So I’ve been using this LG 45-inch ultrawide gaming monitor for about a month now, and it’s seriously been a huge level up to my PC gaming setup. This is the LG 45GR95QE, which is a bit of a mouthful.
In this article I really want to dig further into the gaming experience. With an OLED panel and a 240Hz refresh rate, this is the world’s first, coming from LG. It also has a wild 800R curve, and if it sounds nuts, it’s because it is. And when it comes to gaming, it really does pay off. We all know LG makes some incredible OLED TVs, so having a high-refresh OLED option for your desk is definitely the future for gaming.
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Quick Specs
So this monitor is a 45-inch ultrawide OLED panel with a 21:9 aspect ratio. It’s actually pretty massive, and frankly, this is what I love about it. It has an 800R curve with a resolution of 3440×1440.
Today, an 800R curve is considered pretty aggressive, but there are a lot of reasons that make this feature useful, which I’ll definitely touch on. Coming in at a peak 1000 nits of brightness, we get HDR support and an insane 0.03 millisecond response time. Not three milliseconds, not one millisecond, 0.03 milliseconds. So, off the bat, this is truly amazing for gaming. Hooked right up to this monitor is my MSI Trident X gaming PC from 2019, which, in terms of specs, isn’t too crazy by today’s standards. It has an RTX 2070, an i7 9700K, and 16 gigabytes of RAM.
This is definitely due for an update, but it handles everything I need at 3440×1440 with high refresh rates.
800r Curve
What I really want to talk about first is the 800R curve, since you might be wondering why. Well, I can agree it is an aggressive curve, but having gamed on this for the last month, I wouldn’t really want any less curve, especially on a 45-inch display.
This monitor is meant for gaming and is ultra-geared (pun intended) to focus on bettering the gaming experience. And when it comes to gaming, specifically gaming when you have monitor widths greater than 34 inches, you really gotta start turning your neck non-stop to check any on-screen elements like minimaps, a kill feed, or anything else super close to the edge of the display. And while turning your head for productivity or work is largely okay, it’s less frequent or sporadic when gaming.
You want to see everything in your peripheral vision, if not just a quick glance. The 800R curve does keep everything in view all the time, even on such a large display. For me, I play a chunk of competitive Overwatch on PC, and if this monitor didn’t have an 800R curve, I wouldn’t perform nearly as well. Simply put, the 800R curve makes this not just a viable option to use, but an actual good one as well, despite being a 45-inch curved ultra-wide.
LG 45 OLED + Color
There’s literally zero noticeable color differentiation from edge to edge regardless of where you’re sitting. But mentioning colors, I can easily say that it’s harder to go back to a non-OLED display, especially after playing on this one for about a month. Normally, I’d swap between my LG C2 OLED and another display for PC gaming. But once you’ve gotten used to how good OLED looks, it’s so much harder to swap off. And the thing is, it’s not so easy to convey this through a YouTube video. But as an example, here’s a quick side-by-side test I did a while back with my TCL r646, which is an LED, and my LG C2 OLED.
In this shot, it’s easy to see the difference when it comes to the inky blacks as well as the vibrant colors. For me, it’s an incredible experience either way, especially when it comes to gaming. When you play certain games like Red Dead Redemption 2, which isn’t even a recent title, it’s actually insane to see the range between darks and lights, especially in scenes like this. In games like this or Cyberpunk, it really showcases the benefits of HDR as well. Zero complaints since it absolutely looks amazing.
Gaming
Jumping right into gaming, I want to start with racing. I don’t play as many racing games as I used to, but throwing down some Forza Horizon on this monitor has given me a sort of “diet” racing sim setup. I know there’s a whole lot more to a racing sim, and I’ll probably get roasted for this setup or even mentioning it, but it works well for someone like me who is just starting out.
The 800r curve on this monitor provides a wild field of view for checking mirrors and everything else you might need while racing. Eventually, I’m thinking about picking up a steering wheel, but for now, I’m happy to use my PlayStation 5 controller. And while I’m by no means a racing enthusiast, I can imagine how beneficial a 21×9 monitor like this would be for those who are. Instead of seeing things like this, they’re going to see them like this. I did put this monitor on a heavy-duty monitor arm, which has been great for repositioning and getting a more racing-like angle. All I need now is that steering wheel, and I’ll be good to go.
LG 45 OLED Monitor FPS
But outside of racing, where I get the most value is first-person shooters. In my last video, I mentioned that I would be grinding to Masters in Overwatch on this monitor, and crazy enough, it actually happened. So I guess I’m not as trash as I originally thought. Yeah, thanks LG. But really, I can say without a doubt that I’ve done better on this display than any other I’ve used before. Trust me, I know a 16:9 aspect ratio is the better choice for any FPS game, but this is what I have and it’s been great for me.
And again, going back to the 800R curve, in FPS games, every millisecond counts, and a quick glance at the kill feed or my resources is easy. I don’t have to turn my head or anything to see it all, and it’s just nicer to have a larger OLED display like this without having a TV. And I can say without that 800R curve, it would be totally unplayable on a screen this wide. From a competitive standpoint as well, having a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03 milliseconds response time is absolutely insane, and I’m certain this is a part of the reason I was able to rank up competitively.
Sandbox
Sometimes, I like to just tone it down and play something like Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s crazy how good older games like this, or even newer titles like Cyberpunk, look even at 3440 by 1440p resolution. It’s really nice to play games like this, especially at a 21×9 aspect ratio. In my last video, I got a lot of comments asking about my setup and system specs. Again, it’s just my RTX 2070 and an i7. It’s not a top-spec by any means, so this display is doing a lot of heavy lifting. I’m super stoked for Hogwarts Legacy, which is out next week. I’m tempted to get it on PC versus console since I’ve been really enjoying open-world games, especially with the curved display.
LG 45 Curve Monitor Burn In
I definitely have to touch on the burning issue since I’ve had a lot of questions about it in the last video too. Even one month later, there are absolutely zero signs of burning. Of course, it’s more of a concern on a PC compared to a TV, especially with the static elements that you have on your desktop. But this monitor really does have a lot of preventative care options, which I imagine should work in the long run. They work well, and I imagine I wouldn’t see any burning by now.
The features are completely unobtrusive. If the display doesn’t track any movement for a while, it will shut off by itself, which is great, especially if you’re stepping away for a while. And if it’s left for longer periods of time, whenever I return to the display, it will usually say that pixel cleaning has been completed, which is a great feature. Whenever it’s not in use, if you don’t want to leave it to clear automatically, you can always do it yourself in the menus. But again, I haven’t really had to do this.
Is it Worth it?
So let me wrap this up. One month later, how is it overall? Well, it’s probably the best monitor I’ve used. I’ve really used it a lot for gaming, not just for random review testing. Between the low response time, the colors of OLED, and the high 240Hz refresh rate, this is an amazing option for different types of gamers, from racing to open world to first-person shooters. This covers you well.
And if you really can’t get down with a 21×9 aspect ratio, the 27-inch version of this model still carries the OLED panel response time and refresh rate. For me, I’ll be trying to find a way to get more out of my DIY racing Sim setup, but until then, this will definitely do.
