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LG UltraGear OLED 27 (27GR95QE-B)
MSRP $1,000.00
“Even with some OLED issues, the UltraGear OLED 27 ticks all of the bins for a high-end gaming show.”
Execs
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Vibrant colours and HDR
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Glorious movement readability
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Improbable matte end
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Beneficiant port choice
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Sturdy stand with loads of changes
Cons
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Low SDR brightness
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Some textual content readability points
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Distant is important to manage the show
For years, the very best gaming screens have leaned on one sort of panel: conventional LCD. However that’s beginning to change, and LG is main the cost. The UltraGear OLED 27 (27GR95QE-B) is the primary 27-inch OLED gaming monitor, lastly providing the colourful HDR, true blacks, and astounding movement readability of OLED in a monitor kind issue that is sensible. And it delivers on all fronts.
There are some points, most notably the cumbersome distant and excessive value for a 1440p show, however these instantly fade into the background when the UltraGear OLED 27 involves life. Good pixel density meets vibrant colours meets a excessive refresh price able to wonderful movement readability, including as much as a show that’s not solely among the finest gaming screens, however among the finest screens interval.
Video evaluation
LG UltraGear OLED 27 (27GR95QE-B) specs
LG UltraGear OLED 27 (27GR95QE-B) | |
Display measurement | 27 inches |
Panel sort | OLED |
Decision | 2,560 x 1,440 |
Peak brightness | 200 nits (SDR), 800 nits (HDR) |
HDR | Sure |
Native dimming | N/A – OLED |
Distinction ratio | 1,500,000:1 |
Response time | 0.03 milliseconds (GtG) |
Refresh price | 240Hz |
Curve | None |
Audio system | None |
Inputs | 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort |
Ports | 2x USB 3, 1x 4-pole headphone/microphone |
Changes | 4..3 inches peak, 20 levels swivel, 20 levels tilt |
Listing value | $1,000 |
The place to purchase |
Placing design, half-baked execution
The very first thing that stands out concerning the UltraGear OLED 27 is how skinny it’s. There’s a chunky again panel that homes the connection ports and lively (however silent) cooling, however the panel itself is barely a fraction-of-an-inch thick.
On the again, there’s some vibrant LED lighting you could set to certainly one of our static colours or cycle by way of a spectrum. The colour matches a smaller underglow gentle that shines down by way of the management button. Sure, that’s only a single button to manage the monitor, which is the place the UltraGear OLED 27 begins to run into issues.
I’m an enormous fan of LG’s on-screen show (learn my UltraGear OLED 48 evaluation for extra on that), but it surely’s only a ache to entry on the OLED 27. The singular management button doesn’t allow you to entry the complete menu, as an alternative asking you to do a single press to cycle by way of a fast entry menu or a protracted press to pick out a setting. This results in conditions the place turning down the brightness requires urgent the button 100 instances to go from the brightest settings to the dimmest.
You’re meant to manage the monitor with the included distant, however even with that, the UltraGear OLED 27 runs into points. For starters, the battery slot on the distant requires a screwdriver to get open, and LG doesn’t embrace the coin battery it’s essential to energy the distant. This wouldn’t be an issue for those who may management the on-screen show with the button on the monitor, or if LG had included the battery, which only a few individuals are prone to have laying round, however neither of these issues are true.
That’s annoying, but it surely’s a simple drawback to resolve. What the UltraGear OLED 27 will get proper is adjustment. Paradoxically, you don’t want a screwdriver to arrange the sturdy stand, and it allows simply shy of four-and-a-half inches of peak adjustment, 20 levels of swivel, 20 levels of tilt, and the power to show the monitor vertically.
It additionally has nice port choice. You get two USB 3.0 passthroughs on the again, in addition to a headphone/microphone jack on the underside of the show. This port even helps DTS Headphone:X for digital 3D audio, providing a high-end audio expertise proper below the entrance of the show.
Stunning, vibrant OLED
What makes the UltraGear OLED 27 particular is true within the identify: OLED. Self-dimming pixels imply you get true black ranges and a theoretically infinite distinction ratio. It’s the antidote for the embarrassing state of HDR with most gaming screens.
Brightness isn’t the principle draw right here, although. It’s distinction. LG claims the monitor can attain peak brightness of 1,000 nits, however just for 3% of the display. I measured a max brightness of 600 nits, however that was with HDR cranked. That sounds excessive, however the monitor received’t usually get that vibrant. In SDR, it topped out at simply over 250 nits, which is pretty dim for a monitor launched in 2023.
It’s not as vibrant in HDR as LG says, however brightness was by no means an enormous concern for me. In SDR, the distinction ratio was over 250,000:1, and in HDR, there’s an infinite distinction ratio. Colours completely pop off the display, and even common web sites look vibrant. That’s regardless of the matte end on the show. In contrast to the Dough Spectrum Shiny, the UltraGear OLED 27 comes with a matte end on the display. It by no means grew to become a problem, coping with reflections whereas nonetheless letting the colourful coloration of the panel shine by way of.
