Hands on: AOC 27B3CA2 review
This review first appeared in Issue 357 PC Professional Edition.
We wanted to review the AOC 27B3CF2 in this lab because you can buy it for a similar price to the 27B3CA2 and they are the same except for one factor: the stand. The version with A2 on the end has a lightweight plastic bracket that holds monitor In the fixed position, with the base approximately 110mm from the tabletop, the F2 offers 110mm of height adjustment.
Both monitors offer the enticing prospect of a 27-inch USB-C docking monitor for around £150, and to hit that price point AOC has had to make some compromises. Let’s start with features: you only get two USB-A ports (5Gbits/sec) and nothing extra, unless you count 3.5mm earphone socket. Otherwise, there’s only one HDMI port on the back.
You also don’t get hedonic features like a stand with swivel functionality, but since the device weighs just 4.4kg, it’s easy to maneuver and carry around the office. At least you can get some tilting action, 5° forward and 23° backward.
Of course, this is a Full HD monitor and not 1440p. As with all Full HD 27-inch competitors, sharpness drops off around the edges of text, and there’s simply not a lot of room for detail, which isn’t very useful for workers who like to view two documents side by side, especially if One of the document documents is a spreadsheet containing detailed information. However, the white looks good, so we’re happy to use it for everyday tasks, and with 65W of power delivery via USB-C, it could roll out in offices where workers bring their own devices Laptop.
You shouldn’t expect colorful bags; next to Acer Vero B277 Ebmiprzxv, there can only be one winner. However, it covers 92% of the sRGB color gamut and has an average Delta E of 1.35, indicating pretty good color accuracy. One area where it underperformed in our testing was brightness and contrast uniformity: out of 24 test areas, DisplayCal gave it just one green light.
We would love to end with a word of praise speaker or OSD quality, but unfortunately, no. On “British Man in New York,” Sting sounds like he’s singing over a 1970s telephone line, and AOC’s OSD looks increasingly dated compared to its competitors. It’s okay once you get used to it, but there’s an unnecessary learning curve.
All of which means there’s only one reason to buy this screen: you really need a USB-C docking station, but your budget is only £150. In this case, we recommend that you look for its 27B3CF2 sibling with an adjustable height stand.
