AOC Agon Pro AG326UZD2 Review (Penta Tandem 4K/240Hz QD-OLED)

1. Introduction2. Design3. On-screen Display (OSD)4. Panel Analysis: SDR5. Panel Analysis: HDR6. Response Times & Motion Clarity7. Input Latency8. Closing Thoughts9. View All Pages

There's a lot to like about AOC's Agon Pro AG326UZD2, given it is based on Samsung Display's new-and-improved 4th Gen Penta Tandem QD-OLED panel.

That means it offers increased brightness for SDR usage compared to prior generations, given we measured a full-screen white hitting just below 300 nits. It also boasts TrueBlack 500 certification – up from TrueBlack 400 on yesteryear's screens – while Samsung's QuantumBlack coating (marketed as DarkShield 3.0 by AOC) improves perceived black levels – even if it's still not quite as good as a TrueBlack Glossy finish from the likes of the ASUS XG27AQWMG.

AOC has also retained its compact metal foot, adding a premium touch to the build quality, while it's not missing any features in the OSD or in the connectivity department.

The only thing that really lets the monitor down is the factory calibration, and even then, it's really not that bad. We just found the default colour balance to be a little too warm, while gamma is also a little too high. I was disappointed to see there's no HDR mode designed to combat panel dimming, too, given we saw AOC's own AG276UZD ship with a mode that was deliberately too bright in order to mitigate panel dimming – but that is sadly missing here.

Neither of those issues are a deal breaker, but they do make the AG326UZD2 that bit harder to recommend considering MSI's own MPG 322UR X24 is based on the same QD-OLED panel, but absolutely nails the factory calibration and has a wider range of HDR modes. It's also on offer at the time of writing for £799 (down from its £849 MSRP), making it the exact same price as the AOC.

I, therefore, can only conclude that AOC could benefit from another price cut in order to put some daylight between it and the, admittedly excellent, competition. At £749 the AG326UZD2's shortcomings would be much easier to look past – and it's still a very good monitor overall. It's just not quite on the same level as the 322UR X24.

Pros

• Very wide gamut.
• Effectively infinite contrast ratio.
• Very fast response times.
• 4K resolution coupled with 240Hz OLED makes for a very sharp experience.
• Games just look so good.
• sRGB emulation mode does improve accuracy vs stock.
• Decent improvement to overall brightness compared to 3rd Gen QD-OLED.
• Black depth is noticeably deeper than other QD-OLEDs in brighter conditions.
• 2x HDMI 2.1 alongside 1x DP 2.1.
• Supports KVM functionality and 65W PD.
• Compact, metal stand.
• User-upgradable firmware.

Cons

• Factory calibration, while far from awful, isn't the best we've ever seen.
• Lacks an over-bright HDR mode to help offset QD-OLED panel dimming.
• MSI's 322UR X24 is currently on sale for the same £799 asking price, and addresses both of the above two points.

KitGuru says: It's a very good monitor that would be even better with a couple of tweaks from a new firmware update.

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