The LG 27GP850-B is an impressive 27 inch monitor with a 1440p IPS screen. The first true replacement to the very popular LG 27GL850-B and LG 27GN850-B, it delivers an excellent gaming experience. It has outstanding low input lag and a great selection of gaming features, including black frame insertion (BFI), and it supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh rate technologies (VRR). Motion is incredibly clear and smooth, with very little blur behind fast-moving objects and no overshoot in the 'Normal' overdrive mode. It has great peak brightness in SDR and good reflection handling, so glare shouldn't be an issue. It delivers fantastic colors in SDR, and it has remarkable gradient handling. Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio, disappointing black uniformity, and no local dimming feature, so it's not a good choice for a darker environment.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GP850-B is an impressive monitor overall. It delivers an excellent gaming experience with low input lag and a fast response time. The large size, high-resolution screen, and good text clarity make it a good choice for office use, and it can easily overcome glare in a bright room. It's also very good for multimedia or media creation, with outstanding colors and impressive gradients. On the other hand, this isn't a great choice for a dark room, as it has low contrast, disappointing black uniformity, and no local dimming feature.
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Image remains accurate at an angle.
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Excellent gray uniformity.
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Incredible response time.
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Low input lag.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
The LG 27GP850 is a good choice for an office monitor. The large, high-resolution screen delivers good text clarity and great screen real estate. It can easily overcome glare in a bright room, with high peak brightness and good reflection handling. It has outstanding colors in SDR, which is great if your work requires accurate colors, but the overall accuracy out of the box is only decent. Unfortunately, the stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction; this might be limiting to some users.
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Good reflection handling.
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Image remains accurate at an angle.
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Excellent gray uniformity.
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Outstanding colors.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
The LG 27GP850-B is an excellent gaming monitor. It has outstanding low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. The response time is incredibly fast, resulting in exceptionally clear motion with little blur. It supports FreeSync and G-SYNC variable refresh rate technologies (VRR) for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It looks great in a bright room, as it has great peak brightness and good reflection handling, but it's not a good choice for gaming in the dark due to its low contrast ratio.
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Good reflection handling.
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Incredible response time.
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Low input lag.
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Extremely fast refresh rate.
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Supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
The LG 27GP850-B is a good choice for watching videos or movies, but only as long as you're not in a dark room. The large size and wide viewing angles are great for watching the latest viral videos with some friends, and it can easily overcome glare in a bright room. Unfortunately, it's not a good choice for late-night viewing, though, as it has a low contrast ratio, disappointing black uniformity, and no local dimming feature. Also, the stand can't swivel, so if you need to turn it to share the screen with someone, you have to turn the entire display.
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Good reflection handling.
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Image remains accurate at an angle.
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Excellent gray uniformity.
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Outstanding colors.
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Outstanding gradient handling.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
The LG 27GP850-B is a very good monitor for media creation. The large, high-resolution screen makes it easy to see more of your work at once. The wide viewing angles are great for sharing your screen with a colleague or client, but the stand can't swivel. It has excellent gray uniformity, outstanding gradient handling, and impressive colors in SDR. It can handle glare easily, with high peak brightness and good reflection handling, but it doesn't look as good in a dark room.
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Good reflection handling.
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Image remains accurate at an angle.
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Excellent gray uniformity.
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Outstanding colors.
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Outstanding gradient handling.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
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Outstanding colors.
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Outstanding gradient handling.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel and can only rotate in one direction.
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No local dimming.
- 7.8 Mixed Usage
- 7.8 Office
- 8.5 Gaming
- 7.3 Media Consumption
- 7.9 Media Creation
- 6.5 HDR
- Updated May 02, 2022: We tested the monitor with the PS5's new variable refresh rate feature and confirmed that it's not compatible, since the PS5 only supports HDMI Forum VRR.
