LG C5 OLED vs C4 OLED: What's the difference?

A new year brings a new LG C Series OLED TV. The all-new LG C5, situated in the middle spot of LG's 2025 TV lineup, is quite similar to its predecessor, the LG C4 OLED.

For all of its praise, the C4 proved divisive. We tend to love LG's C Series OLEDs primarily for their incredible value proposition, but when the 65-inch C4 launched at $2,699, it wasn't quite as brimming with value as we expected. Nevertheless, it was one of the best OLED TVs released last year, coming in a range of different sizes to meet almost any need.

As for LG's refreshed C5 OLED, there's a lot to love about its specs, but as you'll see, little in the way of raw upgrades. The C5's pricing hasn't yet been announced, but there's no reason to expect it to cost any less than the C4 at launch.

And while we won't be able to speak on the C5's performance until we get our hands on it for testing, there's still a lot to unpack when comparing the LG C5 to the LG C4.

LG C5 OLED vs C4 OLED: Specs compared

Like the C4, the C5 leverages a 144Hz refresh rate (not 165Hz like the higher-end LG G5 OLED) and a standard WOLED panel, which doesn't make use of Micro Lens Array display technology. Disappointingly, the LG C5 also lacks an ATSC 3.0 tuner.

 LG C5 OLED vs C4 OLED: Design  

When it comes to design, the LG C5 and LG C4 are practically identical. When you peel back the layers and peek inside, however, you begin to see some differences — subtle though they might be.

For instance, the LG C5 OLED sports a refreshed processor in the gen 8 Alpha 9, an AI chipset built to handle serious 4K upscaling, motion processing and so much more. We won't know just how powerful this new chip is until we get the C5 in for testing, but it could be a difference-maker when it comes to performance year over year.

On the outside, the C5 will still have slimmed-down borders, and you'll be able to scoop it up in the same range of sizes available last year: from 42 to 83 inches.

Many were hoping the newer C5 OLED might pick up LG's beloved MLA panel, but that doesn't seem the case this go around and it's moving to a four-stack WOLED panel for its two top-shelf models, the LG M5 and LG G5 OLED.

One thing that is changing (for the better) is the LG Magic Remote, which was in dire need of an update. LG is finally slimming down its design and making it look similar to Samsung's offering.

 LG C5 OLED vs C4 OLED: Performance 

It's hard to compare the C5 to its predecessor without having tested it, but LG is touting improvements, especially in terms of brightness and picture processing.

When it comes to brightness, LG didn't give any numbers about what we can expect. Last year, the C4 OLED topped out at around 1,103 nits for specular HDR highlights. That's not half bad, but we're hoping to see higher brightness in 2025, especially since the C5 will be competing with mid-range OLEDs from Samsung.

As mentioned, the C5 will also be keeping its 144Hz refresh rate and not bumping it up to 165Hz. This is disappointing, since everything else about the C4 OLED made it one of the best gaming TVs in 2024. I would've liked to have seen LG go the extra mile with its mid-range OLED. As it stands, folks who use the LG C5 as a PC monitor will be locked at 4K/144Hz.

The C4 is a supremely accurate TV right out of the box. In Filmmaker mode, we measured an impressive 1.8 Delta-E, which describes color accuracy (the lower the number, the better). Since LG's Filmmaker mode has been reliably accurate on the C Series for several years, I'd be willing to bet there's little change here for the C5.

In terms of audio, the LG C4 came equipped with a 40W output on a 2.2-channel system and there's little evidence to suggest this has changed — especially since it hasn't over the past two iterations.

 LG C5 OLED vs C4 OLED: Outlook 

I want to be hyped for the LG C5 OLED. As someone who replaced their PC monitor with the LG C4 OLED, I cannot wait to see what its refreshed offering has in store for gamers. However, it's a bit too early to tell how excited I should be; LG has given no indication of price and we just don't know how far its ostensible improvements truly go.

Given the lack of upgrades on paper, I'm hoping LG brings the price down. It might have a better processor, but the C Series should represent an even better value in order to stay competitive.

Until we can learn and see more about the C5, I'm leaning heavily towards the C4 OLED being the better pick this year. If the last several years are any indication, it will continue to be available at a lower cost throughout 2025.