The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is an entry-level 1440p gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. Part of the LG UltraGear lineup sitting above the LG 27GL650F-B, it's available in two variants, with the 27GL850 model having two USB-A ports, which the 27GL83A-B model doesn't have. They have the same features besides that, including FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility, but they lack some features some higher-end monitors have, like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GL850 is acceptable for PC gaming. Although its 144Hz refresh rate isn't ideal for competitive gaming, it's still fine for entry-level gaming and has VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It has a decent response time at any refresh rate, as any motion blur isn't overly distracting, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. That said, it has limited picture quality as it has a low contrast ratio and doesn't get bright enough for highlights to pop in HDR.
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Decent response time at any refresh rate.
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Low input lag.
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Disappointing contrast ratio.
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Can't make highlights pop in HDR.
The LG 27GL850 is disappointing for console gaming. It can't take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as it's limited to a 1440p resolution and HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, but it still supports most signals from the consoles. It has a decent response time that minimizes motion blur, and it has a low enough input lag for a responsive feel. However, it has limited picture quality due to its low contrast ratio and lack of local dimming, so games don't look the way the creator intended.
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Decent response time at any refresh rate.
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Low input lag.
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Disappointing contrast ratio.
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Not fully compatible with consoles.
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Can't make highlights pop in HDR.
The LG 27GL850 is a decent monitor for office use. It's good if you want to use it in a well-lit room as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling. It also has wide viewing angles that are useful if you need to share your screen with someone else, but it lacks a swivel adjustment to easily turn the screen. Lastly, while it has decent text clarity, it isn't as sharp as other 27-inch, 1440p monitors.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Good reflection handling.
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No swivel adjustment.
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Text clarity not as good as other 27-inch, 1440p monitors.
The LG 27GL850 is okay for content creation. It performs best in a well-lit room thanks to its high peak brightness and good reflection handling, but it struggles in dark rooms as it has a low contrast ratio and lacks a local dimming feature. While it has a dedicated sRGB mode, you still need to calibrate it for the best accuracy. It also fails to display bright colors in HDR, which is disappointing if you need to edit videos.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Good reflection handling.
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Disappointing contrast ratio.
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No swivel adjustment.
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Needs full calibration for best accuracy.
The LG 27GL850 has decent brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room but doesn't make highlights pop in HDR.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Can't make highlights pop in HDR.
The LG 27GL850 has a decent response time. It performs consistently well across its VRR range, which is good for gaming, but there's still some blur with fast-moving objects.
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Decent response time at any refresh rate.
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Still a bit of motion blur.
The LG 27GL850 is terrible for HDR. Blacks look gray due to its low contrast, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve it. It also fails to make colors look vivid.
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Disappointing contrast ratio.
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Lack of local dimming feature.
The LG 27GL850 has mediocre picture quality in SDR. It has a low contrast ratio, so blacks look gray next to bright highlights.
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Displays wide range of colors.
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Disappointing contrast ratio.
The LG 27GL850 has very good color accuracy. Although it has a dedicated sRGB mode, you still need to calibrate it for the best accuracy. Luckily, it has good gray uniformity, so it keeps the image consistent throughout the entire screen.
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Good gray uniformity.
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Needs full calibration for best accuracy.
- 6.8 PC Gaming
- 6.1 Console Gaming
- 7.4 Office
- 6.9 Editing
Performance Usages
- 7.1 Brightness
- 7.4 Response Time
- 4.7 HDR Picture
- 6.0 SDR Picture
- 7.9 Color Accuracy
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: Clarified the differences between this monitor and its variant, the LG 27LG83A-B, in the Variants section.
- Updated Apr 14, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5, as long as you disable VRR.
- Updated Jun 16, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
- Updated Jan 20, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the swivel adjustment from N/A to 'No'. The score remains unchanged.
- Updated Jun 04, 2020: We retested FreeSync over HDMI, and updated our results below.
- Updated Feb 17, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Aug 15, 2019: Review published.
