The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is a 27-inch lower mid-range gaming monitor with a 1440p IPS screen. The LG 27GP850-B and LG 27GP83B-B are variants of the same model, but the LG 27GP850-B has extra features like refresh rate overclocking, USB ports, and backlight strobing that the LG 27GP83B lacks. It has a good selection of gaming features, including a native 165Hz refresh rate, FreeSync and G-SYNC-compatible variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and black frame insertion (BFI). It also includes some extra features, like a virtual crosshair, an FPS counter, and a black stabilizer.
Our Verdict
The LG 27GP850-B is a decent PC gaming monitor. Gaming feels responsive and smooth thanks to its low input lag and 180Hz max refresh rate. Motion also looks sharp throughout its entire refresh rate range as it has a fast response time. It has VRR support for FreeSync and is G-SYNC compatible to reduce screen tearing too. However, it doesn't perform well in darker environments and has limited picture quality, as deep blacks appear gray and the screen looks cloudy.
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Great response time across VRR range.
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Low input lag.
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Supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC.
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Low contrast ratio.
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No local dimming.
The LG 27GP850-B is okay for console gaming. It can't take full advantage of the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and has a 1440p resolution, but it still works well with the consoles. That said, it offers good gaming performance with a fast response time and low input lag for a responsive feel. Unfortunately, it has limited picture quality, especially in HDR, as it has a low contrast ratio and lacks a local dimming feature to further improve the picture quality.
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Great response time across VRR range.
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Low input lag.
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Low contrast ratio.
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No local dimming.
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Lack of HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
The LG 27GP850-B is a good choice for an office monitor. It delivers good text clarity and the 27-inch screen has great screen real estate. It overcomes glare in a bright room, with great peak brightness and good reflection handling. It displays a wide range of colors in SDR, which is great if your work requires accurate colors, with excellent accuracy before calibration. While it has good overall ergonomics, it doesn't offer any swivel adjustment, making it difficult to adjust to your preferred position.
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Good reflection handling.
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Image remains consistent at a wide angle.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Stand can't swivel.
The LG 27GP850-B is decent for media creation. The large screen makes it easy to see more of your work at once, and it has good text clarity. It's also ideal for sharing your screen with others thanks to its wide viewing angles, though the stand can't swivel. It has great gray uniformity, exceptional gradient handling, and displays a wide range of colors in SDR, ensuring content looks accurate. It handles glare effectively, with great peak brightness and good reflection handling, but it doesn't look as good in a dark room as deep blacks appear gray, and the screen looks cloudy.
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Image remains consistent at a wide angle.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Excellent accuracy before calibration.
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Low contrast ratio.
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Stand can't swivel.
The LG 27GP850-B has good brightness. It gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room, but it fails to make highlights pop in HDR.
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Bright enough to fight glare.
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Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The LG 27GP850-B has a great overall response time. It maintains its response time consistently fast across its entire refresh rate range. While fast-moving objects look sharp, it doesn't eliminate all motion blur and inverse ghosting.
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Great response time across VRR range.
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Still a bit of motion blur.
The LG 27GP850-B is terrible for HDR. It has a low contrast ratio and lacks a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality in HDR. It also has limited HDR color volume as it can't display bright and dark colors really well.
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Low contrast ratio.
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No local dimming.
The LG 27GP850-B has okay SDR picture quality. It's mainly limited by its low native contrast ratio, so blacks look gray in the dark, and it has disappointing black uniformity as there's clouding throughout.
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Excellent accuracy before calibration.
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Low contrast ratio.
The LG 27GP850-B has excellent color accuracy. It has excellent accuracy before calibration in its dedicated sRGB mode, but calibrating it still results in the most accurate image. That said, its great gray uniformity means that the image remains consistently accurate throughout the entire screen.
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Great gray uniformity.
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Excellent accuracy before calibration.
- 7.2 PC Gaming
- 6.6 Console Gaming
- 7.6 Office
- 7.3 Editing
Performance Usages
- 7.5 Brightness
- 8.1 Response Time
- 4.9 HDR Picture
- 6.4 SDR Picture
- 8.6 Color Accuracy
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: Updated text throughout the review according to Test Bench 2.0, mainly in the Verdict and Motion sections.
