The AOC CQ27G2 is a decent 27 inch, 1440p monitor with a VA panel. It has a simple design, with a wide stand that supports the monitor well and okay ergonomics. Like most VA monitors, it has a high native contrast ratio, which delivers deep blacks, but this comes at the expense of viewing angles, which are disappointing. It delivers a great overall gaming experience, with low input lag and a fast response time, but like many VA monitors we've tested, there's noticeable motion smearing in dark scenes, which may be distracting. Room choice is important with this monitor, as it can't get very bright, so glare might be an issue in a bright room. Although it has a high contrast ratio, it has bad black uniformity, so it's also not a great choice for a pitch-black room.
Our Verdict
The AOC CQ27G2 is a decent monitor for most uses. The low input lag and great response time deliver a great overall gaming experience. It's also a decent choice for office use or multimedia, but the limited viewing angles might be an issue for some users. Although it has decent reflection handling, it can't get very bright, so it might not be the best choice if you're in a bright room.
- High native contrast results in deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Mediocre peak brightness.
- Bad black uniformity.
The AOC CQ27G2 is a decent monitor for office use. The 27", 1440p screen is great for multitasking, as you can comfortably work with multiple windows open, and it has good text clarity. It has decent reflection handling, but it might not be bright enough if there's a lot of natural light. The stand has an okay range of ergonomic adjustments, so it should be comfortable for most people.
- High native contrast results in deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Mediocre peak brightness.
- Bad black uniformity.
This is a great monitor for gaming. The AOC CQ27G2 has a fast response time at the max refresh rate, similar to other 144Hz VA monitors we've tested, but there's noticeable motion smearing in some dark scenes. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, and it supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology for a nearly tear-free gaming experience.
- High native contrast results in deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Noticeable motion smearing in dark scenes.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Mediocre peak brightness.
- Bad black uniformity.
This is an okay monitor for multimedia. The AOC CQ27G2's 27", 1440p display is great for watching videos, thanks to the high-resolution screen, high contrast ratio, and excellent uniformity. It has decent reflection handling, but it might not be bright enough if you're in a room with lots of natural light. It also has disappointing viewing angles, so it's not a good choice if you like to watch videos with other people.
- High native contrast results in deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Mediocre peak brightness.
- Bad black uniformity.
The AOC CQ27G2 is a decent monitor for media creation. The 27" 1440p screen makes it easier to see more of your work at once. It has an outstanding SDR color gamut, with great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, and excellent uniformity with no noticeable color bleed. Unfortunately, it's best enjoyed from directly in front due to the disappointing viewing angles, so it's not a great choice if you often share your screen with a colleague or client.
- High native contrast results in deep blacks.
- Low input lag.
- Excellent SDR color gamut.
- Image degrades at an angle.
- Mediocre peak brightness.
- Bad black uniformity.
Changelog
- Updated Apr 18, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
- Updated Nov 24, 2022: Added the AOC C27G2 and AOC C27G2Z models to the Variants section to point out the differences.
- Updated Jun 16, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
- Updated Aug 28, 2020: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch AOC CQ27G2, which replaces the AOC CQ27G1, which we've also tested. There are similar 144Hz models available from AOC, some of which are listed below. In Europe, the CQ27G2U is the equivalent model. It appears to have the same hardware, but the stand is entirely black.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their CQ27G2 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.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Curve |
| C27G2 | 27" | 1080p | 165Hz | 1500R |
| C27G2Z | 27" | 1080p | 240Hz | 1500R |
| CQ27G2 | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | 1500R |
| CQ27G2U | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | 1500R |
| CQ27G1 | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | 1800R |
| CQ32G1 | 32" | 1440p | 144Hz | 1800R |
You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The AOC CQ27G2 is a great gaming monitor overall, but not quite as good as some of the other 144Hz gaming monitors we've tested, including the Samsung CHG70.
See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p monitors, and the best 27 inch monitors.
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).
For most uses, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM is significantly better than the AOC CQ27G2. The ASUS gets brighter, its IPS panel has much wider viewing angles, and it has better motion handling due to its higher refresh rate and faster response time. It also has better ergonomics and supports HDR. The AOC is a better choice for dark room gaming, though, as it has a VA panel that can produce deeper blacks.
Overall, the Gigabyte G27QC is a bit better than the AOC CQ27G2. The Gigabyte has a higher refresh rate, faster response time at 60Hz, and gets brighter. However, the AOC has better ergonomics and a Black Frame Insertion feature to help improve motion clarity.
The AOC CQ27G2 and the Samsung Odyssey G50D S27DG50 are both entry-level 1440p gaming monitors. They have different panel types that impact their performance, as the AOC has a VA panel with deeper blacks, but more smearing in fast-moving content, and the IPS panel of the Samsung has a wider viewing angle. The Samsung is also the better choice for use in well-lit rooms because it gets brighter. While the Samsung supports HDR, which the AOC doesn't, it doesn't add much because of the Samsung's limited picture quality.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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