[PCM2]

What gave you the idea the LG 32UD59-B or similar monitors had a glossy screen surface? They don’t. In fact they have a bit of a grainy matte screen surface. I can’t recommend any monitor that fits your criteria, because as far as I know there aren’t any monitors with a UHD resolution, good text presentation (although that’s subjective), glossy screen surface AND good for gaming etc. If you’re not so fussy about response times there’s the Philips BDM4037UW, it ticks all of your boxes apart from the ‘average or better for gaming’ thing.

[Alacorn]

Thank you for your response.

That’s why I was asking on the forums – my initial searches shown nothing really that fits my criteria, guessed that I will try asking here.
(who knows maybe overlooked some model)

A bit grainy is ok with me, as long as it’s light kind of matte, being glossy is more of a best scenario, but sub-par response times of Philips BDM4037UW are not acceptable for me. I rather have compromise on other fronts.

If I had to sacrifice glossy surface, witch one would be more vibrant of these two?
1) LG 32UD59-B
2) Samsung U32H850

As I understand these monitors should have decent enough response times as well.

[PCM2]

All of the 31.5″ VA UHD models currently available use a variant of the same panel, the InnoLux M315DJJ-K30. The screen surface is the same on all of them; medium (or ‘relatively light’) matte anti-glare. So not the best for vibrancy potential, although the colour gamut makes up for that in many respects. The pixel responsiveness is pretty reasonable, I agree with that aspect. As for the LG 32UD59 and Samsung U32H850, the colour gamut would be the important consideration for vibrancy. And I believe they’re both ~90-95% DCI-P3 so you can’t separate them based on that.

[Alacorn]

Since it’s difference is debatable among these two, I ordered Samsung U32H850 – mostly do the delivery time being more convenient.

Thank you for your help. 🙂

[PCM2]

No problem. I’d appreciate your thoughts when you’ve had a chance to use it for a bit.

[PCM2]

Any update on your experiences?

[Alacorn]

Yes, I can say monitor exceeded my expectations. There are some issues thou. 🙂

Gaming wise it preforms admirably, lag and responsiveness is good – tested in CS:Go and League of Legends, in my experience definitely not worse than 2Ms TN panel I used for gaming before.

Speaking of different modes in OSD – “Gaming Mode” ruins contrast and blacks and turns backlight to the max, probably to see someone in dark corners and can’t say if it makes any difference with input lag or making response times better. I feel no difference here. So personally I prefer it to be off.

Same with “Eye Saving” mode, makes picture washed out and even with maxed out contrast. If anything the way it’s implemented strains eyes even more. 🙂

Colors wise it comes with oversaturated reds and blues, so I use with 30,50,45 settings (default 50,50,50).

Backlight uniformity sample:

https://imgur.com/a/I5eSJNG

Text samples:

https://imgur.com/a/fidn3QK

Will add viewing angles video later on.
Not yet tested how “back crush” is prevalent.

Overall I say I’m happy with this monitor even if it’s not a glossy panel. Checks most of my requirements and compromises are more than acceptable.

[PCM2]

Thanks for your feedback on the Samsung U32H850, I appreciate it and I’m glad you’re enjoying it after some tweaking. I would say that the backlight uniformity image looks massively over-exposed and is taken too close to the screen so is capturing VA glow as well. I’m sure it doesn’t look like that in person?

Your thoughts on the various modes echoes my findings on other Samsung products. “Gaming Mode” never improves input lag, it simply skews the gamma curve for better low-end visibility and oversaturates colours at the expense of an accurate and varied image. “Eye Saver” mode purposefully minimises contrast, which in theory helps reduce potential eye fatigue by minimising the amount of time your eye spends adjusting to changes in light from the monitor. In practice most users find this unnecessary and annoying. Use ‘Warm2’ as the colour temperature setting for an effective Low Blue Light setting without such a contrast hit.

