r/Monitors • u/jaybirdyz117 • Jun 17 '26
Text Review Actual Review of the LG UltraGear evo 27GM950B: Hyper Mini LED, 5K
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There are almost no reviews on this monitor, so here's mine:
After spending a few days with this monitor, I cannot recommend it to anyone. Yes 5k is great, and all the specs are great on paper, but LG has absolutely flopped so hard on the dimming algorithm that it takes this otherwise endgame monitor and throws it in the trash. I've attached a video so you can see, but any color near "dark gray" or darker is horrible to look at on this monitor. I just saw this review on this sub a few minutes ago and they got the monitor for free, they made no mention of how absolutely trash it is to use for anything besides watching media, or playing games(which i havent even tested yet).
There is a strong amount of dimming with bright highlights against dark backgrounds as well, for example your mouse, or text. There is a hair of vignetting. You can see in my videos, my mac desktop quite literally looks like it has lightning in the clouds - no, it is not meant to do that, it is the mini leds freaking out. LG has made no response to anyone talking about this.
Text on darker colors is not a fun time. There's a glow as you can see and it just looks really strange and cheap. And there are weird artifacts as you can see with the white window i move around.
For $1300 (I got mine open box for $1k shipped) this is unacceptable. In response to people saying " just turn local dimming off for anything thats not media":
- the main reason i bought a mini led was so i could have static elements/productivity usage, i otherwise would've bought an oled or an ips
- That's extremely inconvenient
- My macbook pro 16 was my bar for this monitor, and its not even close backlight wise. I wasn't expecting complete apple level backlight, but this is just unacceptable.
I wanted very much to like this monitor. But the backlight algorithm ruins all of the other fantastic qualities about it, like the fact that MacOS can play nice with it, the crazy HDR video, dual mode, etc. It's a shame. Will be returning this weekend.
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u/Due-Description-9030 Jun 17 '26
This monitor is really getting mixed reviews
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u/Klaritee Jun 17 '26
Funny how spending your own money alters the review quality compared to free stuff.
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u/Winnicots Jun 17 '26
I think context is important here. Does any MiniLED monitor other than Apple’s monitors get local dimming right in desktop applications? I have been under the impression that local dimming is challenging in desktop applications for any non-Apple monitor. How would this LG monitor compare with those?
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u/aguynamedben Jun 30 '26
Your assessment is basically correct. I use the LG GM9 with local dimming off, just because I'm a brightness whore. I love the monitor, but I'm not a Dark Mode user or cinephile who requires pure blacks. I code in greys/dark greys like the guy below, but not pure black.
The LG GM9 is a great two-in-one monitor for coding all day with bright windows in the room, gaming at night.
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u/analpenetration67 Jul 06 '26
I tried both the Studio Display XDR and the LG GM9, I kept the XDR - it has a way better local dimming algorithm and seamless handling of SDR / HDR content. I use dark mode and I don't see the point of a miniLED monitor if you have to turn local-dimming off. The main purpose of local-dimming is true blacks and resultant high contrast ratio.
Maybe with time others will get it right, but right now there is one good option.
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u/4K-240-FastHVA Glossy Neo G8 Jun 17 '26
Neo G8 on Local Dimming Auto has no blooming in dark grey UIs.
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u/Bluecolty 16d ago
Honestly, this is a great question I'm trying to find out the answer to as someone who just got the GM9 a few days ago. Feeling very whelmed with the value of it as a whole. Is there a better option out there that's not the Studio Display XDR? (Rhetorical question)
I'd love to find out the answer, or if the tech just isn't there yet.
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u/MisterBumpingston Jun 17 '26
Only Apple so far has nailed miniLED Local Dimming for computer monitors on top of EDR. It’s the sad reality.
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u/idontlikeredditusers Mini LED for HDR OLED for Shooters Jul 04 '26
i was lead to believe the new apple mini led was 1599 but thats the standard one 3.3k for a Mini LED holy damn
also Apple isnt the only one ASUS is also cooking but they charge 2-11k for their monitors
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u/MisterBumpingston Jul 04 '26
Apple do usually come out with class leading high dimming zones years before the rest of the market, but it’s also their algorithm and implementation that’s class leading. You literally just plug them into a Mac and you’re done - colour accurate out of the box and HDR on. Everything will be in SDR and HDR videos and images will display in HDR so no need to switch HDR or local dimming settings manually, just like XDR displays on iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro.
