AOPEN recently launched in the Philippines last April 25, 2019, in hopes of bringing competition to the very competitive gaming space. Healthy competition in the marketplace is good for everyone. It helps give an alternative to consumers and forces innovation for the brands. AOPEN hopes to deliver quality gaming monitors to the masses without tearing a hole in your wallet.
AOPEN brings to the Philippines an array of monitors that gamers and professionals alike should consider, especially when on a tight budget.
Let’s get straight to the point and start off with their high-end HC1 Series. Available in 3 sizes, 32”, 27” and 24”. The HC1 series features a FullHD (1920 x 1080) panel for the 24” and 27” models and a QuadHD (2560 x 1440) panel for the 32” model. All models have an 1800R curvature, which basically means that the monitor is curved with a radius (R) of 1,800mm. The curvature gives the user a 178-degree wide viewing angle. The HC1’s panel also has a refresh rate of 144Hz and supports AMD’s FreeSync, which gives gamers an ultra-smooth, tear-free gaming experience. Gaming in a fast monitor like this one helps to reduce eye strain, especially with the help of Blue Light Shield which blocks harmful blue light. The HC1 series have VA (Vertical Alignment) panels which features higher refresh rates, better color reproduction, even better viewing angles than TN (Twisted Nematic) panels.
| MODEL | Display size | Panel | Brightness | Resolution | Response Time | Input | Price |
| 24HC1QR | 24” | Curved VA | 250 nits | 1920×1080 @ 144Hz | 4ms | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort | 11,499 php |
| 27HC1R | 27” | Curved VA | 250 nits | 1920×1080 @ 144Hz | 4ms | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort | 15,999 php |
| 32HC1QUR | 32” | Curved VA | 250 nits | 25609×1440 @144Hz | 4ms | DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort | 23,499 php |
If curved monitors are not your cup of tea, the ML1 series might be for you. This series comes in 2 flavors, 24” and 27”. The ML1 monitors are equipped with IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels, which produces accurate colors, higher contrast ratios and better viewing angles than, again, TN panels. IPS panels also fall short when it comes to refresh rates versus VA panels. The ML1 monitors have refresh rates of 75Hz, but are still able to provide flicker-free gaming with the AMD FreeSync technology.
| MODEL | Display size | Panel | Brightness | Resolution | Response Time | Input | Price |
| 24ML1Y | 23.8” | IPS | 250 nits | 1920×1080@75Hz | 1ms | VGA, HDMI 1.4 | 8,499 php |
| 27ML1U | 27” | IPS | 350 nits | 2560×1440@75Hz | 1ms | HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort | 14,999 php |
If the HC1 and ML1 series are outside the scope of your budget, AOPEN offers the MX1 series as their entry-level gaming monitors. The MX1 has TN panels, which is among the widest-used panel type in the industry. TN panels were the first LCD panels produced, but it’s starting to show its age with poor viewing angles, poor color reproduction or dead pixels. But don’t underestimate this lineup because the MX1 also delivers essential features present on the HC1 and ML1 series like Blue Light Shield, AMD FreeSync Technology and Flicker-less technology. The MX1 series comes in 22” and 24” sizes.
| MODEL | Display size | Panel | Brightness | Resolution | Response Time | Input | Price |
| 22MX1Q | 21.5” | TN | 200 nits | 1920×1080 @ 75Hz | 1ms | VGA, HDMI 1.4 | 6,499 php |
| 24MX1 | 24” | TN | 250 nits | 1920×1080 @ 75Hz | 1ms | VGA, HDMI | 7,999 php |
AOPEN’s gaming monitors all feature 6-axis color adjustment, allowing you to adjust Cyan, Maroon and Yellow, aside from just the standard RGB adjustment of regular monitors. These are compelling features for the prices indicated above. Again, if you’re on the market for a gaming monitor, take note of the features listed above and try to compare with other displays.
Then comes AOPEN’s consumer monitor with the CX1 and CH1 series. It’s good that they offer these consumer displays as these are really great for productivity work or can act as secondary monitors. Not much to say about this lineup other than if you’re looking for a vanilla monitor just so you can use your PC or expand your current lineup of monitors for more screen estate, these are good choices as they’re as cheap as they come.
| MODEL | Display size | Panel | Brightness | Resolution | Response Time | Input | Price |
| 19CX1Q | 18.5” | TN | 200 nits | 1366×768 @ 60Hz | 5ms | VGA | 3,400 php |
| 20CH1Q | 19.5” | TN | 200 nits | 1366×768 @ 60Hz | 5ms | VGA | 3,800 php |
| 22CH1Q | 21.5” | TN | 200nits | 1920×1080 @ 60Hz | 5ms | VGA | 4,650 php |
For gamers who are just starting out, it’s always best to compare and research and arm yourself with the knowledge of what you need to ensure that you’re maximizing the budget you’ve set for your system. AOPEN’s value proposition is certainly not one to brush under the carpet as they offer these amazing displays for reasonable prices. All monitors come with a 3-year warranty and is backed by the reputable services of Acer Philippines so you can rest easy knowing that if anything goes wrong, you have Acer Philippines ready to fix your problem for you.