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In 2021, we’ve all arrived at a odd position the place many PC players are faced with some brutal economics in regards to the {hardware} they wish to experience their interest. Upper resolutions and body charges are the place players need to pass, however fairly few can manage to pay for the {hardware} to reach those.
What makes the GPU scarcity much more irritating is that now not way back, the video card value to have playable 4K titles was once dwarfed via that of the show had to enjoy it.
And now, with monitors just like the AOC U28G2XU, the track finish of that financial equation is the lesser expense.
If you’re fortunate sufficient to have a GPU robust sufficient to force it, the AOC U28G2XU seems like exactly the specification of track it’s possible you’ll need to exploit that funding. And, even supposing you don’t have that dream GPU now, sooner or later, video card costs will come again to earth, almost certainly with a bump.
Out of the field
With monitors more than 24-inches, getting them out of the packaging and at the desk isn’t all the time simple. However the packaging and fairly low weight of the AOC U28G2XU makes deployment fairly simple.
The panel is sandwiched between two expanded foam layers, and as soon as slid out of the field, the highest portion can also be lifted away will the make stronger foot, cables and documentation on it. As soon as the make stronger foot is assembled via the applying of a unmarried thumb-tightened screw, it may be slotted to the panel and used to raise that out of the protecting foam with out hanging undue pressure at the display screen.
The relationship between the display screen and make stronger makes use of a button to unlock, and throughout the mating hollow space are VESA 100 holes for the ones with selection make stronger {hardware}.
At slightly over 6kg, lifting it out and positioning it on a table is fairly easy for the general public, and the make stronger arm can rotate the display screen to a vertical portrait place which, if not anything else, is helping vastly with plugging cables in.
Along side the display screen, the packaging incorporates a paper guide, make stronger CD, HDMI and DisplayPort cables, plus energy cables. This design has the PSU built-in into the display screen so there is not any exterior energy provide.
What was once lacking from our assessment field was once a USB downlink cable, however we suspect that, relying at the area, the display screen must include one.
Design & Options
As merchandise geared toward players pass, the AOC U28G2XU is decidedly reserved. It has a black and darkish pink motif, doesn’t come with any LED lighting fixtures and is sort of devoid of gratuitous graphics or elaborations. It’s so peculiar having a look that this wouldn’t glance misplaced in an workplace.
Because the type quantity suggests, the show is 28in in measurement.
The primary characteristic I spotted that inspired me was once the stand design, because it avoids the most obvious flaws of offering excellent steadiness via sacrificing the table space. Many of the steadiness is generated in entrance of the display screen, however the two projections don’t prolong a long way in entrance. And, similarly, the smaller rear ft permit the track to get fairly just about a wall because of a kink within the vertical make stronger construction.
Cable control may most effective be a hollow within the make stronger arm, however the quantity of motion within the make stronger is superb. A vertical translation of 130mm is to be had and a need for the 90-degree twist into portrait mode.
The U28G2XU can also be tilted ahead via 5 levels and again via 23, and the foot lets in for some twisting adjustment with out selecting up and transferring the show.
All of the video inputs are at the central a part of the panel, the USB hub is positioned to the viewer’s proper and gear is at the left. There isn’t any quilt for the inputs, so the entirety stays very out there.
This design has one of the vital higher USB hubs I’ve observed with a unmarried USB-B uplink line and 4 USB-A downstream ports. Those are all USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports offering a most of 5Gbit of bandwidth (shared), and considered one of them is colored yellow to signify that it’s for charging hooked up gadgets.
I anticipated a joystick-controlled OSD in this design, nevertheless it comes with the 5 buttons at the entrance proper underside that I’ll discuss later.
For people that like skinny frames, the U28G2XU has 7mm bezels at the facets and most sensible however 16mm alongside the ground. That thicker decrease strip may supply an invaluable position to however the AOC branding, nevertheless it doesn’t lend a hand the ones the use of a couple of monitors in portrait mode, making the borders asymmetric.
From a technical viewpoint, the vital options of this design are that it has a herbal answer of 4K (3840 x 2160), a most refresh of 144Hz with variable sync. The quoted reaction time is low and it may well maintain 4 video inputs and helps HDR 400.
However, as with many stuff, the satan is in the main points.
In use
The primary characteristic that irked me was once the 5 menu regulate buttons, or technically, 4 and an influence button.
How any individual is supposed to learn the tiny emblems for what every does which can be embossed on black plastic is a thriller. The menu that those buttons function seems somewhere else at the display screen, and there may be little this is intuitive about connecting the movements on one to the opposite.
Thankfully, AOC has created now not one however two tool menus for converting the settings at the U28G2XU, and I extremely counsel putting in considered one of them to make those adjustments as a substitute of making an attempt to make use of the ones buttons, as opposed to energy.
That mentioned, there are some options that aren’t at the tool menu gadget, together with the PiP (picture-in-picture), HDR capability and 6 particular recreation settings, amongst others.
