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AOC CQ27G1 Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Reviewed Mar 25, 2020 at 07:44 am
Latest change: Retest Jul 04, 2022 at 02:50 pm
AOC CQ27G1 Picture
7.3
Mixed Usage
7.3
Office
8.1
Gaming
7.0
Multimedia
7.1
Media Creation
5.7
HDR Gaming

The AOC CQ27G1 is a 27 inch curved screen, 1440p monitor. It's a great choice for gaming thanks to its incredibly low input lag and quick response time, resulting in clear motion, and it supports FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing in games. With a VA panel, it has a very good contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks, but that comes at the cost of its viewing angles, which are poor and you'll lose image accuracy when viewed from the side. The lack of HDR support might disappoint some people, but it has impressive out-of-box color accuracy and it displays a very wide range of colors in SDR. Although it doesn't get very bright to combat glare in most rooms, it has decent reflection handling, so it will still perform well in an average-lit room.

Our Verdict

7.3 Mixed Usage

Decent monitor for mixed usage. Gamers will love the incredibly low input lag and great response time, plus it supports FreeSync for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. The 27 inch screen is big enough for productivity, but the viewing angles are poor. It's a decent monitor to watch videos or edit photos with since it displays a wide range of colors and has great out-of-box color accuracy, but it doesn't support HDR content. The contrast ratio is great for dark room viewing and in bright rooms; it doesn't get very bright, but has decent reflection handling.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag.
  • Very good contrast ratio.
  • Impressive out-of-box color accuracy.
Cons
  • Poor viewing angles.
  • Doesn't support HDR.
7.3 Office

The AOC CQ27G1 is okay for office use. The 27 inch, 1440p screen is big enough to open multiple windows at once, but the poor viewing angles means it's not ideal to share your screen with coworkers. However, the gray uniformity is excellent, so solid colors, such as on a web page or a document, look great. It's best suited for moderately-lit rooms since it has decent reflection handling and it doesn't get very bright.

8.1 Gaming

Great monitor for gaming. The AOC CQ27G1 has an incredibly low input lag, great response time at its max refresh rate, and it supports FreeSync VRR technology to reduce tearing in games. The 1440p screen provides an immersive gaming experience, but unfortunately, the viewing angles are poor, so it's not suggested for co-op gaming. However, it performs well in dark rooms thanks to its very good contrast ratio, displaying deep blacks.

7.0 Multimedia

The AOC CQ27G1 is alright for multimedia use. The 1440p resolution displays fine details and the 27 inch size is big enough for you to sit back and enjoy your favorite videos. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR and the viewing angles are poor, so it's not good for watching content with others. However, it displays a very wide range of colors and it has a very good contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks when viewed in dark rooms.

7.1 Media Creation

Decent for media creation. There's plenty of screen space on the 27 inch curved monitor, and it has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing. Sadly, it's not ideal to share your screen with others due to its poor viewing angles. However, it has excellent gray uniformity, so the screen won't darken around the edges.

5.7 HDR Gaming
  • 7.3 Mixed Usage
  • 7.3 Office
  • 8.1 Gaming
  • 7.0 Multimedia
  • 7.1 Media Creation
  • 5.7 HDR Gaming
  1. Updated Jul 04, 2022: There was a mistake in the 60Hz input lag results. We remeasured the input lag at 60Hz, and it's 0.4ms higher than our original results.
  2. Updated Mar 25, 2020: Review published.
  3. Updated Mar 20, 2020: Early access published.
  4. Updated Mar 20, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Mar 15, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Jan 07, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 27 inch AOC CQ27G1, which is also available in a 32 inch size, the AOC CQ32G1, but we expect the results to be valid for both sizes. There are similar 144Hz models available from AOC, which are listed below.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their CQ27G1 doesn't correspond to our review, please let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as gray uniformity may vary between units.

Update 08/31/2020: We've also tested the AOC CQ27G2, which is very similar to this one, but with a slightly more aggressive curve.

Model Size Resolution Curve Europe Availability
C24G1 24" 1080p 1500R Yes
C27G1 27" 1080p 1800R Yes
CQ27G1 27" 1440p 1800R No
C32G1 32" 1080p 1800R Yes
CQ32G1 32" 1440p 1800R Yes
CU34G2X 34" 3440x1440 1500R No

You can see the label for our unit here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The AOC CQ27G1 doesn't perform well compared to some of its competitors. Although it performs great as a gaming monitor, it doesn't perform well as a monitor for many other types of use. The Samsung CHG70 and the MSI Optix MAG271CQR are also 27 inch curved screen, 1440p monitors and both are better choices that the AOC.