- Updated Apr 17, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0. This includes new tests for VRR Motion Performance, Refresh Rate Compliance, Cumulative Absolute Deviation (CAD), and VRR Flicker. You can read the full changelog here.
- Updated Jan 10, 2024: Updated text to reflect changes with Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: Clarified the differences between this monitor and its variant, the LG 27GP83B-B, in the Variants section.
- Updated Nov 28, 2023: Added that the new LG 27GR83Q-B has a higher 240Hz Refresh Rate.
- Updated Sep 19, 2023: Added that the Dell Alienware AW2724DM supports HDMI Forum VRR, which this monitor doesn't support.
- Updated Apr 14, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
- 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.
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 25, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 10, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch LG 27GP850-B, which is also available as the LG 27GP83B-B at different retailers. The 27GP83B-B has fewer features, as it lacks overclock, USB ports, and a backlight strobing feature, but otherwise, it performs the same. You can see the differences between them below. There's also a 32-inch LG 32GP850-B available, but that's a different monitor.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | BFI | USB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27GP850-B | 27" | 2560x1440 | 180Hz | Yes | 2x USB-A 1x USB-B |
| 27GP83B-B | 27" | 2560x1440 | 165Hz | No | 1x USB-A (Service Only) |
Our unit was manufactured in April 2021; you can see the label here.
Compared To Other Monitors
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is a decent PC gaming monitor with a few extra features. It has a fast response time across its VRR range and low input lag for a responsive feel, but like all IPS panels, it's not as well-suited for a dark room as it has limited picture quality. That said, this is what you have to expect for a budget-friendly monitor and it offers good value against other low-cost monitors. However, it doesn't have many productivity features, so if you care about that, check out the Gigabyte M27Q P instead.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 27-inch monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 1440p monitors.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Dell G2724D are both excellent 1440p gaming monitors, with a few differences. The LG has an overclock feature to go up to 180Hz, and they have similar motion handling, but the LG has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. The LG has a few extra features, like a USB hub, but the Dell supports VRR with the PS5, which the LG doesn't.
The MSI G274QPF-QD and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B are 27-inch gaming monitors, though the LG is the better monitor in most cases. The LG gets brighter in HDR, so it's better at overcoming glare, and it has a faster response time, so fast-moving objects look crisper. The LG also has a wider viewing angle, so the screen looks brighter to someone sitting next to you during co-op gaming.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is better than the LG 27GL850-B/27GL83A-B, but the differences are minor and might not matter to everyone. The 27GP850-B has a slightly faster refresh rate, resulting in better motion handling and a touch less motion blur behind fast-moving objects. The 27GP850-B also has an optional black frame insertion feature, but most people won't use this when gaming anyway.
The Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 1.0) and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 Gigabyte M27Q X and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 Dell S2721DGF and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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/27GP83B-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 LG 27GR75Q-B and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B are 27-inch budget gaming monitors. However, the 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B performs better and is the better choice for most people. The 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is better at overcoming glare, has a higher refresh rate, and displays fast-moving objects more crisply.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 Acer Nitro XV272U KVbmiiprzx and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 Samsung Odyssey G7 C32G75T and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 LG 27GR83Q-B is a newer monitor than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B, but it isn't a direct replacement either. This is because the 27GR83Q-B has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, and it also supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which the 27GP850-B doesn't support, and this allows the 27GR83Q-B to take advantage of modern graphics cards and gaming consoles. The 27GP850-B displays more colors accurately, but other than that, the two monitors perform similarly.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Gigabyte M27Q (rev. 2.0) are both 1440p gaming monitors, but there are a few differences. The LG has an advantage in gaming because of its faster response time at any refresh rate and better reflection handling, which is ideal if you want to use it in a well-lit room. On the other hand, the Gigabyte has a few extra features for office use as it has a USB-C port and KVM switch, making it ideal for multitasking.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Dell Alienware AW2724DM are both excellent lower mid-range 1440p gaming monitors. They each have a max refresh rate of 180Hz, and motion handling is fantastic between each, but the LG has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. The Dell gets brighter, so it's slightly better to use in bright rooms, but the LG is a bit better for use in dark rooms, or for watching HDR content, because it doesn't have a local dimming feature that worsens the contrast like on the Dell.