- Updated Aug 13, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Aug 13, 2019: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 11, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Aug 07, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch LG 27GL850, which is also available as the 27GL83A-B. The only difference is that the 27GL850 has USB ports, but the results are valid for each monitor.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | USB Ports |
| 27GL850-B | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | 2x USB-A 1x USB-B |
| 27GL83A-B | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | None |
Our 27GL850 unit was manufactured in June 2019; you can see the label here. It was tested with firmware 3.18, 2.03.
Compared To Other Monitors
The LG 27GL850 is an okay entry-level gaming monitor that's a reliable option if you need a low-cost display. It has a decent response time and low input lag for a responsive feel that you should be happy with, especially if you're on a budget or don't have a high-end PC setup. However, if you're a competitive gamer, you may want to consider something with a higher refresh rate, like the LG 27GR83Q-B, even if it costs more.
See also our reviews for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, and the best 27-inch monitors.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B, but the differences are minor and might not matter to everyone. The 27GP850-B has a slightly faster refresh rate, resulting in better motion handling and a touch less motion blur behind fast-moving objects. The 27GP850-B also has an optional black frame insertion feature, but most people won't use this when gaming anyway.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is somewhat better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The ASUS has a faster refresh rate that makes motion look smoother, and better ergonomics to help you place it comfortably on your desk. It supports a black frame insertion (BFI) feature that helps improve the overall appearance of motion and can also deliver more uniform blacks. The LG, on the other hand, has a faster response time, so fast-moving content has almost no blur, making the lack of BFI not an issue.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B for most uses. Although they have similar response times, the Gigabyte has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz compared to the LG's 144Hz, resulting in a slightly smoother and more responsive gaming experience. Also, the Gigabyte's input lag is much lower at 60Hz than the LG's, making it more ideal for 60fps console gaming. For those in a well-lit room, the LG has better reflection handling, but it doesn't get as bright. The Gigabyte has more productivity features, including a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode support, an integrated KVM switch, and a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode.
The Gigabyte G27Q and LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B are two very good monitors, and they both have a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. The Gigabyte gets brighter, so it does a better job at combatting glare and makes highlights stand out a bit more in HDR. On the other hand, the LG has a much quicker response time at 60Hz, so motion looks less blurry in 60fps games.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T is a much better gaming monitor than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Samsung has a VA panel that displays deep blacks, and it has better uniformity. It also has a 240Hz refresh rate, the response time is a bit quicker, and it's available in both a 27 and 32-inch size. However, the LG has an IPS panel with much better viewing angles.
The Dell S2721DGF is a bit better overall than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Dell has much better ergonomics, better build quality, and better reflection handling. On the other hand, the LG is more accurate out of the box, and for the two units we tested, the LG has better black uniformity, but this varies between units.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and the HP OMEN 27i perform very similarly, but the LG is slightly better overall. The LG supports HDR, although this doesn't add much. The LG has a slightly faster response time, but there's also more overshoot in our recommend 'Fast' overdrive setting. The LG is also more accurate out of the box. On the other hand, the HP is better-built, with excellent build quality.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and the LG 27GN800-B perform quite similarly overall. While the 27GN800-B has a slightly faster response time, it also has a terrible stand with very few adjustment options. That may not be a problem if you plan on VESA-mounting it, however. The 27GL850-B, on the other hand, includes two USB 3.0 ports, offering more connectivity than the 27GN800-B, if that's important to you.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a better gaming monitor than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. They have similar features with a 1440p resolution, FreeSync support, G-SYNC compatibility, and a very quick response time. The MSI has a Black Frame Insertion feature, which the LG doesn't, but it has a narrow flicker range and can't be used with VRR enabled. The MSI also has much better ergonomics, including a swivel adjustment, which the LG doesn't have.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The ASUS has a 170Hz refresh rate, much better ergonomics, a BFI feature, and it gets brighter in HDR. However, the LG has a much quicker response time and better out-of-the-box color accuracy.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50 is a bit better for gaming than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Samsung has a faster 165Hz refresh rate than the 144Hz on the LG, and it has a BFI feature that the LG doesn't have. The Samsung is also a slightly better choice for well-lit rooms because it gets brighter, and if you want to use it for co-op gaming, you can swivel its stand, which you can't do with the LG. The one difference the LG has over the Samsung is that it has USB 3.0 inputs to connect your keyboard and mouse, which you can't do with the Samsung.
The LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B is a slight improvement over its predecessor, the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The 27GN850-B displays wider SDR and HDR color gamuts, meaning it's a better choice for content creators. It also has a quicker response time at its max refresh rate, making it a slightly better choice for gaming. However, the 27GL850-B gets brighter and has better reflection handling, so it's a good choice for well-lit rooms. It also has two USB inputs, which the 27GN850-B doesn't have, so you can easily charge your devices while working.
The Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B are very similar 27 inch, 1440p IPS monitors. The Acer performs better gaming-wise because it has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz and better response times. The Acer's stand allows for more ergonomic adjustments than the LG's, so it might be easier to find an ideal viewing position.
The LG 32GP850-B is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The 32GP850 has a faster refresh rate, a faster response time, and the unit we tested has better black uniformity. The 32GP850 also offers an optional Black Frame Insertion feature, but this isn't supported if the variable refresh rate feature is enabled, so most people won't use it when gaming. Although the 32GP850-B has a larger screen, it has the same native resolution as the 27GL850-B, so text clarity is a bit worse.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is much better than the AOC CQ27G2 for most uses. They use different panel technologies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The 27GL850-B has wider viewing angles, much faster response times, and higher peak brightness. The 27GL850-B supports HDR, but this doesn't add much. On the other hand, the AOC CQ27G2 has a much higher native contrast ratio, resulting in much deeper blacks.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is better than the Acer Nitro VG271UP Pbmiipx. The LG 27GL850-B has better ergonomics, so you can position it to your liking with ease, and has a faster response time that helps deliver slightly crisper motion. The Acer VG271UP has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature to make motion crisper, and although it has marginally better contrast, its terrible black uniformity is noticeable in a dark room.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the BenQ EX2780Q in mixed usage. Ergonomics are significantly better on the LG, as well as gradient performance. There's less color bleeding on the LG, but its black uniformity and contrast ratio are much worse than the BenQ.
The LG 27GN950-B is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The 27GN950-B has a higher 4k resolution, it gets brighter, has a bit quicker response time, and has better color accuracy. However, the 27GL850-B has much better reflection handling.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is much better than the Samsung Odyssey G5 C27G55T for most uses. The LG has a much quicker response time to deliver smoother motion in fast-moving scenes. The LG uses an IPS panel that provides wider viewing angles, while the Samsung uses a VA panel that produces deeper blacks for a better dark room viewing experience.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is a much better monitor than the ASUS TUF VG27VQ. The 1440p resolution provides clearer images, plus the viewing angles, response time, and gradient handling are much better on the LG, and it supports HDR. Instead, the ASUS has a much better contrast ratio and higher refresh rate, which might please some gamers who don't mind losing some picture quality.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and the MSI Optix MAG271CQR use different panel technologies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The MSI looks better in a dark room, as it has better contrast, but the LG has better viewing angles, and it supports HDR. The Optix has an optional black frame insertion feature, and it has better reflection handling.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the 27GL650F-B. The 27GL850-B has a faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur. The 27GL850 also has a better native resolution, so you can see more fine details in your favorite games, and it has an optional USB hub.
The Acer Predator XB273U GXbmiipruzx is a better monitor overall than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Acer has a higher refresh rate and faster response times with less overshoot. It has less of an issue with glare since it gets brighter, and it has a wider color gamut. It also has more ergonomic adjustment options, better text clarity, and more USB ports, including a USB-C port, so it's better suited to productivity.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is better than the ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD. The LG has much better ergonomics, motion handling, and color accuracy, but the ViewSonic has a much better contrast ratio and black uniformity. The LG supports HDR and has a much better gradient performance, but doesn't have a black frame insertion feature like the ViewSonic.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A and the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B are both gaming monitors but with very different specs. The ASUS has a 1080p resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, while the LG has a 1440p resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The ASUS' slightly higher refresh rate and better response times provide a marginally better gaming experience, but its smaller screen size and lower resolution make it less ideal for work and media consumption. The LG has significantly better ergonomics, but it still doesn't allow for swivel adjustment.
Overall, the Lenovo Y27q-20 is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Lenovo has a slightly higher refresh rate, better ergonomics, and better color accuracy out of the box. However, the LG gets a little brighter in SDR and HDR, and it has better response time when running at 60Hz.
