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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The AG254FG is rated for 400 nits and my sample beat that with a 446.4176-nit peak value. That’s very bright, more than enough for any indoor setting. With a minimum measured value of 37 nits, there’s plenty of range for any user to find their ideal level. The brightness slider is ticked in nit values from 40 to 450 and measures close to those numbers. In my case, I had to set it to 192 for 200 nits.
The black level is very good relative to other IPS panels, good enough to push contrast to 1,252.7:1. That puts the AG254FG among the very best IPS monitors for dynamic range.
After Calibration to 200 nits
I calibrated the AG254FG with its RGB sliders and set output to 200 nits with no visual change in contrast. This is one of the best IPS monitors I’ve measured of any size or resolution. With best-in-class black levels, it delivers a textured image with nicely saturated color and sharp detail.
The AOC also wins the ANSI test over the next-best Asus. Though I noted a hotspot in my sample’s lower left corner, it still looks fantastic when viewing real-world content. This is excellent performance.
