AOC - AOC Agon AG352QCX

AOC

AOC Agon AG352QCX: a 35 inch 200 Hz FreeSync monitor for gamers

Aprox. 679€

See specifications

The AOC Agon AG352QCX is a very large monitor "limited" to a definition of 2,560 x 1,080 px ideal for players, who can thus push the details to the maximum, as long as they have a good graphics card.

Positive points

Native frequency of 200 Hz.

FreeSync compatibility.

Perfect calibration (gamma, temperature, color).

Good contrast.

Radius of curvature improving immersion.

Full connectivity.

Bad points

Limited definition for office automation.

No backlight scanning system (ULMB or BFI).

Slight light leaks.

Our review

Presentation

This definition of 2,560 x 1,080 px is a bit weak for office automation, but sufficient for games where the number of frames per second is often more important than the definition. The AOC Agon AG352QCX supports a native refresh rate of 200 Hz and thus joins the Predator Z35 which also had a 35 inch VA panel curved at 144 Hz overclockable up to 200 Hz. If the Acer model trusts Nvidia's G-Sync module, AOC opts for the FreeSync / AdaptiveSync open solution compatible with AMD graphics cards and may soon be available with Intel HD Graphics.

Sold around 800 €, the AOC Agon AG352QCX monitor is more affordable than the Acer Predator Z35 (around 900 €).


Presentation

Ergonomics

The design of the AOC Agon AG352QCX monitor is airy thanks to a sober aluminum stand. The VA panel curved over a radius of 2 meters (2000R) benefits from a matt treatment which eliminates almost all of the reflections. From the front, this monitor would pass almost everywhere. However, he offers small details that make him a monitor for gamers.

The LED strips under the screen ...

The gaming key, and not the least, is materialized by the customizable LED bars present at the base of the screen and behind the screen. It is possible to change the color of the LEDs and modify the light intensity.

The rear is much less sober than the front, even if AOC has the good taste to avoid the bright colors that flourish on products stamped gaming. The diodes are integrated in a gray part which is not aluminum, but plastic. We note the presence of a lug to accommodate a helmet and a cable gland at the base of the foot.

The stand ensures good stability of the monitor and also allows rotation around ± 30 °, which is a significant plus. It also frees up space on the desk.

The monitor is adjustable in height by 12 cm and in inclination from -5.5 ° to + 29 °. There is no pivot. The handle at the top of the stand makes it easier to move the 11.8 kg of the monitor.

The connectivity is exhaustive. The AOC Agon AG352QCX offers a DVI input, a VGA input, a DisplayPort input, an HDMI input, two mini-jack audio inputs and two outputs, a mini-USB port for connecting the wired remote control and two USB ports including a USB 3.0 . It also has two unpretentious 5-watt speakers, but whose rendering is correct. Note that the power is transferred to an external box.

There are two ways to access the monitor settings (OSD): using the joystick built into the base of the panel or using the wired remote control. The latter is less ergonomic than the joystick, but it allows quick access to three game presets. The joystick remains the most efficient way to access manual settings. Too bad the interface is not yet at the level of what Asus offers both in terms of ergonomics and responsiveness.

With a white set at 150 cd / m² on our test pattern, the AOC Agon AG352QCX consumes only 25 watts, a relative consumption of only 56 W / m², which makes it the least greedy monitor in our comparison; the average is usually around 100 W / m².


Ergonomics

Colors and contrast

Default: average temperature at 6430 K

Default: gamma curve at 2.2

Default: Delta E medium at 2.0

This monitor arrives from the factory perfectly calibrated, with an average temperature of 6430 K and a fairly stable gamma curve, the average of which is at the perfect value of 2.2. Knowing that it is difficult to detect a drift below a Delta E of 3 - threshold below which the human eye no longer perceives the drifts -, the colors are considered to be perfectly faithful (average delta E measured at 2).

Manual adjustment: average temperature at 6490 K

Manual adjustment: gamma curve at 2.2

Manual setting: Delta E medium at 2.3

We lowered the brightness to 34 in order to obtain a white calibrated at 150 cd / m². The temperature curve is perfect while that of the gamma goes up a little (the average remains at 2.2). On the other hand, the colors are a little less faithful (Delta E at 2.3). Overall, the rendering is still very good.

The contrast is very good for a monitor. If the best models manage to exceed 4000: 1, like the Eizo Fortis FG2421 or the Philips BDM4037UW, this contrast of 2680: 1 already allows you to enjoy a very good black depth, whether in movies or in Games.

Calibrated: average temperature at 6420 K

Calibrated: gamma curve at 2.2

Calibrated: Average Delta E at 1.9

The monitor is already perfectly calibrated basic, the transition to the calibration probe does not improve much, but it allows to stabilize all the curves. The average temperature is still very close to 6500 K, the gamma curve at 2.2, the average delta E goes up a little (1.9).

The VA panel is uniform. The average difference in white is only 9% on the entire 35-inch panel. If the viewing angles are smaller than on an IPS panel, the curved panel here compensates for the defect, especially in the corners of the screen. From the front, you can still see some light leaks in the corners.


Colors and contrast

Reactivity

The AOC Agon AG352QCX does not use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to vary its brightness. This helps prevent flickering from the dim light that causes headaches and eye strain in some people. So there is no problem with this monitor.

The VA panel is rather reactive (average remanence time of 9.5 ms). By default, the overdrive, called here Superintensive (sic), is set to "normal" and provides a satisfactory result by improving the reactivity of the panel without causing any harmful effect. Changing to the "strong" setting results in a rather annoying reverse ghosting phenomenon. Even with a response time at the lowest of 9 ms, the pixels cannot change state more than 111 times per second and the monitor cannot therefore display more than 111 images per second. Small disappointment, the Agon AG352QCX does not offer a backlight scanning system (Ultra Low Motion Blur) which would have improved the sharpness of moving objects.

Finally, the delay in display is measured at 12.7 ms, less than one frame per second. The difference between the image generated by the graphics card and that displayed on the screen is therefore imperceptible.


Reactivity

Conclusion

The AOC Agon AG352QCX is an almost perfect monitor: it is well calibrated, its frequency goes up to 200 Hz, it is FreeSync compatible and its diagonal of 35 inches associated with a small radius of curvature offers good immersion. It thus excels in the video game, but is reserved almost exclusively for this use. Indeed, if its WFHD definition often allows to push all the settings to the maximum, it becomes disabling for office use.


Conclusion

Specifications