9 Most Common Problems with AOC Monitor (with Solution) 

The Admiral Overseas Corporation, best known as the AOC, provides one of the best monitors that every user utilizes in every work they have, especially in gaming.

However, even the best cannot escape the menaces of common problems that every product can encounter, and this article can help you get through the issue and resolve them.

List of Common Problems with AOC Monitor

Here are the typical issues you can encounter upon using AOC monitor, and along with them are ways how to settle them.

1. No sound

When monitors do not cooperate with its user in producing sound, this might be a problem.

But since it’s common, there are many ways available that you can utilize in resolving no sound issues on your AOC monitor.

Muted

Setting your monitor in mute means disabling the sound from coming out on your PC. There will be no sound coming out with this, but that does not mean that your AOC monitor is in trouble.

To resolve this problem, the ideal thing to perform is unmuting. To do so, follow the guides below:

  1. Go to the lower right bottom of the taskbar and search for the Sound icon.
  2. Drag the panel to the right to unmute it.

However, if you find out that your monitor is not muted, this solution won’t work. Try figuring out the solution by navigating through these fixes below.

Troubleshooting in Windows

Since your computer is not muted, the problem must have to do something that you might not know.

To troubleshoot where the problem lies from, be guided by the steps below:

  1. Go to the Start Menu.
  2. From the Start menu, search for Troubleshoot settings.
  3. Look for Get up and running, choose Playing Audio and run the troubleshooter.
  4. A pop-up window will appear and follow what it instructs accordingly.

2. OSD locked

On-Screen Display Locked is a monitor configuration function that limits the usage of monitor buttons to prevent accidental presses. When the OSD is locked, users unaware of this configuration may become bothered and think there is a problem on their monitor.

This issue is one of the easy fixes and has one of the most straightforward solutions.

OSD Locked

OSD Lock limits the accessibility of menu buttons because it is designed to ensure that the settings are not adjusted unintentionally.

To unlock the OSD, here’s what you can do:

  1. Look for the Menu button on your monitor.
  2. Hold the Menu button for ten seconds.
  3. A menu will appear, and then select Unlock.

3. Keeps going black

When your AOC monitor keeps going black, the tendency is that it will interrupt you from the work you are currently doing, and eventually, it becomes a hassle to you.

To resolve this pesky issue, several fixes are available that you can do and apply on your AOC monitor.

Resetting Display Mode

Most AOC users attest that resetting the Display mode helps with their random black screen problem. This resolution may not directly solve the random black screen issue. It is still worth the try.

To reset your Display mode, do the following:

  1. Press the Windows logo key, Shift, and B key on your keyboard simultaneously.
  2. Doing so resets the connection and lets the operation system retrieve the Display.

If this resolution did not fix your problem, then the next fix might be to resolve the issue.

Restarting explorer.exe

The main function of Explorer.exe is to handle your desktop, the taskbar, and several processes on your computer. If the explorer.exe is lost on your computer, the effect on your monitor is that it will go black randomly.

To fix your random black monitor issues, restarting explorer.exe can help you. Follow the steps below:

  1. Click Ctrl, Shift, and Esc simultaneously.
  2. By doing step 1, it will direct you to the Task Manager.
  3. Choose the Details tab.
  4. Find where the explorer.exe is and then select End task.
  5. Restart the PC and check if this fix worked.

4. Overdrive

Generally, the AOC monitor’s overdrive imposes good benefits for your Display because this function lessens the ghosting artifacts on the back of fast-moving objects.

However, if overdrive becomes too much, it could introduce inverse ghosting and even pixel overshoot, and with this, you might experience too much smearing in your screen display.

When this happens to your AOC monitor, refer to the fixes below to settle the problem.

Incorrect Refresh Rate

Overdrive becomes too much when you use an incorrect refresh rate that does not match what your AOC monitor can handle. Because when you use an excessive refresh rate, this might greatly affect your monitor’s performance.

