For years, the AOC G2460PF has been sitting atop our best gaming monitor checklist unchallenged and undefeated. With its sub-£200 / $200 worth, 144Hz refresh price and very good TN panel, it’s by far the most effective screens round for these on a price range. The solely downside is that it’s getting on a bit now, and is turning into more and more troublesome to trace down. Enter AOC’s C24G1. Priced at simply £173 / $145 at time of writing, this 24in, 1920×1080, 144Hz, FreeSync monitor is even cheaper than the G2460PF and its curved VA panel is simply nearly as good. Here’s wot I feel.
I have to admit, I used to be totally anticipating the C24G1 to be one other AOC G2590PX-style catastrophe once I first bought it out of the field. That gaming monitor, you could bear in mind, was meant to be the successor to the G2460PF, however was fully spoiled by a horrible grainy display screen coating that made every thing look fuzzy and laborious to see.
Thankfully, there was no such grain impact to be seen right here, and the standard of the C24G1’s curved VA panel impressed straight out of the field. When I plonked my X-Rite Display i1 Pro color calibrator on it, for instance, it’s default Warm color temperature profile was already displaying a whopping 98.8% of the usual sRGB color gamut. That’s prime tier stuff for such an affordable monitor, and I used to be equally happy to see a beautiful excessive distinction ratio of 3006:1 and a low black degree of simply 0.08cd/m2 (the nearer to 0.00cd/m2, the higher).
The C24G1 does produce other color temperature modes, after all, in addition to three particular gaming modes, however none of them have been as correct as Warm. Indeed, once I tried tweaking its User color profile, I solely ended up with an sRGB protection of 89.2%. As such, I’d suggest leaving the C24G1 on its default settings. After all, with a color accuracy rating of virtually 99% straight out of the field, there’s actually no must go poking round its onboard menu settings.
Its peak brightness of simply over 250cd/m2 was a little bit extra mediocre, admittedly, however that’s nonetheless greater than sufficient for on a regular basis use in a brightly lit room. You might run into just a few points in case you occur to seek out your self in a beam of direct daylight, as I discovered when a rogue little bit of autumn sunshine got here streaming in by my window, however on the entire I don’t assume you’ll run into too many issues right here.
The solely different minor fear I had was the monitor’s viewing angles. Everything is completely nice in case you’re trying on the monitor head-on, however the gentle curve of the panel can create a teensy little bit of color shift while you’re it from an angle. I’m not overly involved, although, because the impact was solely very slight more often than not – totally on the taskbar, versus my fundamental desktop – and its height-adjustable stand offers you loads of tilt and swivel flexibility to seek out the fitting place. Plus, more often than not you’re going to be dealing with it straight on anyway, and doubtless gained’t even discover it.
I used to be additionally happy to see it performed properly with my Nvidia graphics card, too. Technically, it’s an AMD FreeSync display screen, however because of Nvidia’s current G-Sync Compatible driver, which lets Nvidia graphics card house owners reap the benefits of the variable refresh price tech on AMD FreeSync screens, I can nonetheless get pleasure from an excellent easy gaming expertise that’s fully freed from display screen tearing and stutter.
It hasn’t been formally licensed as an Nvidia G-Sync Compatible show but, I ought to notice, however Nvidia are nonetheless within the means of testing the entire FreeSync screens on the market, so it’s extremely potential it could but be part of its choose checklist of screens within the close to future. Indeed, I used to be capable of play Doom utilizing the C24G1’s full 144Hz refresh price with no issues in any respect. No flicker, no display screen tearing and no horrible display screen blanking both – as can generally be the case on FreeSync screens that don’t play properly with the Nvidia driver.
All in all, the AOC C24G1 is a really nice gaming monitor certainly and a greater than worthy successor to the G2460PF’s price range crown. Yes, the C24G1’s pronged ft and purple highlights are a bit shoutier within the ‘I’m a gaming monitor!’ division than the spherical, flat base of the G2460PF, however I’d take its slim bezels and borderless body over the G2460PF’s chunky design any day of the week. I can also’t overstate how a lot I choose threading my cables by the C24G1’s stand as effectively, versus having a chunky plastic purple clip just like the G2460PF.
The solely factor the C24G1 is de facto lacking is USB ports. The G2460PF had 4 of those crammed into its already feature-packed stand, however I assume that’s one of many few downsides of shrinking down the monitor’s total measurement. There merely isn’t wherever else to place them. Still, I’m keen to miss this right here, particularly given the monitor’s low worth and its very good, out of the field color accuracy. It’s uncommon to see a monitor with such an impressive panel at this finish of the pricing spectrum, and it even beats the G2460PF’s default sRGB rating of 95%, too. Plus, you get all these beautiful extras like a height-adjustable stand and an excellent easy 144Hz refresh price, all with out spending over £200 / $200.
If you’re in search of the following finest price range gaming monitor, it actually doesn’t get significantly better than the AOC C24G1.