31.5" 2560x1440 165 Hz VA G-Sync - LG 32GK850G

So I've done some gaming on it. This is definitely the best VA panel I've used, but of course at the end of the day it is still a VA panel and it does indeed suffer from some weakness in pixel response. But it wasn't like I was expecting AUO and LG/Nvidia to come up with some black magic to give this thing TN response times. I think it's safe to say that as long as you're not a hardcore competitive gamer, in which case a 32 inch display probably isn't even the ideal size for you to even begin with, you will be happy with this monitor's performance. Here's just a small and quick example of some of the weak transitions. Crysis 3 with everything set to low in order to push a constant 162fps.

Ya in my testing it is as fast as the fastest 165 Hz gaming IPS. That is pretty impressive considering the only thing faster is TN, and you have much better contrast than both TN and IPS and no IPS glow.

Yeah especially with the Highest gamma mode 3 at a distance of 90-100cm, is it still "washed out"?

I definitely prefer mine with 60% NVIDIA color saturation. I think any monitor that lends itself to needing color saturation adjustments to make it "pop" I would consider washed out in stock form. But the term "Washed out" I think is very subjective anyway. As an OLED user, anything LCD is going to be hard to satisfy me in the image quality department.
 
Wait so if LG has figured out how to make a responsive VA panel can they do some high refresh rate ultrawides? Thanks in advance. :p
 
I don't see why not, bigger size = bigger peeking heads. Pro players come up with weird stretched out resolutions to compensate for the usual 23-24" sizes.

Have you tested out the CHG70 before? How does the motion feel compared to it? Because I already was satisfied with the motion performance on the C27HG70, and I play R6 Siege on "hardcore" levels.

Unfortunately I haven't tested out the Samsung VA panels. The other VA panels I have are the Eizo FG2421 and HP Omen X35. This monitor is definitely a step up from the Omen and the Eizo is simply on an entirely different level since it has strobing while this does not.

Yeah especially with the Highest gamma mode 3 at a distance of 90-100cm, is it still "washed out"?

Well for what it is, I would say it is not washed out. If you are used to an OLED then yes it will appear that way, but for your typical sRGB monitor, apart from the lost of saturation at the edges I do not consider the colors washed out. I have a 4k IPS for comparison and it does well against that.
 
I'd actually be interested to see some tests done to show the effect room temperature plays on pixel response time.

We already know especially VA panels can be very sluggish when cold. They also do get faster when heated more than is normal. Panels should be able to operate at room temperatures up to ~50-55°C. Putting the LED backlights at max also increases the heat inside the display.
I ran some tests on my VA at high room temperatures (~34°C) and 100% backlight back in Summer. It decreased the foliage flicker noticeably but didn't completely get rid of it. The overshoot also increased.

Would be an interesting experimental setup if made with proper measurements taken. Sounds like a task for Tftcentral or Blurbusters ;)
 
Last edited:
I just set up my monitor today and so far noticed a couple of things. I cannot overclock to 165Hz. Could this be because my graphics card is a 780? Is the max pixel clock capabilities of the 780 insufficient? A more serious issue is the nature of the vertical edges. It appears the actual panel is recessed or behind the bezels. The look is very weird and I am probably not explaining it properly. It is easier to see on a web page with lots of white. The edge of the web page looks like it is behind the black bezels. There are a couple of millimeters space between panel the bezel. This is also visible in all the games I played. Does anyone notice this?
 
Yes I mentioned the "waterfall" effect over on OCN forums. It exists on a lot of monitors now days.

A row of about 1-2 pixels vanishes where the panel meets the bezel depending on your viewing position.

Here's another way of describing what I see. When I am looking at the monitor dead center, the image at the edges where it meets the bezel appear rounded or curved. When I move my face even closer to the monitor (4 inches) and turn my face to look at the edges, I can see a couple of millimeters of space between the surface of the monitor and the illuminated panel. Is this what you see? Unfortunately, it bothers me. My PG278Q and U3014 do not have this issue. What other monitors are affected by this "waterfall" effect?
 
