The LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B is an impressive gaming monitor. It replaces the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B and is an overall improvement. Gamers should appreciate the incredible response time at its max refresh rate of 144Hz, resulting in minimal motion blur, and it remains fast when gaming at 60Hz. It supports Adaptive Sync and is compatible with both FreeSync and G-SYNC to reduce screen tearing, and the input lag is also incredibly low. It has a large 27-inch screen with a 1440p resolution, which helps deliver an immersive gaming experience without being too heavy on your graphics card. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate when viewing from the side. However, that comes at the cost of a low contrast ratio, and without local dimming, blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GN850-B is very good overall. It offers impressive gaming performance because it has a high 144Hz refresh rate with VRR support, the response time is incredible, and input lag is extremely low. Its 27 inch, 1440p screen makes it good for office use and content creators, and it has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with someone else. Sadly, it has a low contrast ratio and lacks local dimming, so blacks appear closer to gray when viewed in the dark.
- Wide viewing angles.
- High 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
- Extremely low input lag.
- Incredible response time.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
The LG 27GN850-B is good for office use. Its 27 inch screen size allows you to open multiple windows at once, and its 1440p resolution delivers clear text. It has wide viewing angles, making it easier to share your screen with others. However, it has disappointing ergonomics as you can't swivel it. Lastly, reflection handling is decent, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Good peak brightness and decent reflection handling.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Glare may be an issue in really well-lit rooms.
The LG 27GN850-B is impressive for gaming. It has an incredible response time whether you're gaming at its native 144Hz refresh rate or 60Hz, and the input lag is incredibly low. It has FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Sadly, it's not a good choice for dark room gaming because of its low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- High 144Hz refresh rate and VRR support.
- Extremely low input lag.
- Incredible response time.
- Low contrast ratio.
- No local dimming feature.
The LG 27GN850-B is good for consuming multimedia content. Its 1440p resolution helps deliver crisp images, and it has a large, 27 inch screen. It performs well in bright rooms thanks to its decent reflection handling and good peak brightness. However, it's not a good choice for dark rooms because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear closer to gray.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Good peak brightness and decent reflection handling.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
The LG 27GN850-B is very good for content creators. The large screen and high resolution mean you can easily open multiple windows side-by-side, which is great for multitasking. It has wide viewing angles, so people viewing from the side get the same accurate image as if they would be directly in front. However, it has disappointing ergonomics, making it difficult to position your screen to share with someone.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Good peak brightness and decent reflection handling.
- Large screen and high resolution.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
The LG 27GN850-B is mediocre for HDR. While it displays a wide range of colors, its overall HDR performance is limited because it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights stand out. It also has a low contrast that makes blacks look gray in the dark and lacks a local dimming feature to further improve it.
- Displays wide range of colors in HDR.
- Low contrast ratio.
- No local dimming feature.
- Mediocre HDR peak brightness.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 15, 2023: Clarified the differences between this monitor and its variant, the LG 27GN880-B, in the Variants section.
- Updated Feb 14, 2023: Added text in the macOS Compatibility and Console Compatibility boxes as part of Test Bench 1.2. Also changed the FreeSync result in Variable Refresh Rate to 'Yes'.
- Updated Feb 10, 2023: 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 Jun 01, 2021: We mistakenly indicated the thickness with stand as 32.2 cm instead of 22.2 cm. It has been fixed.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We reviewed the 27-inch LG 27GN850-B, which is also available at the LG 27GN880-B. While they use the same screen and perform the same, the 27GN880-B comes with LG's Ergo Stand. It's essentially a mounting arm that you attach to the edge of your desk, and it offers all kinds of ergonomic adjustments. You can see what it looks like here.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Ergonomics |
| LG 27GN850-B | 27" | IPS | 1440p | 144Hz | Height, Tilt, Rotate |
| LG 27GN880-B | 27" | IPS | 1440p | 144Hz | Height, Tilt, Rotate, Swivel, and Extend |
The unit we reviewed was manufactured in October 2020, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The LG 27GN850-B is an impressive gaming monitor that has features most people should enjoy, such as VRR support, an incredible response time, and extremely low input lag. In terms of gaming, it's an improvement over the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B, but if you need it for office use as well, it's lacking in ergonomics. There are similarly priced options with better ergonomics, like the Dell S2721DGF.
See our recommendations for the best 1440p 144Hz monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best LG monitors.
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 LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B and the LG 27GN800-B are very similar monitors. They use an almost identical panel, but the 27GN800-B has a much simpler stand with practically no adjustment options. Unless the stand is a dealbreaker, the 27GN800-B may actually be the better choice. While most casual gamers may not notice, the 27GN800-B has a slightly faster response time and a lower 60Hz input lag. These are minor differences, but if you're going to mount your monitor, the 27GN800-B may represent a better value.
The LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B is better for most uses than the LG 27GN750-B, but they have a few different features. The 27GN850-B has a higher 1440p resolution, but it has a lower refresh rate of 144Hz compared to the 27GN750's 240Hz, which also has a lower 1080p resolution. Choosing one over the other comes down to personal preference and whether you need a higher refresh rate at the cost of a lower resolution.
The Dell S2721DGF is a bit better overall than the LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B, but the two monitors are very similar. The Dell has a max refresh rate of 165Hz, as opposed to the LG's 144Hz, and this results in a slightly quicker response time. It also has much better ergonomics, making it a better choice for office use, and it gets brighter. On the other hand, the LG has much better out-of-the-box accuracy, so you may not need to get it calibrated.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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