The high-end monitor line Agon PRO from AOC is broadly positioned. With the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2, the manufacturer offers an extremely exciting model: This is because the display relies on second-generation QD OLED technology and combines this with a QHD resolution and a whopping 240 hertz. Is this the absolute sweet spot for esports fans? Possibly, as our review proves.
Technical data
| The product | AGON Pro AG276QZD2 |
| Display size | 27 inch |
| Display resolution | QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) |
| Screen refresh rate | 240 Hz |
| Panel type | QD-OLED |
| Screen surface | Glossy |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m² (SDR); 450 cd/m² (HDR); 1,000 cd/m² (HDR single pixel) |
| Contrast ratio | 1.500.000:1 |
| Color space | 138.4 % sRGB; 99.1 % DCI-P3 |
| Viewing angle | H: 178° / V: 178° |
| Curvature | none |
| Response time | 0.03 ms (GtG) |
| Connections |
|
| Audio connections | 1x 3.5 mm jack |
| Integrated speakers | 2x 5W |
| color | Black/Grey |
| VESA mount | 100 x 100 mm |
| Weight | 5.2 kg (without stand); 6.7 kg (with stand) |
| Special features | Adaptive Sync, VESA Certified DisplayHDR 400 |
| Price | € 536.00 * |
AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 Review: Simple and high-quality
- simple design
- high-quality workmanship
- robust stand
The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 picks up on the design of the manufacturer’s model series, which we last saw in the review of the AOC AGON Pro AG246FK, for example. A simple, dark grey casing meets an asymmetrical, pentagonal panel at the back, around which the manufacturer once again knits a harmonious (and customizable) RGB lighting.
The monitor weighs just around 5.2 kilograms without the stand. The latter can be screwed together easily and without tools in just two steps, whereby the monitor arm includes a simple headset holder and a simple cable guide.
The stand has the same pentagonal shape as the back of the monitor and is held securely in position by a total of five rubber feet. It has a width of around 26 cm and a maximum depth of 23 cm, which means it takes up quite a lot of space on the desk, but is also secure and wobble-free.
In terms of ergonomics, the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 has almost no limits. The display can be swiveled between -28° and 28°, tilted between -5° and 25° and can be adjusted in height by up to 130 mm. Practical: There is even a pivot function that allows the display to be rotated 90 degrees vertically.
This AOC monitor also does not have a VESA hole. However, a VESA adapter is included in the scope of delivery, which is simply attached to the clamping device like the classic monitor arm. The adapter is fitted with foam to prevent the monitor from being scratched during installation.
In addition to the instructions, all necessary cables and the power supply unit are also included. The manufacturer also includes an 8K HDMI cable and a DisplayPort cable. So you can get started right away.
The RGB LIGHT FX lighting can be adjusted in various colors and effects via the on-screen display. It is also possible to synchronize the lighting with other AOC devices. It makes a positive contribution to immersion, but does not react to what is happening on the screen, which is something we really liked on the PHILIPS Evnia 34M2C6500 (our test).
Connections, features and operation
- two HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports
- no KVM switch
- successful joystick operation; tidy OSD
The connections of the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 are located on the underside of the monitor, where they are easily accessible. As always, the pivot function is the quickest way to connect and reconnect the monitor.
The following ports are available here (from left to right): Power, two HDMI 2.0 (up to 144 Hz), two DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 240 Hz), one USB-B 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbit/s, upstream), two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbit/s, downstream) and a 3.5 mm headphone output.
The yellow USB-A port also features a quick charge function, but unfortunately the monitor does not offer a KVM switch.
The monitor is operated via a joystick, which is easily accessible on the right-hand side of the rear panel, even when the game is running. Unfortunately, this model lacks the quickswitch control puck of the AGON Pro AG246FK.
Instead, there is a pleasantly tidy on-screen display (OSD) where you can make various picture settings. In addition to the classic options such as brightness, contrast, color, etc., you will also find an option for the OLED protection mechanisms.
OLED Care, picture modes and speakers
- OLED protection mechanisms must first be activated
- Various picture modes
- Two 5-watt speakers installed
The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 is also well positioned here with its second-generation QD OLED display. Pixel Orbiting and Pixel Refresh are designed to actively prevent burn-in. There are also other options that dim the brightness in certain areas of the image and across the entire surface, which should also prevent burn-in.
It is a pity, however, that the OLED protection mechanisms must first be activated in the OSD. They are all switched off by default. If you want to enjoy your OLED monitor for a long time, you should definitely activate them.
You can also choose between different picture modes in the menu. These include those for different gaming genres such as shooters, RTS or racing games. These have an effect on brightness, contrast and, for example, the color display. If you like, you can also optimize the colour display to the sRGB or DCI-P3 color space, which has a positive effect on the already excellent colour display.
In addition, the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 has multi-view modes (picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture) and offers two 5-watt speakers with a decent sound.
