AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review

The AOC Agon AG493UCX2 is a 49-inch ultrawide gaming monitor of epic proportions with a 165Hz refresh rate, but with some weaknesses. AOC's revamped 49-inch panel brings ultrawide gaming on an epic scale with improved 165Hz refresh performance, but also poor HDR performance and questionable price-performance ratio.

49-inch gaming monitor beast AOC Agon AG493UCX2. Although it is only a minor modification to AOC’s current AG493UCX, this does not lessen its immediate impact. The enormous 49-inch super-ultra-wide VA panel with a 32:9 aspect ratio and 5,120 by 1,440 pixels continues to steal the show. AOC has increased the refresh rate from 120Hz to 165Hz this time.

The DisplayHDR 400 certification provides the same fundamental HDR capability as before, but the claimed peak brightness has decreased from 550 nits to 400 nits. We believe that, rather than any significant actual dimming, this reflects a shift in the way brightness is measured. However, this updated model still has a single, monolithic backlight without any local dimming, thus HDR performance expectations should be moderated.

The highlights are the same elsewhere. Panel curvature is rated at 1800R, which is not quite as tight as the 1000R, and pixel response is rated at 1ms MPRT and 4ms GtG. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification offers support for Samsung G9 and variable rate refresh. Users of Nvidia graphics cards will still be able to use G-Sync to run variable refresh, only without official support.

In addition to HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces, connection is well-provided for with USB-C with DisplayPort alt mode and 65W of power delivery allowing single-cable connectivity to a laptop. The only tiny drawback is that you’ll need a seriously powerful laptop to power this enormous, high-resolution panel in contemporary games. Any such portable PC will require far greater power delivery than 65W.

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review: Design and Features

The initial generation of 49-inch ultrawide displays offered 3840 x 1080 (4K) resolution. The Agon AG493UCX increases the pixel count to 5K @ 5120 x 1440, and the resolution difference is apparent. Using a pair of 27-inch, 1920 x 1080 displays side by side is how this style of monitor initially appeared. The Agon AG493UCX resembles two 27-inch monitors with a combined resolution of 2560 x 1440. Sitting in front of the panel feels intensely immersive because to the 1800R curvature. Your field of vision is completely filled by its width and curve, all the way to the edges.

Finding a desk big enough for such a huge display is one challenge. The actual width of the desk at this reviewer’s office is 47 inches, or nearly 4 feet. The issue I had was that my desk only had a 22-inch depth. The middle of the display is just 13 inches from the front edge of my desk when the display is as far back as it can go.

My eyes are less than two feet from the display because I’m seated close to my keyboard. I could move back from the monitor to a more comfortable distance with a deeper desk. However, from where I’m sitting, I can see the display’s 5K, 1440p resolution. You can see individual pixels when seated so close to a 49-inch ultrawide display with a 3840 x 1080 resolution; this is particularly noticeable when using Windows on a daily basis. At 5120 x 1440, this pixelation is significantly less noticeable.

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review: Performance

Moving on, there are five reaction time overdrive settings on the AOC AGON AG493UCX2: Off, Weak, Medium, Strong, and Boost. The only thing the Boost mode does is turn on Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) with the ‘Strong’ overdrive. To eliminate perceived motion blur at the expense of image brightness, MBR employs backlight strobing. It can be adjusted in steps of 1 from 0 to 20; a higher number results in less blur but more brightness loss.

Additionally, MBR introduces screen flickering, which is imperceptible to the human eye but can give those who are sensitive to these visual artefacts migraines after extended use. Additionally, MBR is only operable at fixed refresh rates of at least 75Hz. The ‘Medium’ and ‘Strong’ overdrive modes are overly strong and create inverse ghosting; the AOC AG493UCX2 has a 4ms GtG pixel response time speed preset. As a result, we advise staying with the Weak choice.

There is significant lagging behind moving objects, as is typical of most VA panel gaming displays. The monitor is not suitable for competitive fast-paced gameplay because it is particularly evident in dark scenarios (such as scrolling white text on a black background). However, many users won’t find this bothersome.

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review: Image Quality

Luminance, Image Setup, Color Setup, Extra, and OSD Setup are all game settings. Games Mode (FPS, RTS, Racing, three customizable gamer modes, and Off), Overdrive, Adaptive Sync, Low Input Lag, and Frame Counter are among the options found under Game Setting. An Eco Mode setting may be found underneath Luminance, beside Contrast and Brightness, and it contains a number of visual modes.

However, you wouldn’t be aware of them unless you looked in the user manual, which is available for download from the AOC website, or stumbled into them via opening Eco Mode. Image Setup is the third main selection. You have the option to pick the picture-by-picture (PBP) mode, which enables you to display the output from two different video game sources side by side on the screen. There are HDR options in Image Setup as well. You can select DisplayHDR, HDR Picture, HDR Movie, HDR Game, or Off from the menu item labelled HDR when an HDR signal is present.

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review: Price

It’s important to keep in mind that a high-quality 27-inch 1440p monitor would cost at least £350 ($400), and the AGON AG493UCX is the equivalent of two of those monitors without the drawback of a bezel running down the middle of the larger display. Therefore, the £899 price offered by Overclockers UK isn’t as terrible as one might initially think. At Newegg, it’s only $1,281 for US buyers, or $915 if they want a refurbished model.

The Samsung CHG90 49-inch (LC49HG90DMUXEN) and the CRG90 are direct competitors (LC49RG90SSUXEN). The CHG90 is slightly cheaper at $832.98, but only offers a resolution of 3840 x 1080. The CRG90 costs more and has the same resolution as the AGON ($1,149). You can buy this product from the official AOC store.

Final Words

The AOC AG493UCX2 is a good gaming monitor arms, in my opinion, even though the HDR impact isn’t very noteworthy. You can cope with the screen resolution not quite measuring up to real Ultra HD and the slightly too evident vignetting when gaming. An ultra-wide image’s advantages more than make up for that, particularly in first-person shooters like Halo Infinite where you need to be able to see as much of your surroundings as you can without turning around.

For video editing and picture processing, the screen isn’t my first option because those tasks call for a clearer image without discernible vignetting. This monitor is purely intended for gaming, and I can recommend it for that use, but with some caveats.

Lucas Simonds
Lucas Simonds
Lucas Simonds is a skilled content editor at Bollyinside, specializing in "How to" and "Tips & Tricks" articles focused on Gaming, Software, and Apps. With a genuine passion for video games, he not only writes about them but also actively engages in gaming. His commitment to providing insightful and approachable content has earned him a trusted reputation within the online community.

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The AOC AG493UCX2 is a good gaming monitor in my opinion, even if the HDR effect is not very noteworthy. You can live with the screen resolution that is not quite close to real Ultra HD and the somewhat too obvious vignetting when gaming.AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review