The LG 32QN55T-B is a basic budget monitor that's designed to deliver a decent experience all-around without really excelling in any specific way. It has a large screen with a 1440p native resolution, which is okay at this size, but it's not ideal for users who care about sharp text and high-quality images. It supports HDR and FreeSync variable refresh rate technology (VRR), but it's pretty bare-bones otherwise, with no speakers and few extra features. It also has limited connectivity, with just two HDMI ports, but no DisplayPort or analog inputs for older devices, and no USB ports.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any 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 and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
Our Verdict
The LG 32QN55T-B is a decent monitor overall. It's a good choice for office users or media creators, with a large screen that makes it easier to see more of your work at once and wide viewing angles. It's just okay for gaming, as it has a slow response time and limited gaming features. It's decent for watching videos, mainly due to the large screen, but it doesn't look as good in a dark room due to its low contrast ratio. Finally, although it supports HDR, this adds very little due to the low contrast ratio, low peak brightness in HDR, and lack of a local dimming feature.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Low input lag.
- Large screen size.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Slow response time.
The LG 32QN55T-B is good for office use. The large screen gives you more screen real estate to work with, although the relatively low pixel density results in just decent text clarity. It has great visibility in bright rooms, with great reflection handling and very good peak brightness, so glare isn't an issue. Unfortunately, the stand has disappointing ergonomics, so it's hard to place it in an ideal viewing position.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Great reflection handling.
- Large screen size.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Slow response time.
The LG 32QN55T is just okay for gaming. It has low input lag, resulting in a responsive gaming experience, and the large screen size makes it easy to see more fine details in your favorite games. It also supports FreeSync, which helps reduce tearing, but it's only effective across a narrow range of refresh rates. On the other hand, it has a slow response time and a relatively low refresh rate, so there's a lot of blur behind fast-moving objects.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Low input lag.
- Large screen size.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Slow response time.
The LG 32QN55T-B is decent for watching videos in a dark room. The large screen is nice for watching videos, and it has wide viewing angles, so you can easily share it with someone else, and they'll still see an accurate image. Sadly, it has low contrast and no local dimming, so blacks look gray in a dark room, and although it supports HDR, this adds very little, as it can't get very bright in HDR.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Large screen size.
- Outstanding SDR color gamut.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Colors are over-saturated out of the box.
- Slow response time.
The LG 32QN55T is a good monitor for media creators. The large screen makes it easier to see more of your workflow at once, and it has great visibility in bright rooms. It has a superb SDR color gamut, but sadly, colors are over-saturated out of the box, and there's no sRGB clamp. It also has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate at an angle. Sadly, it has disappointing ergonomics, so it's hard to place it in an ideal viewing position.
- Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle.
- Large screen size.
- Outstanding SDR color gamut.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Colors are over-saturated out of the box.
- Slow response time.
The LG 32QN55T-B delivers a mediocre HDR experience. It can't get very bright in HDR, and it has low contrast with no local dimming, so bright highlights don't stand out from the rest of the scene. It can display a wide color gamut, though, so colors in HDR look vivid and life-like. On the other hand, it has fantastic gradient handling, with very little banding in areas of similar color.
- Fantastic gradient handling.
- Disappointing ergonomics.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Slow response time.
- No local dimming feature.
Changelog
- Updated Apr 14, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
- Updated May 09, 2022: Review published.
- Updated May 04, 2022: Early access published.
- Updated Apr 12, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 32" LG 32QN55T-B, which is the only size available. It's part of LG's 'QN' series of budget IPS monitors, which are available in a few different models, each with different sizes and features, but they have similar performance overall.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if theirs doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we will update the review. Some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate |
| 32QN55T-B | 32" | 1440p | 75Hz |
| 27QN600-B | 27" | 1440p | 75Hz |
| 32QN600-B | 32" | 1440p | 75Hz |
| 32QN650-B | 32" | 1440p | 75Hz |
| 27QN880-B | 27" | 1440p | 75Hz |
Our unit was manufactured in December 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The LG 32QN55T-B is a basic, entry-level gaming monitor that delivers very limited gaming performance. If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are much better options available.
See our recommendations for the best budget gaming monitors, the best 27 inch monitors, and the best 1080p monitors.
