AOC i2340ve

Many people love IPS monitors for their wide viewing angles and accurate colour reproduction, but are usually put off by the higher cost compared to the more common TN monitors.

AOC looks to buck that trend with the i2340ve: an IPS monitor with pricing almost on par with TN technology. To sweeten the deal it also has LED backlighting to improve the dynamic contrast, and allow the housing of the unit to be nice and slim, tipping the scales at just 3.8kg.

Out of the box it displays a great amount of detail in both dark and light areas of the screen, however at this default setting the colour accuracy was all over the show with blues and greens totally oversaturated and the reds very muted. After a quick calibration I was able to get the colours under control but it lost a little bit of the aforementioned highlight and shadow details, so it seems to be a trade off depending on which you prefer.

Both horizontal and vertical viewing angles were nice and wide as you would expect with an IPS panel. As you would also expect, the response times for various transitions were substandard: not great for gaming or movies.

There’s no HDMI connection on the i2340ve, which is a bit strange given that it’s a fairly ubiquitous feature these days. You can however use a DVI to HDMI adaptor if you really need to drive it from an HDMI source.

Overall it seems as if the AOC i2340ve is aimed at budding graphic designers on a strict budget, as it offers almost all of the benefits of a top-shelf IPS screen at a fraction of the usual price.

I would not recommend it for gaming or video use; however if wide viewing angles and better-than-average colour accuracy are what you’re after, then it definitely delivers on those fronts.