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The 38CB99-W appears to be the "business" model of the 38UC99-W. Identical specs and a 3 year warranty on the CB vs 1 year on the UC. These also appear to be the same as the newer 38WK95C-W (38BK95C-W for "business"), with the exception that the newer model has HDR. All of the LG 38" ultrawide monitors are Freesync (not Freesync 2.0, which calls into question the value of HDR on the newer one) with a max refresh of 75 Hz.
For about 3 years I've been using a triple 2560x1600 setup with Monoprice "G-Pro" 30" IPS screens. I've upgraded my system twice in that time, moved into a different house, changed my chair/desk configuration, switched to a mechanical keyboard, and upgraded sound, leaving the monitors trailing everything else. I've been trying to wait until I can get an upgrade in every aspect of the display that matters to me - size, resolution, weight, picture quality, variable refresh, inputs, and remote control. I'm pretty sure that's still years away.
Size/resolution: My monitor stand is maxed out with 3x30" screens in triple landscape. I might be able to fit 32" monitors with smaller bezels, but I've decided portrait/landscape/portrait is my best bet moving forward to satisfy my 3 screen addiction. After about a decade of using 16:10, I'm really hesitant to give up 10% of my vertical viewing space. My viewing distance (at least 4 feet) makes 4K rather impractical with screens that will fit into my setup.
I wasn't even considering an ultrawide monitor until I saw that the 38" LGs have a resolution of 3840x1600. They are advertised as 21:9, but that actually comes out to 24:10. I can keep my vertical res, add ultrawide for gaming, and flip 2 monitors to portrait on the sides.
Weight: These Monoprice screens are beasts - 20+ lbs. Even at 38", the LG is lighter at 17 lbs. I'll keep two of the 30" on the sides for now, but might go for something lighter eventually, to make it easier to keep things aligned.
Picture quality: I'm not holding my breath for OLED monitors at a reasonable price. I'd prefer a VA panel for black levels, but the curved screen should allow more uniform viewing angles to reduce IPS glow. The 38UC99-W has reviewed very well on color accuracy and gray uniformity.
Variable refresh: I bought a Freesync monitor to use with an Nvidia card. I would have considered Gsync if LG made it available with their 38" screens, but my brief experience using a Gsync monitor left me unimpressed. I just might not be sensitive to frame rates above 60 Hz. VRR would make a difference below 60 fps, but I've gamed for decades without it. The urge to upgrade my display is much stronger than any desire for VRR. If I'm lucky, AMD's next generation will be a worthwhile upgrade.
Inputs/remote control: I have 2 "main" systems - a Windows PC and a Linux PC. I have a USB switch to change KB/mouse between them, and the Monoprice monitors have remote control to change inputs. No other manufacturer that I've seen commonly includes remote control with monitors. I'm hoping the "joystick" on the bottom of the LG is easy to reach.
I decided against the newer 38WK95 because I'm not going to pay extra for HDR. My main Windows system is Win 8.1, so no HDR there. I did put together a test box with Win 10 1803 and connected it to my LG B7 OLED to discover that HDR on Windows is garbage. All it does on the desktop is jack up the brightness and make everything completely washed out. The only game I have with HDR is Mankind Divided, and I saw zero difference in game. It did cause annoying color and brightness fluctuations in the menus. As far as I can tell, HDR on Windows is currently a shitty gimmick.
If there's an awesome monitor out there that I've missed, please let me know. 2019 should bring a few advancements, but I don't see any of them affecting my usage. Hopefully in 3-5 years, when I'm likely to upgrade again, there will be a monitor that knocks my socks off.
For about 3 years I've been using a triple 2560x1600 setup with Monoprice "G-Pro" 30" IPS screens. I've upgraded my system twice in that time, moved into a different house, changed my chair/desk configuration, switched to a mechanical keyboard, and upgraded sound, leaving the monitors trailing everything else. I've been trying to wait until I can get an upgrade in every aspect of the display that matters to me - size, resolution, weight, picture quality, variable refresh, inputs, and remote control. I'm pretty sure that's still years away.
Size/resolution: My monitor stand is maxed out with 3x30" screens in triple landscape. I might be able to fit 32" monitors with smaller bezels, but I've decided portrait/landscape/portrait is my best bet moving forward to satisfy my 3 screen addiction. After about a decade of using 16:10, I'm really hesitant to give up 10% of my vertical viewing space. My viewing distance (at least 4 feet) makes 4K rather impractical with screens that will fit into my setup.
I wasn't even considering an ultrawide monitor until I saw that the 38" LGs have a resolution of 3840x1600. They are advertised as 21:9, but that actually comes out to 24:10. I can keep my vertical res, add ultrawide for gaming, and flip 2 monitors to portrait on the sides.
Weight: These Monoprice screens are beasts - 20+ lbs. Even at 38", the LG is lighter at 17 lbs. I'll keep two of the 30" on the sides for now, but might go for something lighter eventually, to make it easier to keep things aligned.
Picture quality: I'm not holding my breath for OLED monitors at a reasonable price. I'd prefer a VA panel for black levels, but the curved screen should allow more uniform viewing angles to reduce IPS glow. The 38UC99-W has reviewed very well on color accuracy and gray uniformity.
Variable refresh: I bought a Freesync monitor to use with an Nvidia card. I would have considered Gsync if LG made it available with their 38" screens, but my brief experience using a Gsync monitor left me unimpressed. I just might not be sensitive to frame rates above 60 Hz. VRR would make a difference below 60 fps, but I've gamed for decades without it. The urge to upgrade my display is much stronger than any desire for VRR. If I'm lucky, AMD's next generation will be a worthwhile upgrade.
Inputs/remote control: I have 2 "main" systems - a Windows PC and a Linux PC. I have a USB switch to change KB/mouse between them, and the Monoprice monitors have remote control to change inputs. No other manufacturer that I've seen commonly includes remote control with monitors. I'm hoping the "joystick" on the bottom of the LG is easy to reach.
I decided against the newer 38WK95 because I'm not going to pay extra for HDR. My main Windows system is Win 8.1, so no HDR there. I did put together a test box with Win 10 1803 and connected it to my LG B7 OLED to discover that HDR on Windows is garbage. All it does on the desktop is jack up the brightness and make everything completely washed out. The only game I have with HDR is Mankind Divided, and I saw zero difference in game. It did cause annoying color and brightness fluctuations in the menus. As far as I can tell, HDR on Windows is currently a shitty gimmick.
If there's an awesome monitor out there that I've missed, please let me know. 2019 should bring a few advancements, but I don't see any of them affecting my usage. Hopefully in 3-5 years, when I'm likely to upgrade again, there will be a monitor that knocks my socks off.