See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p monitors, and the best 27 inch monitors.

AOC CQ27G2

The AOC CQ27G1 and the AOC CQ27G2 are nearly identical, and most of the differences we measured can be attributed to panel variance. The newer CQ27G2 uses a slightly different panel structure and has clearer text than the CQ27G1, and it has a slightly more aggressive curve (1500R vs. 1800R).

LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B

For most uses, the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B performs much better than the AOC CG27G1. The LG has an IPS panel that provides wider viewing angles and it can't get a lot brighter, making it more suitable for bright environments. Also, the LG supports HDR and has a much faster response time, at both maximum refresh rate and at 60Hz. On the other hand, the AOC has a VA panel that has significantly better dark room performance and it has an impressive out-of-the-box color accuracy.

ASUS TUF VG27AQ

The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is a significantly better monitor than the AOC CQ27G1. The ASUS can rotate to portrait mode, which the AOC can't, it has much better viewing angles and supports HDR. The ASUS can also get brighter, but the AOC has better color accuracy out of the box and performs better in dark rooms due to its high contrast ratio.

AOC CQ32G1

The AOC CQ27G1 is a bit better overall than its bigger variant, the AOC CQ32G1. The CQ27G1 has a different stand with much better ergonomics and it has a quicker response time. However, the CQ32G1 gets much brighter, it has wider viewing angles, and it handles reflections in really bright rooms a bit better.

MSI Optix MAG271CQR

The MSI Optix MAG271CQR is a slightly better monitor than the AOC CQ27G1. Both are 144Hz, 1440p monitors, but the MSI has a much better response time for gaming, it can get brighter, does a better job at handling reflections, and it has better viewing angles. Meanwhile, the AOC has much better black uniformity, better ergonomics, and much more accurate out-of-box colors. The MSI is better suited for bright rooms, while the AOC performs better in the dark. 

ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD

The ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD is a bit better monitor than the AOC CQ27G1, but their differences mainly come down to different panels. The ViewSonic has an IPS panel, so the viewing angles are better. It can also get brighter, the response time is quicker, and it covers more of the sRGB color space used in most content. The AOC has a VA panel, so it's better suited for dark rooms thanks to its great contrast ratio, and its colors are more accurate out of the box.

Dell S2719DGF

The AOC CQ27G1 is a slightly better monitor than the Dell S2719DGF. The AOC uses a VA panel, so it has a much better contrast ratio and black uniformity, and the colors are more accurate. Meanwhile, the Dell uses a TN panel, so it has a much quicker response time at its max refresh rate of 155Hz and at 60Hz. Both monitors have native FreeSync support, but the Dell is also compatible with some NVIDIA graphics cards.

Samsung CHG70

The Samsung CHG70 is better than the AOC CQ27G1. The Samsung supports HDR, can get much brighter, has much better gradient handling, and the response time is quicker. The Dell is also compatible with NVIDIA graphics cards despite having native FreeSync support, while the AOC isn't. On the other hand, the AOC has a bit better contrast ratio and the out-of-box colors are more accurate.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Size 27"
Curved Yes
Curve Radius 1800R
Weight (without stand)
10.1 lbs (4.6 kg)
Weight (with stand)
13.9 lbs (6.3 kg)

The AOC CQ27G1 has a gamer-friendly look with a black finish and some red on the front, back, and the stand. It also has thin bezels on three of the sides.

Design
Stand
Width
17.0" (43.3 cm)
Depth
9.7" (24.7 cm)

The stand is wide and there's space to put stuff in front of it. It supports the monitor well.

6.9
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.4" (13.8 cm)
Switch Portrait/Landscape No
Swivel Range -30Ā° to 30Ā°
Tilt Range -20Ā° to 5Ā°

Okay ergonomics. The AOC CQ27G1 has a wide swivel range but limited tilt range, and as is the case with most curved monitors, you can't switch it into portrait mode.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 100x100

The back of the AOC CQ27G1 has a gamer-friendly design on it. It can be VESA mounted and there's a quick-release on it. There's cable management through the stand.

Design
Borders
Borders
0.3" (0.7 cm)

The borders are thin, perfect for a multi-monitor setup.

