Is this the fastest gaming monitor in the world?

By Jon Martindale November 25, 2016

Amid all the holiday and Black Friday craziness, AOC has a new AGON monitor out — and touts it as the fastest gaming monitor in the world. We’re not talking megahertz or bandwidth but refresh rate, as the new AOC AGON AG251FZ can operate at up to 240Hz and has a response time of just 1ms.

The 25-inch TN panel is aimed at high-end gaming, where seeing every frame is paramount. There are arguments to be made that it’s hard to spot much of a difference over 144Hz, but for those looking to see every frame — to gain a millisecond advantage over an opponent — this could be a worthwhile feature.

aocfast04 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

There will definitely be no trace of ghosting either, thanks to the ultrafast response time. There’s even a low-input-lag mode, to make your commands and movements appear ever so slightly quicker. The resolution is your bog standard 1080p, in a 16:9 ratio.

Other features include freesync, so there should be no problems with screen tearing. You also get AOC’s Flicker Free technology (thanks Hexus) and Low Blue Light modes, which should make this monitor easier on your eyes over longer periods.

Inputs include a single HDMI 1.2a, one HDMI 2.0 port, a DVI and an additional VGA. There’s also four USB 3.0 ports and 3.5mm jacks for headphones and microphone inputs.

The only downside to all these features is that this red-backed monitor isn’t cheap. We don’t have U.S. pricing at the time of writing, but it’s listed at a price of 450 pounds in the United Kingdom, which, if we remove the 20 percent for VAT and do a direct conversion, comes out at around $450 before tax. It’s expected to start shipping in January.

It’s big, red-striped, and super fast, but are all those extra hertz worth you putting down close to $500 for a 25-inch monitor?

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