Strong static contrast for the panel type, good maximum luminance and screen surface less grainy than many competing models As shown above the standard RGB (Red, Green and Blue) stripe subpixel layout is used. This is the default expected by modern operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. Apple’s MacOS no longer uses subpixel rendering and therefore doesn’t optimise text for one particular subpixel layout to the detriment of another. You needn’t worry about text fringing from non-standard subpixel layouts and won’t need to change the defaults in the ‘ClearType Text Tuner’ as a Windows user. You may still wish to run through the ClearType wizard and adjust according to preferences, however. The subpixel layout and arrangement is normal and we had no subpixel-related concerns related to sharpness or text clarity on this model. Similar observations were made on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. There was certainly extra vibrancy and saturation overall, though it was not as extreme as on models with an even more generous gamut. The reddish push to earthy browns was also apparent on some skin tones, such as that of the lady herself Lara Croft. She appeared a bit too tanned or perhaps a little ‘sun kissed’, but this was fairly constrained oversaturation compared to what we sometimes see. There was extra vividness to some green shades as well, so some patches of vegetation appeared livelier than intended. Though there were some quite lush-looking forest green shades as well which fitted the aesthetic of some scenes well. On both titles the monitor demonstrated good colour consistency, with shades appearing fairly similar regardless of where on the screen they’re displayed. It was certainly stronger in this respect than non-IPS LCD panels, with only minor saturation shifts in comparison. It was also superior in this respect to the older 24G2(U) we tested, which could’ve been partly due to uniformity issues on that sample – but perhaps also some improvements made to the newer panel. As noted previously and as highlighted in Nvidia Control Panel, this model has been specifically tested and validated as ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ by Nvidia. On our RTX 3090 the experience was very similar to what we described with FreeSync. With the technology getting rid of tearing and stuttering from what would otherwise be frame and refresh rate mismatches, within the VRR range. The floor of operation again seemed to be 55Hz or slightly below. An LFC-like frame to refresh multiplication technology was employed below that to keep tearing and stuttering from frame and refresh rate mismatches at bay. There was again a subtle momentary stuttering as the boundary was crossed, as we observed with our AMD GPU as well. Our suggestions regarding use of VSync also apply, but you’re using Nvidia Control Panel rather than AMD Software to control this. The setting is found in ‘Manage 3D settings’ under ‘Vertical sync’, where the final option (‘Fast’) is equivalent to AMD’s ‘Enhanced Sync’ setting. You’ll also notice ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ listed under ‘Monitor Technology’ in this section, as shown below. Make sure this is selected (it should be if you’ve set everything up correctly in ‘Set up G-SYNC’.

Gamut not wide enough for work with extended colour spaces, ‘sRGB’ mode very restrictive, colour consistency and viewing angles not up there with the best IPS offerings All in all, the AOC 24G2SP is an excellent budget gaming monitor. You get a slightly higher brightness and refresh rate for a minor jump up in the price, so gamers can decide for themselves which model makes more sense for them. Specifications Screen Size Moving on, just like the older version, the AOC 24G2SP has a strong peak brightness and a static contrast ratio that exceeds the specified values. It can reach over 400-nits, while the contrast ratio amounts to around 1,400:1.

The video below shows the monitor in action. The camera, processing done and your own screen all affect the output – so it doesn’t accurately represent what you’d see when viewing the monitor in person. It still provides useful visual demonstrations and explanations which help reinforce some of the key points raised in the written piece.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide. Conclusion monitors aren’t popular for their high pixel counts or sharp details, but they are affordable and quite easy to use for everyone. It doesn’t take a lot of GPU horsepower to reach the 165Hz threshold, and it is easy to read, write, and browse since the screen isn’t too sharp. It is also a fact that many individuals are used to the resolution since it’s still commonly used at work or in schools. On various Battlefield titles, at a frame rate keeping up with the 165Hz refresh rate, the monitor provided decent fluidity. Compared to a 60Hz monitor or the AOC running at 60Hz (or 60fps), 2.75 times as much visual information is displayed every second. This significantly enhances the ‘connected feel’, describing the precision and fluidity felt when interacting with your character on the game. The low input lag of the monitor is also beneficial in this respect and complements the high frame and high refresh rate combination nicely. The high frame rate and high refresh rate combination also decreases perceived blur due to eye movement, as demonstrated earlier using Test UFO. As also demonstrated, the bump up from 144Hz to 165Hz is hardly dramatic in that respect – though the extra refresh rate is still a bonus, if you have the frame rate to match.

