My experience with the AOC G2460PG
Posted: 02 Apr 2017, 14:35
Hi,
I've been using a BENQ XL2420T since June 2012, and I absolutely love this monitor. I recently bought a ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q as an attempt at an upgrade, but I felt it was inferior to my XL2420T in every way except G-Sync and ULMB. The review for the PG258Q can be found here:
http://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3287
I decided to try the AOC G2460PG because it has the same panel as the BENQ XL2420T, so I was hopeful it would have some similarities.
The good news is, I am impressed with the AOC G2460PG screen and will be keeping it. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros
- G-Sync behaves just like I experienced on the PG258Q with no difference. That is to say, it works fantastic for games with 90+ fps and makes the experience smoother than any technology I've seen. It is even smoother than a CRT in that there is no microstutter from dropping below the refresh rate (V-sync on equivalent) or tearing (V-Sync off equivalent), but of course it will never be as clear as a CRT for motion (still some faint blur no matter what).
- The colors are actually slightly better than the BenQ XL2420T, to my surprise. I have only had the monitor for two days so there's always room for more calibration, but I'd say the contrast is almost the same while the colors are a bit more vibrant and pronounced.
- The screen does not appear to have any vertical scan lines or any odd pixel behavior going on, no matter what tech you're using on the monitor (G-Sync, ULMB 120hz, regular 144hz). No faint interference in the background (my BenQ XL2420T has extremely faint horizontal lines that scroll up for the first 30 minutes or so of being turned on, but most people would never notice)
- The overdrive setting has 4 settings: Off, Weak, Medium, Strong. On Medium settings, the image is reasonably clear while moving (using both testufo.com ghosting test and many games testing), with almost no visible ghosting. On Strong you get some mild ghosting with a clearer image. It's worth nothing that you get significantly less ghosting on the AOC G2460PG than the BenQ XL2420T, but the BenQ XL2420T appears to make a slightly clearer image in motion (even at the BenQ 120hz vs AOC 144hz) despite the extra ghosting. In other words, from a practical in-game perspective, if you look at the words "SLOW" painted in yellow on a black street, and jerk the mouse around left and right while looking at the text, you'll see the SLOW letters clearer on the BenQ, but there's a brief dark black trail behind the words. On the AOC you get almost no trail behind the words, but they're slightly blurrier in motion. I actually prefer the BenQ in this case because I don't mind the ghosting - I just want to see what I'm focusing on more clearly. It's also worth noting that when you enable G-Sync, Overdrive settings are disabled on the AOC and appear to be controlled by G-Sync. These overdrive settings feel as though they are superior to the AOC's normal overdrive settings, and seem to leave a clearer image with no easily visible ghosting. I don't know enough about the tech to know if this is my imagination or reality, but this is how it appears to me in games (can't use G-Sync with ufotest.com, that I'm aware of).
- The AOC G2460PG is super responsive to coming out of sleep mode or switching resolutions or refresh rates. It takes about one second or less to go from sleep mode to displaying an image or switching resolutions/refresh. The BenQ XL2420T has a 4+ second wait time. I don't remember the exact time for the ASUS PG258Q, but it wasn't nearly as fast as the AOC or I would have noticed it. None of these monitors have any on-screen display popup that gets in your face when coming out of sleep or changing res (I hear some monitors do this and it can be annoying).
- Viewing angles are typical for TN, not great but pretty much the same as the BenQ XL2420T. I noticed that the ASUS PG258Q had a slightly different optimum viewing angle where raising the monitor a bit higher (looking more up at monitor) was the better angle for it.
- There's an ULMB button that isn't even a part of the menu, and when you click it, it turns on. No need to fish through any menu. I'll talk more about ULMB in the Cons section.
- One of the lowest cost monitors for smooth 144hz motion and G-Sync
Cons
- ULMB only works in 120hz and not 144hz, and there are no setting adjustments possible for ULMB like there were on the ASUS PG258Q that allow you to control the level of strobing. You just get a flat setting, and the setting makes the screen massively darker, with no real way to compensate. There is also visible flickering when using this mode (but the motion is definitely smoother). On the ASUS PG258Q this setting was amazingly good - you had full control of the strobe level (100 increments) and ULMB also worked at 144hz (not 240hz) with no flickering on the mild settings. The BenQ doesn't have a ULMB setting built into the monitor, but you can hack it. I never liked the BenQ hacked ULMB as it made weird distortions on the screen.
