LG UltraGear 27GR38Q-B review: A 240Hz monitor for the masses

Price When Reviewed

$499.99

Best Prices Today: LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B

$399.99

$499.99

LG’s midrange Ultragear gaming screens are a well-liked alternative, and it’s clear why. They present good picture high quality and movement readability at an inexpensive value. Now, LG has upped the ante with the brand new UltraGear 27GR83Q-B, a 27-inch gaming monitor with 1440p decision and a 240Hz refresh charge—a giant leap from older fashions, like the favored 27GP83B-B, which had a most of 165Hz. It’s a worthy improve, although not with out competitors.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best gaming monitors to find out about competing merchandise.

LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B: The specs

The LG Ultragear 27GR83Q-B’s most essential specs are its most blatant. It’s a 27-inch, 1440p monitor with a 240Hz refresh charge. This mixture has risen as the brand new go-to normal for midrange gaming screens in 2023, changing older 27-inch, 1440p screens with a 144Hz or 165Hz refresh charge.

• Display measurement: 27-inch widescreen
• Native decision: 2560×1440
• Panel kind: IPS LED edgelit
• Refresh charge: 240Hz
• Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync
• HDR: Yes, HDR 10
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-B upstream, 2x USB-A downstream, 3.5mm audio jack
• Speakers: None
• Price: $499.99 MSRP, $399.99 typical retail

Importantly, the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B supplies official help for each AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. Many screens are technically able to this, however it’s unusual to see official certification for each at this value level—and it’s good to see LG take the additional step.

LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B: Design

Matt Smith

The 27GR83Q-B is just like LG’s 27G95QE-B OLED gaming monitor. It has a skinny show connected to a large, octagon-shaped field that incorporates the monitor’s inside {hardware} and ports. The 27GR83Q-B’s panel shouldn’t be as skinny because the OLED mannequin however nonetheless strikes a good-looking profile.

Material high quality is nice, too, with sturdy textured plastics that really feel premium when dealt with. LG additionally ditches the garish crimson aptitude of older UltraGear fashions, so the 27GR83Q-B seems to be much less out-of-place in a house workplace.

LG nonetheless opts for a wide-legged stand, nonetheless, which is a bit annoying. This design seems to be dramatic and retains the monitor steady, however consumes a number of desk house. That’s unhealthy information in case you have a small desk. The stand adjusts for top, tilt, and pivot (however doesn’t swivel). The monitor helps 100x100mm VESA mounts, so it may be used with third-party monitor stands and arms.

LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B: Features and menus

A pair of HDMI ports and one DisplayPort present the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B a complete of three video inputs. That’s a modest quantity for a monitor on this value vary. However, LG takes the essential step of utilizing HDMI 2.1 ports, which suggests all three video inputs can deal with the monitor’s full decision and refresh charge. That’s a perk not all screens on this value vary obtain. The inexpensive HP Omen 27qs, for instance, sticks with HDMI 2.0.

USB connectivity is slim. The monitor has a single USB-B upstream port, which drives two USB-A 3.2 downstream ports. All ports are discovered on the again of the monitor, as effectively, so including and eradicating USB gadgets is a little bit of a trouble. USB-C could be appreciated however, in LG’s protection, that’s a uncommon characteristic in gaming screens offered beneath $500.

Matt Smith

A joystick positioned on the decrease lip supplies entry to the monitor’s on-screen menu system. The joystick is straightforward to make use of and responds shortly to person enter. The menu system is traditional LG, with lists of choices scattered throughout a shield-like backdrop. LG’s menus are straightforward to know and supply an excellent vary of picture high quality customization, which incorporates colour temperature, gamma, and six-axis colour hue and saturation adjustment. The monitor has an sRGB mode, however none of its gamma or colour temperature changes declare to fulfill a particular goal, as an alternative utilizing obscure phrases like “warm” and “cool.” This is normal stuff for a gaming monitor, and the general vary of adjustment is sweet, if not distinctive, for the 27GR83Q-B’s class. There are additionally a couple of gaming options comparable to an on-screen crosshair, a black stabilizer mode (which makes enemies in shadows simpler to see), and an FPS counter.

Speakers aren’t included within the 27GR83Q-B, which can also be true of most gaming screens. BenQ’s Mobiuz screens, such because the EX270QM, are the one possibility for players seeking to cram respectable audio of their show. That monitor is at the very least $200 dearer than the LG at present costs, nonetheless, and its picture high quality is roughly related.

How is the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B’s SDR picture high quality?

The LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B is constructed for velocity greater than picture high quality, however that doesn’t imply it shouldn’t look good. Fortunately, the monitor delivers good SDR gaming picture high quality general, although it has the downsides typical of most gaming screens offered beneath $500.

Matt Smith

LG will get off to a robust begin in brightness, the place the monitor delivers a most brightness of 477 nits. That’s increased than related options and far more than sufficient for comfy viewing even in a well-lit room with massive, sunny home windows. The Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q, a funds Mini-LED monitor, is even brighter—however it’s onerous to think about a scenario the place the added luminance is known as for (outdoors HDR, at the very least).

Matt Smith

The distinction ratio is available in at a good measured most of 1250:1, which is in the direction of the excessive finish for an IPS gaming monitor with an LED edge-lit backlight. The 27GR83Q-B can present a convincing sense of depth in a lit room, however suffers the lack to correctly darken dim areas of the display. As a consequence, darkish content material can look flat and washed-out. This is a flaw frequent to gaming screens on this value vary.

The Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q as soon as once more leaps out as a price-competitive Mini-LED different. It has a dynamic backlight consisting of 576 dimming zones that may activate and off independently, which boosts the distinction ratio. It solely has a 165Hz refresh charge, although—you win some, you lose some.

Matt Smith

Color gamut is one other robust, although not mind-blowing, consequence for the 27GR38Q-B. The monitor’s colour gamut spans as much as 92 % of DCI-P3, which might’ve been fairly broad a couple of years in the past, however is so-so in the present day. However, most opponents as soon as once more rating equally—or, within the case of the HP Omen 27qs and Sony InZone M3, fall behind.

The 27GR38Q-B’s colour gamut, although not spectacular, is a nice match for gaming. Most PC video games don’t require a big colour gamut to take pleasure in a visible expertise true to the creator’s intent. The gamut can also be broad sufficient for a lot of content material creators with much less demanding colour wants. I wouldn’t advocate it for those who’re engaged on the artwork for L’Oreal’s new advert marketing campaign, however most YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and TikTok stars gained’t see an issue.

Matt Smith

It’s an analogous story in colour accuracy. The monitor’s out-of-box colour accuracy might be higher, and it does fall behind a couple of opponents together with the Dell G2724D and HP Omen 27qs. However, the colour accuracy out there right here is ok for PC gaming, and the variations could be troublesome to note outdoors of a direct A-to-B comparability.

The LG additionally carried out effectively in gamma and colour temperature checks. It scored a gamma curve of two.2, which is our most popular goal and signifies content material shouldn’t look too vivid or too darkish. It additionally served up a colour temperature of 6300Okay which, although a bit hotter than the goal of 6500Okay, isn’t far off the mark.

Sharpness can also be robust. The monitor’s 27-inch 1440p panel packs about 109 pixels per inch. That’s a pleasant improve over a 27-inch 1080p panel, which packs simply 82 pixels per inch. The added pixel density provides a crisp font and supplies a pointy, crisp look in video games. A 4K monitor would look sharper nonetheless, in fact, but in addition place extra demand in your GPU. Very few gaming PCs can render trendy video games at 4K and 240 frames per second, so 1440p decision is a greater match for a 240Hz monitor.

The LG Ultragear 27GR83Q-B’s general SDR picture high quality doesn’t depart the competitors within the mud, however the monitor posts robust outcomes throughout a variety of checks and avoids any main issues. OLED screens with 1440p decision and a 240Hz refresh charge are extra engaging, but in addition twice as costly. The 27GR83Q-B performs effectively for the value.

How is the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B’s HDR picture high quality?

LG helps HDR on the UltraGear 27GR83Q-B—however, as is usually the case with inexpensive screens, the expertise isn’t best.

The monitor achieves a most HDR brightness of 507 nits. That’s pretty respectable for a monitor in its class, however definitely far beneath the popular minimal of 1,000 nits. The lack of brightness is an issue, because it means the 27GR83Q-B can’t show the vary of luminance essential to fulfill even the least demanding HDR content material. That, in flip, will crush out element in vivid scenes.

Color gamut and distinction are issues, too. The colour gamut, whereas nice for SDR content material, is definitely restricted for HDR. Colors might look completely different when introduced in HDR, however not essentially higher. The restricted distinction, alternatively, is an issue when viewing scenes that pair small vivid objects on an in any other case darkish scene. These highlights lack the separation and impression seen on a show with a greater distinction ratio.

All of that is typical for a sub-$500 gaming monitor—I can’t consider any which are notably higher. Gamers searching for good HDR on a extra affordable value ought to contemplate Mini-LED screens just like the Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q, the Innocn 27M2V, and the RedMagic 4K Gaming Monitor.

How is the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B’s movement efficiency?

Matt Smith

Gamers are positive to be happy by the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B’s 240Hz refresh charge. It delivers clean, silky movement with minimal movement blur.

A refresh charge of 240Hz isn’t the best out there in the present day—that honor goes to the 500Hz Alienware AW2524H—however it’s fairly spectacular. Scrolling check photos from League of Legends and DOTA 2 confirmed nice element in each terrain and character silhouettes. Character names and hitpoint bars had been usually readable, too, although particulars could be onerous to make out relying on the motion at hand.

The monitor’s glorious movement readability is sweetened by the 27GR83Q-B’s official help for each AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. In reality, most screens that deal with one normal may also deal with the opposite, however most producers don’t trouble to leap the hurdles required for official certification from each AMD and Nvidia. I’ve at all times discovered this a bit lazy, and I’m glad to see LG do the additional legwork.

Monitors just like the 27GR83Q-B are shortly making 240Hz the brand new go-to normal for high-refresh PC gaming. There’s nothing incorrect with 144Hz, however 240Hz is now reasonably priced and supplies an exquisite enhance to movement fluidity.

Should you purchase the LG UltraGear 27GR83Q-B?

LG’s midrange UltraGear gaming screens have earned a repute as a stable, no-fuss alternative for players seeking to purchase an excellent gaming monitor that’s not ridiculously costly. The new UltraGear 27GR38Q-B lives as much as, and even bolsters, that repute. It’s engaging, well-built, and supplies good picture high quality with glorious movement readability. LG’s solely drawback is the competitors: HP’s Omen 27qs, for instance, delivers related picture high quality at a decrease MSRP of $399.99. The LG is arguably the extra alluring possibility, nonetheless, at the very least when its value is lower to $400 (which is already taking place at some retailers).