[Teapot]

Hi,

I’ve been lurking here for the last couple of weeks digesting the wealth of information here having come across a link to the site over on the Overclockers forums. This truly is the clearest, most informative content I’ve found anywhere.

Kudos.

I’m currently in the process of putting together a new PC which will most likely have a 1080 Ti or RTX 2080 at the heart of it. Because of this I’m thinking of pairing it with a 4k monitor. The new 4k 120/144 behemoths are out of my price range but I will consider up to £1000, depending on the compromises. One of my biggest concerns is how it will deal with non-4k content, which reading your reviews is an issue (I have quite a backlog of older games, many of which don’t like 4k resolutions!) as well as older consoles I’d like to hook up which are 1080p.

I liked the look of the BenQ PD3200U but noted the interpolation and flickering issues which put me off (especially given the price premium).

I wondered if the LG 27UK650 was a newer version of the recommended LG 27UD68 and if this handled interpolation better?
(It’s currently on sale at amazon for the bank holiday for £359.99 which seems very reasonable).

Value your thoughts and insight. I might be asking for too much and have to wait or sacrifice something. As some background to my preferences, I like the Dell Ultrasharp monitors (as well as the Alienware laptop monitor I have) but would like a 32inch monitor if possible…

[PCM2]

Hi Teapot and welcome,

The LG 27UK650 is indeed the new version of the 27UD68 recommended here. I don’t really deem it to be spectacularly different to the 27UD68 (disclaimer – I haven’t tested it myself) given the user feedback I’ve seen and what I understand about LG’s product cycles. The only noteable addition is ‘HDR’, although it is only a very basic HDR implementation as the monitor has a standard backlight solution without local dimming and has a far more restrictive colour gamut than HDR10 calls for. In other words, it’s VESA DisplayHDR 400 compliant. So it can give a little bit of a brightness boost for HDR content and things can be mapped somewhat more accurately (which can help dark shades be more easily distinguished) – but nothing particularly impressive.

That is why I don’t specifically recommend it over the older model, but with the price being brought down a lot recently it starts to make more sense to consider it instead. The interpolation I would expect to be similar on both models. But it’s a lot better than the PD3200U‘s interpolation performance anyway, so I don’t think that’s a bad thing. And I appreciate your kind words, it’s always nice to see a long-time lurker surface. 🙂

[PCM2]

Did you end up going for the 27UK650?

[SZQ]

I just got the LG 27UK600-W today and I am very happy with it.

I was planning to buy the Philips 25″ WQHD (258B6QUEB, USB-C) a few months ago (I think I made a post here but can’t seem to find it), but could not find any display models so decided to wait a while.

I have a early 2016 12″ Macbook with Windows 10 and originally wanted to get a usb-c monitor but having read many reviews I decided against it due to bugs and the considerable extra expense.

I will keep the monitor for 2+ years so I ended up deciding to get a 4K monitor instead. I was a bit worried the Macbook would not be able to handle 4K as originally this Macbook did not support 4K at 60 Hz, only 30 Hz. But Apple recently enabled this with their latest MacOS updates. I currently have it connected to the monitor with HDMI via a usb-c dongle that also only supports 30 Hz at 4K so it’s not ideal. Will need to purchase a usb-c to display port cable or adaptor tomorrow.

I was considering the 27UK850 as it has everything (speakers, height adjustment, usb-c) but it’s a lot more expensive. The 27UK650 seems to be the middle-ground as it has height adjustment and speakers which are both missing on the 27UK600 but the speakers won’t be missed and although I wanted height adjustment I found that the fixed height of the 27UK600 is perfect for me. All three have similar or identical panels I believe.

The 27UK600 is fantastic. Relatively good value, looks great, good build quality, minimal ips glow and backlight bleed on my unit, and factory calibrated. I have Windows scaling set to 150%. It’s just the right balance between extra real estate and high pixel density so everything looks very precise and smooth. No gaming of course and I doubt I will use the HDR function, at least not for now.

I find the joystick control a bit uncomfortable to use but maybe I just need to get used to it. However, it’s somewhat mitigated by the Windows application LG provides that allows you to change the basic monitor settings.

