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Finding the best monitor can be easy and difficult at the same time. It’s easy to spot a good deal, but the huge number of options available for a few hundred bucks or less, deciding which ones are worth spending on can be a challenge. The AOC 27B3HA2 is one such monitor; it is pretty affordable, has good image quality and, of course, lacking in a few areas which is expected in order to reach the sub-£100 price.
At a glance, the AOC 27B3HA2 may not stand out with its specifications, but it gets the job done at a very reasonable price. It features a 27-inch FHD panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 – specs that are undoubtedly common for monitors under £100/$100. But the simple design and 250cd.m2 peak brightness makes it a better choice than competing monitors that come in bald, black enclosures.
Design & Features
The A AOC 27B3HA2’s 27-inch 1080p screen stands on an elegant, circular base with a slim chin that looks like it’s made of gunmetal aluminum. Looks can be deceiving though, the entire thing is made of plastic, but that doesn’t detract from the slick design and chic appearance of the monitor. But unlike the AOC U2790VQ, doesn’t come with the oval hole in the column for organizing all of your attached cables.
AOC describes this design as three-sided-frameless because of its edges that measure a little more than a millimeter, meaning you can put multiple monitors together on your monitor for seamless multitasking.
There are no buttons on the AOC 27B3HA2, save for a hard on/off switch placed beside the power input, since all of its functionality can be accessed via the mini-joystick and on-screen display (OSD). Connectivity comes via a single HDMI port, D-Sub, and a 3.5mm headphone out jack, as well as a pair of 2-watt speakers.
Image Quality
As mentioned earlier, the AOC 27B3HA2 is built on a premium IPS (In-Plain Switching) panel with native 1080p resolution, perfect for productivity, especially when working on tasks that require fine details. That means it has a wide 178-degree off-center view and well-saturated colors. Its wide color gamut (AOC quotes it at 108% sRGB) guarantees its color accuracy. At 1,300:1, the static contrast ratio is fine, though its brightness is low at 250 cd/m2.
For productivity, a refresh rate of 100Hz is respectable, so is the 4ms response time, and considering the 16:9 screen is backlit by LEDs, it’s as crisp as you would expect. So, it doesn’t have a superfast 120Hz refresh rate (or even higher), that you’d ordinarily get with gaming monitors, and it lacks HDR and local dimming that’s available on high-end monitors like the LG 34WN80C-B and the BenQ SW271.
Even without extras like HDR and local dimming, this AOC monitor looks crisp, clear, and consistently shaded. Again, it manages to achieve the level of clarity needed for Photoshop or video editing tasks. That’s made possible by the rich 163 ppi, which lets you scrutinize on-screen images, while the flicker-free WLED backlight is easy on the eye.
As a general productivity monitor, it’s hard to fault the AOC FHD panel, but when it comes to gaming, the 100HZ refresh rate and 4ms response rate can be considered low. AOC doesn’t include G-Sync, or FreeSync either, but even without any gaming features, the monitor can still be used for playing basic games that do not require high visual fidelity.
If you’ll be using the AOC 27B3HA2 for entertainment on the side, the native 1080p resolution and 16:9 screen breathe life into your movies. However, the lack of HDR once again prevents the colors from reaching their full potential. There is a pair of integrated speakers, not so loud, but you have a headphone jack for connecting your powerful audio solution.
AOC 27B3HA2 Review: Bottom Line
The AOC 27B3HA2 is an office monitor that’s well priced for the features on offer, especially that 27-inch IPS screen and borderless design. It’s certainly one you should buy unless you’re looking for something curved or with a higher resolution and HDR. In addition to the competitive pricing, it’s well-specified for the office and it doesn’t disappoint elsewhere; with razor-sharp image quality when showing content, be it Photoshop, Forza Horizon 4 or just viewing 1080p films.
As expected, it gets its fair share of downsides; you’re only getting one HDMI port, no USB port and its overall image quality is basic and its peak brightness peaks at only 250cd/m2. However, considering how much you’re paying to get that 27-inch IPS panel and the included features, those omissions can be overlooked at best. I can’t imagine a display that delivers more for the money. If you’re on a budget but want a great home-office monitor, this is one to keep on your radar.
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