LG 27GN850-B/27GN880-B Monitor Review (Unleash the Beast)

If you are looking for an impressive gaming monitor, then LG 27GN850-B or LG 27GN880-B. Both help you with an overall improvement that you should appreciate. These have incredible response time and a 144 Hz refresh rate. Also, you get to witness a minimization in motion blur and you get 60 Hz gaming speed.

The only difference between LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B is that LG 27GN880-B has a better stand, which has many ergonomic adjustments and can be placed comfortably in any viewing position.

These monitors also come with Adaptive Sync support and are compatible with both FreeSync and GSync. So, you won’t face input lag or screen tearing.

So, let’s dive deep and get to know more about the 27-inch screen with 1440p resolution that can provide you with an impressive gaming experience, without even using any heavy graphics card.

Table of Contents

Common Specifications: LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B

Here are the common specifications for LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B that make them quite similar.

Screen size: 27″
Display Type: IPS
HDMI Inputs: 2
HDR Format: Yes
Max Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
Response Time: 1 ms
Sync Technology: Adaptive Sync

Inside the box of the LG 27GN850-B monitor

You will find:

DisplayPort cable
HDMI cable
Power cable and brick
Manual and drivers

Inside the box of the LG 27GN880-B monitor

You will find:

Power cord extender
Power supply
DisplayPort cable
Extra plate and screws
CD manual
User guide

LG 27GN850-B Vs LG 27GN880-B

Let’s get a detailed comparison between the two monitors – LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B:

Style

The LG 27GN850-B is an UltraGear monitor that comes from the 2020 lineup. You get thin borders on three sides and the bottom bezel is thicker. It comes in a black and red combination and the V-shaped feet are elevated, so it does not sit flat on the desk. The cable management is quite appreciated and also it has a fairly well-built monitor.

The LG 27GN880-B has only one dissimilarity with the LG 27GN850-B, it comes with a monitor arm and quite ergonomics. You can easily clamp the edges of the desk and can be easily attached to the hole within the desk.

Build quality

When talking about quality, the LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B are quite decent and it is purely made up of plastic materials without any gaps or loose parts. The stand is quite durable to support the screen wall and it won’t cause any wobble situations. You may find it difficult for the hook to manage the cables but eventually, you will learn.

LG 27GN880-B might not feel premium but it is quite sturdy and the stand is solid and heavy. It is also a supportive structure for the monitor and needs quite a force to tilt and rotate the screen into portrait mode.

Ergonomics

You can rotate the screen of the LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B, into portrait mode, in a clockwise direction, and will find the inputs at the top. There might be an issue with the shortcuts. You may find red rings at the back of the monitor, however, they do not light up.

The LG 27GN850-B’s hook stand also provides you with fine cable management and the height adjustment is 11 cm. The tilt range is – 15 to 5 degrees, the wall mount is VESA 100×100 and there is no swivel. The thickness of the stand is 22.2 cm and its weight is 6.3 kg. The stand supports the monitor and also does not take up enough space

LG 27GN880-B’s height adjustment is 13 cm and the portrait can be switched in a clockwise direction. It has a swivel range of -180 to 180 degrees and the tilt range is -25 to 25 degrees. When it comes to wall mount it is similar to LG 27GN850-B and has cable management facilities.

Display

LG 27GN850-B comes with a 61.5 cm width, 36.5 cm height, and a thickness of 5.2 cm. The weight is about 4.2 kg and the bezels or size of the border is 0.8 cm. You can also find a single joystick which helps to control the onscreen menu.

LG 27GN880-B also has a thickness of 5.2 cm and the monitor arm and screen are quite thin, so do not require much desk space.

Contrast

LG 27GN850-B has a low contrast ratio being an IPS panel. If you are viewing the screen in a dark room, then the black and white appear gray and also there is no local dimming feature. You might find the contrast to be lower than 1000:1 and often vary between units.

It has good SDR peak brightness and maintains extremely consistent brightness across different content. So, the monitor can combat the glare, but the rating is quite lower than the advertised 350 cd/m². Another disadvantage is that the highlights quickly lose brightness the longer they stay on the screen.

Alternatively, LG 27GN880-B, has a sub-par contrast ratio and naive contrast of 797:1 and this may vary slightly from one unit to another. Thus, this monitor also makes the black look gray and lacks a local dimming feature.

Calibration

Before calibration, accuracy is quite recommendable for LG 27GN850-B. If there is any white balance default and inaccuracies in most colors, then it can’t be spotted easily. The reflection handling feature is also quite appreciable and it performs while in a moderately lit room if there is direct sunlight, then the reflections can be quite distracting.

LG 27GN880-B has greens and yellows that are quite inaccurate and over-saturated and the white balance is off as well. The color temperature is nearly 6500K and has a warmer side along with a reddish tint. However, the accuracy between most scenes varies between individual units. It also has a great accuracy after calibration and the remaining color and white balance has inaccuracies. It has a decent reflection handling capability and works quite well in most lighting conditions.

Compatibility and Ports

LG 27GN850-B is compatible with PS5 and Xbox series and does not require HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. It can utilize the 4k @ 120 HZ signals and when it comes to ports, it has 1 DisplayPort, 2 HDMI 2.0, one 3.5 mm audio output, and the presence of HDR 10.

The LG 27GN850-B monitor is compatible with MacOS but still has certain limitations in terms of screen screening. Talking about the additional features, it has a crosshair that helps you to add a virtual crosshair for FPS games, removes low blue light helps you to avoid eye strain and the black stabilizer helps to adjust the gamma in a dark room. So, there won’t be any problem seeing the opponents during gaming even in the shadows.

LG 27GN880-B has 1 DisplayPort, and no mini DisplayPort. It has 2 HDMI and one analog audio out of 3.5mm. The power supply has eternal brick but it lacks DVI, VGA, USB, and DisplayPort Out. LG 27GN880-B adds a virtual crosshair on the screen and its black stabilizer makes objects more visible in dark scenes. It also has a blue light filter which helps to reduce eye strain.

Why should you get either an LG 27GN850-B or an LG 27GN880-B monitor?

LG 27GN850-B and LG 27GN880-B both come with an IPS panel and have a wide viewing angle. So, you get accurate images from all sides, with a low contrast ratio and there is no local dimming. Another aspect is that the black might appear gray if you are viewing the screen in a dark room. Even if it lags during gaming, it can still be used for office purposes as well as content creation. The reflection handling is appreciable and the screen sharing feature works best on this monitor.