Picture quality of the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2
- outstanding picture quality
- accurate color reproduction
- very good text display
The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 relies on a reflective QD OLED display of the second generation. The surface is so “glossy” that it is impossible to take photos of the front without seeing the entire room mirrored in the display.
So if you have a lot of reflections in your gaming room, you have to align the monitor accordingly to avoid losing image quality. If this doesn’t bother you, you will be rewarded with excellent picture quality.
The AG276QZD2 displays images in a maximum QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and achieves a refresh rate of 240 Hertz via DisplayPort. In our eyes, this is the ideal sweet spot that competitive gamers will be happy with, without the need for overly powerful hardware. I myself use a 4K OLED monitor with 240 Hz and, despite the RTX 4080 Super, I don’t reach the maximum frame rate in 4K at virtually any time.
In the test, the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 impresses with OLED-typical perfect black tones, rich and vivid colors, as well as a really convincing brightness of up to 240 nits in SDR mode and 450 nits in HDR mode – in small areas, even up to 1,000 nits are possible via HDR.
I was also impressed by the accuracy of the color reproduction. This is an area in which many OLED monitors tend to be oversaturated. Fortunately, this is not the case here. At the same time, the greyscales score points, the balance appears excellently balanced and very accurate, so that even fine grey areas are very easy to recognize.
The AG276QZD2 also stands out positively when it comes to HDR display, because while some competitors darken a lot, the monitor delivers a consistently convincing picture here. The monitor also has a very low response time of just 0.03 ms when switching from gray to gray and no tearing, which is why the monitor is also suitable for those who like to play fast-paced shooters.
Text readability is also no longer a problem with second-generation QD OLED displays. Even when zoomed in very close to the image, there is no red and/or green color fringing. The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 is therefore also ideally equipped for everyday office tasks.
Additional gaming functions
- various gaming picture modes
- Additional options for crosshairs
- fps counter
As a gaming and esports monitor, the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 naturally comes with a whole range of modes and functions that can be activated via the joystick or the OSD.
If you move the joystick downwards, a white or red crosshair can be quickly displayed, which is of course quite exciting for shooters. In the OSD, on the other hand, there is the “Scope” option, which also displays a crosshair, but zooms in (in three stages) and enlarges the area directly around it. Unfortunately, it is not possible to deactivate the zoom function with a single click.
With “Game Color”, it is also possible to increase the saturation of the image. The setting is possible between 0 and 20, with a default value of 10. “Shadow Control” makes it possible to reduce dark areas in the image to make it easier to see hidden enemies, for example.
The game also offers various picture modes such as RTS, shooter or racing, as well as three freely configurable game modes that you can assign your preferred settings to. It is also possible to display the frame rate (fps). Here you can use all four corners of the display for the setting.
Lab test of the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2
The excellent subjective impression of the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 should also be confirmed in the lab test. As always, I reset the monitor to its factory settings and took a measurement using the Datacolor SpyderX Elite, which checks the display for brightness, gamma values and color representation, among other things.
In standard picture mode, the monitor fully displays the sRGB color space and achieves 98% DCI-P3 color space coverage. The latter value can be increased even further if you set the monitor’s colors to DCI-P3.
The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 impresses with its excellent color fidelity. By default, it achieves an average value of DeltaE 0.90, which predestines it for color-critical work. Here too, the deviation can be further reduced by switching to DCI-P3 mode. But even in standard mode, these are values that even many significantly more expensive monitors don’t even come close to achieving. Excellent.
The gamma curve also adheres exactly to the value of 2.2. Here you have the choice between three gamma settings in the OSD, which unfortunately do not indicate which value would be set here.
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is slightly below the manufacturer’s specification. I achieved a maximum of 222.2 nits in the test. As always with OLED monitors, the contrast ratio is of course not measurable.
The AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 also delivers an impressive result in terms of color homogeneity, which shows the balance of the color representation. There are hardly any significant deviations here – values of up to 10 are quite normal.
On the other hand, the monitor achieves a new best value in the luminance homogeneity, which shows the balance of the illumination. The maximum deviation here is 1 percent at 50 percent brightness, and at a maximum value the brightness is evenly distributed across all squares. No monitor in our tests has ever achieved this.
AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 Review: Conclusion
Impressive picture quality, 240 Hertz, an OLED panel and all that at an attractive price. With the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2, the manufacturer delivers an outstanding monitor that not only impresses in its core application area of gaming and esports, but also shines in office use or for color-critical work.
The QD OLED monitor masters color reproduction, brightness distribution, contrasts and grayscale excellently and comes with some practical additional features for gamers. This makes the AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 an excellent choice if you are looking for a fast 27-inch monitor with QHD resolution.
I would have liked a little more here and there. For example, HDMI 2.1 or a KVM switch, but that’s complaining at a very high level. A clear buy recommendation.
AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2
Workmanship
Image Quality
Features
Value For Money
93/100
Outstanding QD OLED monitor with 240 hertz, which impresses with its excellent picture quality and practical functions.
