticeable.

After Calibration to 200 cd/m2

Here’s what black levels and contrast look like after calibration with the max output set at 200 cd/m2:

The G2770PQU, like all AOC monitors, has RGB sliders that start from the center of their ranges. This means you can raise and lower them to correct grayscale in a balanced manner, which keeps contrast closer to its maximum. Thanks to an excellent calibrated black level, it moves to second place.

The contrast ratio is nearly unchanged regardless of the backlight setting or calibration status. AOC's G2770PQU displays some of the most consistent contrast performance we’ve seen to date.

ANSI Contrast Ratio

You’ll see on page seven that the G2770PQU’s screen uniformity is also top notch, helping it achieve a fantastic ANSI result that’s only four percent below the calibrated value.

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  • 1 Hide
    eklipz330 , September 27, 2014 12:46 PM
    "At 144Hz, motion is very smooth with no obvious ghosting or artifacting. While capabilities like LightBoost are helpful at 60Hz, we’re not sure they're really needed at the higher rates."

    I completely agree. I use a benq xl2411z, and i can understand turning on the blur reduction feature at 60hz. But at 100hz and up, i just don't see the reason why. the blur reduction actually detracts from the overall experience, increases ghosting and crosstalk in particular areas of the screen. Even with modded drivers, it still doesn't seem like the best course of action.

    but light reduction at around 72hz is awesome. the only issue is the flickering, but man is the picture crisp
  • 1 Hide
    jdwii , September 27, 2014 1:28 PM
    400$ no thanks A 27 inch 1080P monitor should be 300$ and no more
  • 2 Hide
    NeatOman , September 27, 2014 3:15 PM
    What do we want!?..
    - 2560x1440 144Hz ! !
    When do we want it!?
    - NOW ! !

    From what i heard when you get close to 120Hz or above you almost can't see the tearing from no-sync at all vs G-Sync, but if it has it for little to now extra charge (like im hoping will happen with free-sync) then ok.. lol
  • 2 Hide
    Bowmaster , September 27, 2014 7:28 PM
    2560x1440 144hz, <1ms response, OLED, under $500. Maybe someday... right now to do something like that would take a few more 0's on the price tag sadly, but that would look sooooo pretty at 27-30 inches. Fun to dream!
  • 0 Hide
    Bowmaster , September 27, 2014 8:27 PM
    2560x1440 144hz, <1ms response, OLED, under $500. Maybe someday... right now to do something like that would take a few more 0's on the price tag sadly, but that would look sooooo pretty at 27-30 inches. Fun to dream!
  • 2 Hide
    huilun02 , September 28, 2014 6:44 AM
    All I ask for is a 60Hz 1080p IPS with Gsync/Freesync. Screen tearing elimination while still practical and economical. Low entry price for faster adoption by the masses.

    But no, manufacturers insist on making it exclusive to the most high end/expensive models. They want to milk the most out of this tech by keeping it elusive.

    "With speedy G-Sync-capable monitors starting to emerge, is the tech still a relevant choice?" What a stupid question to ask. Just about every monitor that comes with Gsync ARE 144Hz TN panels. Where its benefit is the least noticeable...
  • -1 Hide
    soldier44 , September 28, 2014 11:35 AM
    Been gaming at 2560 x 1600 for over 4 years now and have moved to a Asus 32 inch 4K display with 2 GTX 780 Classifieds running it. Smooth as silk. 1080p is so 2008.
  • -2 Hide
    thequn , September 28, 2014 6:39 PM
    i would be in if it was not a tn pan. unless they changed tech when I was not looking but its 6 bit color and not 8
  • -1 Hide
    knightmike , September 28, 2014 7:39 PM
    TN looks horrible if you're even a few degrees off center. No, thanks.
  • 1 Hide
    Snookslayer , September 28, 2014 9:42 PM
    When will they make an IPS monitor with these kind of specs?

    TN? No thank you.
  • 1 Hide
    MarkW , September 28, 2014 10:07 PM
    As I read this, the author repeatedly states that we will all have G-Sync monitors soon, and I keep wondering why we are all supposedly going to be using proprietary, costly, Nvidia only sync technology when AMD has put out an open source alternative that is free.

    Are changes coming? Yes. But who wins out at this point I think is going to be up to the market, and monitors that cost $35 more are going to be at a disadvantage if they both function equally or very close to equally.

    Maybe in 6 months we will be able to see both technologies side by side, and get a better idea of what each can do. But we are nowhere near being there to make this decision today.
  • 0 Hide
    rantoc , September 28, 2014 11:12 PM
    The larger the screen the more horrible TN becomes (unless the distance is changed accordingy - But whats the point to buy a larger screen then?)

    Got several different screens available and the TN based Asus Swift PG278Q is definatly the quickest but the picture quality price of a TN panel at that size is heavy, even at almost perfect monitor centered eyes its still borderline to wash out the colors/clarity at the edges. Compared to an Dell US UP3214Q (ips/igzo) or Dell US U3014 (ips) the TN panels is lightyears behind in picture quality (allthoo todays 4k@60hz screens have their issues with the 1.2a display port as their handeled as 2 screens).

    So if you ask me, get two screens - One for quick fps style gaming and one for desktop / slower gaming.

    So for a wishlist - An overdrive IPS panel 27-30" @ 120hz running 2560x1440(1600) and having G-sync (Ever tried an g-sync? if not - try it out, really hope Amd gets freesync to take off and Nvidia wises up and gets behind it)
  • 1 Hide
    mapesdhs , September 29, 2014 3:17 AM
    "But as long as you view the screen head-on from two or three feet away,
    you probably won’t be able to tell it apart from an IPS display."

    Sorry, can't agree there. I have a 27" Dell IPS 2560x1440, and meanwhile I
    bought my brother a 27" Samsung TN 1920x1080. Sitting directly infront of
    the Samsung, I can already see the change in colour & brightness towards
    the corners & edges of the screen, as the angle is large enough to reveal
    the effect despite not sitting off to one side. The Dell screen looks sooo
    much nicer.

    I can imagine TN panels still being reasonbly ok at 24" or below, but by 27"
    the sheer size means one doesn't have to sit off-axis to see the difference.
    With hindsight, if I'd known the effect was going to be that visible, I'd probably
    have bought him a 24" model instead, upgraded to a 27" IPS later.

    Later for my gf's PC, I bought a 24" Dell 1920x1200 IPS.

    Ian.

  • 0 Hide
    Ninjawithagun , October 2, 2014 9:33 AM
    27 inch monitor + 1920x1080 resolution = FAIL
  • 0 Hide
    jbrown156 , October 2, 2014 10:30 AM
    for $400 its not worth it to me to make it worse its just 27" .. no way
  • 0 Hide
    Voytek_ , October 16, 2014 8:04 AM
    I just got this monitor (AOC G2770PQU) revied here and games like BF4 and other
    shooters which I like, haven't tried driving games, look beautiful, just turn off
    the Overdrive feature. Don't fall for the 27" at 1080p looks bad, its awsome. Single card setup can pump 100+ fps ( I got a gtx680 ftw 4 gig) and it shines at bf4,1080p.
    This monitor is a great value.
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