AOC Gaming CQ32G2SE - 32 Inch QHD Curved Monitor, 165Hz, 1 ms MPRT, VA, AMD FreeSync Premium, Low Input Lag, Speakers (2560x1440 @ 165Hz, 250 cd/m², HDMI/DP)

Product Information

Unfortunately, G-Sync is not compatible with this monitor, however, if you use an AMD GPU or games console the FreeSync activation window is very wide, keeping the action stable from 48Hz all the way up to 165Hz. Video processing was average for the category. I’ve already noted the overdrive’s undershoot issue. In practice, it isn’t a huge problem but there is room for improvement. Adaptive-Sync worked without issue on both AMD and Nvidia platforms (see FreeSync vs G-Sync to decide which is better). My GeForce RTX 4090-based PC had no problem keeping the frame rate maxed at 165.

There’s nothing groundbreaking on offer here, but it’s a solid lineup of connectivity options. Two HDMI 2.0 inputs are joined by a single DisplayPort 1.2 input for connecting multiple consoles, PCs or laptops. A 3.5mm audio line-out is also included for connecting to speakers or headphones, which is useful if you have several devices connected to the display. There is no USB passthrough, but this is to be expected in entry-level monitors. The dynamic contrast shows the ratio between the brightest and the darkest color, which the display can reproduce over time, for example, in the course of playing a video. The storage altitude shows the maximum possible altitude for secure storing of the display. Storing it above this limit may result in damaging the display.And that's it! Don't worry too much about the little message that says 'Selected Display is not validated as G-Sync Compatible'. That's just alerting you that the monitor isn't one of Nvidia's official G-Sync Compatible monitors, so your G-Sync experience may not be the absolute bestest best available.

The default colour accuracy is very good out of the box, requiring very little adjustment during calibration. Colour saturation is only average, but the gradients are still very smooth across the whole range. If you prefer a more deeply saturated image, the Game Colour setting does a good job of increasing saturation without overexposing the image and blowing out the colours. Setting Game Colour to 12, colours appear richer and deeper while retaining good balance. It is less natural, but it brings images to life. Information about the number of pixels on the horizontal and vertical side of the screen. A higher resolution allows the display of a more detailed and of higher quality image. Information about whether there is a possibility for wall mounting according to the VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS). Often even a higher peak luminance can be achieved under certain conditions. For example, when a smaller area/APL of the display is used for showing a bright object, when a bright object is displayed for a short time, etc.Approximate width of the display. If the manufacturer does not provide such information, the width is calculated from the diagonal and the aspect ratio. Information about the maximum horizontal viewing angle, within which the image on the screen is of acceptable quality. Information about the maximum vertical viewing angle, within which the image on the screen is of acceptable quality.

Information of the number of pixels in a unit of length. With the decrease of the display size and the increase of its resolution, the pixel density increases. Brightness, contrast and fluidity were all very good without being the very best in class – while serious pro-level gamers will probably want something that goes above and beyond what the AOC CQ32G2SE is able to offer, it's a great curved monitor for the rest of us, with some stand-out specs (like that 165Hz refresh rate). On the whole, it's going to get your games looking great, and at a larger size than many models can offer. Ergonomics Information about the ergonomic functions - height adjustment, swivel angles, tilt angles, etc. VESA mount Information about whether the stand can be dismounted. Usually, this is required for wall mounting. This is a VA panel, a type of tech that traditionally offers slightly slower response times, and it's worth pointing out that the 1ms response time quoted in the monitor's specs is an MPRT or Moving Picture Response Time figure – that's not quite as impressive as using the traditional GTG or grey-to-grey method of measuring response time. When the action on screen is moving fast, the monitor can't always keep up, but we wouldn't say it seriously degrades the viewing experience (and we weren't able to test it with AMD FreeSync).In productivity, the AOC CQ32G2S excels. Its curve is a non-factor for word processing or spreadsheets and there is no visible image distortion. The stand and screen height allow one to set the panel vertically so the eyepoint is centered. This ensures that the entire image is in focus from edge to edge. With my calibration in place, color accuracy was well suited for photo editing and graphics work. The high contrast made Word documents easy to read at the smallest text sizes. I’m pretty average at competitive shooters, so naturally, I take every advantage I can get. It’s hard to quantify, as sometimes I just have a good day, but I was consistently finding myself making hits and occasionally nailing head-shots on CS:GO. I found the gaming responsiveness felt just as good as many premium gaming monitors I have tried.