For most uses, the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B performs much better than the AOC CG27G1. The LG has an IPS panel that provides wider viewing angles and it can't get a lot brighter, making it more suitable for bright environments. Also, the LG supports HDR and has a much faster response time, at both maximum refresh rate and at 60Hz. On the other hand, the AOC has a VA panel that has significantly better dark room performance and it has an impressive out-of-the-box color accuracy.
The Gigabyte AORUS FI27Q is marginally better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The FI27Q has a much better build quality and ergonomics, as well as a better contrast ratio and color accuracy, but the LG has significantly better black uniformity. They perform similarly in terms of motion handling, but the LG has a faster response time, whereas the AORUS FI27Q has a higher refresh rate.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is a bit better than the LG 27GN750-B. The 27GL850-B has a 144Hz refresh rate, 1440p resolution, a wider SDR color gamut, and better gradient handling. The 27GN750-B has better contrast, a 240Hz refresh rate, and its response time is a bit better, but the response time at 60Hz is still better on the 27GL850-B.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is much better than the HP OMEN 27 for most uses, but they offer very similar performance for gaming. The HP has better reflection handling and an optional black frame insertion feature, but the LG has slightly better motion handling overall, with slightly clearer motion. The LG supports HDR and has much better viewing angles, as well as slightly better ergonomics.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is significantly better than the Dell S2716DG. The LG has an IPS panel that offers much better viewing angles, has better gray uniformity, as well as color accuracy. The LG also has better reflection handling and gradient performance, but the Dell has a black frame insertion feature that helps reduce motion blur and its ergonomics are much better.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is much better than the Dell S2719DGF for most uses, especially if ergonomics aren't important for you. The LG has much better picture quality, with wide viewing angles, much better gradient handling, and HDR support. The LG also has slightly better motion handling, with a slightly faster response time, resulting in slightly clearer motion.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the ASUS VG279Q for most uses. The LG has a higher resolution screen, and it supports HDR. The VG279Q has much better ergonomics and an optional black frame insertion feature. The LG has better motion handling overall, with a faster response time that delivers extremely clear motion, with almost no blur behind fast-moving objects.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is better than the Acer Predator XB271HU Bmiprz. The LG supports HDR and can handle reflections better, which is important when there are a few lights in your room. The Acer, on the other hand, has a black frame insertion feature that helps make the image look crisper.
The two monitors use different panel technologies, each with advantages and disadvantages. The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B has an IPS panel that allows wider viewing angles, whereas the Samsung CHG70 has a VA panel and offers better dark room performance thanks to the much better contrast ratio and local dimming feature. The LG has slightly faster response time, but the Samsung has a black frame insertion feature that can help make motion look crisper.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q and the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B have very similar overall performance, but they have some significant differences. The LG supports HDR, supports FreeSync, and has better gradient thanks to its 10-bit panel. The ASUS, on the other hand, has better ergonomics, supports G-SYNC, and has an optional black frame insertion feature to help improve the appearance of motion.
The Acer Nitro XV273 Xbmiiprzx is slightly better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The Acer has a significantly better contrast ratio and a higher refresh rate, as well as better black uniformity and peak brightness. However, the LG has a higher resolution of 1440p and supports wide color gamut. Additionally, the Acer has a better build quality and reflection handling than the LG.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, it gets brighter, there's a BFI feature, and you can overclock its refresh rate to 170Hz. However, the LG has a lower input lag and it has wider viewing angles.
Although the LG 32GK650F-B and the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B look almost identical, the 27GL850-B performs better overall. The 27GL850-B has an IPS panel with much better viewing angles, better reflection handling, and faster response time. It also supports HDR and has better gradient handling, but the 32GK650F-B has a higher contrast ratio due to its VA panel, and a black frame insertion feature. Text doesn't look as clear on the 32GK650F-B, as its bigger screen results in a lower pixel density.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG are two similar-performing monitors. The ViewSonic has a max refresh rate of 165Hz, G-SYNC support, a black frame insertion feature to help reduce motion blur, and better ergonomics. The LG supports HDR and has much better out-of-box color accuracy. Even though the LG has a max refresh rate of 144Hz, the two monitors still have a very similar response time, except the LG is quicker at 60Hz.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the Pixio PX7 Prime. The LG has slightly better viewing angles, and a faster response time, resulting in slightly clearer motion, although most people won't notice this.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the Razer Raptor 27 144Hz. The 27GL850-B has a much faster response time, resulting in much clearer motion with almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. The Razer Raptor has an optional black frame insertion feature, though, which can help improve the appearance of motion. The LG also has a slightly more adjustable stand, and it can be VESA mounted.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and the Dell S3220DGF have very similar overall performance, with the LG being marginally better. The LG has an IPS panel with much wider viewing angles, it gets brighter, and it has better reflection handling. The LG's response time is much faster, but the Dell has a slightly higher refresh rate, a bigger screen, and a higher contrast ratio thanks to its VA panel.
For most uses, the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is better than the LG 32GK850G-B. The 27GL850-B provides better visibility, as it has wider viewing angles, higher peak brightness, and better reflection handling. The 27GL850-B supports HDR and its response time is faster. However, the 32GK850G-B's VA panel has a higher contrast ratio and a slightly higher refresh rate. The 27GL850-B is a native FreeSync monitor, while the 32GK850G-B supports G-SYNC natively.
The Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD and the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B are very similar overall. For gaming, the LG has slightly better motion handling, and is the better choice if you are sensitive to motion blur or overshoot artifacts. The AD27QD is more feature-packed, including better ergonomics, an optional black frame insertion feature, and countless additional gaming features.
The LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B is slightly better than the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QZ for most uses. For gaming, the PG279QZ has better ergonomics, and an optional black frame insertion feature, but if these aren't very important to you, the 27GL850 has better motion handling overall, with a better response time, and it supports HDR.
Video
Test Results
The LG 27GL850 has the same look as most other LG UltraGear monitors. It's mainly black with a red circle on the back, but it has no backlighting.
The build quality is decent. The outer casing is almost entirely made of plastic, but there aren't any obvious issues.
This monitor has good ergonomics. Besides not being able to swivel, you shouldn't have many issues placing it in an ideal position for yourself. The back of the monitor is very similar to other UltraGear monitors as it has cable management through a clip attached to the stand.
The stand supports the monitor well, but the screen still wobbles a bit.
Like most modern LG monitors, it has a joystick underneath the monitor to control the on-screen display.
- HDMI cable
- DisplayPort cable
- USB-B cable
- Mouse bungee clip
- Power adapter and cable
- User guides, including CD
This monitor has a disappointing contrast ratio. Blacks look gray next to bright highlights, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to improve it. If you're looking for a similar monitor with a VA panel displaying deeper blacks, check out the AOC CQ27G1.
This monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so you can compare the backlight performance with a monitor that has local dimming.
The SDR brightness is good. It remains consistent with different content, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room unless you have the sun directly on the screen. These results are from after calibration in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode, which is the picture mode setting, with the Brightness at its max. If you want something that gets even brighter, check out the Gigabyte G27Q.
The HDR brightness is okay. It can't get bright enough to make small highlights pop against the rest of the image. The EOTF also doesn't follow the target PQ curve well, as there's a slow roll-off, so highlights don't get the brightest they could. These results are in the 'Standard' Game Mode in HDR with the Brightness at its max.
The LG 27GL850 has a great horizontal viewing angle. The image remains consistent when viewed from the side.
The vertical viewing angle is alright. Although the image is darker from wide angles, it's still fine if you're standing up and looking down on the screen.
This monitor has good gray uniformity. There's some very slight vignetting and a bit of dirty screen effect in the center, but neither of these are very noticeable with normal content.
Unfortunately, this monitor has poor black uniformity. There's noticeable backlight bleed and clouding throughout, and it lacks a local dimming feature to further improve it.
This monitor has decent accuracy before calibration. It has a dedicated sRGB mode, so it limits colors well to the sRGB color space, but it still has inaccuracies, particularly with the white balance. Even the color temperature is cold, resulting in a blue tint, and gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve well as dark scenes are too dark and bright scenes are over-brightened. The sRGB mode also locks many settings, including Response Time, and other picture modes that don't lock out any settings have oversaturated colors, as you can see here.
