LG UltraGear 27GX790A OLED review

Fans of 27-inch OLED panels are delighted. There are so many monitor models to choose from that it’s actually demanding to keep up with them. But that creates a problem for models like the novel LG UltraGear 27GX790A. How to create a niche among all the competition?

The upside is that it’s a very rapid monitor, even by OLED standards. The maximum refresh rate is 480Hz, making it one of the fastest OLED displays for 1440p gaming. It’s also relatively inexpensive for a 480Hz model, typically costing around £700-800.

On the other hand, the LG UltraGear 27GX790A does not come with LG’s latest and brightest WOLED panel technology. It’s also a bit lacking in terms of features, lacking USB-C connectivity or any speakers.

Of course, most monitor speakers are really painful to listen to, and if you don’t need USB-C, it doesn’t matter that it’s not offered here. So these omissions are more indicative of a monitor that has been carefully set to hit a specific price level rather than automatic trade aborts. This is not some top-of-the-range premium model.

Anyway, beyond the headline spec of 2560 by 1440 resolution and 480Hz refresh rate, you get the usual 0.03ms OLED response rating. There is a risk of being blasé in relation to such excellent results so far. But let’s be really clear. That’s at least an order of magnitude faster than the best LCD monitors, whether they have IPS, TN or VA panels. OLED is simply faster and for kilometers.

Less impressive are the panel brightness specs. Full screen brightness is 250 nits minimum and 275 nits typical. This proves that the LG UltraGear 27GX790A does not have the latest generation WOLED panel. Monitor models that support this, including LG’s UltraGear 27GX700A, have a minimum brightness of 300 nits and a typical brightness of 335 nits.

Using the latest generation of LG WOLED technology, this monitor lags behind competitors using the latest Samsung QD-OLED technology, such as the MSI MPG 271QR X50, which also features a minimum full screen brightness of 300 nits. We’ll find out in a moment what this means. But the bottom line is that OLED screen technology is developing quite quickly, and this monitor is already a bit antiquated, at least in terms of brightness.

Elsewhere, it’s a pretty solid proposition on paper. DCI-P3 color space coverage of 98.5% means very wide color rendering, DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification is standard for this class of OLED, as is support for AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync.

Speaking of certifications, LG advertises a “ClearMR 21000” rating. ClearMR is a certification standard issued by VESA, the same organization that sets HDR standards for personal computer monitors. According to VESA, it measures “the ratio of clear pixels to blurry pixels.”

There is an explanation on the VESA website In summary, the idea is that existing pixel response metrics such as GtG or MPRT either do not meet consistent standards or enable image enhancement and blur mitigation techniques that can negatively impact image quality.

It is argued that with VESA ClearMR, computer gamers receive a standardized and fully comparable measurement of pixel speed and clarity. The LG UltraGear 27GX790A’s ClearMR 21000 certification puts it in the top category for pixel speed, which makes sense considering we’re talking about an OLED with a very high refresh rate.

In terms of connectivity, the good news is that the full 480Hz is possible via both HDMI and DisplayPort, which are available in the 2.1 spec. The bad news is the already mentioned lack of USB-C connectivity. There’s at least a two-port USB-A hub, but this monitor isn’t designed to share, say, a gaming desktop and a work laptop. It is aimed at more purist gaming tasks.

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With that being said, let’s get to the point, or rather, the actual gaming experience. To be clear, I’m not a fan of the first few generations of LG WOLED panel technology in the context of PC-only gaming. This even applies to this monitor with the latest generation MLA+ WOLED panel.

There’s a lot of it, we’ll talk about the details in a moment. However, it lacks a sturdy punch in full-screen mode. You feel it both on desktop and in games. If you’re playing, say, desert scenes under the blazing sun in Cyberpunk 2077, this panel might look a little blunt. It’s nothing terrible, but when paying so much for a relatively modest 27-inch 1440p monitor, the narrow wow factor in certain circumstances is definitely disappointing.

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As with almost all LG panel-based monitors of this generation, color balance always seems slightly off from the purest IPS monitors. Next to the IPS panel, the white shades of this device look slightly green. This is an issue that is evident in almost all preset modes and is also evident in slightly off-toned skin tones.

To be clear, this is not a solemn error. But this monitor always looks a bit unsightly. To be truthful, QD-OLED monitors have their own color balance issues. Like almost all QD-OLED monitors, the MSI one I mentioned above suffers from a slightly too hot color temperature.

That detail aside, when it comes to image quality, the LG UltraGear 27GX790A looks best in darker HDR scenes punctuated by really vivid lights. Maybe an explosion in the night sky, a laser fired into a obscure corridor, things like that. In this context, you will experience brightness up to 1300 nits for smaller details and solemn visual impact.

It can be assumed that LG’s decision to apply a matte rather than glossy panel coating on this model slightly compromises the maximum HDR experience and the excellent per-pixel lighting control typical of all OLED monitors. Personally, I would prefer a glossy coating, but the matte solution that LG used works quite well, thanks to very little evident grain. We still offer huge contrast that no LCD monitor can compete with.

Of course, this monitor really comes into its own for online shooters, in which context you’re much less concerned about full-screen SDR brightness compared to the miniature dots of HDR pop. My regular session of Counter-Strike 2 revealed an extremely rapid display. I’ll be truthful, I’m nothing like the CS player I was and have never been at the tournament level. But the combination of complete lack of lag and essentially no blur makes for an immediate – no, instant – experience.

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Was I more effective on this 480Hz screen than I would be with, I don’t know, a 240Hz IPS monitor? Basically no. But I can believe that I would be more solemn esports fans than I am.

So the question becomes how seriously you take esports. In the broader context of computing and gaming, you can get a lot more in a monitor at this price point. For example, you can choose a 34-inch 240Hz ultra-wide OLED or even a 32-inch 4K OLED. You can also have an IPS panel in virtually any shape, size and resolution.

So you can have a much larger screen or, if you prefer, a screen that is both larger and has better pixel density. Honestly, font rendering on the LG UltraGear 27GX790A is not that bad. It’s not a high-resolution display, though, and for the money you can get something much more practical for working with when you’re not playing games. Again, $700 or £800 is a lot of money when you can buy a decent 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor for a third of that price, or maybe even less.

Ultimately, the appeal of the LG UltraGear 27GX790A is clear enough. 480Hz refresh rate and typical OLED pixels ensure amazingly rapid, lag-free and blur-free gameplay. Under the right circumstances, an HDR experience can also be in order. If you then add to that a pretty competitive price that only undercuts the slightly faster 510Hz MSI MPG 271QR X50, well, you have a solid argument for choosing this LG.

But this argument relies entirely on a 480Hz refresh rate. In almost every other respect, the monitor is much less special. So definitely pull the trigger on the LG UltraGear 27GX790A. But just explain why you’re buying it. It’s not the best all-rounder for the money. Not even close.

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