I bought the monitor in April 2020 for about €280, which at the time for someone with a limited budget was the only option due to the price alone. If I had rated it back then, I would have given it 3.5 stars for its positives, which others have also described. Its negatives have also been mentioned by others, the most important being: VRR flickering and ghosting at 144hz, it's unbearable!

Now, the reason I bothered to review it after 5 years is this: the monitor does not last over time! For the past few days, it has started acting up and the screen does not turn on after powering on from any state, i.e., from power on, when the PC was shut down, sleep mode, etc. By pressing the monitor's power button several times, it eventually turns on and you can get your work done until the screen turns off again... After a bit of searching online in user comments, you see that this also happens to others and generally to AOC monitors, after a few years of use (after the warranty expires) such problems start to appear.

So today I would recommend you look at another monitor and not this one, even if it has positive reviews online. If you search a little, you will see that within the same budget there are other options with better features from more reputable companies.

For as long as it lasted, it was good, it's a shame it didn't last as long as my old 22" 1080p @60hz Samsung LCD which I had for over 10 years... I hope I helped.

First of all, let me say that in relation to the Dell S3220DGF and the MSI Optix MAG272CQR, it is the best panel in terms of black uniformity and black bleeding that I have seen with my own eyes. It has minimal black bleeding and very good black uniformity. It has excellent contrast and brightness, despite its low 250cd/m². The viewing angles are also very good for a VA panel. Now, onto the main point... The graphics card that was connected is the Sapphire 5600xt Pulse with DisplayPort at 144hz. As for simple internet browsing and office work, we are just fine... The colors are accurate, good white, correct gamma, but especially on dark websites, we have some issues with blurring and a purple hue in the letters. It is something that is quite bothersome and I don't know how common it is. So far, acceptable... Unfortunately, its biggest problem is motion in games. In some cases, there is even a flickering that is unacceptable and very annoying. I don't know what this specific problem is called, but it exists... It only stops if I turn off FreeSync, which of course creates other problems. In fact, in the AMD drivers, it is not referred to as FreeSync Premium, but simply as adaptive FreeSync compatible. In games with continuous motion (especially horizontal), such as Pes 2021, we have incredibly annoying blurring and rainbow artifacts on the edges, to the point where my eyes start hurting after a while... This is the case with all the settings and combinations I tried, both in the monitor menu and in Adrenalin. There are also games where you don't notice any of these issues at all, or very little. The buttons on the monitor for the menu couldn't be worse, but luckily there is OSD software that saves the situation to a great extent. In terms of construction, it has a typical quality of materials, without any issues and properly assembled. So... for someone who wants a 2K monitor to watch movies, surf the internet, write a text in Word, edit photos, and occasionally play a game, it is a good option in this price range. For someone who frequently plays games, it is a very mediocre choice unless they are not bothered by the several issues that exist in motion in most games.

The specific model is the flat 27" with a VA panel. It does not have speakers, for some reason. It includes DP & HDMI cables but not the USB Type B cable needed for the hub, a omission that I don't understand since the cable costs less than 2 euros. Get it separately if you want the hub to work (make sure it's 3.0 like this one: [link])

The screen is excellent. With a 5700XT on medium/high settings in Rainbow Six Siege, it consistently runs at 1440p and 120fps, and the difference compared to 1080p/60hz is huge. The colors are very good, especially the blacks, and I don't notice much ghosting. Freesync works great. If small letters bother you, the easiest solution is to change the text size through Windows to 125/150%.

The stand is very good, it's quite stable (although the screen wobbles if I hit the desk), it rotates well although the screen can't turn 90 degrees without removing it first because it's too big. The cable management hole is very convenient.

The menu, as others have said, is not user-friendly, and the G-Menu app is only slightly better. However, they do their job, and once you adjust the settings in the first few days, you won't need to touch them again. The frame counter is very useful.

Overall, a very good choice for 1440p 144Hz. The flaws it has are negligible and at this price, I recommend it.

Upgrade from AOC 24G2U to AOC due to price and specifications. It doesn't lose much compared to more expensive models in the same size and is an ideal monitor for 2560x1440 resolution with its 144Hz refresh rate. To have something more, you need to be a professional gamer only, and this specific monitor will cover all your needs.

A few words about 1440p resolution:

- Initially, you need to get used to the smaller text due to the higher resolution, but this is not a problem.

- If you don't have a powerful graphics card, choose a 1920x1080 resolution for demanding games because it has the same aspect ratio of 16:9.

- With a Sapphire RX 590 Nitro+ graphics card, I can smoothly run all games at 1440p on medium settings, while in e-sport titles like Warzone, I set the render resolution slightly lower than the game's settings to play on High with 80-100fps.

- The clarity it provides is UNBELIEVABLE and FLAWLESS, and I preferred this monitor over a 32-inch one with the same resolution because larger screens create pixelation, and the price for purchasing a 27"-32" 4K 144Hz monitor is prohibitive.

For the price of 300€, I couldn't get anything better. Maybe the Dell S2719DGF is equivalent and worth it only because of the warranty provided by DELL as a company, but in some reputable stores, it costs +80€ with immediate availability.

If someone is in a dilemma with a 34" ultrawide monitor and doesn't mind the extra cost for a 30xx series graphics card at +600-1000€ for a futureproof system, there is the alternative option of the XIAOMI 34" ultrawide monitor for 500€.

I bought it (Curved 27") in June 2020, for around 280 euros. I was torn between this one and the Ultrawide LG, like many others I imagine.

I am EXCITED. It performs amazingly at 144hz & 120hz.