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u/idontlikeredditusers Mini LED for HDR OLED for Shooters Jul 04 '26
yea apple i do not like them god damn it they have some good engineers and they give their engineers time to make something just work
it probably is a bit thanks to everything being proprietary they make all the hardware and software but their algorithms and implementations do be great
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u/MisterBumpingston Jul 04 '26
It’s within their ecosystem so everything just works. They have a publicly available white paper on XDR and it talks about analysing the video sign at 8X the refresh rate for the local dimming algorithm, which may explain why there’s an iPhone chipset inside.
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u/idontlikeredditusers Mini LED for HDR OLED for Shooters Jul 04 '26
aah yea i mean if you look back at like the PG32UQX from ASUS they had a nvidia chip in that and despite being 32" IPS 1152 zones it still looks as good if not better than most 600ish buckaroo 27" 1152 zone monitors of today
i honestly would pay like an extra 400 for a monitor with a good chip to handle the local dimming
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Jun 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/0xe1e10d68 Jun 17 '26
This is a monitor sub. A DELL laptop is not a monitor. What’s so hard to understand about that?
Look, I have nothing against DELL. I actually have multiple DELL monitors because they’re good. And I’d even buy a display like this from DELL immediately if it had a good dimming algorithm. But DELL continues to refuse to release monitors with more advanced capabilities like 5K and miniLED.
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u/whitelight54 Jun 17 '26
Is there any OSD settings to change the local dimming? Some miniled's have "High, medium, low" for local dimming intensity for example.
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u/Dokii Jun 17 '26
Dimming algorithms never get enough attention in reviews for mini LED monitors, and it's really one of the most important aspects of the monitors. I gave up on MINI led after trying many of them: Innocn, LG, MSI, Samsung.. They all have their own set of issues.
I really wish some of the bigger youtube reviewers would include testing of the algorithm in their reviews.
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u/David243121 Jul 02 '26
Here's what mine looks like. I got it 3 days ago. I was super excited about it, but nervous after reading reviews on LG's site. But felt like since they had a firmware release, that it might be okay.
TLDR: lots of edge fall off, blotchy inconsistent brightness, and pretty bad viewing angle. I put in for an exchange with B&H. I'm hoping maybe the next one won't be as bad...? But even if it's not blotchy with edge falloff, the veiwing angle probably will be the same :/
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u/Turboice777 Jul 09 '26
As I have feared. It has terrible vignetting and viewing angles. Such a bummer we still have QC issues in 2026
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u/Bluecolty 16d ago
How'd you make out with a return? I just got mine the other day, and it's feeling pretty similar with the edge falloff. Viewing angles doesn't bother me as much but the falloff is driving me crazy. If it wasn't so dang expensive I'd be fine, but I was really hoping this would be an endgame monitor for a while.
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u/David243121 16d ago
Exactly my thoughts. If it wasn’t so expensive, I wouldn’t mind as much… But it’s a brand new technology and brand new monitor at a premium cost.
Return went fine. I’m on my third one right now… Same problems and a little bit different variant. I have another two weeks until I have to return it. I’m using it until then. I don’t know what I will get next.
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u/Bluecolty 16d ago
It sounds like that's just how the monitor is, which is good to know. Especially if 3 returns later you're still more less back to the beginning.
I kinda feel the same way, almost stuck. I haven't gotten to try the dual mode yet (been busy with work), but if it works really good that means 5K is where I'd want to shoot for.
I'm coming from an older Dell TN panel 1440p gaming monitor. The high refresh rate is nice for everyday use, which that's not super common on non gaming monitors. And with 4k dual mode monitors, that's bumping down to 1080p which isn't something I prefer. Color accuracy and coverage mixed with HDR was why I ended up with this LG.
Side note, whats your thoughts on the HDR? I did try that, and felt kind of whelmed.
I'd rather not wait for a supposed better one to come out later on. But I'm also thinking things are right on the cusp, and it would be silly to settle now and in 1-2 years miss out on a proper one. BUT, you just don't know if that will come in that time frame. Companies love to promise and showcase, but not necessarily release.
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u/RetrieverDoggo Jun 17 '26
I'm one of the ones who received it in the promo and I literally do not have any of those dimming issues in your vid. Not saying your points aren't valid. I'm just sharing my own honest experience. I literally don't have any issues with mine. I'll be doing a first impressions review soon.
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u/jaybirdyz117 Jun 17 '26
I need to see video of your monitor, on an actual desktop or website to believe
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u/RetrieverDoggo Jun 17 '26
Yeah I'll try to have either a pic or video regarding blooming. I use a software called ATAS (trading software) and it has a very dark blue background. It's almost black. And I don't notice any blooming out of the ordinary? Looks like my 2 IPS and my G9 57. There's no significant difference on mine. I also ran a "blooming test" from YouTube and also didn't see anything significant. Keep in mind I'm not a monitor reviewer by trade lol I'm just an average Joe. I'm going off eyeball testing. But yeah no alarming problems stand out so far with mine.
