The 24G2SPU AOC Gaming Monitor aims to prove that good things do come in small packages.
Big isn’t always better when it comes to video games. The humble Gameboy is still an icon of its time and while I love massive open-world adventures, sometimes there’s a simplicity to cutting loose in Genshin Impact that makes the mobile experience worth every inch of screen estate. The 24G2SPU AOC just landed on our doorstep, and while this diminutive display didn’t have any trouble fitting through our door, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty packed inside this gaming-grade monitor. Falling under the AOC gaming brand, rather than the top tier AGON lineup, the 24G2SPU may not tower over all comers like an RGB fuelled tyrant, but the specs for this monitor are still impressive.
Specifications
Display
Panel Resolution: 1920×1080
Screen Size: 23.8 (INCH)
Pixels Per Inch: 93
Panel Type: IPS
Brightness: 300 nits
Backlight: WLED
Adaptive Sync: Compatible
Performance
Refresh rate: 165Hz
Response Time: 4 ms GtG
Response Time: 1 ms MPRT
Connectivity
HDMI: 1.4 x 2
DisplayPort: 1.2 x 1
D-SUB: (VGA) x 1
USB 3.1(Gen2) x 4 – One Fast Charge Port
Audio Line in
Headphone out (3.5mm)
Out The Box
Getting the 24G2SPU out of the box is a swift affair. Unlike the gargantuan Porsche Designed monitor that we took for a spin recently, this slimline 24-inch display simply slides out and barely weighs in at more than around 4 KG. The polystyrene packaging isn’t as environmentally friendly as the Philips Momentum 3000 series but keeps the components in good shape d7uring transport. Inside the box, you’ll find all the relevant cabling, the main display, and a two-part stand. Construction is, as you’d expect, a quick two-step process thanks to the clip in VESA compatible backing and the toolless display stand.
Design
The 24G2SPU isn’t a high fashion accessory or a blistering cascade of RGB lighting. Instead, this displays its gaming credentials in a mix of form and function. The base takes an aggressive stance, using angular lines to
attack anybody using the display. The three-sided bezel-free front makes the most of the person facing components, while a black plastic finish contrasts against smooth red accents to give the rest of this a little flair. If you happen to turn the 24G2SPU around, a similar design ethos is prominent on the rear. Angular lines cut into the cover to complement some attacking air vents while making room for red decorative stripes and generally reminding owners that there’s plenty of performance available without too much peacocking.
Plug Me In
Functionally, the 24G2SPU comes with a rather unusual set of ports placed along the bottom of the display. While the USB, line out, HDMI, and DP ports are expected in this age, the inclusion of a VGA port is either a life saver or an odd arrangement depending on your needs. This doesn’t leave our latest from AOC in the past, however. The Display Port is 1.2 and HDMI supports 1.4, meaning we can expect some swift response times and colorful tests to come.
Color Testing
Like all our monitor tests, this little tyke started with an out-of-box calibration and then a full suite of tests using a Spyder X color calibration tool. The results of this initial setup are below.
100% of sRGB, 86% of AdobeRGB, 92% of P3, 82% of NTSC
Variation from out of box setup was minimal and while the AOC website doesn’t offer a color coverage that we could find, the results are very persistent with what we have come to expect from AOC’s panels. RGB coverage clocked in at 100% with a respectable 86% for AdobeRGB, a surprisingly high 92% of P3, and 82% of NTSC. Despite falling short of the AGON gaming brand, the color coverage of the 24G2SPU is excellent for any sort of gaming. The inclusion of HDR modes and a punchy 300 nits of stable WLED backlight mean that colors aren’t just pleasantly accurate but have good dynamic range for such a small piece of screen estate. The inclusion of a generic, game, and movie HDR config might not provide the most intricate configuration options, but the light and shadows dancing across Lara’s tomb raiding quests are as good as ever.
It would be remiss of me to skip over the fact that despite the included HDR modes, this monitor is not HDR certified. I’ve not been able to get HDR support to work on the latest generation of consoles, and that’s not surprising considering the display’s HDMI 1.2 ports. While removing and re inserting cables repeatedly brought HDR options to life in Windows, a fully certified cable that we reviewed wasn’t able to get HDR mode to comply with my own PS5, so results may vary.
