I just tested this 45-inch LG 5K2K OLED curved gaming monitor — and it's ridiculous

The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B ($1,999) is one of the latest gaming monitors that lets you swap between two display modes. Though it follows that trend, it stands out thanks to its curved 21:9 45-inch 5K2K OLED display, which LG claims is a first. All of that combined delivers a truly immersive gaming experience.

With the press of a button, you can switch between 5K resolution at 165Hz and 2K resolution at 330Hz. The former is ideal for cinematic games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while the latter is tailor-made for competitive games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. You’re literally getting the best of both worlds.

The other standout feature is the 45-inch 800R curved panel, which draws you into whatever game you’re playing. The expansive display also gives you plenty of space for multiple windows, which can increase your productivity. While this monitor requires a suitably large desk to place it on, its generous screen real estate is nothing to balk at.

Like the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B, which also features dual refresh rates, the 45GX950A-B offers phenomenal picture quality. Colors practically pop off the display, which helps to immerse you further. Unfortunately, like many other OLED gaming monitors, LG’s device doesn’t get too bright in its HDR modes.

Though I wish the display were brighter, I think the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is still one of the best gaming monitors and best curved monitors out there. Find out more in my full review.

LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is a 45-inch curved OLED gaming monitor featuring two display modes.
• Who is it for? For anyone looking for a curved gaming monitor that’s also great for work.
• What does it cost? The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B costs $1,999 on LG’s online store.
• What do we like? We like the immersive design, gorgeous picture quality and fast performance.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the relatively dim HDR.

LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B review: Specs

LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B review: The ups

The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B impresses thanks to its dual display modes, 45-inch curved panel, excellent OLED screen and smooth performance.

Slick design

The most striking thing about this monitor is its large 45-inch curved panel. Given its expansive size, you’ll want a large desk to place it on.

The dark gray plastic chassis is free of embellishments, save for a silver UltraGear logo on the back. This minimalist design is equally suitable for a gaming den or home office. The relatively thin bezels ensure you can enjoy as much of the picture as possible.

Despite the monitor’s large footprint, it’s easy to adjust it up and down along its stand. It’s also not difficult to swivel or tilt the monitor to your preferred viewing angle, though its range of motion is somewhat limited.

The sturdy stand keeps the UltraGear firmly in place, and its flat base is spacious enough to keep a controller, phone, or other items on. The shaft also has an opening for easier cable management.

You get a decent number of ports, including a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort, two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. As with other LG UltraGear monitors, all the ports are located on the back. You’ll need to go around the monitor to reach these ports, but it’s not too difficult to do.

Gorgeous display

With a curvature of 800R, this UltraGear monitor does a great job of immersing you in whatever game you’re playing. The gorgeous OLED panel, with its excellent contrast between dark and light elements, also helps draw you in. Combine those elements with the vibrant colors and cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio, and you get a truly immersive experience.

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the UltraGear and was floored by how incredible they appeared. The monitor generally delivers oversaturated colors, which makes the neon signs and billboards in those games practically pop off the screen. The curved panel serves to heighten the immersion.

Our lab tests confirm my anecdotal testing. In its default display mode, the 45GX950A-B produces oversaturated colors (sRGB and DCI-P3) and good color accuracy (Delta-E). However, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 delivers even more oversaturated colors in its default setting. In that sense, LG’s monitors’ colors are more accurate.

Everything looks best in 5K resolution mode. I can discern even the smallest details in the aforementioned games without a problem. Things don’t look as defined in 1080p, but the picture quality is still relatively good despite the diminished resolution, thanks to the monitor’s expansive 45-inch curved display.

Smooth performance

You get two display modes with the LG UltraGear 45GX950-A. 5K at 165Hz is best suited for “cinematic” games like Dragon’s Dogma 2, where you want the sharpest picture quality. For competitive games like Counter-Strike Global Offensive 2, 2K at 330Hz offers a higher refresh rate for faster response. Both modes have a low 0.03ms response time.

Since I’m not a competitive gamer and prefer visual fidelity over a super high refresh rate, I don’t need an obscenely high refresh rate. However, I will say that games like Doom Eternal feel noticeably faster at 330Hz.

When testing the 45GX950A-B, I had it connected to the new Alienware Area 51 desktop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. This otherworldly PC ran Doom Eternal at 240 frames per second, which the monitor’s 330Hz was more than capable of handling.

Like the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B, you’ll need a pretty powerful gaming rig to take full advantage of this monitor’s dual refresh rates. But as with that monitor, you’ll still benefit from the fast refresh rate and low response time even on a more modest gaming PC.

Clean interface

The 45GX950A-B has the same clean and intuitive interface as other LG UltraGear gaming monitors. This is where you can access the monitor’s ten picture settings, which include gaming modes for FPS and RTS games. You also get modes featuring sRGB and HDR emulation that pump out more vivid colors and brighter HDR, respectively. The display modes have different values but generally deliver similar results in terms of color and brightness.

There’s a small OSD (On Screen Display) joystick behind the monitor for navigating the various settings. It’s fairly responsive, so you don’t need to apply much force to move it up and down or left and right.

The interface on LG monitors offers a minimal number of settings to tinker with. While some might want more robust settings, I appreciate the overall simplicity. I’m here to play video games, not with monitor settings.

LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B review: The downs

The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B ticks a lot of the right boxes for a gaming monitor. Unfortunately, it has one problem inherent with such devices.

Relatively Dim HDR

This is something I’ve experienced with other OLED gaming monitors I’ve tested, but the 45GX950A-B doesn’t get very bright even in its HDR-specific modes.

This UltraGear is rated for 400 nits of brightness, with a claimed 1300 nits of peak brightness on 1.5% of the display. Though our testing revealed that 10% of the display can reach nearly 750 nits of brightness, we saw an average of 225 nits across the entire screen for the available display modes in SDR.

While I wish the display were brighter for gaming, I found its brightness ideal for my average workflow, which includes staring at dozens of websites with white backgrounds. I don’t need my eyes scorched when writing or searching for news, so in this case, I don’t mind the relatively dim display.

LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B review: Verdict

Faults aside, the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is easily one of the most impressive gaming monitors I’ve tested. Switching between its two display modes is easy, and its 45-inch curved OLED panel excels at drawing you into the game you’re playing. The fact that said curved display is also great for work is the proverbial cherry on top.

If the $1,999 asking price is too steep or you’re looking for something smaller, the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B is available for $1,399 on LG’s website. Not only is it cheaper, but it also has dual display modes. The $599 Alienware 27 4K Dual-Resolution is another great gaming monitor worth considering.

The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is certainly expensive, but if you can stomach the cost and have enough space for it on your desk, you’ll be treated to a truly fantastic gaming monitor.