If you've been hunting for a budget HDR gaming monitor, there's a good chance you've come across the AOC Q27G3XMN. We've been recommending it for the past 18 months for punching above its weight in the crowded 1440p monitor space. Now, AOC is back with a follow-up: the Q27G40XMN, a new model that aims to elevate the original formula without straying too far from its budget roots.
At first glance, not much has changed. The G40 keeps the same 27-inch VA panel, 1440p resolution, and 180Hz refresh rate. But under the hood, key upgrades push it into a more serious HDR contender. The number of full-array local dimming zones has jumped from 336 to 1,152 – a major improvement that promises tighter control over contrast and fewer distracting bloom effects.
There's also a shift to quantum dot backlighting, expanding the color gamut well beyond what the G3 could offer. All of this is achieved while maintaining familiar gaming features like adaptive sync.
Although the Q27G40XMN is a successor to the Q27G3XMN, we expect both models to coexist in the market for some time, with the newer G40 model positioned as a slightly more premium offering. It is priced at $300 at Best Buy, while the G3 has typically sold for around $260 to $280 over the past year. Is it worth a $20 to $40 premium for more dimming zones? We are going to find out today. We also anticipate broader availability for the G40, especially since, unlike its predecessor, it is available from day one in Australia.
Design and Features
As usual, we are starting with the design, which has actually been downgraded compared to the G3 model. The Q27G3XMN came with a decent height-adjustable stand that provided standard ergonomics. However, the Q27G40XMN omits this in favor of a fixed-height stand with only tilt adjustment. This means that if you want to use the display at a height other than the very low default, you will need to buy a separate VESA mount or stack books underneath.
We believe only ultra-budget monitors should come with fixed stands, and at a $300 price point, some level of height adjustability should be expected. This is a big disappointment.
The overall build quality of the monitor is acceptable, though the exterior is mostly composed of basic black plastic that leans toward the lower end of the quality spectrum. It does not have a premium appearance. The rear is simple, featuring geometric sculpting and a red ring highlight.
The front has standard-sized bezels and a large chin along the bottom edge. The stand pillar is extremely basic, and the base is a small, flat, plastic-coated hexagonal shape. Making matters worse, the fixed stand is quite wobbly, which becomes frustrating when navigating the OSD.
The port selection has also been downgraded compared to the previous model. We now get just one HDMI 2.0 port and one DisplayPort 1.2 port, with no USB ports. This means one HDMI port has been removed, and the DisplayPort has been downgraded from DP 1.4 to DP 1.2. Despite this, AOC's website advertises it as DisplayPort 1.4. As far as we can tell, it actually uses HBR2 bandwidth, not the HBR3 used with true DP 1.4.
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