Hands-on with LG’s 240Hz UltraGear gaming monitors: Setting a new bar for OLED refresh rates

Earlier this year, Alienware released arguably the best all-around gaming monitor on the market today. But after getting a chance to check them out in person last week, I can say that Alienware’s displays have some formidable new competitors.

Unlike the AW3423DW, LG’s monitor comes in two sizes intended for slightly different use cases. features a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution flat panel intended for both general use and more demanding competitive play, with a 45-inch radius designed to provide a more immersive experience. It has a curved display with 800R and 3440 x 1440 resolution.

The great thing about these monitors is that whichever you choose, they both have a 240Hz refresh rate. This is higher than any OLED monitor currently available. Moreover, both models have a very fast response time of only 0.3 ms (gray to grey). Additionally, they each support both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync while outputting a dazzling range of colors (up to 98.5% of the DCI-P3 spectrum). In short, LG’s new UltraGear displays offer a long list of premium display tech, but with one glaring drawback. It has a relatively low maximum brightness of only 200 nits.

Admittedly, like many people, if you prefer gaming in dark environments, low brightness might not be a big deal. increase. This adds a bit of bias lighting without the need for any extra hardware. it’s not necessary. A white screen (such as when viewing a Word document or spreadsheet).

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Unfortunately, due to the size of the display, especially the giant 45-inch model, the text isn’t quite as sharp as I’d like it to be. It’s fine when playing games, but when browsing the web, I noticed color bleeding and general blurring when reading articles and headlines. It’s important to mention that it’s what we’re seeing in new OLED displays (most notably QD-OLED panels with triangular sub-pixel arrangements). The unique Clear Type feature solves this problem. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to test it in a short hands-on.

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That said, the new UltraGear monitors may not be the best all-around displays for both productivity and entertainment, but they look great in gaming scenarios. The 27GR95QE-B is the friendlier of the two because it only costs $1,000 (27GR95QE’s $1,700) and will likely actually fit on your desk, and at least you won’t have to rearrange everything. The 27-inch size is close to what professional gamers use in tournaments (most tournaments use 24-inch monitors), and it supports tilt, swivel, height, and even vertical adjustment. , very easy to position the display properly.

But the best thing is that everything seems to be in motion: LG has brought in professional Valorant gamers from Evil Geniuses to show off the new UltraGears. Even in the midst of a shootout, everything was moving sharply, so he landed on the monitor’s most important spec, his refresh rate of 240Hz. Previously, the best you could get on an OLED monitor (including premium rivals like Alienware and his) was his 175Hz.

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For those still using 60Hz displays, the gap may not sound like much. The problem, however, is that when it comes to monitors, he usually only notices a perceptible performance difference when doubling the refresh rate (e.g. 60Hz to 120Hz or 120Hz to 240Hz). While displays from either Alienware or Samsung’s rivals still have panels that can’t reach the ultra-high frame rates (usually 240 to 300 fps or more) favored by competitive gamers, you won’t notice a big improvement. Maybe. But with LG’s latest UltraGears, you get the deep blacks and rich, vibrant colors that OLED displays are known for. When A refresh rate that rivals all but the fastest LCD screens.

As for the larger and more expensive 45GR95QE-B, it has slightly lower pixel density than its smaller siblings, but its curved panel offers a comprehensive experience. It’s meant to mimic the natural shape of the eye while embracing you even more than the display. The monitor’s sweet spot is about 2.5 feet from the screen, which is basically perfect.You can see edge-to-edge, so you get a nice panoramic view, but it’s not so expansive that you have to constantly move your head to find buttons and icons that might be in the corner. , when I asked If the 800R curve ruined the goal compared to a flat display, he said he didn’t need to tweak that much at all, although it was his first time using this monitor.

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Aside from the new panel itself, there are a few design tweaks I’d like to highlight. But for me, the bigger upgrade is the inclusion of a dedicated remote control for adjusting image settings. No need to fiddle with joysticks, just sit back and enjoy the TV-like experience. The addition of a remote control is something we’ve seen on other flagship monitors, and it’s a trend that really hopes to seep into more mainstream displays across the market.

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So while LG’s new UltraGear monitor doesn’t have the brightest, it has pretty much all the other high-end features you want in a gaming monitor today. At $1,700 for the 45-inch version, LG suddenly has some very interesting alternatives (both small and large) to Alienware’s fantastic QD-OLED display.