I visit this site quite a lot as the reviews are very thorough and well written so I thought I would just give something back. I can recommend this monitor!

[PCM2]

Thanks for your kind words and useful feedback, SZQ. It’s very much appreciated and I’m glad you’re enjoying the monitor. It is indeed a very good product for the price and sounds like it delivers a nice all-round experience. I’m sure you will enjoy the experience even more when you get the monitor working at 60Hz. I’ve received quite a bit of positive feedback now about the 27UK60/65/85 models so will probably update the recommendations section at some point to reflect that. It seems to be a worthy successor to the 27UD68/69 and the pricing is really attractive now as well.

[colorgambit]

Sorry to hijack thread but I am a graphic designer and am looking for a 4k monitor with a sole focus on image quality, high contrast and color accuracy, is there any monitor you would recommend? I’m currently looking at BenQ BL2711U, BenQ PD3200U (a little out of my price range), Philips 288P6LJEB and Dell P2415Q.

[PCM2]

Hi colorgambit and welcome,

You’re not hijacking at all, that’s what the forum is for. Although I have moved your reply to a more appropriate thread. Some of the models you mentioned are mentioned here, but to summarise:

– The BenQ BL2711U is nicely calibrated and could work well for your uses. My main complaint is that the screen surface is grainier than on this AUO AHVA panel compared to LG IPS alternatives. Which is why we recommend the LG 27UD68 instead. The build quality isn’t as good and the OSD doesn’t offer the same flexibility. The factory calibration is generally very good on both models, although things change over time and the best results are always achieved by calibrating and re-calibrating with your own colorimeter or similar device.

– The BenQ PD3200U is an excellent choice in my opinion and the screen size is very nicely suited for the ‘4K’ UHD resolution. I understand about the price, though, it’s significantly higher than the smaller models you’re considering.

– The Philips 288P6LJEB uses a TN panel. Not suitable at all for colour-critical work and weaker in pretty much every respect compared to the others. See our recent review of the BenQ EL2870U which uses a variant of the same panel for an idea of what to expect.

– The Dell P2415Q is a nice choice if desk space is restricted or you simply prefer that screen size. As noted in the review, though, I don’t consider that screen size puts the resolution to the best use. It’s too restrictive and you’ll need to use a relatively high level of scaling unless you’re sitting rather close to the screen or like things looking tiny.

[Teapot]

<Did you end up going for the 27UK650?>

I didn’t push the button in the end and regret the decision. It was a time limited Amazon Prime day deal and they sold out before the end of the day. /sigh

From doing a ton more research and taking your advice I do think the LG is the best value 4k/60hz display currently available. I really like the Samsung C32HG70 which has lower res (1440p) but better HDR (VESA 600) and 144hz refresh which has also seen a recent price reduction on amazon to £450 which I think is great value as well. But as I type this I’m resolved to try 4k and think the LG650 is the best compromise currently. I’m waiting for a similar price to Prime Day before purchasing however (monitoring a few sites).

I’ve come to realise all the currently available monitors are a compromise sadly. I’m nervous about going 4k at 27inch (I think 32inch would be much more comfortable for my aging eyes). I’ll keep looking out for my purchase price and reading this site in-case there is a model coming up which will might do 4k HDR right (but for a reasonable price!)

Also a reminder to everyone who is thinking of buying – use the links here where you can – even if you go for a slightly different model as you often get a selection on amazon when you click the link (And I’ll always go amazon where I can for the very favourable returns policy).

Thanks again for your stella advice! ^^7

[PCM2]

Ah, don’t feel bad or full of regret. I’m sure the right offer will come around again. And it’ll be Black Friday before you know it! There’s bound to be something around then, if not before.

And I appreciate your message of support, I hope everything works out in the end with your monitor quest.

