The LG 27GN950-B Review: The Most Realistic Gaming Experience

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LG has always been one of the leading brands and companies when it comes to electronics. Whether it be for home appliances or smart technology, or gaming equipment. That being said, it comes as no surprise that their LG Ultragear monitors earn the top spots of many reviewers’ lists. So for today, let’s take a look at the LG 27GN950-B.

4k gaming monitors still have a long way to go in being the standard or the norm for most gamers. Some of its main setbacks being its high price point, FPS, response time, and refresh rates. In general, 1080p monitors are still the most commonly used in the gaming community.

While it’s undeniable that 4k gaming monitors are unparalleled in terms of overall picture quality and will provide you with the best visual experience, the 1080p is still a lot more recommended in terms of smoother gameplay. The thing is, it is just much easier to drive higher frame rates on the 1080p monitors.

Not to mention, you also have to consider that in order to play on 4k, you will also need the right machine to run it. And graphics cards that can handle high-res gaming don’t come in cheap either.

But don’t get me wrong, gaming in 4k monitors is an entirely different experience when you’re using the right one. The immersive experience, the stunning visuals, and the vibrant colors will just make your games truly come alive.

And those things are exactly what the LG 27GN950-B is claiming to offer gamers across the world.

So in our dedicated review of the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B, let’s find out if this 4k gaming monitor is worth the upgrade.

See Where The LG 27GN950-B Ranks In Our List Of The Best 4k Gaming Monitors This 2021.

Overview

When it comes to the electronics industry, LG is one of the biggest brands not only in the market but in the world right now. From manufacturing home appliances, air solutions, home entertainment, smartphones, and now, gaming equipment. This is where the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B 4k gaming monitor comes into play.

Coming in with a full 4K display, a 144Hz IPS panel, DisplayHDR 600 certification, Nvidia G-Sync Compatibility, and so much more, it almost sounds too good to be true.

This display comes in with a 27-inch screen and has the best input lag scores you will ever encounter in a 144 Hz gaming monitor. What makes it even more impressive is that this is completely running at 4k. It’s actually very rare for a gaming monitor to perform well at such rapid refresh rates at 4k. Most 4k monitors are limited to 60 Hz.

Gamers or enthusiasts of first-person shooting games will celebrate knowing this fact as FPS will no longer be a concern when using the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B.

What’s more, the Nano IPS tech in the LG 27GN950-B also boasts a wider color gamut and impressive viewing angles with the sharpest IPS image quality. Not only that, but you are also getting 600-nit peak brightness at UHD and 10-bit color depth.

If you were ever worried about GSync and FreeSync compatibility, well you will be happy to know that this model is compatible with both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards. You’ll experience no changes or differences in overall performance at all. This also means that you won’t have to switch GPUs in order to use this 4k gaming monitor.

In terms of design, LG didn’t disappoint in this aspect either. One of the design features that stood out to me with the 27GN950-B is how thin its bezels were. While this might not matter to some of you, but personally, this just adds a certain level of sleekness to the overall model.

Features & Specifications

Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 11.5 x 18.1 inches or 607 x 460-572 x 292 mm.
Display Size: 27 inches.
Manufacturer / Brand: LG
Screen Resolution: ‎3840 x 2160 pixels.
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Panel Type: Nano IPS
Backlight: W-LED, edge array
Response Time: 1 ms.
Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
Adaptive Sync: FreeSync and GSync.
Native Color Depth & Gamut: 10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / P3
Brightness: 400 nits (SDR) / 600 nits (HDR)
Contrast: 1,000:1
Video Inputs: 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (DSC) / 2x HDMI 2.0
Audio: 3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0: 1x up, 2x down
Screen Surface: Flat.
Panel Thickness: 2.1 inches (53mm)
Bezel Width: Top & sides – 0.2 inch (5mm) / Bottom – 0.4 inch (10mm)
Item Weight: 16.9 lbs
Colors: Black.
Warranty: 3 years.
Extra Special Features: Height Adjustment, Pivot Adjustment, Anti-Glare Coating, and Tilt Adjustment.

