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LG UltraGear 48GQ900 – review of OLED monitor with 138 Hz
LG Electronics has released its first OLED gaming monitor UltraGear 48GQ900 with a diagonal of 48 inches. The model has a typical 4K resolution. So what really makes the 48GQ900 special? In the following review of LG UltraGear 48GQ900 we will try to understand if it is worth buying this monitor or if it is better to buy LG C2 TV with the same diagonal and the same picture quality.
LG UltraGear 48GQ900 4k OLED Gaming monitor – overview
So, will it be the gaming TV or the large-screen gaming monitor?
It’s a tough decision to make when it comes to choosing between a gaming TV and a large-screen gaming monitor. Both have their pros and cons, so it really depends on what you’re looking for in a gaming setup. If you want the largest possible screen to game on, then a gaming TV is probably the way to go. However, if you’re looking for the best possible image quality, then a gaming monitor is the better choice. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which is more important for your gaming needs.
The main differences between LG 48GQ900 and LG OLED48C2
48 – inch monitor is based on technology LG WRGB OLED. The display has 4K resolution (3830 x 2160 pixels) and 10-bit color depth for high dynamic range displays. So far, all these parameters are the same as a regular OLED TV from LG. So what’s the difference between the LG 48GQ900 and the LG OLED48C2?
Some of the TV’s features are a thing of the past, and in their place are features such as a DisplayPort connector, anti-glare screen coating, and a more functional and practical stand. Also, this model under review is equipped with several gaming add-ons. These include Black Stabilizer setting, crosshair and FPS counter.
These are the main differences between LG 48GQ900 and LG 48GQ900. That said, it’s worth keeping in mind that a monitor with a really big screen can also be viewed as a TV. If the end user was expecting to get some kind of hybrid monitor and TV, LG at least tried to do so.
However, its will be missing some of the features that the end user gets after buying a TV. These are Smart TV apps, tuner, remote control with voice assistant, etc.
LG UltraGear 48GQ900 design
The design of the UltraGear 48GQ900 4K OLED monitor inevitably resembles a regular OLED TV. But it has stylish accents in some places to give the screen a kind of “gamer look. From the base to the back LG Electronics has “drawn” clean edges and diamond-shaped patterns that give it a kind of “space look”.
The 48GQ900 4K monitor has the UltraGear logo on the back. This logo and the edges of the monitor feature “Hexagon” backlighting. The new 48GQ900 is part of LG Electronics’ UltraGear series, which sells gaming equipment. This monitor is primarily designed for gaming on the new Xbox Series S / X and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as PCs.
The stand looks more like a monitor stand than a TV stand. Despite such a massive screen, the stand provides tilt and height adjustments. This, too, is good news, since TVs are very limited in this aspect.
LG UltraGear 48GQ900 picture Quality
The main attraction of these screens is primarily the OLED panel, which offers infinite contrast ratio, true blacks, pixel-by-pixel dimming for superior HDR and nearly instant response times for gaming and watching dynamic content.
The screen measures 48 inches and offers 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution with a 16: 9 aspect ratio. It has a response time of 0.1 ms and a native refresh rate of 120 Hz, which can also support a small overclock to an unusual 138 Hz. This frequency is supported by adaptive synchronization for VRR from both NVIDIA and AMD systems.
LG UltraGear 48GQ900 brightness
The screen has AMD’s “FreeSync Premium” certification as well as NVIDIA’s “G-sync Compatible” certification. So far, it all looks very much like the TV range in terms of specs. The specs list a brightness of 135 nits, which is supposedly intended for SDR mode. That brightness is actually pretty low for any OLED screen.
Does this monitor have that auto dimming feature enabled that causes sudden brightness changes?
I’m not sure if this monitor has that auto dimming feature enabled or not. I know that some monitors have that feature, which can cause sudden brightness changes. If this monitor does have that feature enabled, you may be able to disable it in the settings.
It is possible that this is a limitation to help reduce the risk from residual imaging. Also, this screen is not expected to have the ASBL / TPC dimming feature because it is specifically designed for use as a desktop monitor. So you don’t have to worry about annoying dimming when using the screen for more static content.
HDR10 support is also listed in the specs. Unlike LG’s equivalent TVs, unfortunately, there is no mention of Dolby Vision or HLG support. Oddly enough, the manufacturer did not specify peak brightness in HDR mode. Judging by the TV models with the same panel, we should expect it to be in the 700-900 nits range.
The contrast ratio is listed as 1.5 million: 1. For all intents and purposes, contrast can be considered “infinite” given the true black level capabilities of the OLED panel. One area of potential discussion is that LG uses a “low-reflective anti-reflective coating” on this screen.
Recall that in TVs, the coating is completely glossy. This technology is probably similar to the coating that the new Dell Alienware AW3423DW QD-OLED displays are equipped with. LG’s 48GQ900 monitor offers a wide color gamut with 99% DCI-P3. Also, like TVs, the screen supports 10-bit color depth.
In addition to factory calibration, the specs page indicates that the panel will support LG Calibration Studio software for hardware calibration. We expect that this model will also support the Calman Portrait Display software as well as the TV models.
LG GQ900 Sound quality and remote control
As for sound, the unit in question has a 2.0 sound circuitry. It is provided by 2 speakers with a total power of 20 watts. For a monitor this is a very good indicator. However, we can not speak about deep bass. In addition to the normal mode, there is the DTS HP: X function.
The UltraGear 48GQ900 monitor comes with a remote control for easy access to a number of settings and functions. This remote is much simpler than a regular TV remote, which houses the TV buttons and SmartTV features.
LG UltraGear 48GQ900 interfaces
Does this have HDMI 2.1? The 48GQ900 OLED monitor has 3 HDMI 2.1 connectors and 1 DisplayPort 1.4 connector with DSC. DP is exactly what you won’t find in OLED TVs. Having DP makes the 48GQ900 display available to a wider audience and a wider range of video cards. LG’s product page notes that the HDMI 2.1 ports will support 4K at 120 Hz with VRR.
Given that the ports on LG OLED TVs fully support HDMI 2.1 features, there’s no reason to think LG will limit those capabilities in the new monitors. In addition to HDMI 2.1, there is an optical digital audio output and 2 USB 3.0 ports with uplinks.
So on this model, the USB ports will work just like on the monitor, as a USB hub, unlike the USB ports on the TV, which are only used for file playback, video, etc. In addition to all of the above, the patch panel has an audio output for headphones, which is located on the front of the screen for easier access.
48GQ900 Specs
Price 48GQ900
The LG 48GQ900 has a release date in the third quarter of 2022. The first consumers will be residents of Japan. It will be followed by markets in North America, Europe, and Asia. As for the price of the LG UltraGear 48GQ900, LG has already opened access to pre-orders. The starting price in the U.S. is listed as $1,500, and the price for the UK is £1,400.
Review Summary 48GQ900
To conclude the LG 48GQ900 review, I should add that many gamers will probably appreciate this monitor for having a DisplayPort connector. On the other hand, more and more video cards have an HDMI 2.1 interface. If a gamer has a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X / S console, they still have no choice but to use one of the HDMI 2.1 ports.
While most gamers won’t spend that much money just for an OLED screen, ambitious gamers won’t give up the best display. So it’s easy to see why LG is developing a device like the 48GQ900.
But we should not forget about competitors such as Acer, Asus, Gigabyte or MSI, which have also released the first OLED gaming monitors. And we should also remember that the main contenders for the “gaming crown” are the new QD-OLED monitors from Alienware and Samsung, the launch of which is expected in the coming months.