AOC returns to the market with a very promising new line of monitors, placing itself in a very competitive market segment, where even one more innovative feature can make the difference in terms of sales. The AGON series renews its line of curved screens and debuts on the market looking for that type of user in search of an affordable compromise between quality and price suitable for any type of pocket.
This Agon CQ32G3SU in fact cannot be considered a top of the range able to worry major brands with series of products that largely exceed € 1000. In fact, the Taiwanese company does not aim at the very high end of the market but at the medium and low one, and this has made it famous in the world of computer science and gaming, offering solid hardware at an excellent quality / price ratio.
In fact, let’s start by telling you that the monitor protagonist of this review is sold at a recommended price of € 449, partly framing the more contained ambitions and the standard patents it equips. This does not mean that it is a poor quality product, in reality the Agon brand aims at a different range of consumers from the one who wants everything. Just think of the moment that monitors are experiencing, with extreme qualities in some cases but not comparable to their big brothers, the TVs. The latter, thanks to impressive performances, are creating a trend that sees them increasingly preferred to the most comfortable desktop screens.
Those looking for a monitor on the other hand are willing to compromise with the resolution to have response times and refresh rates that current TVs cannot currently achieve. Remaining in the gaming field, players who prefer competitive titles have no difficulty in choosing 2K or lower resolutions to have an extreme fps count and the AOC Agon CQ32G3SU could be a valid product for this slice of the market.
Despite respectable dimensions of 31.5 ‘, the screen is aesthetically simple without exaggerating the already imposing presence on our station. The finish on the back is in red contrasting with the matte black of the hard plastic of the pedestal and on the openings dedicated to the speakers. On the front the screen is free on three sides leaving the frame only on the lower side where the keys dedicated to the volume, navigation and power controls are positioned. Unlike other monitors the screen can be adjusted in height but it is not possible to tilt it in any way, sliding only vertically for the length of the pedestal.
Once turned on, you realize how this extreme curvature tries to create an enveloping sensation, capturing the attention on what we have in front of us. Although the resolution of the AOC Agon CQ32G3SU stands at 2560×1440, thanks to a high contrast the image is clear and full-bodied both with multimedia content and during game playback. The limit of the 8-bit panel tends to show itself in more complex content such as low-light scenes that are not fully compensated for with a black rendering that leaves something to be desired.
AOC claims that its monitor is capable of reaching 300 nits and when tested, it manages to slightly exceed 400, often creating shadows due to this aggressive screen curvature. As mentioned, the image is vivid but the response of the LEDs creates in some cases some inconsistencies on the uniformity of the color, with a backlight that sometimes tends to create a backlightbleeding effect. The same applies to HDR, which is limited to a VESA DisplayHDR 400, the standard license that even the largest manufacturers are adopting on their monitor lines, bringing higher certifications only for TVs.
But the strength of this screen is contained in its versatility and practicality, two aspects not at all obvious from which other companies could take inspiration to improve their lineup. One of the aspects that stands out in the new AGON is precisely the refresh rate which reaches the very high value of 165hz, also supported by AdaptiveSync and a really good Game Mode. All this, however, can be achieved on PC and using DisplayPort 1.4, as we have been able to test firsthand with Warzone and other shooter titles that thus benefit from fluid images without any kind of annoying image reference artifact.
On consoles, however, this benefit is not exploitable, especially for the new generation ones. The AOC Agon CQ32G3SU is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports effectively limiting connectivity to Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 in terms of image quality. In addition, the 16: 9 format of most console titles is for now a resolution that is in contrast with screens so large and curved that they deform everything that is visible in an attempt to adapt the edges to the screen or by showing the annoying bars. black side.
One last consideration we reserve for audio. The AOC monitor is equipped with two two-watt speakers, a standard for this series of products and which does not shine for extreme sound quality. The performance of music does not send back a crystal clear sound and the absence of bass is strongly felt in other areas such as action films or video games. In this case it is highly recommended to accompany this screen to good speakers and completely bypass the speakers.
All in all, the AOC Agon CQ32G3SU is a good monitor but it has limitations that most gamers probably won’t and won’t be inclined to weigh in the face of a reduced price. Other competitors even with a handful of euros more have managed to create products that can beat the technical specifications of this screen, with 10 or 12 bit panels and better general lighting. The strong point, however, remains the refresh rate, one of the highest and most performing on the market at the moment, which could tempt PC players to sacrifice the resolution in order to enjoy a fluid image to be combined with extremely performing video cards to obtain synchronism. between frame rate and really stratospheric hertz, suitable for competitive FPS and driving simulators in particular.