- Updated Apr 08, 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 Jul 14, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jul 12, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch LG 27GP850-B. It's also available in a 32 inch size, but the larger size doesn't perform quite the same. There are other monitors in LG's 2021 UltraGear lineup, some of which are listed below, but we don't expect our review to be valid for those models.
| Model | Size | Native Resolution | Max Refresh rate | Panel Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34GP83A-B | 34" | 3440x1440 | 160Hz | IPS |
| 32GP850-B | 32" | 2560x1440 | 180Hz | IPS |
| 27GP950-B | 27" | 3840x2160 | 160Hz | IPS |
| 27GP850-B | 27" | 2560x1440 | 180Hz | IPS |
| 27GP83B-B | 27" | 2560x1440 | 165Hz | IPS |
If you come across a different type of panel or your LG 27GP850 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 April 2021; you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Monitors
The LG 27GP850-B is an excellent gaming monitor with a few extra features. It delivers an excellent gaming performance, but like all IPS panels, it's not as well-suited for a dark room. Among 27 inch 1440p gaming monitors, it delivers a great overall experience but doesn't really stand out in a very crowded market.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 27 inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.
The Gigabyte M27Q and the LG 27GP850-B are very similar overall. The Gigabyte has a better vertical viewing angle, and the unit we bought has better accuracy out of the box. The LG has a faster refresh rate and a faster response time, making it a slightly better choice for most gamers.
The Dell S2721DGF and the LG 27GP850-B are very similar, each with strengths and weaknesses. The LG has an optional black frame insertion feature, which can help reduce the amount of persistence blur seen on-screen. The Dell has a more versatile stand, as it can swivel and switch to portrait orientation on either side, and it feels a bit better built than the LG.
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD and the LG 27GP850-B are similar 1440p, 27-inch monitors, but there are a few differences. The MSI has a few extra features for office use, like an ergonomic stand and a USB-C input that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. However, colors look oversaturated, and the color accuracy is much better on the LG. The LG is also slightly better for gaming because it supports DP 1.4 bandwidth, allowing you to reach a higher refresh rate, and the motion handling is a bit better with lower frame rate signals.
The Gigabyte M27Q X and the LG 27GP850-B are pretty similar overall. The Gigabyte has a higher native refresh rate, but this doesn't really translate to better motion handling, as the LG looks a bit better overall, especially when gaming on a console below the monitor's max refresh rate. The Gigabyte has better connectivity and more features, with high bandwidth USB-C and a built-in keyboard, video, and mouse switch.
The LG 27GP850-B is slightly better than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A for gaming, but the ASUS is better for office use. The LG has a much faster response time, resulting in clearer motion with less blur behind fast-moving objects. On the other hand, the ASUS has much better ergonomics, so it might be slightly easier to place it in an ideal viewing position.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T and the LG 27GP850-B use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The LG has better viewing angles, but this comes at the expense of contrast. The Samsung has much better contrast, so it's a better choice for a dark room. The Samsung's black frame insertion (BFI) feature is far more versatile, as it's available across the entire refresh rate range of the monitor, as low as 60Hz, while the BFI on the LG is only available in a narrow range.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B for most uses, but the LG is better for gaming. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, so it might be easier to find an ideal viewing position. The ASUS also has a more versatile black frame insertion feature, as it's available across a wider range of refresh rates. The LG is better for gaming, though, as it has a much faster response time, especially for console gamers.
The ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ is better than the LG 27GP850-B for most uses, but the difference is very minor. The ASUS has better ergonomics, as the stand can swivel, and it has a slightly better height and tilt range. The ASUS seems to be better built and has RGB bias-lighting on the back. On the other hand, the LG is brighter, and it has a slightly faster response time.
The LG 27GP850-B is much better than the LG 27GN800-B. The 27GP850-B has much better ergonomics, a faster refresh rate, and it's brighter in HDR. The 27GP850-B also has better text clarity and better connectivity, as it has a built-in USB hub.
The LG 27GP83B-B and the LG 27GP850-B perform nearly identically overall. The 27GP850-B is a bit more feature-packed, with a higher refresh rate, an optional black frame insertion feature, and a built-in USB hub.
The LG 27GP850-B and the Samsung Odyssey G5 S27AG50 are both excellent gaming monitors with similar features. They both have a 1440p resolution with native FreeSync support and a 165Hz refresh rate, but you can overclock the refresh rate to 180Hz on the LG. Motion handling is superb on each, and they both have low input lag for gaming, but there are a few differences in other areas. The LG displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, which the Samsung doesn't, but it doesn't add much because neither deliver a satisfying HDR experience. The LG also has two USB 3.0 inputs, while the Samsung has a USB input for service inputs, but the Samsung has much better ergonomics because you can swivel it.
