Priced at $299.99, the new AOC Q3279VWFD8 is not the perfect solution for color work, but if you need the extra space of a 31.5” panel offering 2560×1440 pixels, the new monitor may serve you well.

Presented also as a gaming monitor, the AOC Q3279VWFD8 may offer a huge screen to impress friends, but is hardly a first choice for gamers, unless they are on a budget… and want the screen size offered, which, yes, is fantastic, especially at the price asked. Still, AMD’s FreeSync is present, and the monitor even goes as far as offering a 75 Hz refresh rate.

For general work, and that may include content creation and editing, the monitor is a viable option if you’re on a budget, and need a first, or even a second monitor to work with. The previous monitor, Q3279VWF, with a MVA panel, represents a viable solution, although you’ll eventually need to do some calibration work, but this model, using a IPS model, may offer a better experience out of the box. In fact, the Q3279VWFD8 seems to be AOC’s answer to the criticisms made to the previous model, as the company states that the new monitor, “uses a different panel type – IPS – rather than the VA panel used in its older brother and boasts a wider colour gamut for increased colour accuracy and therefore more vivid, natural and eye-catching imagery.”

The monitor offers 88% coverage of the NTSC colour gamut to help reproduce much more vivid colours including vibrant reds, deep blues, and lush greens with a high, 1200:1  static contrast ratio. The 8-bit+FRC panel delivers 1.07 billion crisp colours and allows viewing angles of 178/178°, along with a highly detailed QHD resolution (2560×1440 pixels), which makes the 31.5” a lot of screen real estate for increased productivity, and a comfortable pixel density for daily usage.

The basic stand does not allow for more than tilt, but it does sit at a height that is comfortable for use. In terms of connectivity, the Q3279VWFD8 offers all you need, including legacy sources such as VGA and DVI as well as HDMI and DisplayPort. A 3.5mm jack connector is foreseen to connect headphones or an external speakerset.  The monitor also includes AOC’s Clear Vision technology to improve clarity and vividness when viewing Standard Definition (SD) content. AOC’s Flicker-Free technology to eliminate flicker by using Direct Current (DC) for regulating brightness instead of Pulse Width Modulation (PWC) and reduces eye-fatigue when using the monitor in long hours.