AOC AGON Pro AG344UXM 21:9 MiniLED 170Hz Gaming Monitor Review
A Closer Look
First impressions go a long way, and this is by far one of the nicest-looking monitors on the market right now. AOC and more specifically their AGON Pro range, stick to that classic PC gamer aesthetic of black with red highlights, giving it a bit of a retro vibe to my eyes, while still looking undeniably modern too. The panel is vast, with a 34″ diagonal span, so it should make for some immersive gaming experiences.
The panel has a matte coating, and given how bright it is today, it is doing a significantly better job than most at diffusing light and reflections in here!
The bezels are nice and slim on the top left and right sides, so it’s going to be well suited to a multiple monitor configuration.
The bottom bezel is a bit thicker, but even then, it’s kept well in check. I love the AGON logo in the middle too, it all looks very “gamer” but that’s the whole point of AGON Pro!
The stand is pretty hefty, and it needs to be, as this monitor is pretty damn heavy. With over 1000 backlights, there’s a lot of hardware behind the panel, and that includes a lot of metal heatsinks to keep the panel cool while it’s delivering HDR1000 levels of brightness. So with that in mind, the wider and heavier stand makes sense, and it holds this monitor solid as a rock.
The downside of all those backlights isn’t just weight though, as it really does take a lot of power delivery and cooling to maintain this technology. The result is a 90mm thick monitor not counting the stand, that has quite a lot of ventilation at the top too. If you’re wall mounting this it’s going stick out a bit, so keep that in mind if you’re hoping for a flush-mounted slim monitor, this isn’t it.
The back of the monitor shows more of the stand, which has those vibrant red highlights on the back. I do like them, but with ARGB lighting on the sides of the monitor, some LED colours may clash with the red metalwork.
The monitor has a single analogue stick to control the OSD too, which is by far my favourite way to operate an OSD (short of a wireless remote, but few monitors have those now for some reason). But while not wireless, this monitor does come with a wired desktop remote, which is pretty neat!
Powering on the monitor, we can see one more party trick. It has a built-in logo projector that can shine down on your desk. For me, that’s a bit much, but I won’t deny the fact that it’s both fun and cool.
Plus there’s all that lovely RGB on the back, which will look great if you have an open desk. My monitors go against a wall, so it would provide more of an ambient light effect.