Design
Thickness
Thickness (with stand)
5.6" (14.2 cm)
Thickness (without stand)
3.1" (7.9 cm)

Since the AOC CQ27G1 has a curved screen, it's thicker than most flat monitors. However, it's much thinner than the Samsung CHG70.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The AOC CQ27G1 has a good build quality. It's entirely built out of plastic, which feels solid. There's not a lot of flex to it except near the inputs, and the bezels don't bend either. However, there's a bit of a gap between the bottom bezel and the back, but overall, it's well-built. The MSI Optix MPG27CQ has a similar design and has a better build quality.

Picture Quality
8.0
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
3,263 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

As is the case with most VA panel monitors, the AOC CQ27G1 has a very good contrast ratio. Blacks appear as they should when viewed in the dark.

Unfortunately, there's no local dimming feature to further deepen any blacks.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

There's no local dimming feature. The video above is provided for reference only.

6.6
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene
237 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 2% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 10% Window
222 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 25% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 50% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Peak 100% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
218 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
222 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
223 cd/mĀ²
SDR ABL
0.002

Decent SDR peak brightness. Overall, the AOC CQ27G1 doesn't get very bright, which might not be enough to combat glare in most rooms. However, the brightness remains fairly consistent across different content, although small highlights are slightly less bright. The Samsung CHG70 can get much brighter.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

5.9
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
32Ā°
Color Washout From Right
36Ā°
Color Shift From Left
49Ā°
Color Shift From Right
53Ā°
Brightness Loss From Left
33Ā°
Brightness Loss From Right
37Ā°
Black Level Raise From Left
12Ā°
Black Level Raise From Right
16Ā°
Gamma Shift From Left
13Ā°
Gamma Shift From Right
17Ā°

As is the case with most VA panel monitors, the horizontal viewing angles are disappointing on the AOC CQ27G1. You'll lose image accuracy when viewed from the side. If you're looking for a 144Hz monitor with great viewing angles, check out the ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD.

5.2
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
30Ā°
Color Washout From Above
29Ā°
Color Shift From Below
34Ā°
Color Shift From Above
37Ā°
Brightness Loss From Below
32Ā°
Brightness Loss From Above
32Ā°
Black Level Raise From Below
9Ā°
Black Level Raise From Above
9Ā°
Gamma Shift From Below
15Ā°
Gamma Shift From Above
11Ā°

Poor vertical viewing angles. The edges of the screen will appear darker if you sit close to the monitor.

8.5
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.955%
50% DSE
0.123%
5% Std. Dev.
0.800%
5% DSE
0.066%

Excellent gray uniformity. The screen's slightly darker around the edges, but it's not very noticeable. There's no visible dirty screen effect, so panning shots or fast-moving objects, such as in sports, will look great.

4.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
3.029%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Poor black uniformity on the AOC CQ27G1, much like the Samsung CHG70. There's visible backlight bleed along the top and bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, there's no local dimming feature to improve the black uniformity.

8.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Sports
Luminance
227 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
90
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
Warm
Gamma Setting
Mode 1
Color Temperature
6,816 K
White Balance dE
1.96
Color dE
2.29
Gamma
2.19

Impressive out-of-box color accuracy. Most colors appear accurate, although the color temperature is colder than the 6500K target, so some colors will have a blue tint to them. Overall, the gamma curve follows the target well, but dark scenes will be darker than they should, and bright scenes will be brighter.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Standard
Luminance
100 cd/mĀ²
Luminance Settings
37
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Controls
45-50-43
Gamma Setting
Mode 1
Color Temperature
6,474 K
White Balance dE
0.56
Color dE
0.75
Gamma
2.19

Post calibration, the color accuracy is outstanding. Most colors will be accurate, and the color temperature is only slightly warmer than the 6500K target. The gamma curve follows the target better than it was before calibration.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model, due to manufacturing tolerances.

8.9
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB xy
95.1%
Adobe RGB xy
81.8%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

Excellent SDR color gamut. It covers almost all of the sRGB color space used in most content, and it has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.

9.4
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
99.4%
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
88.8%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

Outstanding color volume. Thanks to its very good contrast ratio, it can display deep colors, and it can also display rich, saturated colors.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
N/A
DCI P3 xy
N/A
Rec. 2020 xy
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
N/A
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
N/A
DCI P3 Picture Mode
No HDR
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
No HDR

This monitor doesn't support HDR.

10
Picture Quality
Image Retention
IR After 0 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 2 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 4 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 6 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 8 Min Recovery
0.00%
IR After 10 Min Recovery
0.00%

As with most VA panels, there are no issues with temporary image retention or permanent burn-in.

8.2
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
8 Bit

Great gradient performance, but there's some banding with dark gray, dark blue, and dark green.

