The LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is a very good 1440p monitor. It has an outstanding response time, quicker than most 144Hz monitors we've seen so far. This results in exceptionally clear motion in any scene, with almost no blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has outstanding low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. This monitor supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, and it's also NVIDIA certified as G-SYNC compatible, so VRR works automatically with recent NVIDIA graphics cards. Unfortunately, like almost all IPS monitors, it doesn't look as good in dark rooms, as it has a disappointing contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GL850-B is a very good monitor for pretty much any use. It's a great gaming monitor, with outstanding response time and extremely low input lag. It has wide viewing angles, good peak brightness, and good reflection handling, great for office use or watching videos with a few friends. It delivers a decent HDR gaming experience, but it's limited by its low native contrast and poor black uniformity.
-
Outstanding response time.
-
Wide viewing angles.
-
Excellent low input lag.
-
Disappointing contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
-
Limited ergonomics.
The LG 27GL850-B is a good monitor for office use. It has wide viewing angles, good peak brightness, and good reflection handling. It has a decent height and tilt adjustment, but it can't swivel, which might be an issue for some people. However, it has excellent gray uniformity, which is important for browsing the web or opening documents.
The LG 27GL850-B is a great monitor for gaming. It has outstanding low input lag, a great resolution and size, and outstanding response time. It supports FreeSync, and is NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, and it has a flicker-free backlight. Unfortunately, it has disappointing ergonomics, and it doesn't look as good in a dark room due to its low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
Overall, the LG 27GL850-B is a good monitor for multimedia. It has a great resolution and size, and wide viewing angles, so it's well-suited for sharing videos with your friends. Unfortunately, like most IPS monitors, it doesn't look quite as good in a dark room, as it has a disappointing contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
Good monitor for media creation. The 27GL850-B has a great resolution and size, so you can see more of your work at once. It has great viewing angles, good peak brightness, and decent reflection handling. This monitor also has outstanding low input lag for a responsive desktop experience. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good in a dark room, as it has poor black uniformity.
- 7.6 Mixed Usage
- 7.7 Office
- 8.2 Gaming
- 7.2 Media Consumption
- 7.7 Media Creation
- 6.2 HDR
- 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: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch 27GL850-B, which is the only size available. There are other models in LG's UltraGear lineup, some of which are listed in the table below.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their 27GL850 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. Note that some tests such as the gray uniformity may vary between individual units.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Notes |
| 32GK650F-B | 32" | 1440p | 144Hz | FreeSync |
| 32GK650G-B | 32" | 1440p | 144Hz | G-SYNC |
| 27GK750F-B | 27" | 1080p | 240Hz | FreeSync |
| 27GL850-B | 27" | 1440p | 144Hz | FreeSync, NVIDIA certified |
| 32GK850F-B | 32" | 1440p | 144Hz | FreeSync |
| 32GK850G-B | 32" | 1440p | 144Hz | G-SYNC |
| 34GK950F-B | 34" | 3440x1440 | 144Hz | FreeSync |
| 34GK950G-B | 34" | 3440x1440 | 120Hz | G-SYNC |
The 27GL850 we reviewed was manufactured in June 2019.
Compared To Other Monitors
The LG 27GL850 is a great gaming monitor with outstanding motion handling. It has worse ergonomics than most comparable models, but if this doesn't matter for you it's a great choice. See also our reviews for the best gaming monitors, the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, and the best 27 inch monitors.
The Dell S2721DGF is a bit better overall than the LG 27GL850-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 ASUS TUF VG27AQ is somewhat better than the LG 27GL850-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 Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T is a much better gaming monitor than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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 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 Gigabyte M27Q is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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 Gigabyte G27Q and LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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.
Overall, the Lenovo Y27q-20 is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-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.
The LG 27GL850-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 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 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 27GP850-B is better than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-B and the LG 27GL83A-B have very similar overall performance and any differences can be attributed to panel variance. The 27GL850-B has better inputs as it incorporates two USB 3.0 ports, while the 27GL83A-B has no USB ports.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50 is a bit better for gaming than the LG 27GL850-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 MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a better gaming monitor than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GN850-B is a slight improvement over its predecessor, the LG 27GL850-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 ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A is better than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GP83B-B is a bit better than the LG 27GL850-B. The newer 27GP83B-B has a higher refresh rate, resulting in a better response time and less motion blur. The 27GP83B-B is also a bit brighter. The LG 27GL850-B has slightly better connectivity, though, as it has a built-in USB hub.
The Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the LG 27GL850-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. 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 Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 is a bit better for gaming than the LG 27GL850-B, but they have different features. They both have 144Hz refresh rates, but with HDMI 2.1 inputs and a higher 4k resolution, the Samsung is a better choice for console gaming. Motion looks smooth between each, but the LG has a faster response time at 60Hz. The LG is also a bit better to use in bright rooms because it has better reflection handling and gets a bit brighter. The Samsung has a local dimming feature, which the LG doesn't have, but it causes blooming around bright objects.
The Acer Predator XB273U GXbmiipruzx is a better monitor overall than the LG 27GL850-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 27GN950-B is better than the LG 27GL850-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 27GP950-B is better than the LG 27GL850-B. The 27GP950-B has a higher resolution screen, resulting in better text clarity, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a better choice if you have or are planning to get one of the next-gen consoles. On the other hand, the 27GL850 has much better reflection handling.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A and the LG 27GL850-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.
The LG 27GL850-B is marginally better than the LG 27UK650-W. The 27UK650 has a full 4k resolution which favors multitasking. On the other hand, the 27GL850 is steered more towards gaming as it has a higher refresh rate, a much lower input lag and faster response time which leaves only a small blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
The LG 27GL850-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 34GN850-B is marginally better than the LG 27GL850-B. The 34GN850-B has a bigger screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which provides better immersion in some games and more screen real estate for productivity tasks. The 34GN850-B's refresh rate can be overclocked, its response time is faster, and it has better color accuracy. However, the 27GL850-B has better ergonomics, since it can rotate to portrait mode, and it has better horizontal viewing angles, making it more suitable for co-op games.
The LG 27GL850-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 and the LG 27GN880-B are very similar in terms of their overall performance. The most notable difference is that the 27GN880-B comes with a monitor arm that allows for significantly more ergonomic adjustments. However, the 27GL850-B has a USB hub, which the 27GN880-B lacks. The 27GN880-B has much wider DCI P3 coverage, the color space used in most HDR content, but it doesn't get bright enough for a true HDR experience.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG279Q is better than the LG 27GL850-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.
The LG 27GL850-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 Gigabyte AORUS FI27Q is marginally better than the LG 27GL850-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 ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q and the LG 27GL850-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.
For most uses, the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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 two monitors use different panel technologies, each with advantages and disadvantages. The LG 27GL850-B hs 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 LG 27GL850-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 Nitro XV273 Xbmiiprzx is slightly better than the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-B is better than the Dell S2721D. The LG has lower input lag, faster response time, and a much higher refresh rate, making it a better choice for gaming. It also has wider viewing angles, better ergonomics, and supports HDR. The Dell has better gray uniformity and better reflection handling.
The LG 27GL850-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 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 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 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.
Although the LG 32GK650F-B and the LG 27GL850-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.
For most uses, the LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-B is much better than the Dell U2719D. The LG has a higher refresh rate, significantly better motion handling, and supports FreeSync. The LG also has slightly better viewing angles and a significantly better black uniformity. However, the Dell has much better ergonomics, reflection handling, and color accuracy.
The LG 27GL850-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.
The LG 27GL850-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 LG 27GL850-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.
The Gigabyte AORUS AD27QD and the LG 27GL850 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 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.
Although they use different panel technologies, the LG 27GL850-B is much better than the Acer Nitro XF252Q Xbmiiprzx for most uses. The 27GL850-B has better gray uniformity, much better viewing angles, and a larger, higher resolution screen. The Nitro XF252Q, on the other hand, has an optional black frame insertion feature and better ergonomics.
Video
Test Results
The 27GL850 has the same look as most other LG UltraGear monitors. It's mainly black with a red circle on the back, but it doesn't illuminate like the 32GK850G.
The 27GL850 has decent overall build quality. The outer casing is almost entirely made of plastic, but there aren't any obvious points of concern.
This monitor has disappointing ergonomics. It has a decent height adjustment and it can rotate to portrait orientation, but its tilt range is limited and it can't swivel.
The back of the monitor is very similar to other UltraGear monitors. There's a quick-release on the stand, but only very basic cable management through a clip attached to the stand.
Like the 27GL650F, the stand supports the monitor well but still wobbles a bit.
Like most modern LG monitors, the 27GL850 has a joystick underneath the monitor to control the on-screen display.
- Quick Setup Guide
- USB-B cable
- HDMI cable
- DisplayPort cable
- Power adapter and cable
- Driver/Manual CD
The 27GL850-B has a disappointing contrast ratio. Although IPS monitors usually have low contrast, this is worse than most, and blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. If you're looking for a similar monitor but with a VA panel, displaying deeper blacks, then check out the AOC CQ27G1.
This monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. The above video is provided for reference only.
Good SDR peak brightness. It remains consistent with different content and there shouldn't be any issues overcoming glare in a bright room. If you want something that gets even brighter, then check out the Gigabyte G27Q.
Unfortunately, the 27GL850 has mediocre HDR peak brightness. It can't get bright enough to show off small, bright highlights in HDR content.
Note: While trying to measure the HDR real scene peak brightness, we encountered a bug, and the monitor started to flicker. We don't know why this happened, and we didn't encounter it with our other HDR tests.
The 27GL850 has great horizontal viewing angles, which is expected from an IPS panel monitor. The image remains accurate when viewed from the side.
Decent vertical viewing angle. The edges of the screen are darker if you sit close to it and you lose image accuracy if the monitor is mounted above or below eye level.
Excellent 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. This might vary between units, so let us know if you get a unit with better black uniformity.
The 27GL850-B has okay out-of-the-box color accuracy. There are a few noticeable color errors and the color temperature is extremely close to the 6500K target. Gamma doesn't follow the target curve well, though, so most scenes aren't displayed at the proper brightness.
After calibration, this monitor has outstanding accuracy. Colors are displayed almost perfectly, and any remaining inaccuracies aren't noticeable.
This monitor has an outstanding SDR color gamut. It can display the entire sRGB color space used in most content. It also has impressive coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space, great for professional photo editing.
Outstanding SDR color volume. It's mainly limited by the disappointing contrast ratio, as it can't display dark, saturated colors very well.
The 27GL850 has a decent HDR color gamut. It has good coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most HDR content but limited coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space.
Decent HDR color volume. It's limited by the low native contrast, as it can't display the full range of colors, and can't display dark, saturated colors very well.
The 27GL850 has good reflection handling. It performs best in rooms with moderate amounts of light, such as most office environments.
Text clarity is okay. It can be improved by using ClearType (top photo), which makes the diagonal lines on the letters R and N clearer.
The 27GL850 has outstanding gradient handling. Any banding isn't noticeable with most content.
The 27GL850 has an excellent 144Hz refresh rate. It supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate technology, but it's also certified by NVIDIA as G-SYNC compatible, so it works automatically with a recent NVIDIA graphics card.
Over HDMI, the 27GL850 only supports FreeSync up to 100Hz.
If you're looking for a similar monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, then check out the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| off | Chart | Table | Photo |
| normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
| fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
| faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
The 27GL850 has an outstanding response time at its max refresh rate of 144Hz. Our recommended Overdrive setting is 'Fast' as it has the least amount of motion blur, but there's still some overshoot in darker transitions. If that bothers you, the 'Normal' setting performs very similarly, but the response time is slower in all transitions, resulting in a bit more blur. If you want a similar gaming monitor with better response times, check out the Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx or the LG 32GP850-B.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| off | Chart | Table | Photo |
| normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
| fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
| faster | Chart | Table | Photo |
Incredible response time at 60Hz, better than most 144Hz monitors, which is great news for console gamers. Unlike the Overdrive setting at its max refresh rate, the recommended setting is 'Normal'. It has significantly less overshoot than the 'Fast' and 'Faster' settings and motion looks the clearest.
There's no optional black frame insertion feature on the 27GL850. If you want something similar with a BFI feature, look into the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A.
The backlight is flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain.
Note: We encountered a bug while testing the HDR real scene peak brightness that caused the screen to start flickering at 60Hz. We don't know why this happened, and we didn't notice it at any other time.
Outstanding low input lag, even with FreeSync enabled or in HDR. The 60Hz input lag is higher, though, which might disappoint console gamers.
The 1440p, 27 inch screen delivers a great amount of screen real estate, and is great for multitasking. This also provides an immersive gaming experience, allowing you to see more fine details. If you want something similar but with a larger screen, check out the LG 32GP850-B.
The volume can be adjusted through the on-screen menu.
Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't work well with recent MacBooks. HDR doesn't work properly, as the monitor doesn't tone map properly, so it looks terrible overall. The variable refresh rate feature is completely unusable, 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 in that mode. 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, take a look at the Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q.