- With an RX580, I can play most games at over 90-100hz (VSync OFF --> FreeSync ON) @1080p.
No blurriness at 1080p, which I was afraid of. However, because I'm curious like you, I found that if you increase the Sharpness from the RADEON Control Panel, it almost eliminates blurriness when lowering the resolution.
- At 1440p, it's incredible, crisp and rich.
- Anyone playing FPS Games (CoD, R6, Overwatch) will take advantage of the 144hz@1080 & Response time.
- Anyone who doesn't play Competitive or happens to play something cooler, can enjoy 1440p and look great.
You're buying this flexibility, plus in the coming years GPUs (<200) will see 1080p and laugh..

- Ghosting is generally non-existent or at least negligible.. (e.g. in FIFA, you might see a cursor ghost at 120hz and above, use Frame Cap if you're curious and troublesome)
- Read RTINGS review for more details (1st gen).
https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/aoc/cq27g1

- Personally, I really like the colors, they are close to IPS, with obviously limited viewing angles and minimal black uniformity anomaly in the corners, but it's fine.
(Look for color profiles, in about 10 minutes you'll find ready-made profiles and settings to make it perfect. It scores 8.4 out of 10, and 9.5 after the settings. I recommend R45-G50-B43)
- Contrast & Brightness are good in this category, especially the contrast is very good. Brightness is fine, even great for nighttime. If you have some extra money, you can get a brighter one if Mamra Pantotinos comes, what can I say.

- Stand, neck, tilt, ergonomics, etc. are great. Good quality plastics and overall compact.
- A nice plus is the USB hub, for a mouse, keyboard, or charger (permanently though, I don't recommend plugging and unplugging, it's not very convenient in that position compared to the side IO..)

- No Flickering, No Input Lag.

UPDATE 23/6/20: 11 days after the purchase, a burnt pixel appeared, visible on a black background. I left it for a few hours to see if it would recover, and in the end, I returned the monitor to the store for inspection. I'm waiting for an official response on what will happen, as they also saw the issue. In communication with AOC's "representative," we didn't reach a conclusion as they refer to a tolerance policy for pixels, sub-pixels, and such. We'll see the reaction of both parties in the case of a DOA monitor within 10 days of purchase. I must say, it will be a disappointment, but it's important for the community to know what to expect from a manufacturer (and seller) in such a situation.

UPDATE 7/7/20: The company proceeded with a replacement and I received a new one today. It still deserves 5 stars, the inconvenience is worth it.

2/5/2020 EDIT:
So we have and we say:
Negatives:
1) Smearing: but where? Not everywhere... it occurs in areas where there are many dark pixels, dark scenes, and there is relative motion where the camera follows a central point, for example (arpg games (poe/Diablo, etc.). Here, it is certain that there will be annoying smearing (for some people, not for others). In any other games, you won't notice anything, not even in FPS games (unless you are so picky that I imagine you wouldn't buy a VA panel).

EDIT about smearing: After using the monitor for a while and many hours of gaming, I have actually forgotten about its existence (except in PoE).

Workaround: There is a solution to eliminate ghosting in games that bothers you, but there will be a sacrifice in terms of image quality. From the monitor's menu (or the program), set Shadows to 70 h 80 (50 is the default) and then adjust the contrast/brightness significantly to your liking, as much as the image allows.

2) Brightness: It's fine... even in a bright room during the day, it covers me. It may be because my previous monitor was at similar levels, maybe even worse, so I'm not an objective judge.

3) For browsing/reading, it's not the best. It's better to go for an IPS panel for better viewing angles/brightness.

4) Buttons Menu Navigation... tragic... Luckily, there is a program on the website, so you can adjust them from Windows and be at peace.

These are the only actual negatives it has...

Positives:
1) Very good colors.
2) Tremendous black.
3) Ergonomic stand.
4) 27'' 1440p 144hz freesync at this price... what else can you ask for? There is no competition in terms of value for money.

Recommended Settings: R43-G44-B50, Contrast 50, Game Color 13 or 12, OverDrive strong... You will see a big difference from the default settings in games.

Now, why should someone get it? If you ask me, it's a generally value-for-money monitor that covers a bit of everything. If you watch movies/series and play casual games, go for it. If you are a competitive player, simply go for a TN panel. If you don't watch movies/series and you're not a competitive player, get an IPS panel (yes, I know they are more expensive, so you will sacrifice resolution/size for IPS).

At this price, the perfect monitor doesn't exist, guys. Evaluate the pros and cons yourselves and decide accordingly.

**17/6/20 Update: After using it extensively, I can truly say that the monitor has left me fully satisfied and I am not bothered by anything. I have been to my friends' houses and I can say that it's like day and night compared to 24'' 1080p monitors, and even in terms of brightness, it's the same as those. For this price, it's truly insane value for money.

VFM the Monitor.
Purchased for 280 euros. I have had it for 3 weeks and so far it has not shown any issues. For an additional 20/30 euros, one can go for the Curved version, but it is purely a matter of taste. The transition was made from a Dell UltraSharp U2515H IPS 2560x1440 / 60Hz.
Compared to the previous one:
1) Small difference between IPS and VA panel, not so much in image quality as in viewing angle and slightly in colors.
2) Regarding 60 vs 144Hz, since the graphics card (in my case: rx5700xt) can handle 2k resolution at 144+ FPS, there is a significant difference (gaming) and it makes the game run faster and smoother, especially with Freesync/Gsync (Adaptive-Sync) support.
3) 25" vs 27": Almost no difference, I got used to it in a few minutes. I also recommend a screen up to 27" because anything bigger will strain your eyes, just from the distance you will be sitting.
Finally, it is a "futureproof" monitor that provides all the necessary basics (not RGB and gimmicks) in the 2k/144Hz category.