The
AOC AG271QG and
ViewSonic XG2703-GS are indeed very similar. Some slight differences to be aware of:
–
Aesthetics and ports. Obviously the two models look different. The AOC has two side-mounted 3.5mm jacks (mic + headphone), headphone hook and USB 3.0 ports. It also has a 3.5mm mic jack at the rear. The ViewSonic has a single 3.5mm jack (headphone), headphone hook and 2 USB 3.0 ports at the rear, which is slightly less convenient for access of the ports. One of the AOC’s USB ports also supports fast-charging, whereas the ViewSonic does not have such a feature. The stand height adjustability is better on the AOC as well (130mm vs. 100mm).
–
Gamma tracking.. The ViewSonic’s gamma sits very close to the ‘2.2’ curve, whereas the AOC sits at ‘2.3’ on average. Not a huge difference here, but it does mean the ViewSonic is technically more accurate ‘out of the box’ (and following OSD adjustments) whereas the AOC displays some shades with just a little bit of extra depth. Some users actually like that, particularly for gaming. The AOC also has 2 alternative gamma modes, but as per the review I’d stick with the default ‘Mode1’.
– The
‘Low Blue Light’ (LBL) setting on the AOC can achieve similar results to that of the ViewSonic without upsetting contrast. Both maintain decent static contrast under LBL, but it’s a bit higher on the AOC with the ‘Low Blue Light’ setting on even to its maximum (most effective) setting.
– The AOC has a superior
brightness adjustment range, at least from what we tested. 42 cd/m2 min (vs. 55 cd/m2 for the ViewSonic) and 384 cd/m2 (vs. 312 cd/m2 for the ViewSonic).
–
Pixel responsiveness. The ViewSonic has a slight edge here, but only really in the transitions that both are slightly slower than optimal on. This is a slight difference and most users wouldn’t detect this readily even in a side-by-side comparison.
So as you can see, they are very similar but there are some slight differences if you look at the detail. I would choose based primarily on price and availability, plus if you have any strong preferences for one or the other based on their looks. Because that is of course important as well. If they’re difficult to seperate based on that, then some of the small details above should also be considered.