The LG 27GN880-B is a great IPS monitor with impressive gaming performance. It's similar to the LG 27GN850-B in performance and features but with a significantly better stand. One of its main features is its Ergo Stand, which is a monitor arm with a clamp that you can attach to nearly any surface and allows for tons of ergonomic adjustments so you can get a comfortable viewing position or share the screen with others. It has a large, high-resolution screen that makes it well-suited for gaming, work, or media consumption. It has a 144Hz refresh rate, exceptional response times, and low input lag, so gaming feels fluid and responsive. Unfortunately, while it has fantastic DCI P3 coverage, it doesn't get bright enough for proper HDR. Also, its contrast ratio is quite low, making blacks appear gray in the dark.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GN880-B is a great monitor overall. It has impressive gaming performance due to its 144Hz refresh rate, exceptional response times, and low input lag. It's also well-suited for work and media consumption because it has a large screen and high resolution. Also, it comes with a monitor arm that allows for all manner of adjustments so that you can get a comfortable viewing position or share the screen with others. It has a great HDR color gamut with exceptional DCI P3 coverage, but it just doesn't get bright enough to make highlights stand out, and it has a low contrast ratio with no local dimming to improve black level.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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Gets bright enough for most lighting conditions.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
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Might not be able to overcome intense glare.
The LG 27GN880-B is great for office use. It has decent reflection handling and gets bright enough to provide good visibility in well-lit settings. It comes with a monitor arm that allows tons of ergonomic adjustments, making it easy to place the screen in a comfortable viewing position or share it with a coworker. It has a large 27 inch screen that gives you plenty of space for multitasking and a high resolution to deliver sharp images and text.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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Gets bright enough for most lighting conditions.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
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Might not be able to overcome intense glare.
The LG 27GN880-B is an impressive gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, exceptional response times, and low input lag. It has both native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Unlike most LG UltraGear monitors, it has a much better stand that allows for plenty of ergonomic adjustments, and it also takes up less space on your desk. Sadly, it's not the best for gaming in the dark because it has a sub-par contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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144Hz and exceptional response times.
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Low input lag and VRR support.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
The LG 27GN880-B is good for media consumption. Its large screen feels immersive, and it delivers a sharp image thanks to its high resolution. It handles reflections decently well and gets bright enough for most settings, but it might not be able to overcome intense glare in a sunlit room. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, which is great for sharing content, but it's at the expense of a sub-par contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray in the dark.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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Gets bright enough for most lighting conditions.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
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Might not be able to overcome intense glare.
The LG 27GN880-B is great for content creation. It has a large, high-resolution screen with wide viewing angles and a stand that allows tons of ergonomic adjustments. It has full sRGB, and it supports a wide color gamut with exceptional DCI P3 coverage. Unfortunately, the contrast ratio is sub-par, and while it gets bright enough for most lighting conditions, it might struggle to overcome intense glare in a well-lit, sunny environment.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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Gets bright enough for most lighting conditions.
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Wide viewing angles.
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Full sRGB and excellent Adobe RGB coverage.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
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Might not be able to overcome intense glare.
The LG 27GN880-B is decent for gaming in HDR. It has a 144Hz refresh rate, fast response times, and low input lag to deliver a great gaming experience. It has exceptional coverage of the DCI P3 color space, but it simply doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop, not to mention that it has a sub-par contrast ratio and no local dimming.
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Large high-resolution screen.
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144Hz and exceptional response times.
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Exceptional DCI P3 coverage.
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Excellent ergonomics.
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Sub-par contrast makes blacks look gray.
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No local dimming.
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Not bright enough for true HDR.
- 8.0 Mixed Usage
- 8.0 Office
- 8.4 Gaming
- 7.9 Multimedia
- 8.1 Media Creation
- 7.0 HDR Gaming
- Updated May 18, 2021: Added missing information about alternate configuration for the stand. Replaced motion blur at 60Hz photo with a more representative one.
- Updated May 11, 2021: Review published.
