AOC has announced the U27G4XM gaming monitor that promises an excellent HDR experience at a competitive price, and without burn-in risks. To do so, the brand is leveraging Mini LED technology to ensure proper HDR lighting, blending LCD’s higher brightness with multi-zone local dimming to improve contrast.
In particular, the U27G4XM uses a 27in Mini LED IPS panel boasting 1,152 local dimming zones. Though far from OLED’s per-pixel control, this is a good-enough granular adjustment that should result in a convincing HDR representation. On the other hand, unlike OLEDs which suffer from limited peak and sustained brightness, Mini LEDs can go brighter while maintaining their higher luminosity for longer, with AOC claiming up to 1,200nits of peak brightness on this model. As a result, this bad boy complies with the DisplayHDR 1000 certification, which is mainly found on premium products.
But that’s not all, the U27G4XM is also a fast and sharp display, boasting a 3840×2160 UHD resolution at 160Hz refresh rate. If you mainly play AAA games, this speed is more than enough to enjoy a smooth experience. But in case you prefer to jump into some fast action, you can still do that thanks to the built-in dual refresh mode, allowing you to boost speed up to 320Hz at the cost of a reduced 1920×1080 FHD resolution. So, unless you are an esports-only player, the U27G4XM brings a perfect mix of specs, especially at its price. This includes console players who can enjoy up to 4K 120Hz gaming with HDR.
In addition to the stunning highlights and deep blacks, the U27G4XM offers great colour reproduction and accuracy, covering 151.8% of the sRGB and 98% of the DCI-P3 gamut. The usual AOC toolkit is also present, including low input lag modes, various crosshair overlays, and PiP/PbP for the multi-taskers out there.
Moving over to the I/O, we find two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, a four-port USB 3.2 hub, and a 3.5mm audio-out. Lastly, for ergonomics, you get a fully-adjustable stand offering 130mm height, 28° swivel, 90° pivot, and from -3° to 21° tilt control.
The AOC Gaming U27G4XM will be available from January 2026 at £399.99 MSRP, backed by a three-year warranty. It will be a hard toss-up between this model and AOC’s recently announced £399 QD-OLED, as each counters the other’s weaknesses.