Yes, I also noticed it too. Although, you have to be pretty darn close to the screen for it really rear its head. Since with it being a larger monitor with lower PPI, at normal sitting distance it really isn't that noticeable. Do you like to sit really close to your displays?
 
i am waiting a long time now for a high refreshrate 32" monitor. had used ultrawides 100hz too but the refreshrate was too low for me. i also dont like that not every game supports 21:9 and have to do some ini tweaks. so 32" 165hz would be perfect. atm im using a pg279q, rly happy with it except the size. playing a lot of quake champions and overwatch and i am a bit afraid that the response time is slower than on the pg279q because there are many korean videos on youtube where the response time looks a bit slow like motion blur. at you owners out there what are your impressions? i ordered this one but i am also thinking of an acer xb272 240hz gsync (sure would be better for quake but size 27" and ppi 1080p). can you also show some pictures? rly interested in this monitor and waiting since it was announced at IFA. i am not playing tournaments but i rly like competitive fast paced games like quake and to be on top of the scoreboard. rly would like to see and read some more impressions.
 
i am waiting a long time now for a high refreshrate 32" monitor. had used ultrawides 100hz too but the refreshrate was too low for me. i also dont like that not every game supports 21:9 and have to do some ini tweaks. so 32" 165hz would be perfect. atm im using a pg279q, rly happy with it except the size. playing a lot of quake champions and overwatch and i am a bit afraid that the response time is slower than on the pg279q because there are many korean videos on youtube where the response time looks a bit slow like motion blur. at you owners out there what are your impressions? i ordered this one but i am also thinking of an acer xb272 240hz gsync (sure would be better for quake but size 27" and ppi 1080p). can you also show some pictures? rly interested in this monitor and waiting since it was announced at IFA. i am not playing tournaments but i rly like competitive fast paced games like quake and to be on top of the scoreboard. rly would like to see and read some more impressions.

The slowness on certain transition will really result in some visual artifacts at worst. It's not going to interfere with your ability to compete.
 
Yes, I also noticed it too. Although, you have to be pretty darn close to the screen for it really rear its head. Since with it being a larger monitor with lower PPI, at normal sitting distance it really isn't that noticeable. Do you like to sit really close to your displays?

No, I do not sit really close to my display. My viewing distance is about 2 feet and it is very noticeable. The desktop icons look strange because of this effect. Could my display be worse than typical?
 
I honestly do not know what causes this affect. It is almost like there is a gap between the back-light and the LCD panel. I am sure there is a logical reason for it. The display has great uniformity and basically zero edge bleed with blacks, so that could be part of it.

Typically I sit and recommend the distance of your eyes to the screen to be the same distance as the diagonal of the display for 4K resolution. IMO 24" viewing distance is too close for 93 ppi of this display.
 
I honestly do not know what causes this affect. It is almost like there is a gap between the back-light and the LCD panel. I am sure there is a logical reason for it. The display has great uniformity and basically zero edge bleed with blacks, so that could be part of it.

Typically I sit and recommend the distance of your eyes to the screen to be the same distance as the diagonal of the display for 4K resolution. IMO 24" viewing distance is too close for 93 ppi of this display.

So that's what that is. This entire time I thought that using my 1800R curved Omen 35 for so long screwed with my eyes going back to a flat screen hahaha. Although sitting a bit further back it becomes less noticeable.
 
No, I do not sit really close to my display. My viewing distance is about 2 feet and it is very noticeable. The desktop icons look strange because of this effect. Could my display be worse than typical?
Wow, it extends far enough from the edges to mess with desktop icons? :/
 
Wow, it extends far enough from the edges to mess with desktop icons? :/

Yeah I put my face 2 ft away from the screen and it was pretty noticeable. But at my normal viewing distance it's not an issue. 2 ft is kinda too close for this size+ppi combo for me anyway.
 
I am unable to overclock my monitor to 165Hz. I keep getting a blue screen. Is the 780 capable of running a 1440p monitor at 165Hz?
 
OK, had 3 days now to test:

- rly good response time. nothing to worry about. (coming from a pg279q)
- colors are actually rly good.(not popping like ips but rly good) this is my first va panel and i noticed that it only gets a bit dull if you look from above and not centered to the monitor.
i measured 6500k out of the box and set gamma to 3, which is about 2.2. never had a monitor which was perfect out of the box before (measured with idisplay pro)
so using just the profile on the monitor cd. brightness 50 (205cd), gamma mode 3, color temp custom rgb 50/50/50
- rly like the size of the monitor. ppi is not a problem, maybe the text is not as sharp like on the pg279q.
- no dead pixel
- oc to 165hz worked flawlessly

so this is my new favorite monitor and im rly happy with it
 
I seem to think that only the Nvidia 960 series and above can do 165hz over displayport. The 780 is stuck at 144hz.
You can see some info here, same card different monitor.
https://rog.asus.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-81800.html

Yes it's Maxwell and Pascal only.