- Updated May 06, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch LG 27GN880-B, and it's the only size available. There are many monitors in LG's UltraGear lineup with various configurations, some of which you can see in the table below. There's an LG 27GN88A-B that's very similar; however, we didn't test it.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | VRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27GN650-B | 27" | 1920 x 1080 | 144Hz | Adaptive Sync, FreeSync and G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 27GN750-B | 27" | 1920 x 1080 | 240Hz | FreeSync, G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 27GN800-B | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | 144Hz | Adaptive Sync, FreeSync and G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 27GN850-B | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | 144Hz | Adaptive Sync, FreeSync and G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 27GN880-B | 27" | 2560 x 1440 | 144Hz | FreeSync, G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 27GN950-B | 27" | 3840 x 2160 | 160Hz | FreeSync, G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 34GN850-B | 34" | 3440 x 1440 | 160Hz | FreeSync, G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
| 38GN950-B | 38" | 3840 x 1600 | 160Hz | FreeSync, G-SYNC (certified) compatible |
If you come across a different type of panel or your LG 27GN880-B doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit was manufactured in February 2021; you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Monitors
The LG 27GN880-B is a great monitor overall. It delivers about the same gaming performance as the LG 27GN850-B, but it has a significantly better stand, fixing a weak point of other LG UltraGear gaming monitors. This makes it better suited for a wider range of uses and helps you save desk space.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, the best 27 inch gaming monitors, and the best monitors under $500.
The LG 27GN880-B and the Gigabyte M27Q are both 27 inch, 1440p, IPS monitors with similar overall gaming performance. The Gigabyte has a higher refresh rate of 170Hz that makes it feel more responsive, but the LG has better response times at max refresh rate. If you plan on using the monitor in a bright room with sunlight, the Gigabyte is a better choice because it gets a lot brighter. However, the LG has a significantly better stand that takes up less desk space and provides more ergonomic adjustments. Feature-wise, the Gigabyte comes out ahead because it has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode, an integrated KVM feature, and a Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture mode.
The LG 27GN880-B and the LG 27GN800-B are very similar as they both have a 27 inch IPS panel with a 1440p resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The main difference between these two monitors is the stand. The 27GN880-B comes with LG's Ergo Stand, a monitor arm that allows for a lot more ergonomic adjustment than the 27GN800-B's standard V-shaped stand. Other than that, the 27GN800-B has better reflection handling and a Black Frame Insertion feature, although the latter isn't usable simultaneously with VRR.
The LG 27GN880-B and the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD are very similar. The most notable difference is that the MSI has a higher refresh rate of 165Hz versus the LG's 144Hz, which results in a slightly smoother and more responsive gaming experience. The MSI also has a wider SDR and HDR color gamut, and more features, like two USB 3.0 ports a USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode. On the flip side, the LG has a better stand that takes up less space and provides more ergonomic adjustments.
The LG 27GN880-B and the Dell S2721DGF are both 27 inch 1440p monitors. They have very similar response times, but the Dell has a slightly higher refresh rate of 165Hz versus the LG's 144Hz. Feature-wise, the LG comes with a monitor arm with a wider swivel range, and it takes up less desk space. The Dell has a USB hub with four USB ports, whereas the LG has none. If you tend to game in a bright room with a lot of glare, the Dell might be a better choice because it has better reflection handling and gets a bit brighter overall.
The LG 27GN880-B and the ASUS TUF VG27AQ are both 27 inch, 1440p monitors with an IPS panel. Gaming-wise, the ASUS' refresh rate can be overclocked up to 165Hz to make motion appear smoother and for better responsiveness, but its response times aren't as good, at max refresh rate and especially at 60Hz. However, the ASUS has a Black Frame Insertion feature that works simultaneously with VRR to improve motion clarity. Although both monitors have excellent ergonomics, the LG's stand takes up less space. Also, the LG can display a wide color gamut for HDR, whereas the ASUS can't.
The LG 27GN880-B and the Gigabyte G27Q are very similar as they both have a 27 inch screen with a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. However, the LG has much better response times at max refresh rate, and especially at 60Hz. The LG has a better stand that takes up less space and offers more ergonomic adjustments. However, the Gigabyte gets brighter in SDR and HDR, which means it's better at fighting glare, and it can deliver HDR content with brighter highlights.
