The development of OLED gaming monitors has been on everyone’s radar since its inception, with the promise of stunning true blacks, excellent HDR capabilities, and blazing fast response times.
Having made some of the best-selling OLED TVs in the market, LG also has thrown down their gauntlet into the OLED gaming monitors race, with the recent release of the UltraGear OLED lineup. This time, we have the company’s flagship model for review, the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE.
Table of Contents
LG 45GR95QE – Specifications
| Model Name | LG UltraGear 45GR95QE |
| Display Technology | OLED |
| Screen Size | 45″ |
| Resolution | 3440 x 1440 pixels UWQHD |
| Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
| Response Time | 0.03 ms |
| Brightness | 200 nits (typ.) / 1,000 nits (peak) |
| Features | HDR10 AMD FreeSync Premium Nvidia G-Sync Compatible DTS Headphone:X Anti-Glare PIP, PBP True Colour Pro VESA DSC Black Stabiliser FPS Counter Crosshair |
| Connectivity | HDMI x 2 DisplayPort x 1 Headphone (sound & mic) out x 1 USB in x 1 USB out x 2 SPDIF |
| Dimensions | 99.3 x 65 x 36.3cm |
| Weight | 10.9kg |
What’s In The Box?
- LG 45GR95QE
- Monitor stand
- Remote control
- Power supply
- DisplayPort cable
- HDMI cable
- USB-B to USB-A cable
- Factory calibration report
- Screw bit
- Documentation
Design
The LG UltraGear 45GR95QE boasts a large 44.5 inch OLED panel with an aggressive 800R curvature. It is quite large, measuring at 99.3cm wide, 65cm tall, and 36.3cm deep with the stand installed.
Speaking of the stand, it has a three-pronged design and clicks to the back of the monitor. The monitor stand has a spherical-joint, offering swivel, tilt and height adjustments. For large sized monitor, the amount of adjustments is quite adequate to help find the most comfortable viewing position and angle.
Remote Control
As with other premium displays, the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE comes with a dedicated remote controller. The remote gives you all the controls you will ever need, such as controlling the OSD, volume and brightness adjustments, and audio / line in channel selection. You can even programme two custom buttons to quickly access certain settings.
Build Quality
The LG UltraGear 45GR95QE is truly a premium product, and comes with the build quality to match. It feels well-built, and the stand felt sturdy. No sign of poor finishing and cheap plastics here.
Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the 45GR95QE has a lot to offer. At the back, you get a plethora of I/O options:
- USB Type-A ports x 2
- USB Type-B port
- Optical Digital audio out
- DisplayPort in
- HDMI in x 2
- Headset out
There is also a cable clip at the back of the stand to help users perform cable management.
Hexagon Lighting
The back of the monitor houses what LG calls “Hexagon Lighting”, which is basically RGB ambient light effects along the sides and bottom of the chassis. While it is not compatible with any of the ARGB software suites, you can use choose between 4 static colours and 1 “cycling” setting via the OSD.
With the room lights off, the Hexagon Lighting bounces off the walls nicely to create an ambient light effect without being too bright. Of course, you can turn it off completely if you are not a fan of RGB lighting.
Performance
The LG UltraGear 45GR95QE boasts an UWQHD resolution (3440 x 1440 pixels), resulting in a pixel density of 84 pixels per inch. It is quite close to FHD 27 inch monitors, which isn’t that sharp when viewed up close. You could see each individual pixel if you pixel peep.
That being said, when viewed in an ideal distance (about 80cm away), pixel density becomes a non-issue. Also, having an UWQHD resolution makes the display easier to drive on the GPU, resulting in higher frame rates overall.
Speaking of frame rates, it boasts a lightning fast 240Hz refresh rate with a 0.03ms response time, making it great for fast-paced games. It also has adaptive sync (AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible) to minimise frame dips and stuttering in supported games.
Colour Gamut
The colour gamut on the 45GR95QE is stellar, with it capable of 98.5% DCI-P3. It is even colour-calibrated out of the box. LG has provided a factory calibration report, certifying it to have a colour temperature between 8000K and 9000K, and a Delta E score of <5.
While it is not the most accurate display in the market, it is more than sufficient for day-to-day use for most gamers. If you are looking for better colour accuracy, you can use the LG Calibration Software alongside a supported hardware calibrator to fine tune your settings.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio on the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE is nothing short of excellent, 1,500,000:1 to be exact. As the individual pixel can turn off on its own, it results in true blacks being displayed for dark scenes.
Brightness
Since the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE uses OLED panel technology with self-lit pixels, there is no backlight bleed. As with other OLED panels, the brightness level tends to be lower than other panel technologies out there. Typical brightness is around 200 nits, which is typical for an OLED panel. It does however, has a 1,000 nits peak brightness, which is higher than most OLED displays in the market.
HDR
The gaming monitor is rated for HDR10. Each individual pixel is its own dimming zone, and combined with true blacks, you get an excellent HDR content viewing experience.
Curvature
The 800R curvature could take some time to get used to, and for full disclosure, I felt nauseous when I first installed it on my desk. However, after a day or two, it just felt natural to me. At the distance of about 80cm, the curvature covers my peripheral vision without looking too distorted.
How LG Prevents OLED Burn In?
The biggest concern for most potential OLED panel buyers would be the possibility of burn in, and LG has quite a few tricks up its sleeve to prevent this from ever happening. You can access the OLED Care menu via the remote controller, allowing you to toggle between several options.
First, there is Screen Move, which periodically shifts the display slightly at both horizontal and vertical axis to prevent image sticking. You can also turn the Screen Saver on to automatically turn off the display when there is no change in the screen for a prolonged period of time. There is also both Pixel Cleaning and Image Cleaning, which restores the pixel and entire display.
All of these work in tandem to help prolong the life of the display and minimise the chances of OLED burn-in, which is quite smart to be honest.
Final Verdict
4.5 / 5The LG UltraGear 45GR95QE is an ultra fast, ultra immersive ultrawide gaming monitor, offering the ultimate entertainment experience.
Now let’s address the elephant in the room, the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE costs a whopping RM7,647. However, if you are after one of the best visual experiences today, at least one that fits on a desk, the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE is hard to beat.
For more information on the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE gaming monitor, please visit the official product page here.
