AOC CQ32G1 32in Curved 144Hz Gaming Monitor Review

Rating: 8.5.

Curved gaming screens are starting to go mainstream, and they're getting bigger. Samsung upped the ante to 32in 18 months ago with the C32HG70, and Iiyama lowered the price for that diagonal more recently with the G-MASTER G3266HS-B1. Now AOC is splitting the difference with the CQ32G1. It boasts a similar specification to the Samsung screen, but is just £85 more expensive than the Iiyama.

The CQ32G1 takes the same strategy as the C32HG70 and opts for a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, which many current top-end graphics cards can now manage even with the most GPU-intensive games. Like both the Iiyama and Samsung screens, 144Hz is supported with FreeSync. Since NVIDIA is now allowing you to make use of this with its latest drivers, the feature is more useful than ever.

Like the other two 32in curved screens we've looked at, the curvature is 1800R and a VA panel is used, which majors on contrast. The specification is 3,000:1, although brightness is a merely decent 300cd/m2. AOC quotes a 1ms response time, but this is MPRT rather than grey-to-grey as VA doesn't have the same response as TN.

There's a reasonable range of inputs, with two HDMI and a DisplayPort, although no legacy analog video is supported. There's also no USB hub, which is always a handy addition, and precious little physical adjustment available. Nevertheless, at £360 for this screen size, resolution, and refresh rate, there's plenty here to convince forgiveness of such omissions. At this price, the CQ32G1 could be the affordable big-screen curved gaming monitor we've been waiting for.

Specification:

• Screen size: 31.5-inch, 16:9 aspect,1800R curve
• Native resolution: 2,560 x 1,440
• Refresh rate: 144Hz
• Panel type: VA
• Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 (typical)
• Brightness: 300cd/m2
• Response time: 1ms MPRT
• Display inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2
• USB hub: No
• Tilt: 4 degrees forward, 21.5 degrees backward
• Raise: No
• Swivel: No
• Other: Audio output, FreeSync

Retail Price: £359.99 (inc. VAT)

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