The ASUS TUF VG27AQ is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 32GP850-B and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 LG 27GP950-B is slightly better than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Gigabyte M27Q P are both impressive 1440p gaming monitors. They each have a 165Hz native refresh rate with overclock features, as the LG goes up to 180Hz and the Gigabyte goes up to 170Hz. The LG has better motion handling, especially at the max refresh rate, and it also has lower input lag at 60Hz. On the other hand, the Gigabyte has a few extra productivity features, like a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and a KVM switch.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B and the Samsung Odyssey G5/G51C S27CG51 are both low-cost 1440p gaming monitors, but there are a few differences. The LG is better for most gamers as it has a much faster response time, leading to sharper motion, and it has an overclock for a slightly higher 180Hz refresh rate. The LG also has two USB-A ports to connect your peripherals. Lastly, while the LG is better for use in well-lit rooms thanks to its higher peak brightness, the Samsung is better for dark rooms as it has a higher contrast ratio.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is a bit better than the LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-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 Samsung Odyssey G7 S28AG70 and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ is better than the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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/27GP83B-B and the Samsung Odyssey G5/G55C S27CG55 are 27-inch gaming monitors. However, the LG is the better monitor for most people. The Samsung has better contrast and displays deeper blacks in a dark room. However, the LG has better overall performance. The LG gets considerably brighter and has far better viewing angles, so you can better share content with friends or play a local co-op game. The LG also has far better motion handling, so fast-moving objects look crisp.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 sharper 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 ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 Dell Alienware AW2721D and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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 LG 27GN950-B and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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/27GP83B-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/27GP83B-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.
The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-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.
Test Results
The design is nearly identical to the other LG UltraGear monitors we've tested. The red accents give the monitor 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.
The LG 27GP850 has decent build quality. The materials used are okay, but they're 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 ergonomics are good. It's easy to position for yourself, but without swivel adjustment, it's hard to turn the screen to show someone next to you. While you can rotate it into portrait orientation, you can only do so in one direction, so the inputs will always be on top. The back of the monitor is plain, with a large circular red ring. 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 only takes up a little space overall. The stand is okay, though it only partially prevents the display from wobbling.
There's a single joystick underneath the center of the monitor to control the on-screen display.
- User manuals
- Factory calibration report
- Manual/driver CD
- Power adapter
- DisplayPort cable
- HDMI cable
- USB-B cable
The contrast is disappointing, and blacks look gray in a dark room. It doesn't have a local dimming feature to improve it.
This monitor doesn't have a local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so that you can compare the backlight performance with a monitor that has local dimming.
The SDR brightness is great, but it's not quite as bright as the Gigabyte M27Q X. There's no noticeable variation in brightness with different content, and it overcomes glare in a bright room.
These measurements were taken after calibration in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode, with the backlight at max.
The peak brightness is decent in HDR. While it's bright enough for most games, highlights won't pop in brighter scenes. It struggles with EOTF tracking, as dark scenes are overbrightened. However, it does have a sharp roll-off, and highlights display accurately up to its maximum brightness level.
These measurements are taken in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode, with the backlight at max and HDR enabled.
The horizontal viewing angle is great. It works well for sharing your screen with someone sitting next to you, as they'll see a consistent image from the sides.
The vertical viewing angle is mediocre. The image looks somewhat washed out if you're standing up and looking down at the monitor.
The monitor has great 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 monitor has disappointing black uniformity. The entire screen appears cloudy, and there are some issues with backlight bleed around the edges.
The pre-calibration color accuracy is excellent in the sRGB mode. While there are some issues with the white balance, especially in brighter shades, most colors are fairly 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.
The 'sRGB' Game Mode locks out a few settings, like Black Level, Variable Backlight, and Sharpness. You can adjust the locked settings in an alternative picture mode that's less accurate, as you can see here in 'Gamer 1'.