Thanks guys. You are exactly correct. I got a 1080ti a few days ago and it overclocks to 165Hz flawlessly. Do you think running the monitor permanently overclocked will have long term detrimental effects?
 
Thanks guys. You are exactly correct. I got a 1080ti a few days ago and it overclocks to 165Hz flawlessly. Do you think running the monitor permanently overclocked will have long term detrimental effects?

Maybe in the very very long run years down the line but by then I'm sure you would upgrade to something else already. Also the people with X34 monitors have been running a much harder overclock(60hz to 100hz) and if they are still ok 3 years later then I'm sure we will be fine with a 21hz bump.
 
Thanks guys. You are exactly correct. I got a 1080ti a few days ago and it overclocks to 165Hz flawlessly. Do you think running the monitor permanently overclocked will have long term detrimental effects?
I would rather consider using 120Hz, if the smearing is noticeably less with it like Lim said.
 
I would rather consider using 120Hz, if the smearing is noticeably less with it like Lim said.

in realworld scenario you cannot notice any difference. i am not able to notice any smearing at gaming. (playing mostly quake champions and overwatch with fps cap at 162 gsync+vsync on)
in terms of colors i cannot agree with vega. i set gamma mode 3 (2.2) and 50 brightness (~205cd) and measured 6500k out of the box (i1display pro). you dont need any calibration with this monitor. at bright images ips pops a bit more
but in darker colorful images this va looks better than my pg279q and color popping even more. this is by far the best gaming monitor at the moment.
 
in realworld scenario you cannot notice any difference. i am not able to notice any smearing at gaming. (playing mostly quake champions and overwatch with fps cap at 162 gsync+vsync on)

Does Quake Champions run well now? It used to hitch even on my 1080 Ti.
 
Well, since I'm in need of a monitor now, I got a friend to order it from the US and test it before coming over, super excited.
 
Hm, now you made me hope AUO comes out with a 4k 32 inch VA panel on which they don't blow the electronics (like on their 4k IPS screens, the infamous flicker) so LG can make a decent monitor out of that as well :) I bought the LG 32UD59-B which unofficially uses an Innolux panel and response times on that one are really slow. You see it in desktop use as well while scrolling. I also have a 32 inch 2560x1440 AUO VA panel (60hz) and that one beats it in both response times and color shifting. If they can somehow hide the sluggish response time of VA (as you report they managed here) I also think VA can be an equal or better monitor than an IPS one even more so in this size, since IPS glow is exaggerated the bigger the screen. Only things I don't like about VA is banding (which the Innolux seems better at, it has some but on very light gray only) and sluggish response times...
 
Can anyone tell me what's the length of the included displayport cable? 3 feet? 6?

And can someone recommend me a problem free display cable (brand, model) for this monitor? I've read too many horror stories with bad displayport cables. I might need a longer, 10 feet cable.
 
Can anyone tell me what's the length of the included displayport cable? 3 feet? 6?

And can someone recommend me a problem free display cable (brand, model) for this monitor? I've read too many horror stories with bad displayport cables. I might need a longer, 10 feet cable.

The included cable is actually pretty good. I used it over the Accel cable.
 
Is there something wrong with the Accel cable? I was considering it, based on positive reviews, in case i need 10 feet of cable. How long is the included cable?
 
Is there something wrong with the Accel cable? I was considering it, based on positive reviews, in case i need 10 feet of cable. How long is the included cable?

Accel cable has been fine, but the LG included one was more hefty. I don't recall how long the included cable is, probably 6 feet.
 
Is there something wrong with the Accel cable? I was considering it, based on positive reviews, in case i need 10 feet of cable. How long is the included cable?

Assuming LG includes a good cable, you shouldn't need another- however, some 1440p144+ owners have run into issues using the included cable. In my case my Acer Predator benefited from using an Accel cable.
 
After reading about it on here, I gambled and bought an open-box LG 32GK850G from Newegg for $623. Won the lottery; the panel is perfect (no dead/stuck pixels), and all the accessories were in the box. I LOVE this thing; PUBG runs smooth as buttah.
 
I've gone back and forth on picking one up all week. Today I decided, fuck it... It'll be here Monday.

Should be a nice upgrade from my 40 inch Samsung TV.
 
Back
Top