- Packaging for the monitor was very cheap - the styrofoam was crumbling everywhere when taking out the monitor. I had to be careful my cats wouldn't eat the little pieces and get them out of the area. The ASUS styrofoam was professional grade solid in comparison. The AOC monitor screen had some dust sprinkled over it, while the ASUS screen was spotless and smooth.
- The monitor stand is the least stable of the BenQ, ASUS, and AOC for comparison. If I start typing with a lot of speed and force on my keyboard, I can see the monitor jiggle slightly, whereas the BenQ only sometimes jiggles, and the ASUS was the most solid.
- The OSD buttons on the monitor are very annoying to work with, as they are on the bottom part of the monitor and you have to press up into the monitor to use them. They are very stiff, so you will always tilt up the monitor when using them with one hand. You need to press one hand on the top of the monitor to secure it from tilting, and then use the other hand to press up on the buttons. Ridiculous design. The OSD menu itself is not bad, but the button design is the worst.
- The power light is a bit too bright in the lower right of the screen. Not terrible but brighter than I'd like. The AOC logo on the bottom of the screen uses a shiny mirror surface, which reflects light into your eyes if you have any lights behind you that hit the logo at the right angle. I will probably have to tape over the logo. I thought the green line across the bottom of the screen would be a distraction, but I've never actually noticed it as a distraction when testing or playing a game. The real problem ended up being the AOC logo and power LED.
So yeah, in conclusion, the AOC G2460PG feels cheap in physical design, but the actual screen delivers. Hopefully the monitor doesn't fail unexpectedly, but it does have a three year warranty so we'll see how AOC handles that if I encounter a problem. There is a part of me that kind of feels sad because the XL2420T still has slightly better overdrive (for my eyes) when not using G-Sync, but everything else seems to be superior. I noticed that I felt more immersed in some games with the improved color - like seeing police lights flashing at night in GTA 5.
I'll update this thread if I uncover anything more that I like or dislike about the monitor. Feel free to ask any questions.
I've been using a BENQ XL2420T since June 2012, and I absolutely love this monitor. I recently bought a ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q as an attempt at an upgrade, but I felt it was inferior to my XL2420T in every way except G-Sync and ULMB. The review for the PG258Q can be found here:
http://forums.blurbusters.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3287
I decided to try the AOC G2460PG because it has the same panel as the BENQ XL2420T, so I was hopeful it would have some similarities.
The good news is, I am impressed with the AOC G2460PG screen and will be keeping it. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros
- G-Sync behaves just like I experienced on the PG258Q with no difference. That is to say, it works fantastic for games with 90+ fps and makes the experience smoother than any technology I've seen. It is even smoother than a CRT in that there is no microstutter from dropping below the refresh rate (V-sync on equivalent) or tearing (V-Sync off equivalent), but of course it will never be as clear as a CRT for motion (still some faint blur no matter what).
- The colors are actually slightly better than the BenQ XL2420T, to my surprise. I have only had the monitor for two days so there's always room for more calibration, but I'd say the contrast is almost the same while the colors are a bit more vibrant and pronounced.
- The screen does not appear to have any vertical scan lines or any odd pixel behavior going on, no matter what tech you're using on the monitor (G-Sync, ULMB 120hz, regular 144hz). No faint interference in the background (my BenQ XL2420T has extremely faint horizontal lines that scroll up for the first 30 minutes or so of being turned on, but most people would never notice)
- The overdrive setting has 4 settings: Off, Weak, Medium, Strong. On Medium settings, the image is reasonably clear while moving (using both testufo.com ghosting test and many games testing), with almost no visible ghosting. On Strong you get some mild ghosting with a clearer image. It's worth nothing that you get significantly less ghosting on the AOC G2460PG than the BenQ XL2420T, but the BenQ XL2420T appears to make a slightly clearer image in motion (even at the BenQ 120hz vs AOC 144hz) despite the extra ghosting. In other words, from a practical in-game perspective, if you look at the words "SLOW" painted in yellow on a black street, and jerk the mouse around left and right while looking at the text, you'll see the SLOW letters clearer on the BenQ, but there's a brief dark black trail behind the words. On the AOC you get almost no trail behind the words, but they're slightly blurrier in motion. I actually prefer the BenQ in this case because I don't mind the ghosting - I just want to see what I'm focusing on more clearly. It's also worth noting that when you enable G-Sync, Overdrive settings are disabled on the AOC and appear to be controlled by G-Sync. These overdrive settings feel as though they are superior to the AOC's normal overdrive settings, and seem to leave a clearer image with no easily visible ghosting. I don't know enough about the tech to know if this is my imagination or reality, but this is how it appears to me in games (can't use G-Sync with ufotest.com, that I'm aware of).
