REVIEW: AOC G2460PQU 144Hz monitor

Name: AOC G2460PQU

Type: 24-inch high-speed refresh rate computer monitor

Specifications: Click here for full specs

Price as reviewed: £287.99

Aimed at gamers after silky-smooth motion, the AOC G2460PQU offers super-fast refresh rates at full HD resolutions. Can its picture quality match its motion prowess? Read our full review to find out!

When it comes to the design of a computer monitor, something that you may well end up staring at and using for thousands of hours, the more simple and functional the design, the better. The 24-inch AOC G2460PQU is very good in this respect; while it may not blow you away with an ultra-thin bezel or a design as striking as some of the fancier Samsung models, its tactile physical control buttons and adjustable stand (which offers roughly 5-inches of height adjustment, can tilt backwards and forwards and spin the screen around between landscape and portrait orientations) is flexible and user-friendly. Though its matte black plastic bezel and circular foot wont turn heads, it manages all the above without being too chunky, being 21mm at its thinnest point.

The onscreen menu display is equally well considered, with options including the ability to tweak the image ratio (offering plenty of simulated sizes between 17-inch at 4:3 and the standard 24-inch at 16:9), a “Bright Frame” tool allowing you to independently control brightness on a specific portion of the screen, as well as the usual gamma, colour and brightness tweaking controls, which will be very handy as the out-of-the-box defaults leave a little to be desired as we’ll detail in a moment.

In terms of ports, the AOC G2460PQU is well equipped, with an analogue D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort all housed on the underside. You’ll also find four USB 2.0 ports on the monitor, two being situated on the right hand side and one of those being a fast-charging port for quickly juicing up your mobile devices. Stereo speakers also feature, but are no match for even a cheap set of dedicated speakers, while a headphone jack also onboard will likely get more use.

Fire the screen up though and the key benefit of the AOC G2460PQU becomes immediately apparent. The 1920 x 1080 display supports 144Hz refresh rates, far smoother than the 60Hz standard that most monitors settle for. With a grey-to-grey 1ms response time, there’s a fluidity to motion that can’t be matched by a 60Hz screen. It’s notable even when sliding windows around, but comes into its own when gaming – first person shooters in particular feel silky smooth, reducing blur on tight turns. However, the 144Hz refresh rates require compatible hardware to benefit from, such as a Mac Pro so make sure your gear is ready before handing over your cash. Likewise, despite the fast refresh rate, there’s no 3D support here, so Nvidia 3D Vision fans need to look elsewhere. Alternatively, if you want a higher spec you can get a gaming monitor for around $400 from other manufacturers. 

If the screen suffers anywhere, it’s in image consistency and accuracy. Though its dynamic contrast is rated at 80,000,000:1, static image contrast is just 1000:1. Using a TN Panel rather than the superior IPS technology, darker shades can appear a little washed out and bolder colours muted. Digging around the OSD can yield improved results, though this is obviously a screen aimed at gamers rather than design professionals – attempting to calibrate the display to a standard fit for designers will likely prove fruitless. More concerning on broader user levels is the tight viewing angle – move off-centre just a tad and you’ll note immediately variation in the screen’s output.

Verdict:

Though TN Panels always struggle to match the quality offered by IPS, the AOC G2460PQU’s sensible industrial design and worthy motion chops make it a well priced monitor for gamers looking to get a silky-smooth playing experience.