AOC must replace and mix the 2 apps, offering a whole substitute for the OSD. Or, preferably, have a easy tool system that permits the mouse and keyboard to function the entire OSD from a pc or cell software.
The second one questionable selection AOC made is that the HDMI ports are 2.0 specification, and the DisplayPort is same old 1.4. Why is that an issue?
HDMI 2.0 has an higher prohibit of 4K of 60Hz, and DisplayPort 1.4 can most effective be offering 120Hz at this answer because of bandwidth limits. For PC hooked up customers, those limits can also be circumvented to some extent via the use of DisplayPort DSC (show move compression) to get 144Hz at 4K with the similar bandwidth.
For PC customers who can have DisplayPort with any fashionable video card, this isn’t a subject matter, however for the ones connecting from a Sony PS5 or identical console, the loss of HDMI 2.1 and its helps for 4K at 120Hz, the enjoy might be capped at 60Hz when the use of 4K.
Efficiency
The efficiency battle between VA and IPS show generation has been excellent for patrons, because the display screen makers have driven every technique to its very limits. As a textbook instance of what can also be performed with IPS, the AOC U28G2XU demonstrates all of the strengths of that generation and cleverly disguises maximum of its weaknesses.
My checking out printed a very good color gamut that encompasses 100% of sRGB, 82% of AdobeRGB and 88% of the P3 definition. That’s now not on the exacting degree for pro color paintings, nevertheless it’s now not garbage both. At 100% brightness, it hits its quoted distinction ratio nearly precisely, and its default Gamma 2.2 profile is preferably the place it must be.
Colors are colourful with out turning into excessively saturated, and the distinction to be had makes darkish environments extra detailed and immersive.
There is just one side of this design and its illustration that I’d trade, and that’s the backlighting answer. For the reason that worst ratings got here within the luminance uniformity, had been regardless of brightness, areas of the show had been as much as 15% darker than the brightest portions.
The brightest area is within the heart, and the darkest are the ones alongside the highest and the fitting. With a extra flippantly dispensed backlight, this track would were unbeatable in its value vary.
With a quoted brightness of most effective 370 nits, that is by no means destined to be the most productive HDR enjoy, and I wouldn’t counsel purchasing it most effective to look at HDR content material.
Worth
The United Kingdom value for the AOC U28G2XU is £589.99 from Amazon, and it may be discovered all over Europe. It gained’t be launched in america, unfortunately.
To get right of entry to if that’s a cheap value will require different merchandise have an excessively identical specification. However I discovered it tricky to seek out anything else that precisely suits this value level, display screen measurement, answer and refresh vary.
Gigabyte has a identical M28U design, nevertheless it isn’t simple to supply and prices over £800/US$800. The Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG700 is any other related design this is similarly onerous to seek out. It prices US$799.99 from Newegg, if they have got inventory.
One benefit the Samsung gives is that the HDMI ports are 2.1, making it a more sensible choice for console house owners. In looking for those possible choices, it’s obvious that part shortages are impacting track makers around the board, pushing costs upper and impacting to be had inventory ranges.
Take a look at our very best gaming track chart for extra choices.
Verdict
The issue with this 4K display screen, and some other made for gaming, is that obtaining an impressive sufficient video card to force is prone to end up a better problem and considerably extra pricey than purchasing the AOC U28G2XU.
That’s now not one thing that AOC can regulate, however the ones in need of to improve to 4K gaming wish to settle for that with no high-end GPU, turning down all of the settings to reach playable body charges negates the benefit of this enhanced answer.
Those feedback are title-dependent since some video games run nice at 4K on fairly modest GPUs, the place others battle on even essentially the most robust video card with all of the settings at max.
A less expensive choice for players can be to shop for a console, however the HDMI 2.0 ports supply an additional caveat to the use of it for that function. Once more, it depends upon what forms of video games you play and the way a very powerful excessive body charges are.
Given the minimum number of 28in 4K monitors to be had and the costs of the ones few which can be, the AOC U28G2XU seems like a forged selection for the ones in need of to exceed 1440p resolutions. This design gives excellent efficiency, a flexible stand and an invaluable USB hub.
I most effective want it was once extra extensively to be had and that AOC had given it HDMI 2.1 ports.
Specifications
AOC U28G2XU: Specifications
- Panel Dimension: 28in (71.1cm)
- Show Generation: IPS
- Solution: 3840 × 2160
- Facet Ratio: 16:9
- Reaction Time: 1ms (MPRT), 3ms (GTG)
- Viewing Perspective: 178°(H)/178°(V)
- Most Refresh: 144Hz
- Static Distinction Ratio: 1000:1
- Most Brightness: 370 Nits
- HDR Enhance: HDR 400
- Video Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4
- USB ports: 4× USB 3.2 (Gen1) Sort-A connectors, 1 x USB-B(upstream), USB Speedy Fee
- Different Ports: 1x 3.5mm Mini-Jack for Headphones
- Audio system: 2 x 3w
- Variable Sync: AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync
- Weight: 6.13kg (with stand)
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