The LG 27GN880-B and the LG 27GN850-B are nearly identical. The main differences are that the 27GN880-B has a much better stand that allows for more ergonomic adjustments and a significantly wider DCI P3 coverage.
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 LG 27GN880-B and the LG 27GL83A-B are nearly identical. The only differences are that the 27GN880-B has slightly better response times, and it comes with a much better stand that takes up less desk space and offers more ergonomic adjustments. It also has a much better color gamut in both SDR and HDR, but like the 27GL83A-B, it doesn't get bright enough to deliver a true HDR experience.
Test Results
The LG 27GN880's screen looks like other LG UltraGear gaming monitors, but it comes with a monitor arm instead, which saves desk space and provides excellent ergonomics.
Update 05/18/2021: If you don't want to clamp it to the edge of your desk, the stand can also be attached to a hole in the desk, if your desk has one. It comes with an extra plate and screws to set it up in this alternate configuration.
LG's Ergo Stand is essentially a monitor arm with a clamp that can attach to most desks with a thickness of 2.52" (6.4cm) to 4.8" (12.2cm). It feels very solid, and there's minimal wobble. The stand's total height is 17.9" (45.5cm).
The LG 27GN880's ergonomics are excellent. The Ergo Stand allows for all manner of adjustments, including a full 360-degree swivel range. You can also adjust the viewing distance.
The back of the screen looks identical to the LG 27GN850-B, with the same circular vents and red accents. You can route the cables through the stand for cable management.
The monitor arm and the screen are both thin and don't require much desk space. The thickness with stand is measured with the arm at the most extended position. The thickness is 13" (33.1cm) at minimum extension.
The LG 27GN880's build quality is good. The screen's all-plastic construction doesn't feel particularly premium, but it's sturdy, and there aren't any obvious issues. The stand feels much more solid and heavy, and it supports the monitor incredibly well. It takes a lot of force to tilt and rotate the screen to portrait mode, but the arm remains steady.
The LG 27GN880 has a sub-par contrast ratio, similar to the LG 27GN850-B. It's at the lower end of the advertised 700 to 1000:1 contrast range; however, this may vary slightly from one unit to another. This makes blacks look gray when viewed in the dark.
The LG 27GN880 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.
The LG 27GN880-B has good SDR peak brightness, with the real scene and all windows measuring within the advertised 280 cd/m² to 350 cd/m² range. It's very consistent across different content and bright enough to provide good visibility in most lighting conditions, but it might struggle to overcome intense glare in very well-lit environments.
We measured the SDR peak brightness after calibration in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode with Backlight set to max.
The HDR peak brightness is just okay. It's pretty consistent for the most part except for the slight dimming in the 2% windows, which isn't noticeable. However, the real scene brightness, which is more representative of actual content, is considerably lower than in the windows and nowhere near enough to deliver a true HDR experience. If you want something a bit brighter, check out the LG 27GP83B-B instead.
We measured the HDR peak brightness in the 'Gamer 2 HDR' Game Mode with Backlight set to max.
The LG 27GN880 has great horizontal viewing angles, typical of an IPS panel. The image remains accurate when viewing from the side, ideal for playing co-op or sharing content.
The LG 27GN880 has mediocre vertical viewing angles. The image looks inaccurate when viewing from above or below.
Gray uniformity is excellent; however, this varies between units. The corners and edges are darker on ours, but dirty screen effect is minimal in the center. Uniformity is much better in dark scenes.
Poor black uniformity. There's clouding throughout and some backlight bleed, and the top right corner of the screen has a warmer reddish tone. This can be distracting when viewing dark scenes in a dark environment. Note that black uniformity varies between individual units.
The LG 27GN880's accuracy is sub-par out of the box. Greens and yellows are noticeably inaccurate and over-saturated even in the sRGB preset, and the white balance is off as well. The color temperature is pretty close to our 6500K target but just a bit on the warmer side, which results in a slight reddish tint. Gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve at all; most scenes are too dark. Note that accuracy varies between individual units.