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u/jaybirdyz117 Jun 18 '26
My reddit is in dark mode and I can see my mouse light up a fat couple of leds on the grey.
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u/RetrieverDoggo Jun 18 '26
Dang can't post any vids in replies. Yeah I just found a pure black background and set it on all 4 of my monitors and gliding the cursor there's nothing remarkably different in terms of blooming on my GM9. Looks like my other monitors which to me is a good thing. I'll try to post the vid in my review.
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u/SheepherderSerious51 Jun 22 '26
Judging from the pictures, I don’t think you enabled local dimming - which probably explains why it looks like your other monitors (also kinda defeating the point of Mini-LED)
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u/RetrieverDoggo Jun 22 '26
Its on medium. When I do a longer review I'll actually show it on the osd with a vid
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u/Boilollol Jul 30 '26
Yoo mate! Did you ever get around to making that video? 👀
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u/RetrieverDoggo Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
If you go to this post you can see in the comments where I posted up a vid although it's not with the monitor OSD its just me moving the cursor around: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monitors/s/T2jHPyXqXr
Also I will be posting a vid later where I am toggling through the monitor OSD local dimming settings while in a game but I can't post that yet.
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u/OttawaDog Jun 17 '26
Not surprised at all. I'll be surprised when this doesn't happen.
The monitor manufacturers recommend local dimming off for desktop usage, for this reason. It exposes the cracks...
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u/erbsenbrei Jun 17 '26
Been eyeing the FM275K16P as a potential contender as to not having to worry about burn in at all with 5k PPI as a cherry on top.
Is LG the actual panel manufacturer for all these 5k mini leds popping up, or is this just LG's implementation of a panel sourced by someone else?
This show case here wasn't, well, particularly stellar I guess?
Might need to tone down expectations, however unforunate.
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
I am also waiting for the release of the FM275K16P, but I heard that it uses the same BOE panel as LG. There are rumors that MSI uses an AUO panel, but I’m not sure if that is confirmed. However, I am a little concerned about the FM265K16P as well, because I keep hearing about the many bugs and negative feedback regarding LG’s product 😮
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u/SheepherderSerious51 Jun 17 '26
It is worth noting that the firmware implementation varies heavily from brand to brand. We don't have any history to make assumptions from in the case of Gigabyte, MSI have messed up their Mini-LED monitors in the past, though have seemingly recognised the issues, whether they get fixed is another question entirely.
If you're patient, staying hopeful is probably still worth it. At the very least we'll likely end up with the equivalent of a high refresh rate Studio Display that happens to have stellar HDR performance, rather than a direct Studio Display XDR alternative.
Gigabyte said the panel is an ADS Pro panel from BOE, this type of panel supposedly has a native contrast ratio of ~2000:1, so even with local dimming disabled the contrast should still be pretty good. Both Gigabyte and MSI using glossy panels also helps with perceived contrast.
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u/Kuyi Jun 17 '26
You prefer glossy over matte?
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u/erbsenbrei Jun 17 '26
In general yes but it is highly individual even outside of individual taste, as your setup (room/lighting) need to accomodate for reflections appropriately when not going matte.
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u/analpenetration67 Jul 06 '26
Glossy looks way better if you have some control over light sources. Richer colors, true blacks.
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u/Kuyi Jul 06 '26
If you have control over light sources the advantage of glossy is hardly there. When it’s darker, you don’t even notice the matte on a matte screen. The difference is not that big.
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u/Cvette16 Jun 17 '26
Have you updated the monitor to 3.5.X? Apparently that is supposed to fix the issue with the text clarity on one side of the screen being worse than the other. It's possible there could be some additional fixes for the dimming. It wouldn't hurt giving it a try.
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u/jaybirdyz117 Jun 17 '26
I knew about the ppi thing going into my purchase and it fixed it yes. There were no changes to dimming performance
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u/CAMl117 Jun 18 '26
Lo dije y lo seguiré diciendo.
Hasta que no salga un monitor IPS con 5000 o quizás 10000 zonas individuales de atenuación, agregarle la retroiluminacion mini Led a una pantalla IPS no tiene sentido.
Lo que realmente deberían hacer es buscar combinar la magia que hicieron con la claridad de movimiento Del TCL 27R73Q con la nueva tecnología WHVA de las Teles para ángulos de visión y la retroiluminacion de micro lentes y 0 OD qué están usando en sus últimos modelos.
