AOC CQ32G1 Review - RTINGS.com

Our Verdict

The AOC CQ32G1 is a decent overall monitor. It's a good choice for gaming thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and extremely low input lag. Sadly, it has a slow response time and there's motion blur with fast-moving content. Despite having a VA panel, it's a decent choice for office use as it has fairly wide viewing angles and it gets bright enough to combat glare. This monitor displays deep blacks, but it has poor black uniformity, and it doesn't support HDR if you want to watch HDR movies with it.

Good for gaming. The AOC CQ32G1 has a native 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync support, and G-SYNC compatibility. Sadly, its response time is slow, so there's a motion blur trail in fast-moving content. It's ideal for dark-room gaming due to its VA panel that displays deep blacks; however, it has poor black uniformity.

The AOC CQ32G1 is okay for multimedia use. The 32 inch, 1440p screen is great for sitting back and watching the latest videos online. It displays deep blacks, but it has poor black uniformity and it doesn't support HDR. The monitor has fairly wide viewing angles, but it doesn't offer much in terms of ergonomics.

Okay for content creators. The AOC CQ32G1 has a big enough screen to work with multiple windows opened at once, but the stand has awful ergonomics. It gets bright enough to combat glare if you work in a bright environment and it also has good reflection handling. The monitor also has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.

We tested the 32 inch AOC CQ32G1, which is also available in a 27 inch size, the AOC CQ27G1 . There are similar 144Hz models available from AOC, which are listed below.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their CQ32G1 doesn't correspond to our review, please let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as gray uniformity may vary between units.

There's not much that stands out about the AOC CQ32G1 in terms of gaming. It has a slower response time than most 144Hz monitors, and it has awful ergonomics. However, it the widest viewing angle we've seen on a VA panel monitor so far, and it maintains a very good contrast ratio, making it an ideal choice for watching movies in the dark with a friend. Also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors , the best 144Hz monitors , and the best 32-inch monitors .

The LG 32GN600-B is better than the AOC CQ32G1. The LG has better black uniformity, much better gradient handling, and a faster response time. Unlike the AOC, the LG supports HDR, but this doesn't add much, as it can't display a wide color gamut and can't get very bright in HDR. On the other hand, the AOC has better viewing angles.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The AOC CQ27G1 is a bit better overall than its bigger variant, the AOC CQ32G1. The CQ27G1 has a different stand with much better ergonomics and it has a quicker response time. However, the CQ32G1 gets much brighter, it has wider viewing angles, and it handles reflections in really bright rooms a bit better.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The LG 32GK650F-B is a bit better overall than the AOC CQ32G1. The LG has a much quicker response time, it has better ergonomics, and the uniformity is better too. However, the AOC has much better out-of-the-box color accuracy, it displays a wide color gamut, it gets brighter, and it also wider viewing angles.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The Samsung CHG70 is better overall than the AOC CQ32G1. Both are available in a 27 and 32 inch size, but the Samsung has a different stand than the AOC. The Samsung has a much faster response time at its max refresh rate, it has a local dimming feature, it supports HDR, and its ergonomics are better. However, the AOC has wider viewing angles and better out-of-the-box color accuracy.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The Dell S3220DGF is better overall than the AOC CQ32G1. The Dell has a higher refresh rate, as well as a much better response time, it supports HDR, and the screen has better uniformity. However, the AOC gets brighter, it has wider viewing angles, the out-of-the-box color accuracy is better, and it has a black frame insertion feature to clear up motion blur.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The AOC CQ32G1 and the LG 32QN55T-B use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends on your usage. The AOC is a better choice for dark rooms, as it has a much higher contrast ratio, so blacks look black instead of gray in a dark room. The LG is a better choice for brighter viewing environments, and it has better viewing angles, so it's a better choice if you often share your screen with someone else.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The Nixeus EDG 34 is slightly better than the AOC CQ32G1. The Nixeus has a 34-inch screen, it supports HDR, and it has a much quicker response time, resulting in less motion blur. However, the AOC has a wider VRR range, it displays a wider color gamut and has better out-of-the-box color accuracy, and it also has wider viewing angles.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

The Samsung C49RG9/CRG9 is much better overall than the AOC CQ32G1. The Samsung has a 5120x1440 resolution, it has better ergonomics, it gets much brighter, supports HDR, and has a quicker response time. On the other hand, the AOC has a 144Hz refresh rate, a better contrast ratio, wider viewing angles, and much better out-of-the-box color accuracy.

Compare Side-by-Side SEE OUR REVIEW

Although monitors with VA panels usually have narrow viewing angles, the AOC CQ32G1 has a surprisingly decent horizontal viewing angle. Colors remain fairly accurate when viewing from the side, and although you won't get the same wide viewing angles as IPS monitors, it's still good enough for co-op gaming with a friend.

LEARN ABOUT HORIZONTAL VIEWING ANGLE

The AOC CQ32G1 has impressive out-of-the-box color accuracy. There are two pre-set modes you can adjust the picture settings with: Game and Eco , which locks the brightness and color settings. We used the Game mode and most colors are fairly accurate, although some people might notice inaccuracies with the color red. The color temperature is a bit on the warm side and gamma follows the curve fairly well, but dark scenes are too dark, and bright scenes are too bright.

LEARN ABOUT PRE CALIBRATION

After calibration, the color accuracy is near-perfect. Any remaining inaccuracies aren't visible without the aid of a colorimeter. Gamma follows the curve better overall, but some bright scenes are still over-brightened.

You can download our ICC profile calibration here . This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model, due to manufacturing tolerances.

LEARN ABOUT POST CALIBRATION

The AOC CQ32G1 has a mediocre response time, worse than the AOC CQ27G1 and most other 144Hz monitors. The best overdrive setting is 'Strong', but its response time is slow with this setting and it has some overshoot, resulting in noticeable motion blur. Set it to 'Medium' if you want less overshoot and don't mind a slower response time. If you want a similar monitor with a faster response time, check out the ASUS TUF VG32VQ .

LEARN ABOUT RESPONSE TIME @ MAX REFRESH RATE

The response time at 60Hz is better than at its max refresh rate, but it's still mediocre. The recommended overdrive setting is 'Medium', so you might have to change the setting if your game's frame rate drops. The 'Strong' setting has a significantly slower total response time and more overshoot, so there's ghosting with fast-moving content.

LEARN ABOUT RESPONSE TIME @ 60HZ

The AOC CQ32G1 has an excellent refresh rate. You can achieve its max refresh rate of 144Hz only over HDMI 2, as the refresh rate on the HDMI 1 input is limited to 85Hz. The monitor has native FreeSync support and it's G-SYNC compatible, although the latter only works over a DisplayPort connection. If you want a similar monitor with a higher refresh rate, check out the Gigabyte G32QC .

LEARN ABOUT REFRESH RATE