10
Picture Quality
Color Bleed
Pixel Row Error
0.000%
Pixel Column Error
0.003%

There's no visible sign of color bleed on the AOC CQ27G1.

7.4
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
4.8%
Indirect Reflections
1.9%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.9%

Okay reflection handling. The matte finish does an outstanding job handling a moderate amount of light, but really struggles with a lot of light. The AOC CQ27G1 is better suited in average-lit rooms.

6.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Sub-Pixel Layout
RGB

The text clarity is decent. It can be improved using ClearType (top photo), which makes the diagonal or curved lines on the letters R, N, G, and S clearer.

Motion
8.0
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Best Overdrive Setting
Strong
Rise / Fall Time
4.6 ms
Total Response Time
16.3 ms
Overshoot Error
6.6%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
7.4 ms
Dark Total Response Time
18.5 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
4.4%

Mode Response Time Chart Motion Blur Photo Response Time Table
Off Chart Photo Table
Weak Chart Photo Table
Medium Chart Photo Table
Strong Chart Photo Table

The AOC CQ27G1 has a very good response time at its max refresh rate. With the Response Time setting at 'Strong', motion looks clear, although there's some overshoot on some of the darker transitions. With the other settings enabled, there's some ghosting and artifacting, but still not very noticeable.

6.9
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Best Overdrive Setting
Off
Rise / Fall Time
6.3 ms
Total Response Time
22.2 ms
Overshoot Error
5.2%
Dark Rise / Fall Time
6.4 ms
Dark Total Response Time
21.1 ms
Dark Overshoot Error
10.4%

Mode Response Time Chart Motion Blur Photo Response Time Table
Off Chart Photo Table
Weak Chart Photo Table
Medium Chart Photo Table
Strong Chart Photo Table

Decent response time at 60Hz. The best Response Time setting is 'Off' but there's obvious blur trail behind fast-moving objects and there's undershoot in most transitions. If you want a similar monitor with better response time at 60Hz, check out the Gigabyte G27QC.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The AOC CQ27G1 is flicker-free at all backlight settings, which helps reduce eye strain.

7.0
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Yes
BFI Maximum Frequency
144 Hz
BFI Minimum Frequency
100 Hz

The AOC CQ27G1 has an okay black frame insertion feature, which is called MBR in the settings. The backlight flickers whenever the MBR is enabled, and it dims the screen quite a bit. FreeSync can't be used when MBR is enabled.

9.0
Motion
Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
FreeSync
Native
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
No
VRR Maximum
144 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors DisplayPort, HDMI

Amazing refresh rate. It supports FreeSynch variable refresh rate technology to reduce tearing in games but unfortunately isn't G-SYNC compatible. Its max refresh rate of 144Hz can't be overclocked and the VRR range can go as low as 20Hz.

Inputs
9.5
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution
4.2 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
8.8 ms
Variable Refresh Rate
5.9 ms
Variable Refresh Rate @ 60Hz
9.5 ms
10 Bit HDR
N/A
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
5.4 ms

The AOC CQ27G1 has an incredibly low input lag. It's slower with variable refresh rate enabled, but it still responds to your actions quickly. It's also slower when the refresh rate is 60Hz, which is normal, and the input lag is still very low.

8.3
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution 2560 x 1440
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Megapixels 3.7 MP
Pixel Density
109 PPI
Screen Diagonal 27.0"
Screen Area 310 inĀ²

The AOC CQ27G1 has a great resolution. The 27 inch screen provides enough screen space to open multiple windows and the 1440p resolution delivers a clear image. If you want a bigger screen, check out the larger variant, the AOC CQ32G1.

Inputs
Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
DisplayPort 1 (DP 1.2)
Mini DisplayPort No
HDMI 2 (HDMI 2.0)
DVI No
VGA No
DisplayPort Out No
USB No
USB C No
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Microphone In 3.5mm No
Digital Optical Audio Out No
Analog Audio Out RCA No
Power Supply Internal
Features
Features
Additional Features
RGB Illumination
No
Speakers
No
HDR10 No
Multiple Input Display
No

The AOC CQ27G1 has these extra features:

  • Shadow Boost: Boosts the shadows in dark areas, mainly used for gaming.
  • Low Input Lag Toggle: Lowers the input lag, and it's on by default.
  • Custom Crosshairs: Puts crosshairs on the screen, mainly for shooter games.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)
Features
Controls

There are five buttons underneath the bottom bezel to navigate the on-screen menu.

Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • Manual