It's hard to imagine refresh rates getting any higher but AGON has pushed the boundaries again by delivering a rate of 520Hz. That's impressive but the Pro AG276FK isn't a one-trick pony. Despite being only Full HD, the clarity and picture quality are everything you'd need. Alongside excellent image quality, the monitor has a USB hub to help provide an all-round enhanced experience.
For
Bold and vibrant colours
Impressive HDR results
Ridiculously fast refresh rate
Against
Only Full HD
Relatively expensive
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On the surface, the AGON Pro AG276FK is like any other mid-sized monitor. Its looks are nothing to write home about, with the design aesthetic everything that you've seen from AGON in recent years. From appearances alone, you could place it alongside either the BenQ DesignVue PD3220U or the Gigabyte MO34WQC and it wouldn't stand out.
That's before we start looking at performance. What is relatively unique about the Pro AG276FK is its superfast 520Hz refresh rate that delivers ultra-smooth visuals for competitive gaming. Whether the industry needs monitors providing refresh rates like this is up for debate, but there's no denying that AGON is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Creative professionals might be put off by the FullHD resolution, which lacks clarity at times, but at the end of the day, the Pro AG276FK is unashamedly targeted towards professional gamers. A QHD or UHD resolution would have elevated the monitor and made it suitable for all types of users but AGON has decided not to go down this route.
It's unlikely to make it onto our list of the best monitors but in a hotly contested market, that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot that's commendable about it. Read on to see what we thought of the AGON Pro AG276FK.
(Image credit: Future)
AGON Pro AG276FK: Key specifications
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Screen:
27-inch 1920 x 1080 (WQHD)
Inputs:
HDMI 2.0 x2, DisplayPort 1.4 x2, USB x4, Headphone out
The AGON Pro AG276FK looks remarkably similar to other AOC monitors that have been released in recent times, including the AOC Gaming Q27G4XF and AOC GAMING 27G4XE. It also adopts an almost identical rear panel to the AGON PRO AG346UCD. This includes a special lighting setup that illuminates your desk area in various colours. Glowing colours and patterns can also be customised and even synced up with other AOC devices.
The panel itself is fast IPS, which is an improvement upon standard IPS displays. It enables monitor manufacturers like AOC to deliver amazing colour accuracy and wide viewing angles while also offering enhanced response times. It is the panel technology that allows for the whopping 520 Hz refresh rate.
The resolution of the panel tops out at Full HD (1920x1080) which is probably one of the most disappointing elements of the Pro AG276FK. The 27-inch display means that this resolution is just about clear and detailed enough to be usable. At this price point, though, I would have expected a QHD or even UHD resolution but alas, AOC decided against it.
The Full HD limit will be too low for most creators and too 'soft' in terms of clarity and detail for gamers. The picture quality is mostly redeemed by the fast refresh rate, although a higher resolution would have given users the complete package.
The case itself is made of matt grey plastic and is robust enough to endure any knocks it might face during its lifetime. The screen can be raised or lowered with an easy-to-adjust mechanism.
Features and performance
(Image credit: Future)
The standout feature of the Pro AG276FK is its 520Hz refresh rate and swift response times of up to 0.5ms GtG and 0.3ms MPRT. None of this will be of any relevance to creatives but to gamers; these are truly drool-inducing specifications.
These deliver beautiful, clear motion clarity with minimal input lag and I've not seen a monitor that performs better in this regard. I'm no esports professional but I imagine this will provide you with everything you need. According to AOC, fast-paced FPS titles such as Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant display one frame every 1.92 milliseconds. Impressive.
The refresh rate means that AOC has had to limit the resolution to FullHD. Current-gen GPUs just couldn't perform adequately enough if it was pushed higher. I imagine and would expect that in future years we'll see higher resolutions being paired with extreme refresh rates.
Along with this IPS technology, the Pro AG276FK produces a beautiful image quality. As a creative, I loved the vibrant and bold colours that are a result of the DisplayHDR 400 certification and peak 400 nits of brightness. Most of my creative workflows were not hindered by the Full HD resolution but problems do arise when working with 4K video footage. Again, it's worth keeping in mind that this is primarily a monitor for gamers.
With that in mind, gamers will love a range of other included features, including the built-in Frame Counter and Shadow Control that allow players to monitor their performance and fine-tune their visual experience. There are also Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) and MBR Sync technologies, which can be turned on to further enhance motion clarity in competitive scenarios.
By way of summary, the AGON Pro AG276FK has almost everything you could need as a professional gamer. If you're also a creative, then you'll need to be happy with the limited resolution. Alternatively, if you're only a creative professional and not a gamer, then you'll find better-suited monitors out there for a lot less money.
Price
(Image credit: Future)
The AGON Pro AG276FK is currently available at an MSRP of £499.99 / $530. At this price, you'll have to be sold on having a monitor with one of the quickest refresh rates in the world. At only 27 inches and FullHD resolution, there are better alternatives around, especially if you want to go curved. For example, you could grab the Philips Evnia 34M2C5501A monitor for only £299.99.
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if
You're a professional gamer
You need a next-level refresh rate
You like monitor's with USB hubs
Don't buy it if
You work with high resolution video files
You're on a budget
The Verdict
8.5
out of 10
AGON Pro AG276FK
It's hard to imagine refresh rates getting any higher but AGON has pushed the boundaries again by delivering a rate of 520Hz. That's impressive but the Pro AG276FK isn't a one-trick pony. Despite being only Full HD, the clarity and picture quality are everything you'd need. Alongside excellent image quality, the monitor has a USB hub to help provide an all-round enhanced experience.
Paul is a digital expert. In the 20 years since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, Paul has been actively involved in a variety of different tech and creative industries that make him the go-to guy for reviews, opinion pieces, and featured articles. With a particular love of all things visual, including photography, videography, and 3D visualisation Paul is never far from a camera or other piece of tech that gets his creative juices going. You'll also find his writing in other places, including Creative Bloq, Digital Camera World, and 3D World Magazine.
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