AOC's e2752vq is a 27" monitor that's primarily aimed at gamers. This Full HD display has a 2 ms TN screen panel, a good range of connections and some handy hardware, including a four-port USB hub. Will AOC be able to make a name for itself in the gaming market? Time to find out!
Design and Build
The e2752Vq has a bog-standard kind of stand that only allows you to tilt the screen slightly—no swivel functions or portrait modes here. In fact, it's probably the least attractive feature of this monitor, which, with a slightly nicer stand, would have felt like a higher-quality product. AOC does a better job with its video connections, however, offering VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort sockets.
The only audio connections are a headphones socket and a mini-jack. The line-in isn't particularly useful when you connect via HDMI or DisplayPort, but it allows you to input audio to the monitor's in-built speakers when connecting via VGA or DVI.
Finally, the e2752Vq has a four-port USB hub, which is handy for connecting USB flash drives, hard drives and other peripherals.
Colours and Contrast
Out of the box, colour fidelity isn't amazing in this 27" monitor. The colour temperature is red-heavy and the distribution of brightness levels over the various shades of grey could do with some adjustment (we measured the average gamma at 2.4). The average Delta E is 4.7 (Delta E measures the difference between perfect colours and those displayed onscreen, it should be under three for colours to be considered accurate).
A few simple adjustments in the onscreen menu can improve things, however. First, set the colours to "User" mode, the set "Red" to 39, "Green" to 37 and "Blue" to 50. Next change the gamma from "Gamma 1" to "Gamma 3". Finally, to get decent contrast, change this setting from 50 to 70.
These settings reduce the red overtone and even out the gamma. They also bring the Delta E down to 3. The AOC e2752Vq then displays colours that can be considered accurate and boasts 930:1 contrast, which is above average compared with other monitors we've reviewed (850:1).
With accurate colours, you can be sure that those trousers you're about to buy don't turn out to be a nasty surprise when you unbox them (believe us, we've been there). Accurate colours are also essential for photo editing and graphic design.
However, anyone who's serious about photo editing may want to consider other options, as the screen technology used here (TN) gives the e2795Vq relatively tight vertical viewing angles (the screen looks dark when viewed from below). This in turn affects the homogeneity of colours displayed on the screen, which could put off photo/graphics pros or advanced users.
Responsiveness
This monitor's responsiveness turned out to be an excellent surprise. We measured an average ghosting time of 8 ms for the e2752Vq. This places it among the most responsive monitors we've tested to date and ensures good levels of sharpness with fast-moving images.
What's more, input lag is negligible at just 19 ms on average. The AOC e2752vq is therefore great for gaming, even in multiplayer set-ups (LAN/online).
Design and Build
The e2752Vq has a bog-standard kind of stand that only allows you to tilt the screen slightly—no swivel functions or portrait modes here. In fact, it's probably the least attractive feature of this monitor, which, with a slightly nicer stand, would have felt like a higher-quality product. AOC does a better job with its video connections, however, offering VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort sockets.
The only audio connections are a headphones socket and a mini-jack. The line-in isn't particularly useful when you connect via HDMI or DisplayPort, but it allows you to input audio to the monitor's in-built speakers when connecting via VGA or DVI.
Finally, the e2752Vq has a four-port USB hub, which is handy for connecting USB flash drives, hard drives and other peripherals.
Colours and Contrast
Out of the box, colour fidelity isn't amazing in this 27" monitor. The colour temperature is red-heavy and the distribution of brightness levels over the various shades of grey could do with some adjustment (we measured the average gamma at 2.4). The average Delta E is 4.7 (Delta E measures the difference between perfect colours and those displayed onscreen, it should be under three for colours to be considered accurate).
A few simple adjustments in the onscreen menu can improve things, however. First, set the colours to "User" mode, the set "Red" to 39, "Green" to 37 and "Blue" to 50. Next change the gamma from "Gamma 1" to "Gamma 3". Finally, to get decent contrast, change this setting from 50 to 70.
Delta E before and after adjusting the settings.
These settings reduce the red overtone and even out the gamma. They also bring the Delta E down to 3. The AOC e2752Vq then displays colours that can be considered accurate and boasts 930:1 contrast, which is above average compared with other monitors we've reviewed (850:1).
With accurate colours, you can be sure that those trousers you're about to buy don't turn out to be a nasty surprise when you unbox them (believe us, we've been there). Accurate colours are also essential for photo editing and graphic design.
However, anyone who's serious about photo editing may want to consider other options, as the screen technology used here (TN) gives the e2795Vq relatively tight vertical viewing angles (the screen looks dark when viewed from below). This in turn affects the homogeneity of colours displayed on the screen, which could put off photo/graphics pros or advanced users.
Responsiveness
This monitor's responsiveness turned out to be an excellent surprise. We measured an average ghosting time of 8 ms for the e2752Vq. This places it among the most responsive monitors we've tested to date and ensures good levels of sharpness with fast-moving images.
Responsiveness
White Background Black Background Average
This graph shows the ghosting time, measured in ms, which measures the time it takes this monitor takes to entirely remove the previous frame. The shorter the time, the more fluid moving images will appear.
What's more, input lag is negligible at just 19 ms on average. The AOC e2752vq is therefore great for gaming, even in multiplayer set-ups (LAN/online).
Pros
- Accurate colours after adjusting the settings (Delta E = 3)
- Four-port USB hub
- Contrast (930:1)
- Low ghosting time (<10 ms)
Cons
- TN screen: looks dark when viewed from below
Conclusion
With accurate colours, good contrast and an excellent response time, the AOC e2752vq isn't far from a five-star score. In fact, this 27" monitor has plenty of qualities and is it suitable for many types of users. However, it's a shame to see AOC using a TN screen panel, and the frustrating menu buttons really need updating.
OUR SCORE
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