Mini LED for little: AOC Q27G3XMN vs. Cooler Master GP2711 | Tweakers

This is a shortened version of a comparison that appeared on Tweakers.

The AOC and Cooler Master monitors both have a 27-inch VA panel. They also have the same screen resolution of 2,560 by 1,440 pixels, or WQHD. The refresh rate of the AOC monitor is 180 Hz, slightly higher than the 165 Hz of the Cooler Master. The latter, on the other hand, has more dimmable zones: 576 compared to 336 of the AOC variant. The more dimmable zones, the better the contrast. Both screens also promise a peak brightness of 1,000 candelas per square meter, which makes details in HDR images emerge more clearly.

The design of the AOC Q27G3XMN is simple. The predominantly thick panel reveals that it is a screen with mini LED backlight. The housing and base are made of matte black plastic, with a red accent here and there. The whole thing doesn’t feel very solid, but it doesn’t feel terribly sturdy either. The screen wobbles back and forth easily when you bump against your desk. It is useful that the panel is height adjustable and can rotate and tilt.

The Cooler Master GP2711 has an edge over the AOC monitor in terms of design. The matte black panel is slightly thinner and rests on a metal leg. The height adjustment does not work very smoothly and the screen cannot swivel very far to the left and right. It is possible to tilt the screen and rotate it into portrait mode. Both screens have a wide bezel at the bottom, and narrow bezels on the right, left and top.

Both monitors offer two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 input and a headphone jack (3.5mm). The Cooler Master monitor does not have a built-in power supply, requiring an alternative power connection. The monitor does offer a USB-C connection that is suitable for DisplayPort Alternate Mode, making it easy to connect a laptop. However, this is not charged at the same time. The Cooler Master monitor does have a KVM function, allowing you to connect two devices to the monitor, which you can operate with one keyboard and mouse.

We have extensively tested the brightness, contrast and color reproduction of the AOC Q27G3XMN and Cooler Master GP2711 in our own test lab. We not only measure the screens with the settings straight out of the box, but also set the monitors for other color spaces, including sRGB. Where necessary, we also adjust the gamma and color temperature. In our extensive comparison you can read exactly which settings we used.

In our testing period we noticed that the AOC Q27G3XMN in 180 Hz mode shows horizontal lines, which are mainly visible on dark blue colors. There is also a kind of noise noticeable on solid colors when you move your eyes across the screen. These problems are hardly or non-existent with the 144 Hz or 60 Hz displays. We tested two copies of the AOC monitor, as the sRGB function of the first copy did not work. The lines and noise were visible on both test models. In addition, the monitor sometimes suffers from flickering at the bottom of the FreeSync range.

The AOC monitor does offer clearly faster response times than the Cooler Master screen. The average response time of our measurements for the AOC is 3 milliseconds, which is in line with the faster IPS screens in our test of 27-inch gaming monitors. With the Cooler Master GP2711, the average response time is 5.2 milliseconds, which is considered slow.

When it comes to energy consumption, there are clear differences between the two mini LED screens. The Cooler Master monitor is relatively economical, but the same cannot be said of the AOC monitor. At a brightness of 150 candelas per square meter, the latter consumes about thirty percent more than the average 27-inch WQHD gaming monitor.

The reason to choose the AOC Q27G3XMN or Cooler Master GP2711 despite the mentioned negatives is the HDR display of these screens. While most mini LED screens under 500 euros fail in the HDR display, the AOC Q27G3XMN and Cooler Master GP2711 do well in the high dynamic range. However, blooming does occur, something that is inevitable on a mini LED screen with several hundred zones. This is slightly less present on the AOC monitor than on the Cooling Master variant. OLED screens perform better in this regard, because the brightness per pixel on these screens can be accurately controlled.

In the price segment under 500 euros, there are virtually no screens with a good HDR display. The brightness and contrast on these monitors are usually too low to do justice to HDR images. Although the HDR display on the AOC Q27G3XMN and Cooler Master GP2711 still cannot match more expensive OLED screens, they offer exceptional HDR display for the segment. However, the color reproduction could be even better.

The Cooler Master monitor has a more luxurious, partly metal construction and a handy USB-C port with KVM function. These extras are missing from the AOC monitor, but it is also slightly cheaper. The AOC Q27G3XMN is particularly interesting because of its recommended retail price of 400 euros. In recent months, the monitor has even been available for less money.

The GP2711 from Cooler Master will cost you at least 450 euros. The higher price in combination with the somewhat slower response times makes the monitor a bit more difficult to recommend. On the other hand, the AOC monitor shows horizontal lines in the picture at some settings. If you can live with this, the AOC Q27G3XMN offers a lot of image for your money in certain areas.

Want to know more about the AOC Q27G3XMN and Cooler Master GP2711, such as specifications, user experiences and the stores with the best prices? Then view the overview in the Tweakers Pricewatch.