To resolve this issue, you should modify the screen refresh rate setting to optimal your AOC monitor. In this way, the monitor won’t have to be exhausted trying to process what it cannot perform.

To change your Screen Refresh Rate:

  1. Right-click on your desktop.
  2. Choose Display settings.
  3. Search for Multiple Displays and select Advanced display settings.
  4. Choose Display adapter properties for Display 1.
  5. With this, select the optimal refresh rate by clicking Screen refresh rate in the monitor tab.
  6. To save changes, click Apply then OK.
  7. Verify if this fix is effective and if not, proceed to the next fix.

5. Overclock

This configuration allows you to run your monitor at a higher clock speed than it generally handles. Overclock is labored by the processor behind the scenes, and typically, this function is a benefit for users.

AOC monitor users can fully utilize the overclock function because they might have a monitor variant with a lower refresh rate.

Refresh rate is crucial for gamers because it greatly improves their immersive game experience.

However, as much as it imposes advantages, it could drastically unpleasantly affect your monitor. Here are the disadvantages of overclocking your monitor frequently:

  • It reduces your AOC monitor’s lifespan.
  • Tweaking the system may void its warranty.

6. Turns on then off

A monitor that randomly turns off might be a problem because the Display is difficult to see. This situation can become bothersome because the user is interrupted on their work.

To fix this pesky issue, here are some ways you could do to get rid of a random turn off in your AOC Monitor.

Monitor is Overheating

When the monitor starts to overheat, it causes random turning on and off. This situation arises because the monitor tries to avoid damaging the circuit.

There are also several factors why the monitor overheats. And they are because of accumulated dust, blocked vents, and excessive heat absorbed by the monitor.

Since most of the reasons are caused by specks of dirt, you might want to ensure that you always clean your monitor because once the dirt blocks the vent, it takes away the chance of the monitor to have ventilation properly.

To fix this issue, here’s what you can do:

  1. Wait for the monitor to cool down first, or you can use an electric fan to quicken the cooling process.
  2. Clean the vents so that the monitor can have proper ventilation and not trap the heat inside. You can also use anti-static canned air to sweep the clouds of dust.

Defective Graphics Card

If the Graphics Processing unit starts to become defective, this may cause a situation where your monitor will be turning on and off.

To resolve this issue, you can update the GPU first by the following steps below:

  1. In the Start menu search box, type the device manager on the taskbar.
  2. Choose Device Manager.
  3. Find and click the Display adapter drop-down node.
  4. Look for an option that displays Intel, graphics, AMD, ATI, VGA, or NVIDIA. These are the possible manufacturer names for your GPU, if you’re wondering.
  5. Double-click the option chosen for your GPU. Afterward, your screen will display the Properties dialog box.
  6. Choose the Driver tab.
  7. Select Update Driver.

Another solution you can do is to:

  1. Clean the card first.
  2. Then put it back on the motherboard.

You can also try doing this:

  1. Go to AOC’s support center.
  2. On the webpage, search for your AOC monitor in the box.
  3. Then, click support.
  4. From there, scroll down until you reach the Driver’s section and click Driver.
  5. Select the downloaded file and observe the instructions to finish the updating process.

The Energy-Saving Mode is On

Energy-saving mode is a function where it enables the monitor to go on and off. Aside from this, it could also make your monitor power off completely because it aims to save energy, as its name suggests.

To resolve this issue, you can perform the solution below to disable the energy-saving mode:

  1. Click the Windows logo on your keyboard and click the letter R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type powercfg.cpl. From there, the Power Options widget will be displayed.
  3. Assure that the Balanced or High Performance is set and corresponding to it, choose Change plan settings.
  4. Click Turn off the Display and setto Never.
  5. Choose Apply.
  6. Open the Run dialog box again and type desk.cpl,,@screensaver.
  7. Click the Screen saver drop-down node from the screensaver settings and set it to None.
  8. Choose Apply to save the changes.

7. VGA no signal

When VGA no signal happens to your AOC monitor, usually it is caused by the monitor itself, and when this happens, we are sure that the culprit is hiding somewhere on your PC or the monitor.