Gaming-wise, the LG 27GP850-B is better than the LG 27GL83A-B because it has a higher refresh rate and slightly better response time. It also has a black frame insertion feature to further improve motion clarity, which the 27GL83A-B lacks. The 27GP850-B delivers a better HDR experience because it has a much wider color gamut and gets brighter.
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 27GP850-B is a bit better than the LG 27GN850-B. The 27GP850 has a higher refresh rate, resulting in a faster response time and clearer motion. The 27GP850 also has an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce the appearance of persistence blur, but it's a bit limited and only works over a narrow refresh rate range. Finally, the 27GP850 has slightly better connectivity, with a built-in USB hub.
The LG 27GP950-B is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B. The 27GP950-B has a higher resolution screen, delivering a more immersive gaming experience and better text clarity. The 27GP950-B also has two HDMI 2.1 ports, making it a better choice for next-gen console gamers. On the other hand, the 27GP850-B has much better reflection handling, so it might be a better choice if you're in a bright room.
The LG 32GP850-B and the LG 27GP850-B are nearly identical. The 32 inch model is more accurate out of the box, and the 27 inch model has better text clarity due to the higher pixel density. Other than that, the differences between these models can almost entirely be attributed to panel variance.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 and the LG 27GP850-B are both excellent for gaming, but they have different features. The Samsung has a 4k resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate, while the LG has a 1440p resolution and a higher 180Hz max refresh rate. The LG has a slightly better response time, especially at 60Hz, and it's better for bright rooms because it gets brighter and has better reflection handling. However, the Samsung is a better choice for console gaming thanks to its HDMI 2.1 inputs, and it has a local dimming feature, which the LG doesn't have, but it causes blooming around bright objects.
The Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the LG 27GP850-B have very similar gaming performances. The main differences between them are in the features. The Acer has significantly better ergonomics because it allows for swivel adjustments, more USB ports, and built-in speakers.
The LG 27GP850-B is better than the Gigabyte G27Q gaming-wise because it has a higher refresh rate and a much better response time, especially at 60Hz. The LG can display a wider range of colors in HDR, but it doesn't get nearly as bright as the Gigabyte. The LG allows for rotation to portrait mode, whereas the Gigabyte doesn't.
The LG 27GN950-B and the LG 27GP850-B are both great gaming monitors from the same lineup, with similar designs and gaming performances. The main difference is that the 27GN950-B is a 4k model with a 160Hz refresh rate, while the 27GP850-B is a 1440p model with a 180Hz refresh rate. In HDR, the 27GP850-B has a much wider color gamut, but the 27GN950-B gets a lot brighter to make highlights pop.
The Gigabyte M32Q is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B. The Gigabyte has better vertical viewing angles, slightly better ergonomics, a more versatile black frame insertion feature that's available over a wider range of refresh rates, and it has a larger screen. The Gigabyte also offers slightly better connectivity, with a built-in KVM and USB-C port.
The LG 27GP850-B is significantly better than the Samsung Odyssey G5/G55A S27AG55. The LG has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position. The LG also has much better gaming performance, with a significantly faster response time, so motion looks smoother overall, with less blur behind fast-moving objects. The LG also gets brighter and has a wider viewing angle, so the image remains accurate to the sides if you're sitting close to the screen.
The Dell Alienware AW2721D and the LG 27GP850-B offer similar performance all-around, but there are some differences between them, so which one is better depends on your needs. The Dell has much better ergonomics, so it's easier to place in an ideal viewing position, and it seems to have much better build quality. If those don't matter to you, the LG has better reflection handling, a better response time, and an optional black frame insertion feature to improve motion handling.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM and the LG 27GP850-B deliver very similar performance, each with strengths and weaknesses. The ASUS has better ergonomics, so it's easier to place it in an ideal viewing position. On the other hand, the LG has a faster response time at the max refresh rate, and it has an optional backlight strobing feature to improve the appearance of motion.
The LG 27GP850-B and the Razer Raptor 27 165Hz are both great monitors. They each have a 1440p resolution with a 165Hz native refresh rate, but you can overclock the LG to 180Hz. Motion looks better on the LG thanks to the quicker response times, and its stand can rotate into portrait mode. On the other hand, the Razer's stand can tilt a full 90 degrees backwards, and it has a better selection of inputs because there's a USB-C input.
