AOC AG493UCX2 Review: 49″ 5120×1440 165Hz FreeSync Super-UltraWide Gaming Monitor

The AOC AG493UCX2 is a 49" 5120x1440 165Hz FreeSync curved VA super-ultrawide gaming monitor with KVM, USB-C docking and more!

Bottom Line

The AOC AG493UCX2 is one of the best super-ultrawide monitors for mixed use thanks to its immersive image quality and plethora of features. However, there are also a few alternatives worth checking out!

Design:
(5.0)
Display:
(4.8)
Performance:
(4.5)
Price/Value:
(3.5)
4.5

Looking for a super-ultrawide monitor that’s great for both gaming and productivity work? You’re going to love the AOC Agon AG493UCX2!

Image Quality

The monitor is based on a 49″ 5120×1440 super-ultrawide panel, which is basically equivalent to two 27″ 2560×1440 monitors put side by side, just without the bezels in between them!

This provides you with plenty of horizontal screen space that’s especially useful for audio/video editing and productivity work. Moreover, you get an extended field of viewing in compatible video games for a more immersive gaming experience!

Unsupported content will be displayed with black bars at the sides of the screen (alternatively, you can stretch or zoom in the image to fill the screen), but in this case, you can just use that remaining screen space for something else. We recommend the free FancyZone utility for easy and customizable management of multiple windows.

The 5120×1440 resolution provides you with 108.99 PPI (pixels per inch) on the 48.8″ viewable screen of the AOC AG493UCX2 monitor. As a result, you get plenty of screen real estate with sharp details and text. You also won’t have to use scaling to make small text readable.

Keep in mind that 5120×1440 is almost as demanding as 4K UHD on your CPU/GPU, so make sure you’ve got a good enough PC rig to maintain the desired frame rate in games!

The AOC AG493UCX2 uses a VA panel with a high 3,000:1 static contrast ratio, so you get noticeably deeper blacks than that of IPS panels with a ~1,000:1 contrast ratio.

Still, you’re not getting true blacks as you would on OLED panels nor as a high contrast ratio as that of a proper full-array local dimming display, so the HDR (High Dynamic Range) viewing experience is subpar.

Edge lit Dimming vs Full array Dimming

The monitor does get exceptionally bright with a peak brightness of 550-nits (despite the specified 400-nit max brightness on some product pages) and has a wide color gamut support with 91% DCI-P3 color space coverage (~122% relative sRGB gamut size) for vibrant colors.

By selecting ‘sRGB’ in the Color Temperature settings in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu, you can also clamp down the gamut to ~100% sRGB to avoid over-saturation, though most users will prefer the added vibrancy of the wider color gamut since it’s not intrusive.

Note that AOC also specifies ‘98% Adobe RGB color space’ on their product page. However, the AOC AG493UCX2 doesn’t actually cover 98% of the Adobe RGB color space, it’s just that its overall color gamut size is equivalent to the size of 98% Adobe RGB. Its actual Adobe RGB gamut coverage is around 80% – 82%, which is misleading.

Related:Misleading Monitor Specifications You Should Look Out For

Regardless, you get an immersive viewing experience thanks to the monitor’s high resolution, super-ultrawide format, wide color gamut, deep blacks and high brightness.

It supports HDR with VESA’s entry-level and meaningless DisplayHDR 400 certification. Since there’s no full-array local dimming, you cannot get a proper HDR viewing experience on LED-backlit displays.

Some content might look a bit better to you, but you usually just get a washed-out image or an over-sharpened and over-saturated image with lost details in shadows and highlights, so you’ll most likely prefer to have HDR disabled, as is the case with all edge-lit LCDs.

Of course, you can get a much better HDR gaming monitor at this price range, but the AOC AG493UCX2 focuses on other things.

Lastly, while VA panels have 178° wide viewing angles, there are minor gamma and saturation shifts detectable, so they’re not ideal for professional color-critical work. For basic content creation and editing, the AG493UCX2 will do just fine.

