Aorus FO27Q2 240 Hz QHD QD-OLED review: Blinding speed and stunning color

The Aorus FO27Q2 is a 27-inch QHD QD-OLED gaming monitor with 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10, and HDR400.

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Aorus FO27Q2
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(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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I’ve said in the past that it’s hard to differentiate between OLED monitors. They all have accurate, saturated color and infinite contrast. They all run with no motion blur at speeds above 150 fps. And they all come with premium builds. Even prices are close, with around a $75 spread from lowest to highest for a given size and resolution.

But if one can be called the best OLED gaming monitor, it’s the Aorus FO27Q2. It has all the traits I just listed, plus a little more color volume and significantly lower input lag.

(Image credit: Gigabyte)

I measured 13ms of total lag in my tests. This breaks the previous record by 2ms. That alone doesn’t seem huge until you realize that the previous record was held by Asus’ 480 Hz PG27AQDP. The FO27Q2 wins the day at 240fps.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

With Quantum Dot tech, it crests the 110% line for color volume with a hair more than the next best AOC AG276QZD2. Since that monitor doesn’t have variable brightness, the FO27Q2 handily beats it in overall picture quality. It also boasts better accuracy than just about anything out there, regardless of screen type. It was so good out of the box that I could not improve it with calibration. For all intents and purposes, its color is flawless for both DCI-P3 and sRGB content. Its infinite contrast delivers benchmark HDR quality with the ability to adjust parameters to the user’s liking.

Aside from a lack of LED lighting, I can’t say anything negative about the Aorus FO27Q2. It’s one of the very best gaming monitors I’ve ever reviewed. Definitely check it out.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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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.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Zforgetaboutit
    The first review page contains "stunning" 6 times. Give it a rest, else it causes me to doubt your sincerity somewhat.
    Reply
  • UnforcedERROR
    I find it strange this review was posted after the Envia 27M2N8500 review. Primarily my issue with this is that the Envia has lower input lag than the Auros FO27Q2, which you note in its review. I think this could be confusing to readers and should be noted somewhere.
    Reply
  • santis1982
    I bought this monitor a couple of weeks ago. I didn´t see mentioned that there is a firmware and driver update that enables DisplayHDR True Black 1000, actually reaches 1040nits in mine. On the reviewer´s defense, I can´t find a better adjective than stunning on OLEDs screens. The only drawback on this particular monitor is that it is glossy and really reflects any ambient light and blacks can come as purple if it isn´t in a dark room.
    Reply
  • user27943284
    Is it a gen 2 or 3 qd oled panel?
    Reply
  • santis1982
    user27943284 said:
    Is it a gen 2 or 3 qd oled panel?
    TBH I don´t know.. info is mixed.. Some say the Q2 240Hz is gen2 and the Q3 360Hz is gen3.. They have the same OLED Care technology and both are Samsung panels so I´m not sure.
    Reply