The LG 27GP850-B and the Dell P3223DE are different types of 1440p monitors. The LG is a gaming monitor with a high 180Hz refresh rate and VRR support for a tear-free gaming experience. Because of that, it also has a quicker response time for smoother motion handling. On the other hand, the Dell is an office monitor with two more USB 3.0 ports compared to the LG, it has a USB-C input, and it has much better ergonomics that make it easier to place in an ideal position.
Test Results
The design is nearly identical to the other LG UltraGear monitors we've tested, like the LG 27GP83B-B. The red accents give the LG 27GP850 a bit of a gaming-oriented design, but it doesn't stand out that much. The thin bezels make it a great choice for a multi-monitor setup.
Overall, the LG 27GP850 has decent build quality. The materials used are okay, but it's almost entirely plastic. One of the panels at the back of our unit is a bit loose, and there's some flex in the plastic, but these aren't significant issues.
The LG 27GP850-B has disappointing ergonomics. It has a decent height and tilt range, and it can switch to portrait orientation, but only in one direction, so the inputs will always be on top. The back of the monitor is pretty plain, with the same red ring as the LG 27GP83B-B. There's no RGB bias-lighting, and the notch in the stand for cable management isn't very useful.
The chevron-shaped stand has a wide footprint, but doesn't take up much space overall. The stand is okay but doesn't entirely prevent the display from wobbling.
- User manuals
- Factory calibration report
- Manual/driver CD
- Power adapter
- DisplayPort cable
- HDMI cable
- USB-B cable
As expected for an IPS panel, the LG 27GP850-B has disappointing contrast, so blacks look gray in a dark room. Note that contrast varies between individual units. LG advertises a minimum contrast ratio of 700:1 for this model and a typical contrast of 1000:1, so these results are a bit on the low side but within LG's posted range. Unfortunately, there's no local dimming feature to improve the contrast ratio.
The LG 27GP850 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only, so you can see how backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming.
The LG 27GP850 has great peak brightness in SDR, but it's not quite as bright as the Gigabyte M27Q X. There's no noticeable variation in brightness with different content, and it can easily overcome glare in most rooms. These results are lower than LG's advertised brightness of 400 cd/m², but it's pretty close.
These measurements were taken after calibration, in the 'Gamer 1' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.
The LG 27GP850 has decent peak brightness in HDR. It's not bright enough for most movies, as small specular highlights don't stand out the way they should. It's bright enough for most games, but some scenes won't stand out as well as they should.
These measurements are taken before calibration, in the 'Gamer 1' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max and HDR enabled. The peak brightness can change depending on which mode you're using.
As expected for an IPS panel, the LG 27GP850 has great horizontal viewing angles. Brightness, colors, and gamma remain accurate even at a wide angle, with only a slight decrease in brightness.
The vertical viewing angles on this monitor are mediocre. At moderate angles above or below, colors fade, brightness decreases, and gamma shifts, causing the image to appear washed out.
The LG 27GP850 we tested has excellent gray uniformity. The corners of the screen are a bit darker than the center, but there's very little dirty screen effect near the center of the screen.
The LG 27GP850 has disappointing black uniformity. The entire screen appears cloudy, and there are some issues with backlight bleed around the edges. Black uniformity varies between units, so let us know if you get one with better uniformity than ours.
The LG 27GP850 has okay accuracy out of the box. There are some noticeable issues with the white balance, especially in brighter shades, but most colors are pretty accurate. Gamma is below the sRGB target curve, and all scenes are brighter than they should be. The color temperature is a bit warm, giving everything a red tint. Although out-of-the-box accuracy can vary between units, this monitor comes partially pre-calibrated, so we don't expect it to vary much between units.
After calibration, the LG 27GP850 has exceptional accuracy. There are no noticeable issues with the white balance or color accuracy. Gamma is extremely close to the target curve, but some bright scenes are a bit too bright. The color temperature is almost perfect.
The LG 27GP850 has an outstanding SDR color gamut. It can display the entire sRGB color space used by most desktop and web content. Coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space used mainly for professional content creation is excellent, exceeding it even in some colors, but it can't display the full range of greens.
This monitor has superb SDR color volume. Due to the low contrast ratio, it can't display colors at low luminance levels very well. Typical for LCDs, it also can't display very bright blues, but this isn't that noticeable.
The LG 27GP850-B has a great HDR color gamut. It can display nearly the entire DCI P3 color space used by most current HDR content but falls short of the red and green primaries. Coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space is decent.