The Gigabyte M32Q is much better than the LG 32QN55T-B. The Gigabyte has a much faster refresh rate, resulting in a significantly faster response time, so there's very little blur behind fast-moving objects. The Gigabyte also has better ergonomics and better compatibility with consoles, as it can downscale a 4k image and supports 120Hz signals. The Gigabyte is also more feature-rich, as it has a built-in USB hub, USB-C support, and an optional backlight strobing feature to improve the appearance of motion.
The LG 32QN55T-B is much better than the Samsung UE590 for most users. The LG has much better viewing angles, so the image remains accurate at the sides and if you're sharing your screen with someone else. The LG also has better accuracy out of the box, supports HDR, and has a flicker-free backlight. On the other hand, the Samsung monitor has a much higher pixel density, resulting in sharper images and much better text clarity.
The AOC CQ32G1 and the LG 32QN55T-B use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends on your usage. The AOC is a better choice for dark rooms, as it has a much higher contrast ratio, so blacks look black instead of gray in a dark room. The LG is a better choice for brighter viewing environments, and it has better viewing angles, so it's a better choice if you often share your screen with someone else.
The Acer Nitro VG271 Pbmiipx is better than the LG 32QN55T-B. The Acer has a much faster refresh rate, resulting in significantly better motion handling, with less blur behind fast-moving objects. The Acer also has lower input lag for a more responsive gaming and desktop experience. On the other hand, the LG has a larger screen, so it's easier to see more of your work at once, and it has better ergonomics.
Test Results
The LG 32QN55T has a basic design, with a curved stand and a plain black finish. It has extremely thin bezels on three sides, but there's a small gap between the side of the screen and the first pixels.
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T-B has mediocre built quality. The stand doesn't support the monitor very well, as it wobbles easily. It's entirely plastic, and the black plastic cover on the back flexes quite a bit, even with just a moderate amount of pressure. The bottom front bezel is noticeably uneven, and the quick-release auto-lock doesn't lock the monitor on the stand very well.
The back of the monitor is very plain, consisting of a single large panel with no standout design elements and no gamer aesthetic. There's a quick-release button for the stand, which is nice, and it doesn't require any adapters for the VESA mount if you plan on mounting it. There's an included clip that attaches to the back of the stand for basic cable management.
The stand is pretty plain, and it doesn't support the monitor very well, as it wobbles easily.
There's a single joystick control located along the center bezel, beneath the LG logo on the front of the monitor. It's very easy to navigate the menus. Unfortunately, there are no programmable buttons that you can assign to specific settings.
- Power adapter
- HDMI cable
- Cable management clip (not shown)
- Documentation
- Owner's guide CD
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T has a mediocre contrast. It's only an issue if you plan on using it in a dark room, as blacks look gray in the dark.
The LG 32QN55T doesn't have a local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so you can compare the backlight performance with a monitor that has local dimming.
The LG 32QN55T-B.AUS has very good peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to easily overcome glare in bright rooms, and there's no noticeable variation in brightness with different scenes.
These measurements are after calibration, in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with the backlight at max and Max Brightness on.
The LG 32QN55T has okay peak brightness in HDR. It's not bright enough for small highlights to stand out, and since there's no local dimming feature, bright areas of the screen are the same brightness as the rest of the scene. It tracks the PQ EOTF well, and most scenes are displayed close to the correct brightness levels. Blacks aren't truly black due to the low contrast ratio, though, and there's a very sharp cut-off at the monitor's peak brightness, which causes a loss of fine details in bright scenes.
These measurements are before calibration, in the 'Vivid' Picture Mode with the Brightness at 'Max'.
The LG 32QN55T monitor has an excellent horizontal viewing angle. Colors remain accurate even to a wide angle, and the brightness fades slowly. It's great for sharing your screen with someone else, as the image remains accurate even when viewed from the side.
The vertical viewing angle is just decent. Colors washout and shift faster than they do when moving off-center horizontally, but you won't have any issues if the monitor is mounted slightly above or below eye level.
The LG 32QN55T has great gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are quite a bit darker than the center, but this isn't very noticeable with regular content. There's very little dirty screen effect in the center of the screen.
The LG 32QN55T-B has decent black uniformity. There's some noticeable backlight bleed along the edges of the screen, and the image appears a bit cloudy throughout due to the low contrast ratio.
The overall accuracy out of the box is okay. The white balance is very good, with no significant issues, but color accuracy is noticeably off in most colors. Saturated colors are terribly over-saturated, and sadly, there's no sRGB clamp to limit colors to the sRGB color space. Gamma is off, as most scenes are displayed brighter than they should be. Finally, the color temperature is a bit cool, so there's a bit of a bluish tint.