And that coloration is vibrant. I measured 100% protection of the sRGB coloration area, in addition to 97% protection of DCI-P3. Coloration accuracy was wonderful out of the field, too, with a coloration error of 1.5 (lower than 2 is good for video and picture enhancing). You would simply bounce in and begin enhancing a video on the UltraGear OLED 27 with none changes to the colour.
That’s solely in SDR, although. HDR is a special beast. The UltraGear OLED 27 has a WRGB subpixel format, which suggests there’s a white subpixel alongside the usual purple, inexperienced, and blue ones. This addition is what helps the UltraGear OLED 27 get brighter than related OLEDs, but it surely comes with a trade-off. Because the show has to lean on the white subpixel to get vibrant in HDR, colours begin to lose saturation as you flip the brightness up.
I measured a coloration error of above 6 in HDR, and that was solely at 75% brightness. The UltraGear OLED 27 is nice for coloration work when it’s in SDR, however HDR is solely for taking part in video games, watching films, and searching the web.
OLED doesn’t come free on issues, both. Burn-in is an omnipresent concern, as static parts will fade into the show over time. LG contains some options like an automated display saver and pixel shifting, and burn-in is much less of a problem on OLED right this moment than it was in years previous. However it’s nonetheless a related concern to carry up for those who plan on utilizing the UltraGear OLED 27 for every day use exterior of gaming.
Good pixel density
I used to be just a little taken again once I heard the LG OLED 27 was a 1440p monitor. It’s $1,000, which is hard to swallow when even premium 4K gaming screens just like the Sony InZone M9 are a number of hundred {dollars} cheaper. It’s not at all times about uncooked decision, although.
At 27 inches, the pixel density is superb on the UltraGear OLED 27. Textual content appears tremendous sharp, and pictures look vibrant because of the OLED panel. You’re spending extra for fewer pixels, however that’s not likely vital when you sit down and have a look at the monitor.
It’s not a loopy value, both. Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED is anyplace from $1,100 to $1,300. It has a better decision, however solely as a result of it makes use of an ultrawide 21:9 side ratio. The UltraGear OLED 27 is principally that very same monitor pixel-wise, simply with the ultrawide wings lower off.
However I primarily recognize the decision due to the refresh price. This can be a 240Hz panel, and whereas it’s onerous to suggest such a excessive refresh price on a 4K monitor just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, it’s an ideal match for 1440p. So long as you could have a robust gaming PC, you’ll simply be capable of push body charges able to driving the complete 240Hz.
Given how nice the OLED panel appears, the UltraGear OLED 27 makes a really sturdy argument that extra decision isn’t at all times higher. And paired with the excessive refresh price, it appears improbable.
The one concern for textual content readability is the WRGB subpixel construction, which is a matter we noticed on the primary batch of QD-OLED screens. There’s some blurring round textual content as you sit near the monitor, however I by no means discovered it distracting whereas utilizing the show. You must get very near the display to note, so though textual content readability is an issue in comparison with a conventional LCD monitor, it’s removed from a deal breaker.
Excellent gaming
It is best to already know the UltraGear OLED 27 is a good gaming monitor. A 240Hz refresh price, response instances beneath 0.1 millisecond, FreeSync certification and G-Sync assist, and beautiful HDR — it’s a successful mixture.
It’s that mixture that makes the UltraGear OLED 27 so placing. The 240Hz refresh price is definitely overwhelmed out by the current barrage of 360Hz screens we’ve seen, just like the Asus PG27AQN, but it surely’s nonetheless a lot increased than you see on a typical gaming monitor. Mixed with the response time, movement readability can attain the degrees of a 360Hz panel, making it a fantastic choice for aggressive video games like Overwatch 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valuing
The UltraGear OLED 27 has aggressive video games down, but it surely additionally has cinematic video games nailed. OLED and the stellar HDR expertise it brings means you’ll be able to get pleasure from video games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Zero Daybreak with out lacking out.
And that’s the issue most gaming screens have — you need to select between aggressive movement readability or beautiful, cinematic photos. The UltraGear OLED 27 supplies the very best of each worlds. I jumped backwards and forwards between Overwatch 2, Future 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and at the least a dozen different video games with out adjusting a single setting on the monitor. Every time, it felt like I used to be getting the very best expertise.
Must you purchase the LG UltraGear OLED 27?
I’ve by no means encountered a monitor that makes good sense just like the UltraGear OLED 27 does. It doesn’t at all times maintain up on the spec sheet, however sitting down in entrance of the monitor persistently strengthened one thought: this is without doubt one of the finest gaming experiences you’ll be able to have proper now.
It isn’t good, significantly for desktop use the place OLED burn-in and textual content readability are extra urgent points, however these issues are simple to miss. What you’re getting is superb movement readability, response time, HDR, and pixel density in a bundle that, though costly, within reason priced in comparison with different choices in the marketplace.
The primary competitors it has is the Alienware 34 QD-OLED, which says rather a lot about how wonderful the UltraGear OLED 27 actually is. LG’s benefit here’s a barely cheaper price and far increased refresh price, lastly bringing aggressive and cinematic gaming experiences in steadiness.
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