This monitor has decent HDR color volume. In Rec. 2020, it's limited by the incomplete color gamut, and like with SDR content, it can't display dark saturated colors very well.
The LG 27GP850 has good reflection handling. Combined with its high peak brightness, glare shouldn't be an issue.
This monitor has good text clarity. We recommend running the Window ClearType wizard if you're on a PC; otherwise, there are some text clarity issues with diagonal lines, as shown in the bottom photo.
The LG 27GP850 has exceptional gradient handling. There's some banding, especially in darker shades, but this isn't that noticeable with regular content.
The LG 27GP850 has a very high refresh rate, and it has a built-in factory overclock to 180Hz. Over HDMI, the maximum refresh rate is 144Hz. It supports AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate technology (VRR), allowing the monitor to match the frame rate output by your graphics card to reduce tearing. It's certified by NVIDIA to work with their G-SYNC compatible mode, which only works over DisplayPort and only with recent NVIDIA graphics cards.
Note: the initial firmware shipped with this monitor (3.06) was buggy, and we couldn't disable VRR. We had to update the monitor to 4.17 and power cycle it a few times to fix this.
| 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 27GP850-B has an incredibly fast response time at the max refresh rate of 180Hz. At our recommended Response Time Setting of 'Normal', there's no overshoot at all, and almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. In the 'Fast' mode, the rise/fall time is slightly faster, but the total response time is about the same and there's some overshoot. Depending on your personal preferences, some people might prefer 'Fast'. As usual, we don't recommend the highest setting, 'Faster', as there's terrible overshoot.
Exceptionally, we also measured the response time at 165Hz. The overdrive modes behave nearly identically, and again, we recommend the 'Normal' mode, but some people might prefer 'Fast'.
| 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 |
Even when gaming at 60Hz, the LG 27GP850 has an outstanding response time. Unfortunately, the overdrive modes behave a bit differently here, with some noticeable overshoot even in the 'Normal' setting. At 60Hz, we recommend the 'Off' setting. Since there's no variable overdrive, you'll have to change the Response Time Setting manually when changing refresh rates.
| Refresh Rate | BFI Setting | Motion Blur Photo |
| 165Hz | On | Photo |
| 120Hz | On | Photo |
The LG 27GP850-B has an optional backlight strobing feature, also known as black frame insertion (BFI), that can reduce the appearance of persistence blur. The BFI feature on this monitor has a limited range of supported refresh rates, as it doesn't work below 120Hz. Unfortunately, this feature doesn't work if the optional overclock is enabled or if the variable refresh rate feature is enabled. Like all monitors with BFI, enabling this feature causes some duplications in motion, as seen to the left of our moving logo image. To enable BFI, enable Motion Blur Reduction.
When review samples were first sent out to other reviewers, this monitor supported BFI at the same time as a variable refresh rate. On the retail unit we bought, this feature is no longer available. This change has been confirmed by LG, you can read more about it here.
The backlight is completely flicker-free at all brightness levels, which is great, as it can help reduce eye-strain.
The LG 27GP850 has outstanding low input lag, with just a slight increase when the variable refresh rate feature is enabled.
The 27 inch, 1440p screen offers a high pixel density and a great amount of screen real estate for multitasking, without being as taxing on your system as a 4k display.
This monitor only has two USB 3.0 ports, but if you want a more office-friendly monitor with a USB-C port, then check out the Dell P3223DE.
There are a few minor issues using this monitor with recent MacBooks. There's some minor flickering with a variable refresh rate when switching from 48Hz to a higher framerate, and windows sometimes don't go back to their original position if you close the lid. For some reason, the M1 MacBook Pro detects this as a 31.5" display, but this doesn't impact performance at all.
The LG 27GP850 has a few additional features available, most of them gaming-oriented. Some of them include:
- Virtual crosshair: There are four virtual crosshairs to choose from. Unlike software virtual crosshairs, these can't be detected by your games.
- FPS counter: Displays the current number of frames per second received from the source.
- Black stabilizer: Adjusts gamma to make it easier to spot other players/enemies in shadows.
The LG 27GP850 also features the updated UI for LG's gaming monitors. It's a bit fancier, but the menus have the same layout, so if you're familiar with an older LG monitor, you shouldn't have any trouble finding your way around. The extra animations can slow down the UI a bit, but it's not too bad.
