PC & Console Peripherals

AOC AGON AG352QCX under test: Is the 35-inch gaming monitor suitable?

The “AG352QCX” monitor from AOC promises a lot. In the 21:9 format with a 35 inch diagonal, the slightly curved screen looks huge at first. In addition, there is a rapid frequency of 200 Hz. The AOC monitor thus belongs to the trend towards ever higher frequencies.

According to the manufacturer, the screen is primarily aimed at gamers. Of course we appreciated this main purpose in our test – but a gaming screen in 21:9 format can also be used to work in word workmanship programs or spreadsheets. I personally only use this format both at work and at home.

We expect from a gaming monitor in this format above all an excellent resolution, an exact representation of the contents adapted to the respective format as well as sufficient speed for fast games with fast image or position changes.

You can find out what the AOC Agon AG352QCX can offer in our detailed test report.

Design and workmanship

The screen looks impressive and takes up some space. The 21:9 format looks unfamiliar at first if you’re used to 16:9, but it’s extremely practical. The elongated screen is overall satisfactorily finished. The plastic cover clouds the otherwise positive image of the monitor and leads to a rather average evaluation of the exterior.

It also takes getting used to the rather large power supply unit that is needed during operation to supply the screen with power.

Settings are made in a quite extensive menu which can be called up and operated via a control cross located under the screen. A wired remote control is also available. With a weight of twelve kilograms, the screen is exceptionally heavy. Due to its format, however, it also needs the weight for stability.

The design of the monitor is gamingtypical. The impressive 35 inch screen diagonal already makes the monitor stand out. Backlighting is also typical of AOC gaming monitors. So there are no criticisms to be found with regard to the design.

Due to the carrying handle and the foldable headset holder, the monitor is especially suitable for gamers and can also be taken along despite its weight.

Resolution and display

Of course we expect from a gaming monitor an almost perfect presentation of the content. Games are becoming graphically more and more sophisticated – and monitors should be able to keep pace with this development.

Even though not all games support the 21:9 format correctly, there are more and more compatible games. And if there’s no other way, you just switch to 16:9 with black bars. Long screens allow a much wider peripheral view. Especially in action-packed games this can lead to decisive advantages. The AG352QCX offers a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080 pixels.

The overall resolution is quite low, which is likely to suit players with a low budget, as no particularly modern graphics card is needed. Freesync technology enables smooth playback of all content in the frequency spectrum from 30 to 200 Hz, provided the monitor is connected via the DisplayPort interface.

Thanks to the high frequencies, no delay is visible when gambling. As far as the presentation of the contents is concerned, there are hardly any points of criticism at first. As soon as fast-paced games are tested, however, the weak points of the AG352QCX become apparent: The pixels are not fast enough to follow the action on the screen. This leads to disturbing ghosting effects. When movement comes into play, stripes are created that block the view and clearly cloud the fun of playing.

Counteracting can be done by shadow control. The value of the shadow control can be increased in the menu, which largely eliminates the annoying ghosting effects. Unfortunately, all other colors are also significantly attenuated, as the shadow control significantly impairs the contrast display.

Colors and display

With standard shadow control settings, the color rendering is excellent. The black is very rich and also all other colors of the Srgb color space are displayed very well. The monitor also provides the ability to enhance the image through dynamic contrast enhancement, different modes for different game types, and black enhancers.

All in all, the colours are very rich and the colour representation is convincing. Unfortunately, it suffers from the shadow control that must be activated to turn off the ghosting. With increased shadow control, the colors appear pale. The colours look less rich, black becomes darker grey.

Connections, sound and other

In addition to the previously mentioned DisplayPort connector, which must be used for the best possible use of FreeSync technology, AOC offers users an HDMI, VGA and DVI port. There are also two 3.5 mm jacks and two USB 3.0 ports, one of which supports USB Quick Charge.

If the screen is used via the HDMI connection, the FreeSync spectrum is significantly restricted. In addition to FreeSync technology, flicker-free technology is also used. This prevents flickering light in the background, which should increase playing pleasure and reduce eye fatigue. In addition, blue light components are greatly reduced, which also benefits the eyes.

Meanwhile, the sound is output via two 5-watt loudspeakers, which are not convincing in the test. This makes the sound sound tinny and comparatively quiet, even at extreme volume levels.

Conclusion

The AG352QC is comparatively inexpensive, but does not convince in every respect. Ghosting effects force the use of shadow control beyond the default values, which makes the otherwise very rich colors look pale and reduces the gaming pleasure. Apart from this main point of criticism, the monitor offers an attractive design and many connection options. The monitor is aimed at players with a comparatively small budget – but it is not worth its price. The price range of this monitor also offers better solutions.

AOC AGON AG352QCX

Design
Features
Image Quality
Extras
Price-Performance Ratio

Weak Gaming Monitor

At its core, the monitor is not convincing due to strong weaknesses in the display. Good approaches are unfortunately nullified by the graphic dilemma.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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