AOC 27G2ZN3 review: a budget-friendly monitor for gaming and maybe a bit more

The AOC 27G2ZN3 is an affordable monitor aimed at the gaming market. But just because it's a budget proposition doesn’t mean that it doesn’t offer a level of performance that we’re used to seeing in more premium displays.

The AOC 27G2ZN3 does tick off a lot of high-end features including a fast refresh rate, high-enough resolution, a super sleek design, AdaptiveSync and a wide colour gamut. And it’s not just gamers that will be impressed, it’s a versatile monitor that will suit a variety of users. The only catch is whilst the full HD resolution is good enough, for tasks that require fine details it doesn’t quite hit the spot, so if you’re looking for the best monitor for graphic artists or the best monitors for video editing, you may want to look elsewhere.

But that doesn’t stop the AOC 27G2ZN3 from being a superb monitor and the fact that it’s currently on sale for under £180 is a bonus. I was sent a review unit of this monitor and have spent some time using it as my main work monitor. So read on to find out whether this should be your next monitor purchase.

AOC 27G2ZN3: Key specifications

Design & Build

This monitor features a sleek and modern design that will complement most workspace setups. It is super simple to put together and only requires the stand to be assembled and since it's lightweight, you can do it on your own.

The stand is adjustable, so you can move it up or down to find your own ideal viewing angle. You can also twist it to a 90º angle so you can use it in portrait mode. If you are interested in using this function then you are going to need to mount your monitor as even when at its highest it still skimmed the edge of my desk.

The good news of course is that it does have VESA mount compatibility, so you may want to check out our guide to the best monitor arms and mounts so you can pop it on the wall or invest in a stand that will go a little higher so you can get full use of the 90º function.

For me, the stand is the only letdown in the design. It has a four-prong design, with two small ones at the back so you can push it close to the wall, and then two at the front that come out so far they get in the way, especially if you don’t have a deep desk.

The bezels on this monitor are really thin so you do get a more immersive viewing experience. It also makes the screen feel bigger which I found ideal when working on a larger project as I was able to have a couple of windows open without it feeling cramped. The space thing also continued to the real world as I definitely felt this monitor took up less space on my desk than the BenQ DesignVue PD2706UA that I’ve been using since I reviewed it. No need to worry about this monitor feeling flimsy as it's really sturdy and robust.

Ports are limited, you get two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.4 and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This is pretty standard but the inclusion of a USB-C would have been ideal.

The controls to be able to turn this monitor on as well as to access the menu and settings are on the bottom right-hand side of the screen. These buttons are so fiddly, if you have large hands I think you’d struggle. If you run around hand along the underside of the screen you can’t even feel them so it’s a case of arching your neck to see where they are and then selecting what you need. You don’t have a lot of time before the menus time out either so if you’re like me and you want to play around with all the different settings it can take a while to get through everything.

Features & Performance

Ultimately the AOC 27G2ZN3 is being marketed as a gaming monitor. And there are plenty of different pre-configured modes that you can select that will match whatever game you’re playing. It does have a refresh rate of up to 280Hz which results in a smooth gaming experience, so ideal if you like shooting, sports or racing games.

But just like gaming modes, there are also plenty of other modes on this monitor that you can play with to get your perfect set-up. These include a colour temp mode, colour gamut, low blue light mode and DCB (Dynamic Colour Balance) mode.

The FHD (1920 x 1080p) resolution display, for the monitor's cost, is impressive. I found it displayed a good balance of clarity and sharpness. The fast VA panel also ensured deep blacks, vivid colours and really good viewing angles. I used this monitor mostly for productivity tasks such as writing, web browsing and watching video content. I did do a little photo editing on it and while the colours are outstanding for the price, I think high-end creative professionals who work with photographs and videos on a daily basis may find it doesn’t quite hit the mark when it comes to colour accuracy. But for gamers and productivity users, you’ll be impressed with how well this screen handles colours.

This monitor also has built-in speakers. Whilst the sound quality won’t blow you away, it is handy if you want to watch a YouTube video without having to find headphones.

While this isn’t a super high-spec monitor is certainly performs well and with plenty of options to tweak the settings to get your ideal set-up, there isn’t much to complain about.

Price

One of the most incredible things about this monitor is the low cost. The AOC 27G2ZN3 is available for £179 in the UK it’s probably one of the best monitors you can buy for under £200.

Who is it for?

This monitor is a good all-rounder. While gamers will benefit the most from the high refresh rate and low input lag, regular users will find the high-quality display screen a joy to work on. This is a budget monitor so there are always going to be limitations but for the money, it’s outstanding. If you are looking for better resolution or something bigger than 27 inches, you may want to consider one of our selections in the best gaming monitors guide.

Buy it if

• You want a quality monitor on a budget
• You’re a gamer
• You want an adjustable stand with good viewing options

Don't buy it if

• You want a 4K resolution
• You need 100% colour accuracy
• You need more connectivity options