Check out LG Global’s preview of the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B below.

What We Love About The LG UltraGear 27GN950-B

Image Quality

In terms of overall image quality, the LG 27GN950-B’s stunning visuals are unparalleled. This is all thanks to LG’s Nano IPS panel, which is popularly known for its superior 98% wide DCI-P3 color gamut.

Because of such a wide color gamut, colors on the display appear vibrant, rich, and dynamic. Though, keep in mind that some colors can appear over-saturated. It’s up to your personal preference whether you will like this or not. Some gamers prefer it this way, some do not.

Additionally, if you’re someone who works in a photo or video editing, a graphic designer, or any profession in a similar field, you will love the color accuracy in this 4k monitor. The colors are consistent all throughout, and plus, this model supports hardware/software calibration via LG’s True Color Pro app.

Overall, you’re getting some crazy, razor-sharp details when it comes to the LG 27GN950-B’s image quality.

HDR Performance

Amazing HDR performance is something you usually don’t expect from a 4k gaming monitor. However, the LG 27GN950-B did earn VESA’s DisplayHDR 600 certification. So it’s safe to say that in terms of HDR, this particular gaming monitor does not lag behind in that aspect at all.

Moreover, this model also reaches a peak brightness of 600-nits in HDR mode and 400 nits when in SDR mode. That means you’re getting very intense and vivid highlights that will surely pop when using this 4k gaming monitor.

If that’s not enough, the LG 27GN950-B also offers 16 dimming zones wherein you will have the option to select different parts of your screen that you would like to dim without affecting the unselected brighter areas of the display.

Quick Refresh Rates & Response Times

One of the best things about the LG 27GN950-B is the 144 Hz of refresh rates and the 1 ms response time. Not only is this a pretty rare feature on a 4k gaming monitor, but you will notice a huge difference in terms of your overall gaming experience once you test it out for yourself.

If you love first-person shooter games, then this is something you should definitely consider getting. The fast response time and amazing fluidity of the overall gameplay were completely unmatched like no other and an absolute joy to experience.

Our Least Favorite Thing

Expensive

As I have previously mentioned, one of the main setbacks of 4k gaming monitors is the premium price tag it comes with. Not every gamer on the planet can just easily shell out a thousand dollars or have easy access to that kind of money.

Though understandably, you are paying for the high-end features that the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B is offering and you’re undoubtedly getting one of the best 4k gaming monitors in the market right now. So does the price justify this 4k gaming monitor’s potential? The answer is completely up to you.

However, there are also more affordable options like the Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ which comes in at around $800. So if you’re on a budget, you might want to consider checking this one out. It’s still a pretty high price point for me but it definitely beats a thousand dollars. Plus, you get to save at least $200.

If you’d like to check out 4k gaming monitors from other brands, read our article of The Best 4k Gaming Monitors Of 2021 for our top recommendations!

Thicker Than Expected

This isn’t that big of a deal but it’s definitely something worth considering before buying the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B. Upon inspection, this particular 4k gaming monitor is actually thicker than expected.

Upfront, it looks pretty slim but on the back, that’s when you will realize you are going to need a bit of extra space to accommodate the screen’s thickness as well as the monitor stand.

In A Nutshell

Now that we have discussed what we loved and disliked about the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B, here’s a narrowed-down list of the good and the bad with this 4k gaming monitor.

Pros

Supports both GSync and FreeSync seamlessly.
Quick response time and refresh rates.
Extremely low input lag.
Height adjustable.
Sharp and bright image quality.
Vivid and vibrant colors with excellent accuracy.
Local dimming produces VA-like contrast.

Cons

Colors can sometimes come off oversaturated.
Expensive.
The model is pretty thick.

Final Verdict

Overall, the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B is a very impressive 4k gaming monitor. Dare I say, it’s definitely one of the fastest and most responsive 4k gaming monitors in the market right now.

Already own the LG UltraGear 27GN950-B? Come share your insights and experiences with this 4k gaming monitor in the comments section below. I would love to hear your thoughts!