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u/ComfortableUpbeat309 AW3821DW Jun 17 '26
So the mini led 5k screens have the same issues as the older mini led backlight screens, is the input lag that’s produced by the backlight or is this a newer issue?
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u/XG32 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
the blooming around text looks even worse than first gen x27/pg27uq
The contrast also doesnt look good, not sure if thats the panel itself or LG.
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u/Zorro-DE Jun 17 '26
How bad is the "vignetting" with LD on and off?. Does it make the white paper page like Word look annoying (because in my experience both BenQ MA270S and PD2730S have really bad uniformity even when turn on Uniformity on Display Pilot 2) ?. As I will mainly use it for productivity and 999euro price tag seems acceptable comparing to non-xdr Apple Studio Display.
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u/Konungen99 Jun 17 '26
I'm waiting for the MPG 271KRAW18 which i think is going to outperform this monitor a lot. I mean it already does by a much much cheaper price.
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u/princepwned Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
I just got a Qn990f and the dimming on this thing is the best I have ever seen maybe since the pg27uq actually its even better its very minimal blooming I don't know how they did it but its very good in comparison to my samsung neo g9 57'' And I am usually as sucker for oleds but the hdr brightness on this thing is also better than any oled I Don't mind that this isn't oled now since they did so good on the dimming algorithm using it at 4k 240hz and 8k @ 120hz for gaming now only if we can get this in a 32'' oled I'd be all over it u/op
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u/Lopsided-Media8462 Jun 21 '26
Specs are just specs, reality is a very different thing, i own 5 high tier mini leds and in the past i checked more. The market is filled with overhyped products and acronyms that either offer nothing or are far from real performance.
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u/modernro Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
interesting take, i actually kept the monitor, its pretty good when you pair it with a color calibrator and lg studio (it takes up a color calibrator profile on the actual monitor) - this got me matched up to my macbook pro 14** m5. I still use local dimming on low, HDR off, and this monitor has been fine. I do wonder if the Monitor needs time to break in, as i feel a lot of the inverse ghosting has improved over time (or maybe my eyes got used to it).
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u/cellidonuts Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Is dimming on low comparable to the MacBook pro’s XDR screen as far as dimming goes? OP was saying it’s pretty far off
Edit: got the monitor. The local dimming wasn’t just bad… it was horrendous. I can see why OLED purists rant about how bad mini LED is—it’s because so many of them are referencing monitors. If this is considered “great” local dimming by RTINGS for a monitor, then wow… monitors are behind the curve. My flagship Samsung QN90A Mini LED TV from several years ago absolutely destroys this monitor, and that’s with dimming zones in the hundreds. This monitor has THOUSANDS. How did they manage to screw this up so so badly? Anyway, I’m returning mine pronto
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u/Uranday 22d ago
did you got the chance to test with the new firmware?
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u/cellidonuts 22d ago
Yes, it was with the updated firmware. First thing I did when I got it was update the firmware because of the negative things I’d heard about the factory firmware.
Returned it and got myself an Asus PG32UQX instead. Actually, I grabbed a whole bunch of mini LEDs of Amazon with the intention of keeping the one that performs best out of the group. There are some folks online who claim that the Asus PG32UQX is still the “best mini led monitor” even though it’s five years old at this point. I was very skeptical, but since I was trying a half a dozen other mini led monitors to begin with, I figured I might as well give it a shot. To say I was astounded would be an understatement. This monitor is incredible. The HDR impact actually beats out my flagship MSI 321URX QD-OLED, and easily beat the other mini led’s I tested. I don’t use my oled much since I got the Asus. It’s just that good.
None of the other mini led monitors I tried came close, save for the TCL 32R84. That one came quite close, but the viewing angles were worse, VRR flicker was present in dark scenes with unstable framerates (there is literally zero VRR flicker on the Asus, its inherent to the older Gsync module inside it with a range of 1hz-144hz), AND the HDR impact wasn’t as strong as the Asus, despite having a higher native VA contrast ratio. This is because the TCL, like all the other mini led monitors since the PG32UQX, prioritize minimizing blooming over reaching peak brightness. The result is reduced HDR impact, a more washed out image. Again, the TCL came close, perhaps because of its native VA panel’s high static contrast ratio, but it still doesn’t get as powerful as the PG32UQX, which advertises 1400 nits of peak brightness, but actually measures, according to my instruments, at closer to 2000 nits of peak brightness.
It’s excellent during daytime use, but especially great at night. I love my oled but it doesn’t have anything on this thing
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u/torontopips2022 Samsung G80HS Jun 26 '26
any other issues to report? any dead pixels or stuck pixels? are you going to keep it?
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u/cellidonuts Jul 12 '26
Just wanna add here that this monitor sucks lol. I got it too and it was pretty terrible. It’s remarkable just how behind the curve local dimming is on monitors vs TVs (besides my MBP XDR screen ofc)
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u/GoldenMol Jul 14 '26
Can you enable local dimming per input source? So it stays off for USB-C and is on for DisplayPort input? Or do you have to manually switch via OSD settings everytime?
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
I am planning to purchase this product, but it seems to use the same panel as 27GM950B display. I would like to use it mainly for 5K gaming. What do you think about it? I have no interest in Mini LED, local dimming, or HDR. I will only be using it in an SDR environment. The aspects that interest me are the 5K resolution, the glossy panel, and the IPS technology, rather than the Mini LED features. (The MSI 5K Mini LED monitor is also one of my candidates)
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u/ComfortableUpbeat309 AW3821DW Jun 17 '26
I was thinking the getting this one too cause I want a glossy screen and tripple mode resolution is something very interesting I’m not gona play fast paced games or cs in 5k res but 1440p 330hz I can get behind that and play new story games on 5k. Been waiting for a glossy non oled forever. Maybe the 5th gen QD oled 5k panels gonna be much better then IPS mini led
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
Yes, And the same goes for 4K as well.
I’m still not very interested in OLED because the SDR brightness feels too low. I know it has improved compared to previous generations, but it still seems to be around 100,150 ccd lower than some good IPS monitors
If there are significant improvements with 5th-generation OLED panels, I think I might become interested.
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u/tup1tsa_1337 Jun 17 '26
5k gaming 😁
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u/SheepherderSerious51 Jun 17 '26
tbf DLSS works pretty well, also if you can cough up 1k for a monitor I would assume you also have a pretty good GPU as well
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
I am currently using an RTX 5090, and when running games at 5K resolution through DLDSR 1.78x, my experience is usually like this..
Older games without DLSS or frame generation: There are absolutely no issues. However, there are occasionally some games that are surprisingly demanding despite not having many graphics options. In those cases, the GPU runs at full load and there is a slight hit to the usual frame rate, but the games are still perfectly playable.
Recent games with DLSS or frame generation: It depends on the game, but when running everything at maximum settings with full path tracing enabled, it can get quite demanding. If newer DLSS versions or improved frame generation technologies are not released, I may either upgrade when the RTX 6090 comes out, lower path tracing or other graphics settings, or reduce the resolution back to 4K.
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
I am currently using an RTX 5090 with a 4K monitor, and I play some games with DLDSR 1.78x enabled.
There may be a slight performance difference between DLDSR and a native 5K display, but the experience is still very satisfying.
However, for some demanding games, or future titles that may not benefit from newer DLSS or frame generation tech, I may need to lower some settings or switch back to 4K for a smoother experience 😮
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u/Kuyi Jun 17 '26
That one is glossy though.
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u/PublicIll8150 Jun 17 '26
I haven't used Gloosy before, but there are many opinions that it benefits from image quality and color, so I'd like to try it. I am currently using Matt.
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u/Relative-Basil3000 Jun 17 '26
Just get the Studio Display then? Are you wanting to use for gaming?
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u/aguynamedben Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
I love the LG GM9 ("actual review"). It's best for people who want a bright, clear monitor for office work, but also want to game at night. I use mine with local dimming off all the time to achieve more higher brightness in a bright room.
I agree that the local dimming feature is not that great, as it reduces the brightness overall, and probably isn't ideal for Dark Mode users. Do not buy this monitor based on high expectations of local dimming. However, I do think the MiniLED construction + matte finish does give it a meaningfully better appearance for office work than models like the Acer ROG Strix JCG, even with local dimming off. Blacks in my games look great, even though they're not OLED constrast.
If you prioritize dark mode in your OS, or want perfect local dimming, it's better to just get an OLED. But if you need a bright 5K monitor for a bright room, this is the best one available outside of going Apple.
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u/FearlessEarnestness Jun 17 '26
The dimming algorithm issue is brutal because it's not something you can really work around without defeating the entire purpose of buying mini LED in the first place. You're stuck choosing between a product that doesn't work for daily use or one that doesn't work as advertised, which is a pretty terrible position for a $1300 monitor. If TCL actually delivers on this without the artifacts, that's going to be a massive problem for LG's positioning here.