- The AOC G2460PG is super responsive to coming out of sleep mode or switching resolutions or refresh rates. It takes about one second or less to go from sleep mode to displaying an image or switching resolutions/refresh. The BenQ XL2420T has a 4+ second wait time. I don't remember the exact time for the ASUS PG258Q, but it wasn't nearly as fast as the AOC or I would have noticed it. None of these monitors have any on-screen display popup that gets in your face when coming out of sleep or changing res (I hear some monitors do this and it can be annoying).
- Viewing angles are typical for TN, not great but pretty much the same as the BenQ XL2420T. I noticed that the ASUS PG258Q had a slightly different optimum viewing angle where raising the monitor a bit higher (looking more up at monitor) was the better angle for it.
- There's an ULMB button that isn't even a part of the menu, and when you click it, it turns on. No need to fish through any menu. I'll talk more about ULMB in the Cons section.
- One of the lowest cost monitors for smooth 144hz motion and G-Sync
Cons
- ULMB only works in 120hz and not 144hz, and there are no setting adjustments possible for ULMB like there were on the ASUS PG258Q that allow you to control the level of strobing. You just get a flat setting, and the setting makes the screen massively darker, with no real way to compensate. There is also visible flickering when using this mode (but the motion is definitely smoother). On the ASUS PG258Q this setting was amazingly good - you had full control of the strobe level (100 increments) and ULMB also worked at 144hz (not 240hz) with no flickering on the mild settings. The BenQ doesn't have a ULMB setting built into the monitor, but you can hack it. I never liked the BenQ hacked ULMB as it made weird distortions on the screen.
- Packaging for the monitor was very cheap - the styrofoam was crumbling everywhere when taking out the monitor. I had to be careful my cats wouldn't eat the little pieces and get them out of the area. The ASUS styrofoam was professional grade solid in comparison. The AOC monitor screen had some dust sprinkled over it, while the ASUS screen was spotless and smooth.
- The monitor stand is the least stable of the BenQ, ASUS, and AOC for comparison. If I start typing with a lot of speed and force on my keyboard, I can see the monitor jiggle slightly, whereas the BenQ only sometimes jiggles, and the ASUS was the most solid.
- The OSD buttons on the monitor are very annoying to work with, as they are on the bottom part of the monitor and you have to press up into the monitor to use them. They are very stiff, so you will always tilt up the monitor when using them with one hand. You need to press one hand on the top of the monitor to secure it from tilting, and then use the other hand to press up on the buttons. Ridiculous design. The OSD menu itself is not bad, but the button design is the worst.
- The power light is a bit too bright in the lower right of the screen. Not terrible but brighter than I'd like. The AOC logo on the bottom of the screen uses a shiny mirror surface, which reflects light into your eyes if you have any lights behind you that hit the logo at the right angle. I will probably have to tape over the logo. I thought the green line across the bottom of the screen would be a distraction, but I've never actually noticed it as a distraction when testing or playing a game. The real problem ended up being the AOC logo and power LED.
So yeah, in conclusion, the AOC G2460PG feels cheap in physical design, but the actual screen delivers. Hopefully the monitor doesn't fail unexpectedly, but it does have a three year warranty so we'll see how AOC handles that if I encounter a problem. There is a part of me that kind of feels sad because the XL2420T still has slightly better overdrive (for my eyes) when not using G-Sync, but everything else seems to be superior. I noticed that I felt more immersed in some games with the improved color - like seeing police lights flashing at night in GTA 5.
I'll update this thread if I uncover anything more that I like or dislike about the monitor. Feel free to ask any questions.