The LG 38GN950-B is a great ultrawide gaming monitor. It's the successor to the LG 38GL950G-B, but unlike its predecessor, it supports FreeSync natively instead of G-SYNC. It's certified as G-SYNC compatible, though, so those with an NVIDIA graphics card still get a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It has low input lag, exceptional response time, and a 144Hz refresh that you can overclock up to 160Hz, resulting in amazingly fluid gameplay. Its 38 inch high-resolution screen provides incredible immersion and tons of space for multitasking, making it a good choice for work and media consumption. It has a great wide color gamut and impressive peak brightness to deliver a pretty good HDR experience, although it's not the best option for dark room viewing due to its sub-par contrast. Unfortunately, the stand doesn't allow for any swivel adjustment.
The LG UltraGear 38GN950-B is a great monitor overall. It's great for gaming as it has a high refresh rate, exceptional response time, and VRR support, resulting in smooth and responsive gameplay. Its large, high-resolution screen feels immersive and provides plenty of space for multitasking, making it a good option for media consumption and productivity. Although its contrast is sub-par and its local dimming is terrible, it has a great color gamut and high peak brightness to deliver a good HDR experience. Its viewing angles are good enough for sharing content casually or playing co-op games, but there's still some loss of image accuracy that might be a dealbreaker for content creators.
The LG 38GN950-B is good for office use. It has a large 38 inch ultrawide screen that gives you plenty of space to open multiple windows side-by-side, and its high pixel density results in sharp images and text. Its reflection handling is just okay, but the screen gets pretty bright, so you shouldn't have any visibility issue in most settings. The stand doesn't swivel at all, which isn't ideal if you need to turn the screen to share your work with a coworker. On the upside, it has good viewing angles, so the image remains accurate at the sides when you sit up close and when viewing from the side.
The LG 38GN950-B is a great gaming monitor. It delivers an immersive gaming experience thanks to its large screen and high resolution. It has low input lag, a 160Hz refresh rate, and exceptional response time, delivering smooth and responsive gameplay. It supports FreeSync and is certified as G-SYNC compatible to reduce screen tearing. Unfortunately, it's not the best for gaming in the dark because it has a sub-par contrast ratio, and its terrible local dimming doesn't improve black level at all.
The LG 38GN950-B is good for media consumption. It has a large, high-resolution screen that feels incredibly immersive. It doesn't handle reflections all that well, but it gets bright enough to combat glare in most lighting conditions. The viewing angles are good, so the image remains fairly accurate when viewed from the side, great for sharing content with others. Sadly, the ergonomics are somewhat limited because it doesn't swivel at all, and its sub-par contrast ratio isn't ideal for dark rooms.
The LG 38GN950-B is great for content creation. Its 38 inch ultrawide format is amazing for video editors working on a timeline, and its high pixel density lets you see all the fine details of your work clearly. It has full sRGB coverage, superb gradient handling, and no color bleed. The stand doesn't allow for swivel adjustment, which makes it harder to turn the screen when you need to show your work to clients and colleagues. On the upside, the viewing angles are good, so the image remains accurate when viewed from the side.
The LG 38GN950-B is good for gaming in HDR. It has low input lag, exceptional response time, and VRR support to deliver a great gaming experience. It has an outstanding DCI P3 color gamut and gets very bright in HDR, but unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray, and its local dimming is terrible. Also, the refresh rate is limited to 120Hz when gaming in HDR.
We tested the 38 inch LG UltraGear 38GN950-B, and there are no other variants. The LG 38GN95B-B is very similar, but its refresh rate can be overclocked up to 175Hz instead of 160Hz. You can see some of the other ultrawide UltraGear monitors in the table below.
Model | Size | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | VRR | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
34GN850-B | 34" | 3440 x 1440 | 160Hz | FreeSync/Certified G-SYNC compatible | DisplayHDr 400 |
34GP83-A | 34" | 3440 x 1440 | 160Hz | FreeSync Premium/Certified G-SYNC compatible | DisplayHDR 400 |
38GN950-B | 38" | 3840 x 1600 | 160Hz | FreeSync Premium Pro/Certified G-SYNC compatible | DisplayHDR 600 |
38GN95B-B | 38" | 3840 x 1600 | 175Hz | FreeSync/G-SYNC compatible | DisplayHDR 600 |
38GL950G-B | 38" | 3840 x 1600 | 175Hz | G-SYNC/FreeSync compatible | DisplayHDR 400 |
If you come across a different type of panel or your 38GN950-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 December 2020; you can see the label here.
The LG UltraGear 38GN950-B is a great gaming monitor. However, it's much more expensive than the LG 34GN850-B without providing a significantly better gaming experience. That said, it might be worth it if you want to game in HDR because it has a wider color gamut and gets a lot brighter. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors, the best curved monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The LG 38GN950-B is the successor to the LG 38GL950G-B. However, there's one key difference: the 38GN950-B has native FreeSync support instead of G-SYNC like its predecessor. That said, it's still certified as G-SYNC compatible. The other big change is that the 38GN950-B only overclocks up to 160Hz instead of 175Hz, although most people shouldn't feel any difference. The 38GN950-B has a wider color gamut and much higher peak brightness to deliver a better HDR experience. It has local dimming, which the 38GL950G-B lacks, but it performs terribly.