Although the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode is more accurate on the LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN800-B, the 'sRGB' mode is the most accurate preset on this model. The 'Gamer 1' Game Mode has a color dE of 5.16, a white balance dE of 6.31, and a 7125K color temperature.
Accuracy is superb after calibration. The remaining color and white balance inaccuracies are imperceptible. The color temperature is closer to our 6500K target, and gamma is significantly improved, although very dark and very bright scenes are slightly over-brightened.
You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit due to manufacturing tolerances, even for the same model.
The LG 27GN880 has an exceptional SDR color gamut. It covers the entire sRGB color space used in most content, and it has excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in print photography.
This monitor has remarkable color volume. It only has trouble displaying dark colors due to its low contrast ratio.
The LG 27GN880 has a great HDR color gamut. It has exceptional coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most HDR content, and its coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 is decent.
Our DCI P3 measurement is lower than the advertised 98%. This is normal and due to the way that we measure DCI P3. We measure it by sending a Rec. 2020 signal, but we limit the colors to the DCI P3 primaries. This results in a lower but arguably more accurate measurement.
The HDR color volume is decent. It doesn't display dark colors well because it has a low contrast ratio, and it also has trouble with very bright greens and blues.
There's no image retention on the LG 27GN880; however, this can vary between units.
The LG 27GN880-B's gradient handling is superb. There's only a little bit of banding in the dark grays and greens, which shouldn't be noticeable in most content.
There's no color bleed on this monitor.
The LG 27GN880-B has decent reflection handling. It should be fine in most lighting conditions, but it might struggle in very bright, sunny environments.
Text clarity is decent. Windows ClearType (top photo) makes text look bolder, especially diagonal lines, like on the R and N.
| 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 LG 27GN880 has an exceptional response time at max refresh rate, resulting in clear motion with almost no blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The best overdrive setting is 'Normal'. 'Off' is slower, and although the 'Fast' and 'Faster' options have quicker rise and fall (gray-to-gray) response times, with 'Faster' reaching below the advertised 1ms in some transitions, their total response times are slower. They also have more overshoot causing inverse ghosting, especially the 'Faster' setting. Despite the higher max refresh rate of the LG 27GP83B-B, the response time is very similar.
Update 05/18/2021: The original photo had some slight duplication as a result of camera movement. We've replaced it with a more representative photo of the motion blur at 60Hz.
| 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 LG 27GN880 has an outstanding response time at 60Hz. However, there are a few transitions that are quite slow, most notably in the dark transitions, which might cause some dark level smearing. The best overdrive setting at 60Hz is still 'Normal' because 'Off' is slower, and the 'Fast' and 'Faster' options have too much overshoot. This means you don't have to change the overdrive setting if your game's frame rate drops.
The backlight is entirely flicker-free. This eliminates image duplication and can help reduce eye strain.
The LG 27GN880-B doesn't have an optional Black Frame Insertion feature.
The LG 27GN880 can reach a maximum of 144Hz. It can reach a maximum of 100Hz over HDMI if FreeSync is enabled, but if you disable FreeSync from the monitor's OSD it supports 120Hz and 144Hz @ 1440p over HDMI. It supports FreeSync natively and is certified as G-SYNC compatible; however, the latter only works over DisplayPort.
The LG 27GN880 has an exceptionally low input lag to provide responsive gameplay. We don't have a measurement for the 10-bit HDR input lag because we can only get the maximum refresh rate over a DisplayPort connection, and we lack the tools to measure input lag with HDR over DisplayPort. The maximum refresh rate at 10-bit over HDMI is 60Hz. We don't expect the latency to increase when gaming in HDR.
The LG 27GN880 has a large high-resolution screen that provides an immersive gaming experience and plenty of space for multitasking.
The LG 27GN880-B has a few additional features, including:
- Crosshair: Adds a virtual crosshair on the screen.
- Black stabilizer: Makes objects more visible in dark scenes.
- Reader Mode: Blue light filter to help reduce eye strain.