After calibration, the LG 32QN55T monitor has fantastic accuracy. The issues with the color accuracy and the white balance are gone, and the color temperature is very close to the 6500K target. Gamma is very close to the sRGB gamma curve, and colors are no longer over-saturated.
The LG 32QN55T has an outstanding SDR color gamut, with nearly complete coverage of the sRGB color space used by most desktop and web content. Unfortunately, it has mediocre coverage of the wider Adobe RGB color space, so it's not ideal for print processing if you usually work in this color space.
The LG 32QN55T-B has superb SDR color volume. It has nearly complete coverage of the sRGB color space at all luminance levels, and colors are just as bright as pure white. Sadly, it can't display dark saturated colors well due to its low contrast ratio.
The LG 32QN55T-B.AUS has a decent HDR color gamut. It has great coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used by most current HDR content, including most games. It displays a wide color gamut, but it has limited coverage of the Rec. 2020 color space, so it's not very future-proof, as more and more content will use that color space.
The LG 32QN55T has just decent color volume. It's limited by its incomplete coverage of both the DCI P3 and the Rec. 2020 color spaces, and it can't display dark, saturated colors very well.
The LG 32QN55T has great reflection handling. Combined with its very good peak brightness in SDR, this monitor can easily overcome glare, even in bright rooms. The matte anti-reflective coating significantly diminishes the intensity of direct reflections, but it adds a slight haze to the screen.
Due to the large size and relatively low pixel density on the LG 32QN55T-B, it delivers just decent text clarity. Before running the Windows ClearType wizard (bottom photo), there's color fringing around each character, and diagonal lines aren't very clear. After running the wizard (top photo), text is noticeably clearer, but there's still some color fringing.
The LG 32QN55T has fantastic gradient handling. There's some very slight banding in darker shades of green and gray especially, but it's hardly noticeable.
The native refresh rate is okay for casual gaming or office use, but gamers looking for smooth motion should look for a higher native refresh rate. It defaults to 75Hz but also shows a warning that the recommended refresh rate is 60Hz.
The LG 32QN55T-B is FreeSync certified, but it only works with sources that support FreeSync, including AMD graphics cards and the Xbox Series X. The variable refresh rate feature doesn't work with NVIDIA graphics cards or the Sony PS5. Unfortunately, the maximum refresh rate is too low to meet the requirements for low framerate compensation, so if the framerate of your games drops below 48fps, you'll start to see tearing again.
| 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 |
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T has just an okay response time at the max refresh rate. Most transitions are very slow, resulting in a blurry image and a long blur trail behind fast-moving objects. Like most monitors, there are multiple Response Time settings, but the 'Fast' setting delivers the best performance overall. The 'Faster' setting has a slightly faster rise/fall time, resulting in slightly less blur, but there's terrible overshoot, so there's a long trail of inverse ghosting behind fast-moving objects, so it looks worse overall.
This monitor doesn't support a 120Hz refresh rate.
| 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 |
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T-B has a mediocre response time when gaming at 60Hz. The overall performance is similar to the max refresh rate. However, there's a bit more overshoot with the 'Fast' Response Time setting, so 'Normal' delivers a better experience overall. Still, if you don't want to worry about changing settings if you switch to 60Hz, the 'Fast' setting delivers a fairly consistent experience.
This monitor doesn't have an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion.
The backlight is completely flicker-free at all backlight levels. This is great, as this helps reduce eye strain.
The LG 32GN55T-B has great input lag, resulting in a responsive desktop and gaming experience.
The large size makes it easier to see more fine details, but the pixel density is a bit low.
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T-B has very limited compatibility with the PS5. Although this monitor supports a variable refresh rate, it's not compatible with the PS5.
This monitor has very basic compatibility with the Xbox Series S|X. It can't downscale 4k signals, and it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Although this monitor supports HDR, it's not compatible with the Xbox Series X, as the Xbox only supports HDR signals with a 4k resolution.
Unfortunately, the LG 32QN55T-B only supports HDMI, so you'll need an adapter if your source doesn't have a full-sized HDMI port.
There are no major issues using the LG 32QN55T-B.AUS with recent MacBook Pros. HDR works well, and there are no issues with sleep mode; everything goes back to its original position. The variable refresh rate feature isn't supported, though.