After calibration, the LG 27GP850-B has exceptional accuracy. There are no noticeable issues with the white balance or color accuracy. Gamma is close to the target curve, but both very dark and very bright scenes are too bright. The color temperature is almost perfect.
The monitor's SDR color gamut is superb. 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 great, but it can't display the full range of greens, and it oversaturates reds.
The monitor has an excellent 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.
The monitor has a decent HDR color volume. It can't display very dark shades and colors very well, with darker colors appearing gray or very undersaturated.
The text clarity is good. Enabling Windows ClearType (top photo) improves text clarity while turning it off causes clarity issues with diagonal lines (bottom photo). These photos are in Windows 10.
The reflection handling is good, and the monitor's great peak brightness ensures glare isn't an issue in brighter rooms.
The gradient handling is exceptional. There's some banding, especially in darker shades, but this isn't that noticeable with regular content.
The refresh rate is very high and includes a built-in factory overclock to 180Hz.
| NVIDIA | VRR Min | VRR Max |
| DisplayPort | <20 | 180Hz |
| HDMI | N/A | N/A |
| AMD | VRR Min | VRR Max |
| DisplayPort | <20Hz | 180Hz |
| HDMI | <20Hz | 144Hz |
| Refresh Rate | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| 179 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 165 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 144 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 120 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 100 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 80 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| 60 | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The LG 27GP850-B has great motion handling with VRR enabled. The 'Normal' Response Time setting is extremely consistent, as theCAD is the same throughout the VRR range, but 'Fast' is the better choice if your game maintains consistently high frame rates. The 'Faster' setting has such a high CAD that it passes the limit of the chart, as you can see here.
The refresh rate compliance is very good. It's best at lower frame rates, but like most LCD monitors, its response time isn't fast enough to keep up with its max refresh rate. The 'Off', 'Normal', and 'Fast' overdrive settings perform similarly, but 'Normal' is consistently the best.
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at the max refresh rate of 180Hz is great. Motion looks sharp, and the 'Fast' overdrive setting doesn't have any noticeable inverse ghosting. It has the fastest total response time, and a lot less overshoot than 'Faster'.
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at 120Hz is great. While the 'Fast' overdrive setting has the lowest CAD, it still has some inverse ghosting, more so than at its max refresh rate. If that bothers you, the 'Normal' setting performs similarly and doesn't have inverse ghosting.
| Overdrive Mode | CAD Heatmap | RT Chart | Pursuit Photo |
| Off | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Normal | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Fast | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
| Faster | Heatmap | Chart | Photo |
The CAD at 60Hz is great. Unlike at higher refresh rates, the recommended overdrive setting is 'Normal' because 'Fast' has too much overshoot causing inverse ghosting.
| Refresh Rate | Motion Blur Photo |
| 165Hz | Photo |
| 120Hz | 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. It works within a limited range and unfortunately, it doesn't work if the optional overclock feature or VRR are enabled. While it reduces persistence blur, it also causes image duplication.
The LG 27GP850-B has a bit of VRR flicker with changing frame rates in darker scenes, but it's hard to see. That said, there's less visible flicker in bright scenes.
The backlight remains flicker-free at all brightness levels, which helps reduce eye strain if you're sensitive to it.
This monitor has extremely low input lag for a responsive feel while gaming.
Without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, the LG 27GP850-B can't take full advantage of the PS5, but it still downscales a 4k @ 60Hz signal, which is more detailed than native 1440p.
As the Xbox Series X|S only supports HDR with 4k signals, you can only get HDR with a downscaled 4k @ 60Hz signal.
This monitor only has two USB 3.0 ports. However, if you want a more office-friendly monitor with a USB-C port, check out the Dell P3223DE.
The monitor works well with macOS. HDR and VRR both function effectively while gaming. However, there's some minor flickering with a variable refresh rate when switching from 48Hz to a higher framerate. Additionally, macOS detects this as a 31.5-inch display, but this doesn't impact performance. If you're using a MacBook, windows sometimes don't return to their original position if you close the lid.
This monitor 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 the shadows.
