LG 27UD88-W
A pleasing 4K IPS panel... at a price.
We live in an age of ubiquitous technological plenty. Powerful computers in our pockets, near-enough super-computers on our desktops, always-on super-speed connectivity— it’s all available, and all quite affordable. But there are one or two areas where compromises must be made at almost any money.
One of those is PC monitors. No matter how much money you throw at a screen, you can’t have it all. Take LG’s new 27UD88-W. It’s pricey, and it measures just 27 inches across, is limited to 60Hz refresh, and doesn’t support HDR. That’s partly explained by the signature feature: a UHD or 4K pixel grid. For now, the combination of 4K with high refresh, HDR and a really large panel isn’t available. In fact, the combo of just 4K and high refresh is still around the corner. So what has LG rustled up to justify a fairly stiff sticker price for such a modestly proportioned panel? After all, 27-inch 4K monitors can be had for around $650.
For starters, the 27UD88 packs a quality IPS panel, while cheap 4K monitors make do with TN tech (inferior colours, contrast and viewing angles). The LG also offers support for 99% of the sRGB colour space and 10-bit colour depth, though the latter is thanks to dithering, rather than native support. The panel itself is 8 bits per channel.
Another nifty feature is the upstream USB Type-C port with DisplayPort alternate mode capability. The idea here is to hook up a laptop and do everything over a single cable. That includes driving the display, charging the laptop, and enabling the monitor’s USB hub for connecting peripherals. If using a laptop as your main rig and hooking it up to external displays is your thing, this LG promises to make docking super-simple.
You also get support for AMD’s FreeSync tech for smoother gaming and no screen tearing. Just remember that requires an AMD graphics board. Tying it all together is LG’s best effort at a premium look: a brushed metal effect stand (actually plastic), a moderately trendy screen enclosure in white plastic, and fairly thin bezels.
While the 27-inch proportions may be modest, the upside in combination with the 4K resolution is a nice, tight pixel grid. That means lots of detail, and nice sharp fonts. More generally, the panel has a relatively subdued character. It’s more natural than punchy. Moreover, the standard factory calibration is nicely judged, with ample detail in black and white scales, and perfectly smooth gradients.
It also gets a brownie point for delivering decent contrast for this class of panel. True, a VA panel typically offers deeper blacks, but the 27UD88 doesn’t suffer from an excess of light bleed.
As for the USB Type-C with alternate DisplayPort mode, that failed to function with our Apple MacBook with its single USB-C port. Whether that reflects a problem with the monitor or MacBook was impossible to determine. Our advice would be a little Googling to search for any issues specific to your laptop.
The overall upshot is a pleasing, fairly versatile monitor. It doesn’t excel in any area. It’s not a proper professional screen, nor an obvious choice for gaming. But it doesn’t do anything badly, and it does a lot of things well — at a price.