LG UltraGear OLED 45 (45GR95QE-B)
MSRP $1,700.00
“UltraGear OLED 45 is second to none for gaming, but not the best for desktop use.”
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Stellar gaming experience
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Perfect black levels
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Solid SDR color accuracy
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More OLED care features
Against
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Low brightness
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Problems using a desktop computer
For the past few years, OLED has struggled to find a place among the best gaming monitors, but LG’s UltraGear OLED 45 seems uniquely positioned for high-end PC gaming. Its massive size and aggressive curve provide one of the most immersive gaming experiences money can buy, and the OLED panel delivers excellent color and contrast.
You won’t find a better monitor for cinematic gaming, but outside of that realm, the UltraGear OLED 45 starts to struggle. The curve makes it a tough sell for basic desktop use, as does the low pixel density — but this is a screen built for gaming, and it does a great job at it, even if it’s for other use cases.
Video review
Specifications LG UltraGear OLED 45 (45GR95QE-B).
| LG UltraGear OLED 45 (45GR95QE-B) | |
| Screen size | 44.5 inches |
| Panel type | OLED |
| Resolution | 3440 x 1440 |
| Superior brightness | 200 nits (SDR), 1000 nits (HDR) |
| HDR | That |
| Local dimming | 4,953,600 zones |
| Contrast ratio | 1 500 000:1 |
| Response time | 0.03 ms (GtG) |
| Refresh rate | 240 Hz |
| Bandage | 800R |
| Loudspeakers | ON |
| Entries | 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0 |
| port | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphones |
| Adjustments | 20 degree swivel, 20 degree tilt, 4.3 inch height |
| Price list | 1700 dollars |
Massive is an understatement
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
It’s hard to overstate how big the UltraGear OLED 45 really is. It’s a 44.5-inch monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, but its footprint is many times larger due to the steep 800R curve. Even compared to a screen like the Asus ROG PG42UQ, the UltraGear OLED 45 makes an impression massive.
That’s not a bad thing, as the size and curve completely immerses you in the games. However, the point remains that you will need a lot of desk space. The monitor is about 29 inches wide and over 25 inches tall at its highest point. Fortunately, a standard 100mm x 100mm bracket is available on the back, so you can mount it on the wall.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Throwing the UltraGear OLED 45 on a stand is not a bad idea as the included stand doesn’t have much room for adjustment.
This is not the Samsung Ark, where you can rotate the screen completely vertically. Instead, you’re given a restrictive 20 degrees of pan and tilt for minor adjustments, though thankfully there’s a generous 4.3 inches of height adjustment.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Ergonomics aside, the UltraGear OLED 45 looks fantastic. It features LG’s signature UltraGear vents on the back, which illuminates the light from the back of the screen. You have several color options as well as a rainbow cycle setting in the menu. LG describes the screen as “almost bezel-less,” and while there’s a thin bezel, the actual bezel barely protrudes around the edge of the screen.
The monitor looks amazing, and if you set it up right, there’s nothing quite like it for the gaming experience. My main issue is the lack of versatility of this design. It’s a poor option for basic desktop use because of the aggressive curve, and it’s hard to immerse yourself in movies because of the tilting around the curve when you sit too far back.
Dilemma between monitor and TV
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The LG OLED 45 has the standard array of ports — two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 for inputs, along with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports via a built-in USB hub. As with most LG monitors, the ports are around the back of the screen, not below it like on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8. This means that the ports stick out a bit, but with a monitor this big, that’s hardly a problem.
What is not standard is the audio. You have access to a headphone jack that supports DTS Headphone:X virtual surround sound directly below the front of the screen, which is super handy. You also have access to an optical audio jack behind the monitor. Although the UltraGear OLED 45 unfortunately doesn’t include built-in speakers, it’s easy enough to hook up a pair of PC speakers or a soundbar.
The ports are great, but I have to choose with the monitor control. Just like the UltraGear OLED 27, you must use the included remote to access the on-screen display (OSD). There’s a standard array of settings, including several color profiles, but you can’t access the full menu without a remote.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Instead, a button at the bottom of the screen pulls up a quick access menu where you can quickly adjust brightness, turn off the monitor and switch inputs. The problem is that this is just a button, so there are situations where you will have to press it dozens of times just to reduce the brightness a little.
When I looked at the 27-inch model, I had a problem with the screw covering the battery slot for the remote, which is the same here. The bigger problem here, however, is that there’s no way to control the monitor other than using the remote, and it’s tedious and time-consuming to click through the quick access menu.
Low brightness, world class picture
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
There is no doubt that OLED currently provides one of the best images you can get from a monitor. Wide color coverage, perfect black levels and pixels that control their own brightness result in an image that’s vibrant and whimsical, racing past most LCDs. The UltraGear OLED 45 is no different, entering a crowded market that comes with its own set of issues.