The AOC 24G2SP renders more than 100% sRGB and around 85% DCI-P3, allowing its vibrancy to punch above its price range. It’s not as accurate out of the box as its predecessor with a deltaE average of 1.66, but that’s still very good for a budget gaming model. Most users won’t need to calibrate it since it already looks balanced by default. Input lag amounts to around 4ms, which makes for imperceptible delay between your actions and the result you see on the screen.

Well-priced with decent build quality for a budget offering, good ergonomic flexibility and decent range of OSD adjustments As defaults with a significant boost in gamma. Appears quite ‘contrasty’ and cinematic, with significant crushing together of darker shades in particular. The main difference between them is in the refresh rate, which is not noticeable in real use – 21Hz is less than 1-millisecond difference between the refresh cycles. The Lagom text appeared quite a blended grey throughout the screen, with a dark red striping to the text introduced further down and a bit towards the left side. There were no clear shifts between saturated red, orange and green across the screen or with a bit of head movement. This indicates a relatively low viewing angle dependency to the gamma curve of the monitor, as expected for an IPS-type panel.Further up the screen you can see a bit of overshoot behind the object and quite bold strobe crosstalk in front. Strobe crosstalk is displaced behind the UFOs lower down the screen, masking any overshoot. In the centre of the screen you can see moderate but not extreme strobe crosstalk behind the UFO, becoming stronger lower down the screen where it eventually appears as bold as the object itself. Overall strobe crosstalk is moderate towards the central rows of the screen, which is where your eyes mainly focus when playing games such as fast-paced FPS titles that see most potential benefit from such a setting. Below you can see how things appeared with refresh rate increased to 165Hz. Although images aren’t included, 144Hz was also assessed and appeared some way between 120Hz and 165Hz for strobe crosstalk as you might expect. The full capability of the monitor including 1920 x 1080 (Full HD or 1080p) @165Hz can be leveraged via DisplayPort, whilst HDMI is limited to a maximum of 144Hz on this model. AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia’s ‘G-SYNC Compatible Mode’ is supported on compatible GPUs and systems via suitable versions of DP – HDMI. Compatible Intel graphics hardware can also leverage Adaptive-Sync via DP. Standard accessories include a power cable, HDMI cable and DP cable but may vary regionally. The greyscale gradient appeared smooth without obvious banding or dithering. Close inspection revealed some well-masked temporal dithering. The average static contrast with only brightness adjusted was 1332:1, comfortably exceeding the specified 1000:1. Just a touch weaker than we recorded on our older 24G2(U) unit, but very respectable for an IPS-type panel. The maximum contrast recorded was a rather impressive 1483:1, whilst 1300:1 was recorded under our ‘Test Settings’ which is pleasing. Even with the strongest LBL setting (‘LowBlue Mode = Reading’) contrast didn’t fall much below that. The highest white luminance recorded was 422 cd/m² whilst the lowest white luminance recorded was 108 cd/m². The maximum here is rather bright and comfortably exceeds the specified 350 cd/m², but the minimum is rather high and will be too much for some users particularly in dimmer conditions. It will hit the ‘sweet spot’ for most people in a range of lighting conditions as it’s usual for monitors to be set somewhere between 100 – 200 cd/m², but a lower minimum would’ve been preferred. Most won’t find it difficult to fit this monitor into existing setups since it’s just the right size for most desktops. The base is oversized so it needs almost 9 inches of depth, but that’s okay since it also means that it will be stable. The device when fully assembled only weighs in at 9.37 pounds so it’s portable enough to be brought to LAN parties or moved around.