Performance

amd freesync logo

Moving on, the AOC AGON AG493UCX2 has five response time overdrive modes: Off, Weak, Medium, Strong and Boost.

The Boost mode just activates Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) with the ‘Strong’ overdrive applied. MBR uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of picture brightness. It’s adjustable from 0 to 20 in increments of 1 – higher number offers less blur, but also sacrifices more brightness.

MBR also introduces screen flickering, which is invisible to the human eye, but can cause headaches after prolonged use to those sensitive to these visual artifacts. Further, MBR can only be activated at a fixed refresh rate of at least 75Hz.

Now, the AOC AG493UCX2 has a 4ms GtG pixel response time speed specified and the ‘Medium’ and ‘Strong’ overdrive modes are too aggressive and introduce inverse ghosting. Therefore, we recommend sticking with the Weak option.

As expected from most VA panel gaming monitors, there is noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects. It’s mostly noticeable in dark scenes (including scrolling white text on a black background), so the monitor isn’t suited for competitive fast-paced gameplay. A lot of users, however, won’t be bothered by this.

Input lag, on the other hand, is imperceptible at ~4ms, meaning that you won’t notice any delay between your actions and the result on the screen.

Next, the AOC AG493UCX2 supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) for tear-free gameplay up to 165FPS. Sadly, it’s common for high refresh rate VA gaming monitors to exhibit brightness flickering when using VRR, which mostly occurs in in-game menus, loading screens and with fluctuating frame rates. The intensity of this visual artifact varies between units, but it’s something to keep in mind.

The monitor has AMD FreeSync Premium certification, but it’s not officially certified as G-SYNC Compatible by NVIDIA. Regardless, VRR works on both Radeon and GeForce cards at 5120×1440 within the following ranges:

  • 48-165Hz (DisplayPort)
  • 48-120Hz (USB-C)
  • 48-75Hz (HDMI, AMD FreeSync only)

The 48-120Hz and 48-165Hz ranges also support LFC (Low Framerate Compensation), which displays multiples of frames in order to prevent tearing even below 48FPS (47FPS -> 94Hz, etc.).

Finally, the backlight of the monitor is flicker-free (unless MBR is enabled) and there’s an integrated low-blue light filter.

Features

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 OSD menu and remote

The AOC AG493UCX2 offers plenty of features in a well-organized OSD menu.

There are five hotkeys on the right side of the screen, which are a bit clunky for navigation. Luckily, you can use the provided remote controller or AOC’s G-menu desktop application software for quicker adjustments.

Besides the standard image settings (brightness, contrast, color temperature), the AGON AG493UCX2 offers aspect ratio control, three gamma presets and automatic input selection.

Useful gaming features include Dial Point (crosshair overlay), Shadow Control (improves visibility in dark scenes), Game Color (adjusts saturation), a refresh rate tracker and various picture modes, including three customizable Gamer profiles.

Another interesting feature, which is hidden in the ‘Eco Mode’ along with some other presets (Movie, Game, Sports, etc.) is the Uniformity Mode – it improves brightness and color temperature uniformity across the screen at a cost of overall picture brightness and contrast ratio.

The AOC AG493UCX2 also supports Picture by Picture, which along with the integrated KVM functionality allows you to connect two PCs to the screen, display them side by side, and use a single set of keyboard/mouse to control both PCs.

For KVM to work, at least one PC must be connected via USB-C.

Design & Connectivity

AOC Agon AG493UCX2 Review

The stand of the monitor is quite robust and versatile with up to 100mm height adjustment, -5°/15° tilt, +/- 15° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

The screen has a moderate 1800R curvature for added immersion and a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, three HDMI 2.0 ports, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 65W Power Delivery), a USB hub (1 upstream + 3 downstream), a headphone jack and dual 5W integrated speakers.

The monitor has a power switch and integrated KVM functionality, it comes with a remote controller, and one of the USB downstream inputs supports fast charging.

In order to get 120Hz at 5120×1440 over USB-C, the ‘USB’ option in the OSD menu must be set to USB 2.0 (480 Mbps). If you want USB 3.0 speed (5 Gbps), you’ll be limited to 5120×1440 60Hz over USB-C.

You can find the supported resolutions and refresh rates for all ports in the table below.

Note that the rear image for the AOC AG493UCX2 might be wrong on some retailer websites as it shows two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort inputs. This is actually the image of the older AOC AG493UCX variant.

Price & Similar Monitors

The AOC AG493UCX2 price ranges from $900 to $1,100, which is reasonable considering that it’s one of the best 49″ super-ultrawide monitors for mixed use.

The previous AG493UCX variant can be found for $850, but it’s limited to 120Hz over DisplayPort and to 3840×1080 120Hz over USB-C, which results in a blurry picture due to the non-native resolution. On that model, USB-C is mainly intended for PbP at 2560×1440 120Hz. Here’s a quick summary of both models.

 AG493UCXAG493UCX2
DisplayPort5120×1440 120Hz5120×1440 165Hz
USB-C (USB 2.0)2560×1440, 3840×1080 120Hz5120×1440 120Hz
USB-C (USB 3.0)2560×1440, 3840×1080 60Hz5120×1440 60Hz
HDMI2560×1440, 3840×1080 120Hz5120×1440 75Hz

So, unless you just plan on using the USB-C port in PbP mode, we recommend going with the AG493UCX2 due to its full resolution support over USB-C and a higher maximum refresh rate over DisplayPort.

NOTE

The ASUS XG49WCR can nowadays be found on sale for $800. It has a higher 165Hz refresh rate over USB-C, 90W PD and built-in KVM.

You can also find a 49″ 5120×1440 super-ultrawide gaming monitor, the LG 49WQ95C. It has a 144Hz refresh rate (over USB-C, DP and HDMI 2.1), 90W PD, built-in KVM, a wider 98% DCI-P3 color gamut, wider viewing angles, faster response time and smoother VRR performance.

It doesn’t have as high contrast ratio and its price ranges from $1,000 to $1,700, though it’s on sale more often than not.

There’s also a 49″ 5120×1440 60Hz IPS Black super-ultrawide display, the Dell U4924DW with KVM and USB-C. It doesn’t have a high refresh rate, but it has a high 2000:1 contrast ratio as well as wide viewing angles and a wide color gamut.

Finally, if you don’t need a KVM or USB-C, we recommend the Samsung OLED G9 for gaming and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 for HDR, as far as 32:9 ultrawide monitors go. You should also consider the Dell AW3423DWF with a 21:9 OLED panel.

To learn more about monitors and ensure you’re getting the model most suited for your personal preference, visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best gaming monitor buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Overall, the AOC AG493UCX2 is one of the best super-ultrawide monitors for gaming and office-related work if you want a high contrast ratio for deep blacks, but aren’t sensitive to ghosting, screen tearing or VRR brightness flickering and don’t need professional-grade color consistency.

However, we recommend the ASUS XG49WCR or the LG 49WQ95C instead if you can find them at a good price. They offer better performance, features and value for the price.

Specifications

Screen Size48.8-inch
Screen Curvature1800R
Resolution5120×1440 (DQHD)
Panel TypeVA
Aspect Ratio32:9 (Super-UltraWide)
Refresh Rate165Hz
120Hz (USB-C)
Response Time (GtG)4ms (GtG)
Response Time (MBR)1ms (MPRT)
Adaptive-SyncFreeSync (48-165Hz)
Speakers2x5W
PortsDisplayPort 1.4, 3x HDMI 2.0,
USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 65W PD)
Other PortsHeadphone Jack, 3x USB 3.0
Brightness550 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio3000:1 (static)
Colors1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC)
91% DCI-P3
HDRDisplayHDR 400
VESAYes (100x100mm)

The Pros:

  • High contrast ratio and pixel density
  • Wide color gamut and strong peak brightness
  • Plenty of features including VRR and MBR up tp 165Hz
  • Ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options, including KVM and USB-C with 65W PD

The Cons:

  • Minor ghosting behind fast-moving objects, mainly in dark scenes
  • Some units affected by VRR brightness flickering

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.