Performance
If you are looking to bring next generation console gaming to your desktop, then the 24G2SPU will certainly allow you to compete, even if you’re aiming to get into the trigger happy world of Valorant esports. The 24G2SPU offers a 1m MPRT and 4ms GtG while it can manage FHD resolution up to a whopping 165Hz. We started our more clinical testing with the usual Blur busters UFO monitor testing at 60Hz, 120Hz, and 165Hz while using a slow motion camera to confirm the output.
We also tested the monitor’s GtG timings, which involves using a photodiode detector, a control unit, a simple HDMI input, and a bit of math to average out the GtG time. The results of the GtG testing clock in at an average of 3.4ms. It’s quite reasonable to assume that even with experimentation errors or outside interference, this still means the 24G2SPU is as fast as AOC believes it to be.
When we checked the result of the Blur Busters UFO test, details and colors are as sharp as can be expected. However, lower frequency settings leave some very visible ghosting in their wake. As we’ve reported before, playing down at 60Hz isn’t optimal for these AOC designs. It results in ghosting that seems visible to the naked eye. Adaptive Sync does help clear this up a little, and G-Sync compatibility with our RTX 3070 Founder’s Edition GPU was unexpected but very welcome. However, the 24G2SPU only starts to feel at home at 120Hz and beyond, clearing up any hint of graphical distortion, misfiring, or ghosting on screen. When the 24G2SPU opens up, things feel wonderfully snappy with fast and fluid graphics that indicate this is a monitor built for speed. The included overdrive options further add to that impression. Available at the click of a button and sometimes linked to the monitor’s preset modes, the weak, medium, and strong settings all work best at higher refresh rates. Turning on overdrive, testing was entirely true to expectations. At lower refresh rates we really didn’t’ notice much improvement but over at 120Hz and up, especially at low and medium configurations, this proved optimal without causing any obvious overshot of image distortion.
A Playable Experience?
Let’s be quite clear. The 24G2SPU is every bit as blisteringly fast as the AGON AOC AG324UX. This is a solid performer for anybody looking to fill a smaller space or plug into an AMD RX6600 or RTX 3050. When plowing through Apex arenas. In Apex Legends tracking was impressively quick and tearing isn’t in the 24G2SPU’s vocabulary. The bonus of a fully G-Sync compatible monitor was fantastic when the smoke bombs came out and things got chaotic around the drop zones. Equally, when easing into more cinematic experiences, the view is charming but definitely not epic. The limited HDR support means you’ll want to check your setup before relying on this, and the small size can leave you squinting to make out intricate detail, such as dangers in the dark. The built-in speakers, similarly are adequate but feel underwhelming at 2W. They certainly manage the job where headsets are not available but for atmospheric sound, they lack presence or any Dolby codec support.
Despite this, most media on the 24G2SPU is a pleasure to watch. The only thing that seriously bothered me is the OSD interface. While I may have noted the Porsche PD27 OSD seems unusual, the 24G2SPU uses a far more dated set of menu buttons. Located at the bottom right hand corner of the display chassis, this set of left to right navigation buttons slide and flick across the on screen menus in an unintuitive fashion. Layouts feel cramped and messy, if they make any logical sense. If it wasn’t for the excellent G-Menu software I might have just left the 24G2SPU on its default settings most of the time. Thankfully, between the Nvidia Control panela and the G-Menu, many of the most important options are already accessible via desktop software mode systems.
Final Thoughts
While some of the 24G2SPU options mean that it doesn’t work for all scenarios, this is an extremely capable monitor. If you want fast paced, crystal clear 1080p performance then the 24G2SPU is a worthy addition to your desktop. The exceptional response time, a great IPS backed panel, the broad Adaptive Sync compatibility, and a broad range of connections make it a compelling choice for bedroom games with small spaces but big ambitions. if you’re not looking for the biggest but want a monitor that will likely stay with you through your upgrades then the AOC 24G2SPU is worth putting on your wishlist. You can find out more about the 24G2SPU over on the AOC website now.
