LG UltraGear Ergo 27GN880-B
An ergo-armed work-play curiosity
A PC MONITOR that pleases both gamers and productivity peeps? Sounds like a stretch, but that’s the new LG UltraGear Ergo 27GN880-B’s basic proposition.
The gaming half of the equation is covered by 144Hz of Nano IPS panel tech. LG claims it’s good for 1ms response times. That’s courtesy of the gray-to-gray metric, not the tricksier MPRT measure, which can flatter to deceive regarding the subjective experience of pixel speed.
Support for both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync flavors of adaptive refresh is also included. Combine all that with the popular 27-inch form factor and 1440p native resolution (2560x1440 pixels), and you have a solid base for a gaming panel. There are panels with more pixels. There are monitors with higher refresh. But that 144Hz, 27-inch, 1440p, 1ms combo from an IPS panel is a real-world sweet spot. Few gamers will truly need more.
As for productivity, the most obvious element is the name. This Ergo monitor sports an asymmetric stand that clamps to a wide range of desktops measuring up to 3.5 inches thick. It offers a really wide range of adjustment, including 280 degrees of swivel, 18cm of extend and retract, plus pivot into portrait mode. You basically just grab the thing and position it where you want. It’s pretty neat.
The stand includes some clever cable management, too, by routing everything through the main arm, down to the base. Perfect if desk space is at a premium.
Speaking of cables and connections, arguably the LG 27GN880-B’s most obvious shortcoming is the absence of USB Type-C. That’s a pity. Being able to hook up a laptop via a single cable would really suit this monitor’s overall vibe.
Still, the LG UltraGear Ergo 27GN880-B clocks in with some pretty impressive color fidelity, with 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. The sole snag is that sRGB is the only color space preset in the OSD. Anyway, while the LG 27GN880-B isn’t an out-and-out pro display designed for high-end workflows, such as mastering video, it is a plausible panel for light content creation.
It’s also a very nice gaming panel. Most impressive is the speed and response. LG includes three levels of user-configurable pixel overdrive in the OSD menu. In truth, the fastest option is a bit of a mess and suffers from obvious overshoot. But the middle setting is super-sharp. Only the very quickest TN panels offer better response, at the cost of contrast, viewing and color accuracy.
Slightly less impressive is the overall punch. At 350 nits, it’s not dingy, but in this age of 1,000-nit HDR eye-scorchers, the experience is conspicuously SDR. For the record, HDR10 signal decoding is supported. And not only does HDR content look decent, SDR content is also handled well in HDR mode. But this is not a true HDR panel. There’s no local dimming and peak brightness is nowhere near what’s required for sufficient dynamic range.
All told, the LG UltraGear Ergo is an appealing curio. It’s more convincing as a gaming panel than a productivity tool, for sure. But if you’re looking for a monitor that can also turn its hand to more serious affairs, as well as improve the ergonomics of your desk space, stick it at the top of your shortlist.
LG UltraGear Ergo 27GN880-B
COGITO, ERGO SUM Speedy IPS panel; super ergonomics; good color accuracy.
ZERO SUM GAME No USB-C connectivity; limited color space presets
$ 397, www.lg.com