These are two of the very best Amazon Prime OLED gaming monitor deals starting at $280

This isn’t an entirely novel observation, but it is remarkable just how cheap gaming monitors are getting, all the while the price of just about every other PC gaming component spirals into the stratosphere. For proof, look no further than this pair of AOC gaming OLEDs, starting at below $280.

The cheaper of the two is the AOC Q27GADE for exactly $279.99 on Amazon. It’s very much an entry-level offering in the 27-inch 1440p space with an unusually low 144 Hz refresh rate. Just as significant, perhaps, it very likely uses the new low-end QD-OLED panel from Samsung.

I say very likely because AOC is playing its cards pretty close to its chest with this budget offering, not even posting a product page on its website. The Amazon listing makes it clear it’s a QD-OLED panel but doesn’t include a brightness spec.

I’m virtually certain it’s the same panel as that offered by the Alienware AW2726DM I reviewed recently and indeed the AOC AOC G27G41ZDF that James spotted yesterday, just running at the lower 144 Hz refresh. So, that likely means 200 nits full screen and 400 nits HDR.

These are not impressive numbers. And yet, I liked that Alienware enough to score it 85%. And that was for $350. This AOC undercuts it by $80, has the same super-fast 0.03 ms response and perfect per-pixel lighting. It’s a steal.

All that said, I’d still probably plump for the slightly pricier AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2, yours for $332 on Amazon. That is also a 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED, but it sports an upgraded panel running at 240 Hz and with 240 nits full screen and 1,000 nits peak HDR brightness.

It’s basically a compromise-free option for an extra $50 and I think in a long-term context, it’s got to be worth the extra money. Also note that the other really cheap OLED on our Prime Day gaming monitor deal hub, the Samsung Odyssey G50SF, is also the dimmer 200 / 400 nit panel.

In other words, the AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD2 is currently the cheapest way into what you might call a full-spec gaming OLED right now. And for that reason, it gets my vote.