For starters, it’s weak. Similar to the UltraGear OLED 27, this monitor has a peak brightness of around 200 nits. With a 3% window, LG claims up to 1,000 nits, but I only measured 780. Low brightness is typical of OLED, and while some might decry the idea of a dimmed monitor, it was never too dark for me to work with. during testing.
No, low brightness introduces problems that have nothing to do with the ability to see the screen. At lower brightness settings, whites don’t look white, but are shaded with a distinct gray color. I would have to crank up the monitor brightness to about 75% to make the whites actually look white. The monitor was locked at 100% brightness for most of the testing.
As muted as it may be, there’s no doubt that the LG UltraGear OLED 45 is beautiful. It has an extended color gamut, and I measured 96% DCI-P3 in my testing. It noted a color error of 1.5 in SDR. That’s far better than some other OLED panels I’ve tested, such as the Asus ROG PG27AQDM, although the LG OLED 45 did show a noticeable bump in yellow.
As we’ve seen in the past, HDR is where color accuracy breaks down. It’s out of the box, but that doesn’t mean the monitor looks bad. This is clearly a monitor made for consumption, not creation. You can do a bit of color work in SDR, but I wouldn’t do anything serious. It’s built for watching movies and playing games, and it does an outstanding job in both.
Assuming you crank up the brightness, there’s only one problem with image quality: pixel density. This is a 44.5-inch display with a resolution of 3440 x 1440, resulting in a pixel density of around 83 pixels per inch (PPI). That’s roughly on par with a 27-inch 1080p monitor, and it’s a big reason why a screen like the LG UltraGear OLED 48 is hard to justify.
It doesn’t look nearly as sharp as something like the Alienware 34 QD-OLED due to the fact that it’s so much bigger. Normally you’d solve this by sitting further away from the monitor, but with the 800R’s aggressive curve, it’s clear you’re in the action with this display. It’s hard to notice rough edges while playing a game or relaxing and watching a movie, but for browsing and viewing text, the screen isn’t super sharp.
As with any OLED panel, a few disclaimers are important to mention here. There is always a small risk of OLED burn-in, although the hysteria surrounding OLED burn-in is a bit exaggerated. I had no hint of image lag during testing, and the UltraGear OLED 45 will automatically dim after a few minutes of inactivity.
There are also several features for saving panels. LG includes an automatic screen saver, along with a pixel cleaning function to keep your panel looking crisp.
Champion in film acting
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends / Digital Trends
There’s only one word to describe the UltraGear OLED 45 when it comes to gaming: impressive. The curve of the 800R is super-aggressive, but it envelops you in the gaming experience and it’s hard to back off once you’re hooked. This is a display made for blockbuster, cinematic gaming, and it does a fantastic job at it.
It’s not the same as other OLEDs I’ve reviewed, though. Similar to LG’s 27-inch model and Asus’ OLED competitor, this monitor comes with a 240Hz refresh rate. And due to the use of an OLED panel, it has a very low response time. This leads to exceptional motion clarity, which is great if you play competitive games like Overwatch 2 and Valorant.
While that’s true on paper, I wouldn’t recommend the UltraGear OLED 45 for these kinds of games. With a 21:9 aspect ratio, huge size and steep curve, playing the competitive title has always felt wrong. There was always too much screen to do everything at once, no matter how great the motion clarity really was.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Where the UltraGear OLED 45 shines is in single-player experiences. Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn everything looks fantastic, and the size of the monitor makes you feel like you’re immersed in the world. If I had the UltraGear OLED 45 set up for single-player gaming, I’m not sure I’d ever leave my desk.
In addition to immersion and excellent HDR, the UltraGear OLED 45 has several benefits for gaming. For starters, it’s G-Sync compatible and FreeSync Premium certified, so you get a variable refresh rate regardless of whether you have an AMD or Nvidia GPU. Additionally, it comes with a headphone jack on the bottom that supports DTS Headphone:X for virtual surround sound. You can get virtual surround sound by plugging headphones into your computer, but it’s handy to have a jack just below the monitor. LG even includes several profiles tailored for gaming or watching movies.
Monitor for players
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When the UltraGear OLED 45 is running at full tilt, there’s nothing like it. The experience of playing cinematic titles is captivating and you won’t want to stop playing. Beyond that limit, however, the display becomes much less practical.
It’s hard to recommend it for general desktop or work use due to the huge size and OLED panel, and while the size would otherwise be a good option for movies, the aggressive curve and specific viewing distance can kill the mood. There are also some issues with pixel density, with an ultrawide like the Alienware 34 QD-OLED offering much better clarity despite the same resolution.
Even with these issues, the UltraGear OLED 45 beats displays like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 in gaming, delivering an immersive gaming experience that other displays can’t keep up with.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn