[PCM2]

PG42UQ vs. C2 OLED



– The LG C2 is the cheaper option.

– The LG C2 is a TV and therefore includes various ‘Smart TV’ features.

– Hardware calibration and various Smart TV features are supported on the C2, which some will appreciate.

– The C2 supports HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and Dolby Vision in addition to HDR10. The ASUS only supports HDR10. Whilst more flexibility is nice to have, I personally feel HDR10 for content that puts it to good use is perfectly sufficient to put such screens to their full potential under HDR.

– A glossy screen surface is used on the C2, which provides more direct emission of light from the monitor without interference from diffused light. The relative advantages (and disadvantages) of such a screen surface are covered in our article on the topic and in relevant reviews.

– The ASUS includes DisplayPort, widening compatibility with PC GPUs.

– The ASUS includes a heat sink which allows it to achieve improved peak brightness and reduces the risk of image retention and burn-in.

– The stand of the ASUS offers tilt adjustment, whereas the LG’s stand is fixed. Both screens support VESA mounting as an alternative.

– On the ASUS it is easy to disable any ASBL (Automatic Static Brightness Limiter) and ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter) behaviour. Which makes it a more desktop-friendly monitor in my view as these behaviours can be potentially quite annoying for normal desktop use.

– The ASUS has proper standby and wake behaviour that corresponds to the signal from the system. With the LG you need to use the remote to turn the screen off rather than letting it enter its standby low power state (this can be corrected in the menu). And when you switch it on (with the remote), a ‘Smart TV’ app is automatically loaded up regardless of whether you want to use that or not (this can be overcome by using an app – see posts by users below).

– The ASUS has lower input lag at high refresh rates. The signal delay (main element you feel) is really the main component of input lag here and that is about 3ms lower on the ASUS compared to the LG, going by TFT Central measurements. Or ~1ms vs ~4ms. Though input lag is higher at 60Hz on the ASUS (~15ms for ASUS vs. ~9ms for LG, with most of that the signal delay element).

– The ASUS supports 138Hz, whereas the LG is limited to 120Hz maximum. With the exceptional pixel responsiveness of OLED this extra 18Hz does make a positive difference in my opinion. It isn’t a dramatic night and day difference by any means, but it is a difference nonetheless. Because there are no visible weaknesses related to pixel response behaviour, it really does squeeze every last drop out of each ‘Hz’.

– The ASUS includes USB upstream (Type-B) to allow PC peripherals to be connected to the monitor, rather than for the ports to be used primarily for media transfer to a TV. It also includes an extra USB downstream port compared to the LG (4 vs 3).

PG42UQ vs. AW3423DW





– Very much an apples to oranges comparison in my view due to the completely different sizes and resolutions – or ‘form factors’ if you prefer. A lot of the points of comparison below will also apply when comparing the LG C2 to the AW3423DW.

– This page helps visualize the physical differences in screen size (34.18” 21:9 vs 41.5” 16:9). The PG42UQ is significantly larger, particularly considering vertical height. This adds to the immersion, but some may find the large size overwhelming or physically too large for the desk where a 21:9 option may work better. The Dell Alienware is also curved and the ASUS flat, with both having their proponents and potential advantages and drawbacks. In our view both screens are easy to adapt to in that respect – unless you require geometric perfection for work purposes in which case you can’t beat a flat screen!

– The 3840 x 2160 ‘4K’ UHD resolution offers significantly greater ‘desktop real estate’ than 3440 x 1440 and is supported more broadly. Including by games consoles and as the resolution matching ‘UHD’ movie content. The pixel density is very similar on both models. Some will like the 3440 x 1440 experience and the FOV advantage that offers as well as physical properties. You can run the ASUS in a 21:9 (or thereabouts) aspect ratio, but even if that was a perfect in its implementation – which it isn’t – there’s a difference between the slim bezels surrounding the image on the Alienware and the large black borders you get on the ASUS.

– Screen surface differences have to be accounted for. Again, matte vs. glossy. The AW3423DW has very effective anti-reflective properties, but the lack of outer polarizing lifts up the depth of dark content in brighter environments. As pointed out in the reviews, both options look their best and trump their LCD counterparts most noticeably in dimmer lighting environments or at most moderate ambient brightness.

– This is very subjective and I don’t personally feel it’s a deal-breaker on either option. But the triangle RGB subpixels of the Samsung QD-OLED panel used on the Alienware provides what is in my view more noticeable fringing for text and fine contrasting edges than the LG Display RWBG OLED panel used on the ASUS. That’s largely because the fringing is more colourful and saturated in its appearance on the Alienware, whereas for the ASUS it’s a bright fringe without the same colourful nature.

– The AW3423DW includes two fans for active cooling, whereas the PG42UQ is passively cooled.

– The AW3423DW has a G-SYNC module. The main benefit of this on an LCD would be the use of effective and carefully tuned variable overdrive. That’s not required on OLED models. There are still secondary benefits, such as a broader range of operation without a defined LFC boundary. There’s slight momentary stuttering when this is crossed at 48Hz or 48fps on the ASUS, but even considering this is an OLED where such stuttering is somewhat more noticeable than on an LCD, it remains minor stuttering which not everyone will notice. If you’re frequently passing the LFC boundary then it could become an issue. There’s also a reduction in the likelihood of micro stuttering with G-SYNC modules, but this isn’t something most will notice and is also based on anecdotal observations.

– The AW3423DW gets brighter under HDR, particularly if you discount using the PG42UQ at a (in my view ridiculous) 10,000K white point. ~800 nits vs. ~1050 nits peak brightness. In practice this doesn’t make a huge difference, but is still worth noting and does make a slight difference to how impactful some smaller bright elements are. Both ramp down their brightness levels where bright shades dominate on the screen, with the PG42UQ ultimately dropping more significantly for 50% or larger white patch (% white window). The AW3423DW starts to drop its luminance more quickly as brighter shades are introduced, roughly halving with a 9% white patch – this halving was observed on the PG42UQ with a 25% white window. Technical differences aside, In both cases you get exceptional HDR contrast with some good pop to interspersed bright elements.

– The AW3423DW has a slightly more generous colour gamut – greater encroachment on Adobe RGB and Rec. 2020. Neither have a massive gamut in that respect, however. It invites a bit of extra saturation for green and blue shades as well as those between (cyans – including sky blues).

– The use of unfiltered white subpixel on the ASUS used for high brightness also reduces colour volume, meaning lower saturation for bright and colourful elements. Think neon lights, shiny gold objects and glowing fires, that sort of thing. Even the ASUS is far from ‘washed out’ in its HDR implementation, though, and it’s a huge leap above what most monitors offer overall for HDR.

– The Alienware’s resolution is easier to drive at high frame rates. And the maximum supported refresh rate is 175Hz compared to 138Hz on the ASUS. The extra 37Hz does have a positive impact in terms of reducing perceived blur due to eye movement and also slightly improving the ‘connected feel’. Though the ASUS also has lower input lag (~1.5ms vs ~5.2ms according to our measurements) for high refresh rates which also needs to be factored in for sensitive users.

So overall I don’t feel there’s one single ‘best option’ that suits everyone here. All three of these models have their merits and offer a very rewarding experience in many respects. There are of course additional factors to consider here such as aesthetic differences, differences in the ports offered (beyond just ‘DP vs. no DP’) and regional price and availability which can certainly have an impact on the choices available. Warranties also have to be considered and that too can vary between regions – Dell does offer 3 year ‘burn in’ cover as part of their warranty whereas at the time of writing I’m not aware of ASUS doing the same. If Samsung’s claims are to be believed then QD-OLED may be somewhat less prone to image retention or ‘burn in’ compared to LG’s competing WRGB OLED technology. But that remains to be seen as the technology is really too new to have stood the test of time.

[NewEnglandNole]

This is the post I’ve been waiting for! I will be purchasing one of these soon (or the newer Dell without the G-Sync module) and I’m not sure what to choose. I’m leaning towards the LG. It is probably worth mentioning the availability of each of these. The Asus and Dell are hard to come by, but the LG can be had now.

[PCM2]

Glad you found this post helpful. At the time I posted the AW3423DW was available from Amazon US directly, but like the PG42UQ it does keep coming in and out of stock there. The LG C2 OLED is indeed the easiest to get hold of – and the AW3423DWF does indeed look interesting as a possible alternative. In this post I add some thoughts on that in the context of the ‘full fat G-SYNC Dell’ and some of the other upcoming QD OLED utrawides. 🙂

[NewEnglandNole]

Hi all. I ultimately went with the 42″ LG C2. The article does a great job covering all the differences so I won’t repeat them. I thought I’d add my perspective after using it for two months as my only monitor.

Size:
I have a 30″ deep desk and the TV sits all the way at the back of it. With my keyboard tray out I add another 5″ from the screen for a total of about 34″ inches screen to eye. I’d say the screen size is perfect for this scenario. It’s big but no where near overwhelming. I haven’t felt the need to adjust the height or tilt in my setup.

HDMI/FreeSync:
I have a Radeon 6900XT so I have the TV hooked up via HDMI 2.1. I’ve had no issues with VRR/120Hz/bit depth.

TV vs Monitor:
This was my biggest worry, but with the freely available tools it has been a complete nothing-burger. The open source ColorControl (https://github.com/Maassoft/ColorControl) software makes the TV wakeup/sleep like a monitor. I also like that the TV has a complete CMS for really dialing in the calibration.

Glossy vs Matte:
The gloss is a bit apparent even in my light controlled basement, but not something that I notice during the day unless I’ve got dark material on most of the screen. Not sure if I’d go back to matte screens now if given the choice.

Warranty:
I picked up the TV with a free 4 year warranty that includes burn-in protection. I’ve had zero burn-in issues in the 410 hours I’ve used it so far. I keep the SDR brightness at 120 nits and only use HDR for gaming.

Happy to help answer any other questions.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your feedback on the 42″ LG C2, NewEnglandNole. I’m glad you’re enjoying the experience it offers, a few months in now, and were able to accommodate it nicely on your desk. When I test monitors of that size I tend to situate them a similar distance (~80cm+ /32″+) from my eyes and from that distance I don’t find them to be overwhelming or too ‘in your face’. I also feel that the current price of the LG makes it a particularly compelling choice and makes the PG42UQ difficult to justify given its premium. That’s ultimately why the LG is now the model we recommend in this size segment as a screen with movie watching and gaming as primary uses. Perhaps ASUS will become a bit more competitive with pricing as the year draws on. How are you finding it for HDR usage – do you feel it brings extra enjoyment to the gaming experience compared to SDR?

And it’s great that you haven’t had any issues with burn-in. So my other question would simply be whether you take any particular precautions when you use it such as auto-hiding the taskbar and setting a fairly low ‘turn off the display’ time in Windows? I can also report that I’ve been using the AW3423DW extensively since I began reviewing it back in April 2022 – spending most of my time on the desktop – and haven’t come across even the mildest image retention. I simply let it runs through its maintenance cycles and set Windows to turn the screen ‘off’ after 20 minutes. I’d be happy if you could keep the thread updated if you do come across any image retention issues (even temporary) on the LG C2, but fingers crossed it continues to perform well for you without issue.

[djkrisdee]

I’m another happy owner of LG42C2. Paid only £699 so half of what PG42UQ cost. I’m using it with my PS5, and also PC with 2080ti.
Previously I was using Philips 288E2A.
First I would like to correct something:
“when you switch it on (with the remote), a ‘Smart TV’ app is automatically loaded up regardless of whether you want to use that or not.”
All settings/general/system/additional settings/home settings and disable Home Auto Launch and Home Promotion.
For proper standby behaviour I recommend amazing application LGTV Companion.
HDR on this screen looks absolutely fenomenal, much better than my living room Sony 55XH9505 1200nits FALD TV.
For PC use I have:
-black wallpaper
-desktop icons hidden
-Mystify (deafult Windows Screensaver) after 1 minute
-auto hide taskbar
-TranslucentTB to change taskbar colour to black and also to remove white border

If any of you planning to buy Oled, don’t even think about going with matt screen coating. It will be your biggest mistake in your entire life.
Yes LG C2 has glossy coating, but it’s not your typical glossy laptop screen or even semi-gloss LCD TV/Monitor.
It’s like very dark glass, even in bright room you will get inky blacks.
C2 also have very good speakers for the monitor screen, and in settings you also have 5 band EQ.
Anybody have any questions I’m happy to answer.

[PCM2]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the LG 42″ C2 OLED, djkrisdee. I’m glad you’re enjoying the experience so much. And also for clarifying that you can bypass the ‘Smart TV app’ loading at start up – I’ll make this clear in the initial post.

How far are you sitting from the screen when using it with your PC – and did it take you long to get used to the size coming from a 28″ monitor? Are you noticing the decrease in pixel density? If so, I assume you feel the other clear advantages of the screen make up for this. 🙂

[djkrisdee]

I actually have very small 100x55cm desk and still sitting 80-90cm from the screen.
How this is possible? First the tv stand is really nice and screen is very close to the wall.
https://i.postimg.cc/LsBHsZxV/IMG-20230113-203324.jpg

I’m also using chair with adjustable armrests so my hand is not very deep on the desk.
https://i.postimg.cc/G3zxy74W/IMG-20230113-202733.jpg

Another tip is, that you don’t have to run browser/aps full screen.
https://i.postimg.cc/SKpM5CXL/IMG-20230113-202207.jpg

Like here for example this window is 28-29inches, and with black wallpaper it looks like smaller screen with thick bezels 🙂
Text clarity is obviously worse then the 28 inch 4k RGB, but still better than the QD-OLEDs.
I also recommend to add custom resolutions in CRU and disable scaling in Nvidia control panel
https://i.postimg.cc/Hn2fXQqp/IMG-20230113-211057.jpg

If you GPU struggling in 4k use for example 3200×1800 this will give you more performance and 34 inches, so you can sit closer to the screen.

https://i.postimg.cc/TYb7D8Dt/IMG-20230113-211211.jpg
38” UltraWide 3840 x 1600 🙂

One more thing I wanna talk about is HDR tone mapping. With LG you have few good options:
Dynamic Tone Mapping on – I don’t recommend it for any purist
HGIG – best option for games that support it, or any hdr games that have max brightness slider
Dynamic Tone mapping off – this one is very useful for games that don’t have sliders.
For example HZD or God of War – these games pushing 10k nits on PC and with DTM off you can play with hidden menu (1113111) called HDMI Signalling Override.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4wmZXrv/IMG-20230113-210935.jpg
Here you wanna change Mastering Peak to match your game, so the highlights don’t clip.

[PCM2]

Some really nice tips (and images) there, thanks for sharing them here! I’m glad you’re able to keep the screen a comfortable distance from you even without the deepest of desks. I’m just looking at this and it’s really reinforcing what an absolute monster the stand is for the monitor I’m currently reviewing (ViewSonic XG341C-2K). It has this hulking tripod of metal which takes up a massive amount of desk space. It’s about 15 inches deep with the screen centre ~3 inches back from the frontmost point of the stand. In contrast the AW3423DW with its far from compact stand is ~12 inches deep with the screen ~2 inches back from the frontmost point of the stand. So you can get your eyes a good 2 inches further from the Alienware’s screen. This ViewSonic’s stand really is a potentially impractical monster, I certainly prefer simple compact stands for practicality especially for larger screens.

XG341C-2K stand

[djkrisdee]

I never liked monitor stands. It’s much better to use vesa arm. With C2 I was thinking to wall mount it, but really no need to.

Impossible is nothing 🙂 all that hardware in tight corner, and even wife doesn’t complain lol.

https://i.postimg.cc/jSvwj5ZP/IMG-20230113-203127.jpg

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