AOC Launches the AG352QCX: 35-Inch 200 Hz 2560×1080 Curved Display with Adaptive-Sync

This week AOC has introduced its new AGON-branded curved display for gamers that boasts a 200 Hz refresh rate. The ultra-wide AG352QCX monitor has an MVA panel and a pretty high contrast ratio and a WFHD resolution. In addition, the AG352QCX supports AMD’s FreeSync and VESA’s Adaptive-Sync technologies.

The AOC AGON AG352QCX is based on a 35” MVA panel with 2560×1080 resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio. General specifications of the display are fairly typical: 300 nits brightness, 2000:1 contrast ratio, 178°/178° viewing angles, 16.7 million colors and a 4 ms response time (grey-to-grey) and so on. Meanwhile, the key selling points of the monitor are its 2000R curvature (which is rare, typically we see 1600R/3000R), support for a 200 Hz refresh rate as well as support for AMD’s FreeSync and VESA’s Adaptive-Sync technologies. The FreeSync works in a range between 30 and 200 Hz, thus supporting low framerate compensation feature (LFC) and offering smooth gameplay across different genres.

In a bid to appeal to gamers with different PCs, the AGON AG352QCX supports five types of input technologies, including DisplayPort 1.2a, HDMI 2.0, MHL, DVI and D-Sub connectors. To take advantage of the full 200 Hz refresh rate and range via FreeSync, the DP 1.2a input should be used. In other cases, only 50-146 Hz scanning frequencies are supported.

What is a bit surprising is that the AGON AG352QCX also has two built-in 5 W speakers, which is not common for gaming monitors. Typically the justification here is that who like to play games usually use standalone speakers or headphones, however perhaps AOC is targeting a wider market.

While AOC’s AG352QCX display is listed at the company’s website, the manufacturer does not reveal when the product is set to be available as well as its price. The listing itself naturally indicates that the specifications of the monitor have been finalized and are not going to change significantly. However, it does not indicate mass production or actual shipments. We will probably see it pop up at the CES trade show in January.

Gallery: AOC Launches AG352QCX: 35-Inch 200 Hz Curved MVA Display with Adaptive-Sync

Related Reading:

• Samsung CFG70: Curved 144Hz Displays with Quantum Dot Backlighting and AMD FreeSync
• Dell Unveils UltraSharp U3417W: Makes Its Curved Display More Curved
• LG Announces the 34UC79G: 34-Inch Curved 21:9 Display with 2560 × 1080 Resolution, 144 Hz Refresh Rate for $700
• Acer’s Announces Predator Gaming Displays with Tobii Eye-Tracking Technology, Up to 240 Hz Refresh Rate
• ASUS Starts to Ship Its First Curved Ultra-Wide Display: ROG Swift PG348Q

BenQ Announces the ZOWIE XL2540: 24-Inch 240 Hz Full-HD Display ‘for e-Sports’

BenQ this week introduced its new display aimed specifically at professional gamers. The new monitor belongs to the ZOWIE family of BenQ’s products designed for e-Sports and features Full-HD (1920×1080) resolution as well as a refresh rate as high as 240 Hz. In addition to support for ultra-high refresh rates, the display also has other features developed specifically for gamers.

The BenQ ZOWIE XL2540 monitor has a 24.5” TN panel with a typical resolution for this size (1920×1080), support for 16.7 million (6-bit + FRC) colors as well as a typical contrast ratio for mainstream screens (1000:1). The monitor stands out when it comes to its brightness – 400 cd/m2 (400 nits) is a bit higher compared to what we usually see on TN-based devices and a refresh rate of 240 Hz to ensure as fast gameplay as possible. It is noteworthy that despite positioning, the ZOWIE ZL2540 does not support any dynamic refresh rate technology (either G-Sync, FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync). 

When it comes to connectivity, the ZOWIE XL2540 excels many products on the market as it can use DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI and DVI-DL (naturally, DVI does not support 240 Hz refresh rate) to connect to host PCs (nowadays many monitors are only equipped with DP and HDMI inputs). Also, it has a three-port USB hub. The display also has a built-in 55 W power supply.

In addition to ultra-high refresh rates as well as improved brightness, the ZOWIE XL2540 supports several features specifically for e-Sports professionals: the Black eQualizer that increases brightness of dark areas without oversaturating the bright areas, an option to quickly increase color vibrancies, a special external controller to rapidly activate different settings and profiles as well as a light-shielding hood (which BenQ calls a way to help gamers to focus on their games).

The manufacturer does not announce pricing as well as availability timeframe for its ZOWIE XL2540 just yet. The only thing that BenQ tells us at the moment is that the display will be demonstrated at trade shows from late November. Since BenQ does not produce its own panels, the ETA of the ZOWIE XL2540 depends completely on the company’s suppliers. Moreover, when the panels are available, the display will have to compete against similar products by other makers, such as the ASUS PG258Q (which has G-Sync) which has similar specifications, perhaps indicating it is the same panel.

Related Reading:

• LG Announces the 34UC79G: 34-Inch Curved 21:9 Display with 2560 × 1080 Resolution, 144 Hz Refresh Rate for $700
• Acer’s Announces Predator Gaming Displays with Tobii Eye-Tracking Technology, Up to 240 Hz Refresh Rate
• ASUS Starts to Ship Its First Curved Ultra-Wide Display: ROG Swift PG348Q

Nixeus NX-VUE27P Pro WQHD (2560×1440) Monitor Launched

Over the last four years, Nixeus has launched a number of products focused on the gaming market. While the initial focus was on high-resolution monitors, they have now started to include gaming keyboards (mechanical) and mice in their portfolio. In addition, they have also been at the forefront in supporting AMD’s FreeSync variable refresh rate technology in their monitors. Last month, they introduced a ‘Pro’ version of their 27″ WQHD (2560×1440) IPS monitor.

The new monitor will be sold under the NX-VUE27P model name, with the ‘P’ indicating that the professional market is being targeted. The 2560×1440 monitor supports 100% sRGB color gamut, while also claiming AdobeRGB support. Except for the latter aspect, the display of the Nixeus PRO Vue 27″ AH-IPS 2560×1440 Mac/PC monitor is identical to the Nixeus VUE27D that we reviewed back in late 2013. Given the review link, I will not go into the details of the brightness, contrast ratio, response time etc of the NX-VUE27P.

Unlike many of the vendors that we talk to, Nixeus is quite transparent about the hardware choices they made while designing the product. The panel model and the scaler can be easily found by anyone with access to the hardware, but, Nixeus saved us the trouble and indicated that the NX-VUE27P uses the same panel as that of the NX-VUE27D, the LG LM270WQ1-SDF1. While the NX-VUE27D had only a DisplayPort input (enabled via a MStar scaler), the NX-VUE27P adopts a more recent Novatek scaler that enables additional features – multiple display inputs (DL-DVI-D, DP 1.2, HDMI and VGA), and a mode that can activate the 8-bit + A-FRC feature of the panel (’10-bit’ mode). This ’10-bit’ mode allows Nixeus to add an additional OSD option for AdobeRGB color gamut. Despite this option, the panel capabilities dictate that only around 78% of the AdobeRGB color gamut can be covered by the monitor.

The NX-VUE27P also has in-built stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack (for use with VGA and DVI connections). The MSRP is $400, but the current street price seems to be around $390. The monitor carries a 2-year warranty.