IPS vs VA Gaming Monitors - AOC AG275QXN 1440p 165Hz Review

Products provided by AOC
A few weeks ago I tested AOC’s AG275QX, a 1440p 170Hz IPS gaming monitor that, as long as the price is right, is a pretty good shout. So you might be wondering what it’s doing back here on my desk - well this isn’t actually an AG275QX, it’s an AG275QXN. Big deal, I know! The difference here is which panel this uses. Instead of using an IPS panel capable of running at 170Hz, this is actually a VA panel running at 165Hz instead. Seeing as these two are so similar, I thought this would be a good chance to compare side-by-side the differences between the two and talk through why I would buy one over the other.

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IPS vs VA Gaming Monitors - AOC AG275QXN 1440p 165Hz Review

TechteamGB

[ExalyThor]

Those response times are still excellent for a va compared to others.

[nimkal]

Thanks a lot for this! Definitely going VA this time after I tried a VA panel and noticed how beautifully crisp the colors were with nice BLACKS, which was not good on my expensive IPS LG monitor I had owned for 3 years. So this time, going VA for sure! Very beautiful picture, I'm excited.

[shunae]

The truth is, most people go for IPS because of hearsay, but in reality, VA is a better monitor nowadays.
I can bet if you put both side by side without knowing which panel they were, 90% will pick VA to be better.

Just think logically, how can the color be better when IPS can’t display black properly? It’s just a thing people say, And people blindly follow.

I got AOC 27G2SE after surveying for a while and has never regretted. Maybe AOC has better VA panel, and I can tell you, GHOSTING is an issue to only 1% of gamer.
Most of you can’t really see the difference, yeah you.

[МиленКацев]

Why dot mention disgusting blacklight bleed / glow in ALL IPS monitors???

[alexg]

I owned previously an AOC 1440p curved VA panel 144hz and to be honest it was pretty good.
Now on IPS 170hz and I can appreciate the difference, but those VA AOC monitors are good.

[TimonY]

The ips panel version is too expensive, especially considering how bad the contrast is. I ordered a VA panel, I'll see if I like the monitor. If not, I'll just take it back to the store. Gigabyte M27Q X Rev 2.0 has a sub-pixel RGB layout - this is what I would choose from budget 2k monitors

[shanksisnoteventhatstrongbruh]

is it just impossible to get flat VA panels/monitors tuned for 90%-100% refresh rate compliance at the lower price brackets? samsung supposedly got close with the 1440p G7 but that is a curved panel with horrible QC and tipically 2.5x the price of this :/
IMO VA would be the overall better tech of the two if monitor manufacturers bothered tuning the response times properly, we know fast/quick VAs can be made (G7, G8, G9 and NEO G7 and NEO G9) so idk what is stopping AOC (as an example) from tuning the response times of the AG275QXN accordingly.

[DjMessiahUK]

RE: The AG275QX peak brightness - That's unusual, and it may be indicative of a faulty panel, as the AG275QX I reviewed peaked at 440 nits with a contrast ratio of 960:1 (in sRGB mode it was capped at 200 nits).

[simplybegood]

I got a va because the deep blacks r awesome then I got an ips and sold it because I still like the blacks in the va monitor also I watch a lot of movie more than gaming so it's personal preference

[nozyspy]

But what about the horrors of IPS glow?

[Tish]

Please don't use testufo shots not done according to the guidelines. The white dots must form a streight vertical line. The comparison shows much more camera movement problems than ghosting problems.

[Tish]

Would it be possible to measure AGON AG275QZN at 120Hz? Basically every single VA monitor has much less ghosting at 120Hz. With the current results, the 8, 33ms refresh window would bump up the refresh rate compliance from 40 to 67%, for those who don't chase super-high frame rates.

[ilKamuTube]

Why are you using the "initial response time" test for the IPS and the "perceived response time" test for the VA?

[KimTe]

In general and especially budget monitors IPS is much faster but i much prefer more expensive VA panels to ips even thouhg still slower, for me its enough with sooo much better contrast ratio which to me is more important than being bit faster. But now im wondering should i buy higher end VA or go all out on OLED to not only get amazing contrast but also best in class response times...

[Tish]

Am I correct that the IPS monitor had Black Boost or similar setting beyond the neutral level, that's why the contrast is so absurdly low even for an IPS monitor?

[the-patient-]

I definitely don't play competitive games. But also I am currently on a 60Hz TV and I don't have any experience with a higher end monitor. At some point I hope to upgrade but I'd like to try a few options first.

[han_mono]

Nice comparison, did you check with BFI enabled on the VA too?

[hanscfs]

I use VA monitor. My god, the color is soo good. Not as good as Oled or my Sony X series TV, but it is pleasing to the eye.
The most important thing is get the newest or mid-high VA monitors.
I get MSI one with USB Type C connection, Very simple and neat setup.
Of course IPS will always be faster, less black smearing, and more color accurate.
But for my usage: 80% of the time working with sheets, docs, data, etc. 20% for media consumption, this is more than enough.
No, I did't play FPS games or competitive games in here. Just casual games because I use my PS5 in my TV instead for AAA games.

[LordKingPotato]

I just purchased the AG275QXN too pair with the new Xbox S 1TB. It ticks all the boxes for my need's so I'm hoping it will be great. Looking forward too play Starfield 👍

[thetechrealist]

IPS is only better if you actually want to use the high refresh rate & need the extra clarity

For General Stuff: Movies, YouTube, Gaming (single player) Lower Refresh Rate

The VA wins every time

Low Contrast should be a thing of the past