AOC CQ27G4ZH Gaming Monitor Review: 300 Hz For Less Than You’d Expect

This is a 27-inch curved VA QHD gaming monitor featuring 300 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and a wide gamut color range.

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AOC CQ27G4ZH
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300 Hz is a refresh rate I have not seen before, so I lined up screens ranging from 180 to 240 Hz for the CQ27G4ZH’s comparison. They are ViewSonic’s XG2736-2K, Titan Army’s P32A2S2, Gigabyte’s M27QA ICE and GS27QXA, and Xiaomi’s G Pro 27i.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

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AOC CQ27G4ZH
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The obvious conclusion to draw from the above is that 300 Hz offers no significant advantage. But since AOC isn’t charging extra, there is no reason not to like it. With a 4ms panel response time, this is about as smooth as an LCD gets. The CQ27G4ZH overdrive is very good with no significant ghosting artifacts. You can alternately use the backlight strobe to make motion even smoother. Input lag is very low at 18ms, pipped only by ViewSonic’s XG2736-2K. It beats the 260 Hz Gigabyte by 3ms so that’s a win.

Test Takeaway: The CQ27G4ZH is an extremely responsive gaming monitor with no perceivable lag and smooth motion processing. A 240 Hz OLED will be smoother, but only just a bit. At this price level, the CQ27G4ZH is extremely competitive with the best 27-inch QHD value screens I’ve tested.

Viewing Angles

AOC CQ27G4ZH

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The CQ27G4ZH includes a heavy polarizing layer which makes it very sharp and contrasty from the front but quite dim to the sides and above. You can see a major drop in light output and a purple tint. The CQ27G4ZH is definitely not shareable.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

AOC CQ27G4ZH

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

In my experience, VA is the least consistent technology for screen uniformity. The CQ27G4ZH does well here with just a slight hotspot noted at the lower right in an all-black field pattern. Brighter screens show no visible anomalies. Color is also smooth toned from edge to edge.

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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.