AOC C4008VU8 UHD Monitor Review
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Conclusion
Clearly, there is a lot to be said for having a large monitor on your desktop. The gain in screen real estate alone is a huge attraction. With so much area, you can easily open multiple windows, all at a usable size, and engage in some serious multi-tasking. And you’ll never have to hunt for an open application. Yes, you can accomplish the same thing with multiple displays, but once you’ve eliminated those dividing lines it’s hard to go back. We’re talking about almost three feet of uninterrupted width here. And the curvature means you’ll see the entire image clearly with no change in brightness or color. An 1800R radius sounds tight, but in practice it’s just enough to enhance without distortion.
Now that the tests are complete, can we call the AOC C4008VU8 an excellent monitor? Well, yes and no. Visually, it’s almost a home run. The screen looks fantastic with high contrast and rich color that extends perfectly out to the DCI-P3 gamut. While that might be a liability to those needing precise sRGB color, it works well in most applications, providing just enough extra punch without going over the top. But the stand falls short for us. It desperately needs a height adjustment, because the panel sits too far above the desk in its current form. A monitor this tall should almost be touching the surface of most normal workspaces. At least there is a VESA mount so users have another mounting option.
After raving about contrast, we are disappointed at the lack of HDR support. Many people are fixated on the 1000-nit figure touted by many television manufacturers. The fact is that even bright displays like that are often challenged in the black level department, and their true static contrast ratios are closer to 2000:1 or less. That won’t show HDR effectively no matter how high the output is. The C4008VU8 easily delivers over 4000:1. Short of an OLED or plasma panel, dynamic range doesn’t get any wider than that.
We are happy to see such an accurate presentation of the DCI-P3 color gamut though. Many wide-gamut pro screens have a DCI option since it falls within the Adobe RGB space. But few can render it as precisely as this AOC. Left in its Standard picture mode and Warm color temp, it just squeaks onto our list of monitors that don’t require calibration. That’s a good thing since adjustments won’t produce any significant gains.
All our talk about performance pales in comparison to the sheer size of this display. If you have the room for it, there is nothing else that will be as impressive on your desk. Add to that a nicely styled white chassis and you have the potential to add something unique to your system. As I write this review on a 32” BenQ monitor, I wonder if the task would be easier to accomplish on the C4008VU8. Before you run out and buy a cheap television to anchor your system, take a hard look at this jumbo curved beauty from AOC.
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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.
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sargentchimera I have a 43in Sony Bravia X800D TV I bought for ~$650, I bought it specifically for its size and HDR capability. If this had been out 8 months ago I think I would of bought it instead. The review mentioned not all HDR TVs fully benefit from their HDR, I wonder if mine is in that boat... I do notice a difference with it on but perhaps the effect is not as strong as it could be. I wonder if the picture would be better on this monitor.Reply -
JonDol When I saw the title I hoped for a second that the first 4K monitor that is worth the money has arrived. Too bad it isn't it.Reply -
Zerstorer1 40" Samsung KU6300 HDR 4K 4:4:4 60 fps gaming for 399. Been using it for year as my personal desktop screen.Reply -
Zerstorer1 I've been using a Samsung KU6300 for year now. Got it for 399. Heal of deal. Supports 4:4:4 and HDR 60 fps at 4k gaming.Reply -
hannibal Why so? This monitor is very well worth of its money!Reply
It is big and picture quality is nice!
Even 27" 4K monitors cost almost 600-1000$
And if it is any better... it is even more expensive.
Hopefully we will get HDR and freesync version below 1500$ sooner than later. That would be bargain! -
Brian_R170 I bought a Samsung UN40KU6290 40-inch 4K TV last November from Costco for $289 to use as a monitor for my gaming system. There are usually a lot of trade-offs when using a TV as a monitor, and I agree that using a purpose-built computer monitor should always be better. Still, if you can find a TV that meets your own minimum requirements, you can save a LOT of money.Reply -
Brian_R170 Zerstorer1, +1 on the KU6300. Reviews said it's the same as my KU6290 but has a fancy remote. The only thing I miss that a purpose-built computer monitor would have is auto-sensing the inputs to automatically power-on from standby. The KU will automatically go to standby after it senses all inputs are lost for a few minutes, but it doesn't power-on automatically.Reply -
Max_x2 I'm wondering in the warm whites are often a problem with AOC. I returned one couple years because of that, and, you know, it kinda left a bad aftertaste.Reply