[toast]

Hello PCM. I have a question for you about the EW3270u. Based on your reviews of other monitors using the same panel, M315DJJ-K30, seems to be pretty bad when it comes to responsive time or input lag. Can a company actually overcome these issues by themselves using their own Overdrive technology? The reason i am asking is the reviews by playwares for EW3270u seems to indicate they have reduced the response timing pretty low.

http://down.playwares.com/xe/files/attach/images/105/569/047/1959ddd7d6bb3f2df329c3d31854a117.png
http://down.playwares.com/xe/files/attach/images/105/569/047/65d633b8f5577b118da726de391539e5.png

Theres also another thing that has actually driven me nuts. I checked out and cancelled my order for the LG UK600 twice over the span of Black Friday Weekend. I am steering towards VA as my concern is primarily gaming on my PS4 Pro. I have issues in dark maps playing BF1, i cant see the enemies they seem very hard to spot on my Dell 2311uh(e-ips) and i was hoping VA would help me differentiate the target and the background. My viewing distance is also between 70-85cm so VA glow shouldnt be a problem. Or should i stick with the LG UK600 with bias lighting? Thanks.

[PCM2]

If you look at Playwares measured response time for many VA models, which have definite weaknesses in their pixel transitions, you’ll often find they look fast according to the measurements. Whilst I don’t doubt that Playwares are correctly measuring response time as set out in their methodology, you need to understand that there are 255 grey levels. And testing transitions between only 5 of those levels paints a very misleading picture. It’s one of the reasons I prefer subjective analysis over measurements. Because nobody is going to measure all 255 grey levels or even a reasonably high number of them, it’s just not practical. But by visually assessing you can easily cover all of those and spot weaknesses. Those weaknesses may not exist for a 0 (full black) to 150 (mid grey) transition, for example, but could crop up for 40 – 80. Just to give an example.

A good pixel overdrive implementation can help, but it’s not going to magically make all pixel transitions of the panel much faster without negative consequences. The best you’ll see from the panel is as shown in our review of the Philips 328P6VUBREB. And as far as VA models go, the pixel responsiveness isn’t actually that bad. You’re limited to 60Hz anyway, you don’t tend to find the weaknesses expose themselves as much as on higher refresh rate models with similar pixel response times.

Finding enemies difficult to spot or easy to spot isn’t necessarily going to be helped by buying a model with this ~32″ VA-type panel. As highlighted in our reviews they have issues with ‘black crush’. Although I would argue that ‘IPS glow’ masks detail far more. Do you find the enemies easy enough to spot centrally on your U2311H? The gamma tracking could also be a problem, if it’s too high then that masks detail. And remember that a bias light can help with perceived contrast, but it isn’t going to fix issues with gamma nor magically eliminate ‘IPS glow’. Actual strong static contrast has no replacement.

[darrenp]

Hi,

Wonderful forum!

I am looking to buy a 27″4K monitor. It will be used with a DELL XPS13 laptop only and the only video port is USB-C.

It will be used for office work mainly. I am looking for a crisp screen with accurate colors. No requirements for gaming, HDR or speakers (no harm in these, just not a requirement). It will sit behind my laptop, so the external screen will be above, so I am looking for height adjustment on the stand.

I thought that the LG 27UK650 would be prefect… though no USB-C port. It however turns out that I am limited to the 27UK600 in Australia, which is good value for money, but no height adjustment (so I would have to sit the stand on something to increase the height – possible but not neat). The LG 27UK850 has the USB-C port and adjustable height, but but is a lot more expensive, so I am not sure why the 27UK850 costs that much more? The only real difference I see is the USB-C port and it does not appear to justify the price difference. I do like the fact that I can charge my laptop via the USB-C port from the monitor though.

If I was to stump up and pay for the LG 27UK850, are there better options for this price range?

Is there any real need / advantage paying for a monitor that supports USB-C (as apposed to buying an adapter)?

My fall back position is to go with the LG 27UK600 (with adapter) and just sit the stand on something to increase the height as the price difference is substantial (about 50% more).

Any advise would be great.

Many thanks!

[Author]

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