To help you be guided on what to do in troubleshooting no signal in your VGA port, here are the things you can do.

Trace the Cable and Power Source

Tracing the cable and the monitor’s power source is basic to verify and troubleshoot no signal issue. Because in this way, you can verify that the cables are properly plugged into your monitor.

To trace the issue, follow the steps below:

  1. Unplug the cables.
  2. Wait for five minutes before plugging the cable again. After waiting, plug the cable carefully to ensure it is properly plugged.
  3. If this did not work, check the cable because it might have been the problem all along. However, if the cable seems fine and works on other monitors, proceed on the next fixes.

The Graphics Driver needs to be updated.

The AOC monitor’s official graphics driver’s job is crucial in communicating the monitor into your computer. If the Driver fails or becomes faulty, many things could go wrong like this no signal problem.

However, to try our best in resolving this issue, here are the steps in updating your graphics driver:

  1. Go to AOC’s support center.
  2. On the webpage, search for your AOC monitor in the box.
  3. Then, click support.
  4. From there, scroll down until you reach the Driver’s section and click Driver.
  5. Select the downloaded file and observe the instructions to finish the updating process.

8. Turns white screen

When the AOC monitor displays a white screen, it can panic the user because this is just as terrifying as the black screen.

There are several fixes that can help resolve your white screen issue.

Restart your Computer

You can fix the white screen most of the time by going back to the basics and restarting your computer because the white screen must have been a glitch.

However, if restarting the computer did not make any difference, heed the following fixes below.

Faulty Graphics Card Driver

When the monitor turns a white screen, some users have attested that updating their Driver can resolve the issue.

To spot this issue easily, an indicator you can use to spot this problem is when the monitor turns white whenever you press the power button.

To update your Driver, follow the steps accordingly:

  1. Go to AOC’s support center.
  2. On the webpage, search for your AOC monitor in the box.
  3. Then, click support.
  4. From there, scroll down until you reach the Driver’s section and click Driver.
  5. Select the downloaded file and observe the instructions to finish the updating process.

System Restore

This configuration permits you to revert your computer’s condition into a certain period in your AOC monitor. In this manner, you can restore the malfunctions done in the past. To do so:

  1. Restart your computer several times until the blue screen appears.
  2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
  3. Choose the User account and fill out your details.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Click Show more restore points checkbox if it pops up. Then select the restore point you need to revert and choose Next.
  6. The window will give instructions. Follow them accordingly to restore the system.

9. Flickering

Flickering is one of the most stressful problems for monitors, and AOC monitors have no escape from this issue. It is stressful because flickering may seem to be nonstop, and it may also indicate a problem in your AOC monitor.

Refer to the fixes below to see what might work for your monitor’s condition.

Modify the Screen Refresh Rate

Changing the Screen Refresh Rate can help in your AOC monitor’s flickering problem.

To change your screen refresh rate, follow this guidelines:

  1. Right-click on your desktop.
  2. Choose Display settings.
  3. Search for Multiple Displays and select Advanced display settings.
  4. Choose Display adapter properties for Display 1.
  5. With this, select the 60 Hz refresh rate by clicking Screen refresh rate in the monitor tab.
  6. To save changes, click Apply then OK.
  7. Verify if this fix is effective and if not, proceed to the next fix.

Uninstall Incompatible Applications

When Incompatible applications are installed on your computer, it can probably make the computer’s system crash. The tendency is that your monitor will flicker. When this happens, the solution you could do is to uninstall these apps.

To uninstall them, follow the steps below so this can guide you:

  1. Click Ctrl, Shift, and Esc simultaneously.
  2. By doing step 1, it will direct you to the Task Manager.
  3. Check if the task manager is also blinking. If it is, the last fix will help you.
  4. However, if it isn’t flickering, incompatible apps are your culprit. Delete app that you have a hunch that may be the culprit, and there you have it.