Although the LG 38GN950-B and the LG 38WN95C-W are very different in their outer design, they're actually quite similar. The main difference is that the 38GN950-B's 144Hz refresh rate can be overclocked up to 160Hz. The 38GN950-B has a better HDR color gamut and volume, and it gets a bit brighter overall. The 38WN95C-W has a few more features, like a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 support and built-in speakers.
The LG 38GN950-B and the Dell Alienware AW3821DW are very similar overall. They're both 38 inch, 21:9 IPS monitors with a 3840 x 1600 resolution. The LG is a native FreeSync model with G-SYNC compatibility, while the Dell is a native G-SYNC model with FreeSync compatibility. The LG's refresh rate can be overclocked up to 160Hz, whereas the Dell is capped at 144Hz, and it has better response times than the Dell. The LG also has a better color gamut and higher peak brightness, resulting in a better HDR experience. The LG has wider viewing angles for sharing content or playing co-op games, but its ergonomics aren't as good as the Dell's because it doesn't swivel at all.
The LG 38GN950-B and the LG 34GP950G-B are very similar overall. The 38GN950-B has a larger, higher resolution screen which some people might prefer. The 34GP950G-B might be better for gamers with an NVIDIA card, as it has native support for G-SYNC, so it supports a few extra features, including variable overdrive.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 and the LG 38GN950-B are both ultrawide gaming monitors with different panel types and screen sizes. The Samsung has a larger 49 inch screen with a 32:9 aspect ratio compared to the 38 inch screen and 21:9 aspect ratio on the LG. The Samsung also has a VA panel with a better contrast, but the LG's IPS panel has better viewing angles. Even though the Samsung has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, motion handling is better on the LG. They both have local dimming features, but it's much better on the Samsung thanks to the Mini LED backlighting.
The LG 38GN950-B and the LG 34GN850-B are very similar in design and performance. The 38GN950 has a bigger screen and a higher resolution, although the pixel density is the same. It also has a much wider color gamut and gets a lot brighter, which means it can deliver a much better HDR experience than the 34GN850-B.
The LG 38GN950-B and the Samsung Odyssey G9 are both great ultrawide gaming monitors but also very different. The LG is a 38-inch IPS model with a 21:9 aspect ratio, while the Samsung is a 49-inch VA model with a 32:9 aspect ratio. This means that the Samsung has a wider format and is better suited for dark rooms, but its viewing angles are worse. The Samsung has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz compared to the LG's 160Hz; however, the LG has significantly better response times. The LG has a much wider color gamut, especially its DCI P3 coverage, and it gets brighter in HDR real scenes, though the Samsung can get brighter in some instances.
The LG 38GN950-B and the Gigabyte M27Q are quite different. The LG is an ultrawide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, while the Gigabyte is a standard 16:9 model. This means that the LG provides more horizontal screen space, making it feel more immersive in games. Although the LG has an unconventional 3840x1600 resolution, it's about the same pixel density as the Gigabyte, so images and text look just as sharp. The LG has a lower refresh rate of 160Hz compared to the Gigabyte's 170Hz, but its response time is slightly quicker. If you want to game in HDR, the LG delivers a better experience because it has a wider color gamut and gets a lot brighter. It has local dimming, which the Gigabyte lacks, but it's edge-lit and performs terribly. The Gigabyte has more features, like a USB-C port and an integrated KVM.
The LG 38GN950-B is very similar in design to its predecessor, the LG 38GL950G-B. Like other 2020 UltraGear monitors, the stand has been redesigned slightly. The column is wider at the bottom, and the wide V-shaped feet are elevated so that they only make contact with the table at the tips. There are still some red accents and RGB lighting on the back.
The back is similar to the LG 38GL950G-B, except that the LG branding has been replaced with the UltraGear logo. The RGB lighting strip can be controlled through software or with the wheel at the bottom of the screen. The small cutout in the stand is for cable management.
The LG 38GN850's build quality is decent. The all-plastic construction feels basic but solid, and there are no obvious gaps or loose parts. There's a bit of flex around the RGB lighting, although it's not bad enough to be of concern. The stand supports the monitor well, and there's very little wobble. Unfortunately, the cable management cutout on the stand feels pretty flimsy.
Like most IPS panels, the LG 38GN950 has a sub-par contrast ratio, which makes blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. It's slightly below the advertised 1000:1; however, contrast may vary between individual units. The local dimming doesn't improve the contrast at all because our test pattern triggers all the local dimming zones. We measured a part of the screen that wasn't lit during our local dimming test and got a 5634:1 contrast. However, this rarely happens in real content because all the zones are on most of the time.
The LG UltraGear 38GN950 has a terrible local dimming feature. It's edge-lit, and the dimming zones are huge. It doesn't do much in most content because all the zones light up even when there's just a tiny object on the screen. Subtitles and small stars also make the entire screen light up. Zone transitions are very visible, but again, it rarely happens that a zone is off when displaying real content.
The LG 38GN950 has excellent SDR peak brightness. It's very consistent across different content and more than bright enough to overcome glare, even in well-lit, sunny rooms.
We measured the SDR peak brightness after calibration in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode (picture mode) with Brightness set to max.
The LG 38GN950 has impressive HDR peak brightness. It gets pretty bright, exceeding the brightness requirement for its DisplayHDR 600 certification, but there's some frame dimming in some of the sustained windows. Overall, It's bright enough to deliver a great HDR gaming experience, and it's very decent for HDR movies as well.
We measured the HDR peak brightness in the 'Gamer 1' Game Mode with HDR enabled.
The LG 38GN950 has good horizontal viewing angles, similar to the LG 38GL950G-B. Although our black level results are very different between the left and right side, the difference is actually very minor because the left side stays below our 3% threshold while the right is only slightly above. Overall, you shouldn't see much loss in image accuracy when viewing from the side.
The LG 38GN950 has decent horizontal viewing angles. The image looks dimmer and washed-out when viewing from above or below.
Gray uniformity is excellent; however, this varies between individual units due to manufacturing tolerances. The corners and sides are a bit darker on ours, but there's almost no dirty screen effect in the middle. Uniformity is much better in dark scenes.
Black uniformity is okay. The whole screen looks gray, and there's visible backlight bleed at the top corners. There's no difference between having local dimming enabled or disabled because our test pattern seems to trigger all the local dimming zones. This picture from our local dimming video shows the difference between the zones that are on and the ones that are off. Note that black uniformity varies between units.
The LG 38GN950-B has impressive accuracy out of the box. Most color and white balance inaccuracies are difficult to spot. The color temperature is very close to our 6500K target. Gamma follows the sRGB curve well, but some dark scenes appear darker than they should and some bright scenes are a little over-brightened. Note that accuracy can vary between units.
Accuracy is superb after calibration. The remaining color and white balance inaccuracies aren't visible to the naked eye. The color temperature is a bit cooler but still within the same ballpark and close to our target. Gamma is much improved, although some very dark and very bright scenes are a bit too bright.
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 38GN950 has a great HDR color gamut. It has outstanding coverage of the DCI P3 color space used in most HDR content, and the tone mapping is absolutely superb. However, its coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 is much more limited.
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.
There are no signs of image retention, even after displaying a high-contrast image for 10 minutes. However, this may vary between individual units.
The LG 38GN950's reflection handling is just okay. It should be fine for most lighting conditions, but it may struggle with direct sunlight. That said, the screen gets bright enough to compensate, so you shouldn't have visibility issues in most instances.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
Off | Chart | Table | Photo |
Normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
Fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
The LG 38GN950-B has an exceptional response time at its max refresh rate, resulting in clear motion with only a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. The best Overdrive setting is 'Fast' because it has the quickest response time while keeping overshoot at an acceptable level.
Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
Off | Chart | Table | Photo |
Normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
Fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
The LG 38GN950's response time at 60Hz is outstanding, but some transitions are very slow, especially the 0-20%, 0-40%, and 0-60%, causing slight dark level smearing behind fast-moving objects. The best Overdrive setting is 'Normal'. The 'Off' option is very similar; it's slower overall but faster in the dark transitions. The 'Fast' and 'Fastest' options are slower and have significantly more overshoot.
The LG 38GN950 doesn't have a Black Frame Insertion feature.
The LG 38GN950 has a 144Hz refresh rate that can be overclocked up to 160Hz to make motion appear smoother. Enabling Overclock also turns on Adaptive Sync. FreeSync works over DP and HDMI; however, the maximum refresh rate over HDMI is 75Hz. G-SYNC only works over a DisplayPort connection. The advertised G-SYNC range is 48-160Hz, but there was no tearing when the frame rate dropped below 48fps during our test.
The LG 38GN950-B has exceptionally low input lag, and it remains low even with VRR enabled. We don't have a measurement for the 10-bit HDR input lag because the maximum refresh rate at 10 bit over a DisplayPort connection is 120Hz, 75Hz over HDMI, and we lack the necessary tools to measure HDR input lag over DP. That said, we don't expect the input lag to increase in HDR.
The LG 38GN950 has a large 21:9 screen that delivers an immersive gaming experience. It gives you more horizontal screen space than a standard 16:9 display, increasing your field of view in games and allowing you to place multiple windows side-by-side. That said, not all games support an ultrawide format, so you may see black bars at the sides, or the image might be stretched to fill the screen. While its resolution may seem odd, the pixel density is roughly the same as a 34 inch, 3440 x 1440 display.
The LG 38GN950-B has a few extra features, including: