Design and Ergonomics

The AOC U28G2XU2 follows the same design philosophy as most other gaming monitors from the company's AOC Gaming series (as opposed to the more expensive AGON and AGON PRO product lineups). It's a fairly aggressively designed monitor, with thin bezels and red details on the bottom edge of the frame, as well as the bottom of the stand, where it connects to the V-shaped (or X-shaped, depending on how you look at it) base. I didn't find the red details distracting; if anything, I stopped noticing them after a day or two of using the U28G2XU2. They'll definitely stick out in an office setting, though. This of course isn't an office monitor by any means, but since it has a 4K IPS panel and a four-port USB hub, it's not at all unimaginable that someone will consider using it to boost their productivity, taking the 144 Hz refresh rate as a bonus. While you might view it only in terms of gaming, high refresh rates have benefits in regular everyday work, too. The mouse movements are drastically smoother compared to 60 Hz, and you can definitely appreciate that in any productivity tool that requires accurate mouse movements, such as Photoshop, AutoCAD, or similar software.


Both the base and the stand have a steel core and a plastic outer shell. The entirety of the monitor's case is also covered in plastic. The base has a reasonably compact footprint; it spans some 44 centimeters (15.75 in) in width and 25 centimeters (9.84 in) in depth.


The stand has a cutout that can be used for cable routing. This hole is visible with the panel lifted as high as it can go, but fully hidden with it in a normal position. The stand can of course be detached from the monitor, and then you can mount it on any regular table or wall mount with a standard VESA 100x100 hole layout.


A look at the rear reveals more red-painted details, namely a pair of V-shaped strips on the sides, and a strip going from the top to the bottom of the stand.


The screen can be swiveled in both directions by 30°. The swivel motion is best performed with two hands; the mechanism is somewhat rigid, which can lead to the entire monitor moving from its position when one hand is used.


Also adjustable is the height of the panel. In the topmost position, the distance from the table to the bottom edge of the screen is 165 mm (6.5 in), and it drops to 40 mm (1.57 in) after pushing the screen as low as it goes. That gives the monitor a respectable height adjustment range of 125 mm (4.92 in).


The monitor can be tilted from -5° to +23°.


Finally, the panel can be pivoted by 90° clockwise.