Display manufacturer AOC revealed a new desktop monitor on Thursday called the Agon AG352UCG. Serving as the latest addition to the company’s Agon line of panels, the 35-inch display sports a small curvature radius of 2,000mm, Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, and a native resolution of 3,440 x 1,440. The company believes this panel is the perfect solution for esports professionals despite its size thanks to a nifty carrying handle for easy transportation between tournaments.
For those not familiar with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, it only works with Nvidia’s GeForce-based desktop graphics cards and its discrete GPUs for laptops. These graphics chips output a number of rendered frames per second just like video, but how fluid the framerates are depend on the underlying hardware, causing fluctuating rates. In turn, a monitor renders these frames a certain number of times per second too and if the two devices aren’t in sync, gamers will see stuttering, screen tearing, and lag. G-Sync fixes that by syncing the display’s refresh rate with the GPU’s output frame rate.
The new Agon curved display is based on Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) technology. Created by Fujitsu, it resides between the old Twisted Nematic tech (TN), which is known for its fast response times and high brightness, and the newer In-Plane Switching tech (IPS) offering 178-degree viewing angles and rich colors. MVA panels have a better contrast than IPS and better viewing angles than TN panels.
“The concave display improves the viewer’s perception of depth whilst minimizing picture distortion, substantially enriching the gaming experience,” the company says. “The small 2000mm radius maximizes curvature, creating a stronger effect than displays with larger radiuses.”
Here are the hardware specifications:
| Screen size: | 35 inches |
| Panel type: | MVA |
| Aspect ratio: | 21:9 |
| Brightness: | 300 nits |
| Dynamic contrast ratio: | 20,000,000:1 |
| Contrast ratio: | 2,500:1 |
| Response time: | 3ms (or 4ms) gray to gray |
| Resolution: | 3,440 x 1,440 at 100Hz |
| Color depth: | 16.7 million |
| Color gamut: | 100 percent sRGB |
| Pixel pitch: | 0.2382mm (H) x 0.2402mm (V) |
| Viewing angles: | 178 degrees |
| Display area: | 819.41mm (H) x 345.88mm (V) |
| Scanning frequency: | HDMI – 30 to 140KHz (H) / 24 to 60Hz (V) DisplayPort – 73 to 151KHz (H) / 30 to 100 Hz (V) |
| Ports: | 1x HDMI 1.4 1x DisplayPort 1.2 4x USB 3.0 ports (one charges) 1x Audio output 1x Microphone jack |
| Audio: | 2x two-watt speakers |
The new display comes packed with proprietary features such as Shadow Control, which can lighten dark areas and darken extremely bright areas for a better, uniform view of the scene. There is also Flicker-Free technology that reduces the amount of flickering by regulating the brightness using a direct current backlighting system, thus reducing eye strain during long sessions. There is a Low Blue Light option too that makes viewing easier and protects the brain’s Melatonin levels so users aren’t up all night after a gaming session.
In addition to the built-in features, the new monitor also includes customizable lighting to match the user’s esports team colors. There are LEDs mounted on the backside of the panel and along the lower bezel that can be set to red, green, or blue colors. These LEDs have three levels of brightness as well (weak, medium, and strong) that can be adjusted through the on-screen display control panel.
AOC’s 35-inch Agon AG352UCG curved display is expected to hit the market in March for just under $1,000.
