AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2 240 Hz OLED gaming monitor review: A faster and more colorful revision

The Agon Pro AG276QZD2 is a 27-inch QD-OLED display with QHD 2560x1440 resolution, 240 Hz, HDR10, and wide gamut color.

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AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

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AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

AOC claims 250 nits peak brightness for the AG276QZD2, which I measured in my test. The issue here is that there is no variable brightness option like most OLEDs have. This means you can’t get the brighter highlights of that feature. It’s not a big deal in SDR mode unless you really need the 300 or 400 nits offered by the other monitors. But for HDR content, you’ll miss that extra impact that comes from small extra bright bits like reflections from rendered surfaces. The good part is that you still get OLED’s infinite contrast and perfect black levels.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Calibration doesn’t change anything except peak brightness. 200 nits is a good level for indoor use in a space with moderate ambient light. When comparing SDR content, all the screens here have the same depth and contrast, whether static or intra-image. HDR is a different story which I’ll tell on page five.

Test Takeaway: The AG276QZD2 has the same SDR contrast and black levels as any other OLED. Without variable brightness, you can’t run up to 400 nits peak, but that isn’t a problem for most environments. And since it has Quantum Dot tech, there’s a good deal more color saturation to provide image impact.

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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.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Dasboot5
    Does the new model require the Mandatory Pixel refresh maintenance after 4 hours of use, and can that be accessed by the OSD or only the rear OSD button?
    Discussion of Pixel Refresh Maintenance
    Reply
  • GTwannabe
    Dasboot5 said:
    Does the new model require the Mandatory Pixel refresh maintenance after 4 hours of use, and can that be accessed by the OSD or only the rear OSD button?
    Discussion of Pixel Refresh Maintenance
    You can safely disable the 4-hour Pixel Refresh nag screen. The monitor has a power-on counter. When it exceeds 4 hours runtime and you let the screen go to sleep for 2 hours it automatically runs a panel maintenance cycle.
    Reply