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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 AOC CQ27G3S has plenty of headroom in the brightness department with over 350 nits of measured output. That’s more than enough juice for brightly lit interior spaces or even an outdoor tented environment. While you won’t need all of that for SDR material, it kicks up the HDR quality a notch.
That’s accompanied by super-low VA black levels that almost fool one into thinking the monitor is turned off when showing a full black field pattern. The CQ27G3S’s resulting contrast ratio is a stout 4,267:1 which is above average for VA monitors. It doesn’t get much better than this.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration keeps the contrast ratio above 4,100:1 which is a very good thing. The CQ27G3S is exceptional in this test with its edge over the NZXT. Remember that this is a $250 monitor showing image quality comparable to the very best premium screens.
The CQ27G3S recorded one of the highest ANSI scores in my database. This is the panel’s native contrast without any dynamic features in play. With intra-image contrast this good, it stands out from a more expensive crowd.
Test Takeaway: The CQ27G3S has exceptional contrast for an LCD panel. Aside from a high-end Mini LED or an OLED, you won’t find more dynamic range. That means a more three-dimensional image with high color saturation.
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