AOC jumps on the 1,000 Hz IPS gaming monitor bandwagon but this time with 0.1 ms pixel response

I reviewed the world's first 1,000 Hz monitor just the other day, a refresh rate that would have seemed barely comprehensible a couple of years ago. Now here comes another, this time from AOC. Pretty soon, no doubt, serious esport types won't get out of bed for less than quad-digit refresh rates.

However, I'd argue that it's actually the claimed 0.1 ms response time, not the 1,000 Hz refresh, that makes this new monitor interesting. Hold that thought while I introduce the new AOC AGON PRO AGP257FT. Actually, they'd rather have it known as the AGON PRO AGP257FT by AOC, a la Asus and the ROG brand.

Whatever, the AGP257FT looks like a dead ringer for that LG UltraGear 25G590B I mentioned, for the most part. Along with the 1,000 Hz headline refresh, we're talking 25-inches and 1080p's worth of old school IPS panelry (if panelry can indeed be a word) and HDR 400 certification, which means no local dimming.

However, AOC hasn't just pinched LG's 1,000 Hz panel and stuck it in their own chassis. Instead, the AGP257FT is the result of a collab' with Chinese display specialist BOE. The result is a new oxide-based IPS panel.

It is, perhaps, that fact—that this isn't just the LG panel rehashed—that explains why this AOC has an overclocking feature that tops out at 1,050 Hz while the LG model can go to 1,100 Hz overclocked.

Still, what's really caught my eye is the response claim. A notable aspect of the LG monitor is that the response time is only rated at 1 ms. Okay, that aligns perfectly with 1,000 Hz in theory. In practice, typical grey-to-grey response ratings aren't terribly indicative of real-world performance. You'd want plenty of performance overhead in hand, in other words.

Well, this new AOC has just that. The peak response performance is quoted at 0.1 ms. That's for the MPRT metric which is arguably even less representative. But AOC also quotes 0.3 ms for grey-to-grey, which is at least promising.

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Indeed, I happened to review the 540 Hz Sony Inzone M10S II shortly after the LG, and the motion clarity on that 0.03 ms OLED is on another planet from the 1,000 Hz IPS LG. On paper, then, this new AOC looks potentially more appealing.

You get the same 1,000 Hz refresh and the preposterously low latency that implies, plus hopefully better motion clarity to close the gap to OLED a bit. I'm pretty confident I'd still take that Sony even for esports, what with its perfect per pixel lighting and crackers pixel response, plus a larger 27-inch panel and 1440p res for when you aren't esporting.

But if you absolutely, positively must have 1,000 Hz, you have to think this AOC is worth a look versus that LG. And you'll have to do that looking early next year. The AOC AGON PRO AGP257FT comes out Q1 2027. Pricing is TBC.

Jeremy has been writing about technology and PCs since the 90nm Netburst era (Google it!) and enjoys nothing more than a serious dissertation on the finer points of monitor input lag and overshoot followed by a forensic examination of advanced lithography. Or maybe he just likes machines that go “ping!” He also has a thing for tennis and cars.