Corrupted or Outdated Graphics Driver

If the preceding solutions did not work for your Acer monitor, it might mean that your graphics driver needs to take action because outdated graphics make the Acer monitor flicker most of the time.

The good news is that they are easy to update if you know what to do. However, if you do not have the skills to do it yourself, many driver tools are endorsed online to make your update hassle-free and faster.

On the other hand, trusting a repair specialist is highly encouraged. With specialists, you are ensured that the update is smooth-sailing and safer than entertaining those offered online.

  1. Go to AOC’s support center.
  2. On the webpage, search for your AOC monitor in the box.
  3. Then, click support.
  4. From there, scroll down until you reach the Driver’s section and click Driver.
  5. Select the downloaded file and observe the instructions to finish the updating process.

Is It Worth to Buy AOC Monitor?

AOC Monitors are worthy of buying because they are a prominent tech brand in the industry.

With the rise of a different tech brand that aspires to be one of the best, AOC has already made its name and garnered many users who trust their products, including the monitors.

However, the first questions of non-AOC monitors are usually, are AOC monitors worthy of buying? And to help them decide soundly, here is an objective measurement tool that you can use to determine the advantages and disadvantages of buying AOC monitors.

Pros:

Innovative Qi Wireless Charging

Some AOC monitor variants, like the AOC P2779VC, come with the innovative Qi Wireless Charging that enables Qi-compatible smartphones to charge on the monitor base.

With this innovation, users can charge their smartphones without finding charging cables.

For your reference, here are the Qi-compatible Smartphones:

  • Apple iPhone – 8, 8 Plus, X, 11, 12.
  • Samsung Galaxy – S9, S9+, Note 5, Note 8, S8, S8+, S7, S7 Active S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge.
  • LG – V30, G6 (US version only), G4 (optional), G3 (optional)
  • Microsoft Lumia – 1520, 1020, 930, 929, 928, 920.
  • Google Nexus – 4, 5, 6, 7 (2013)
  • BlackBerry – Priv, Z30.

Wide-Viewing Angles

To create wide-viewing angles, AOC added Plane to Line Switching panel innovation to deliver a better viewing display than its older version, the In-Plane Switching.

Affordable

AOC monitors are affordable at prices like $249.99 come with improved innovation like monitor bases with Qi-wireless charging.

With the prominence of AOC in the tech industry, prices like this can be considered affordable, given that it already comes with incredible technological innovation.

Cons:

Variants with no USB ports

AOC monitors like AOC P2779VC have good innovation, but they miss one of the important ports for the USBs. No USB ports can be considered a drawback because most users often use them daily.

Slightly Inaccurate Colors

The colors displayed in AOC monitors are less accurate by tech experts when they do color tests. However, for those who do not mind having slightly inaccurate colors, this may not be a con for you.

By weighing the benefits and drawbacks of buying an AOC, the user can soundly make a decision, which will help them assess what they value in owning a monitor.

AOC Monitor Alternative          

One of the brands that you can closely relate to AOC is the Acer GN246HL.

In terms of closely relating monitors to be an alternative to one another, AOC and Acer can top the charts because of their innovative technology on their products, especially the monitors.

With the reputation of these two tech giants in the industry, it is a no-brainer when consumers recognize them quickly without much introduction needed.

For your reference, you can use the table below to examine AOC and Acer’s similarities further:

SpecificationsAOCAcer GN246HL
Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
ErgonomicsTilt AdjustmentTilt Adjustment
Unavailable PortsNo USB portNo DisplayPort
PricingStarts from $122.95. Some excellent variants start at $249.99Price starts at $209.99
Specific UsageGamingGaming

AOC and Acer are some of the best tech companies in the industry that a user can closely relate to.

With the help of the table of specifications, they can decide more based on their own preferences and they could easily spot something that could alarm them from buying the monitor.

Resources:

https://us.aoc.com/en-US/search/category:ergonomic

https://sea.pcmag.com/monitors/14183/aoc-p2779vc