After calibration, this monitor has exceptional accuracy. It displays colors almost perfectly, and any remaining inaccuracies aren't noticeable. Calibrating it also allows you to use any of the picture settings that are locked out in the sRGB mode.
This monitor has an incredible SDR color gamut. It can display the entire sRGB color space used in most content. It also has great coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space used in professional photo editing, but not all colors are accurate in that color space.
The LG 27GL850 has an excellent HDR color gamut. It has fantastic coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used in most HDR content, but it has some tone mapping issues and more limited coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space.
The HDR color volume is decent. It has trouble displaying bright and dark colors very well.
Text clarity is decent but not as good as other 27-inch, 1440p monitors. It can be improved by using ClearType (top photo), which makes the diagonal lines on the letters R and N clearer.
The LG 27GL850 has good reflection handling. It performs well in rooms with moderate amounts of light, such as most office environments.
The LG 27GL850 has remarkable gradient handling. Any banding isn't noticeable with most content.
| NVIDIA | VRR Min | VRR Max |
| DisplayPort | <20Hz | 144Hz |
| HDMI | <20Hz | 100Hz |
| AMD | VRR Min | VRR Max |
| DisplayPort | <20Hz | 144Hz |
| HDMI | <20Hz | 100Hz |
Although the monitor has a max refresh rate of 144Hz over HDMI with VRR disabled, the refresh rate is limited to 100Hz over HDMI once you enable VRR.
| Refresh Rate | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| 143 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 120 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 100 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 80 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 60 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The LG 27GL850 has good motion handling across its VRR range. The 'Fast' Response Time is consistently the best, and while it has worse motion handling at lower refresh rates, it's still better overall than the 'Off' and 'Normal' settings. The CAD of the 'Faster' setting is so high that it passes the limits of the chart, but you can see an alternative chart here.
The refresh rate compliance is decent. Its response time isn't fast enough to make full transitions before the monitor draws the next frame with fast frame rates, but it's better at 60 fps.
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at the max refresh rate of 144Hz is decent. The 'Fast' response time has the lowest CAD with the fastest total response time and less overshoot than 'Faster,' but there's still some noticeable blur.
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at 120Hz is decent. There's a bit of motion blur, but it isn't overly distracting, either. It performs similarly to its max refresh rate, with the 'Fast' overdrive setting having the fastest total response time and a lot less overshoot than 'Faster.'
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at 60Hz is decent. Although the 'Fast' overdrive setting has the lowest CAD, it has some noticeable inverse ghosting caused by overshoot, so it's better to use the 'Normal' setting if that bothers you and you don't mind changing settings.
There's no optional black frame insertion feature on the LG 27GL850. If you want something similar with that, look into the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A.
This monitor has no noticeable VRR flicker with changing frame rates, which is excellent.
The backlight is flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain if you're sensitive to it.
The input lag is low enough for a responsive feel while gaming. Although it increases a bit at 60Hz, it isn't a significant difference.
This monitor can't take full advantage of the PS5, and you need to make sure to turn off Adaptive Sync on the monitor for any signal to work with the console.
This monitor works with the Xbox Series X|S, but for 1440p @ 120Hz to work, you need to disable Adaptive Sync on the monitor. The console doesn't support HDR with 1080p and 1440p signals, so you need to use a downscaled 4k signal to get HDR.
You can adjust the volume through the onscreen menu.
The LG 27GL850 variant has two USB-A ports that you can use to connect devices, but the 27GL83A-B variant doesn't have that.
Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't work well with macOS. HDR looks terrible with tone mapping issues. The VRR feature is completely unusable as it flickers noticeably, and even the max refresh rate of 144Hz doesn't work properly with a fixed refresh rate. It works okay at 120Hz in SDR, with no major issues. If you're using a MacBook, Windows return to their original positions after the computer wakes from sleep, but not if you just close the lid.
There are very few additional features on this monitor. Like other UltraGear monitors, it can display a virtual crosshair on any game. There's also a 'Black Stabilizer' feature, which adjusts the gamma in dark scenes, making it easier to spot objects in the shadows.
If you want a monitor with more extra features, look at the Gigabyte AORUS FI27Q.
