{"video_id":"-1xu0IP35FI","title":"The BEST Monitors of 2020 - LG 27GN950 Review","channel":"Linus Tech Tips","show":"Linus Tech Tips","published_at":"2021-05-05T14:53:29Z","duration_s":530,"segments":[{"start_s":0.16,"end_s":6.4,"text":"when steve jobs unveiled the original iphone back in 2007 the year i graduated","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.319,"end_s":10.559,"text":"high school he pitched it as a music player a phone and an internet","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":8.4,"end_s":13.44,"text":"communicator all rolled into one are you getting it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":11.599,"end_s":16.96,"text":"and the crowd went nuts because who wants to buy three devices when one","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":15.12,"end_s":20.72,"text":"device can do it all fast forward to today and we're seeing similar","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":18.56,"end_s":28.08,"text":"convergence in the world of monitors case in point the lg 27 gn 950 a 144hz","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.68,"end_s":32.559,"text":"variable refresh rate monitor for gamers that's also a color accurate 4k monitor","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.199,"end_s":38.0,"text":"for creatives but can it compete with samsung's 240hz","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":35.68,"end_s":42.559,"text":"g7 and can you compete with this slippery segue to our sponsor private","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":40.079,"end_s":46.8,"text":"internet access pia features fast multi-gigabit vpn tunnel gateways","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":44.719,"end_s":51.399,"text":"worldwide if you're looking for a vpn learn more about pia through the link","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":48.399,"end_s":51.399,"text":"below","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":58.0,"end_s":67.2,"text":"my first impression of the 27 gn 950 was that it was basically just a 4k version","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.039,"end_s":69.119,"text":"of 2019's immensely popular 27 gl 850.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.2,"end_s":75.04,"text":"that monitor was the first ips to advertise one millisecond pixel response","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":71.36,"end_s":76.96,"text":"time but it was only 1440p but is that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":75.04,"end_s":80.88,"text":"the whole story just decide if the higher resolution is worth an extra 300","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.64,"end_s":84.72,"text":"bucks to you and call it a day not quite as the 950 addresses a couple","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":83.04,"end_s":89.759,"text":"of our gripes from last time around namely upping the brightness to achieve","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":86.64,"end_s":93.68,"text":"a vasa display HDR 600 certification and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":89.759,"end_s":95.36,"text":"most importantly adding RGB","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":93.68,"end_s":100.159,"text":"another upgrade comes with display stream compression a feature of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":97.2,"end_s":107.439,"text":"displayport 1.4 that allows this monitor to run at 3840 by 2160 resolution at 144","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.24,"end_s":109.52,"text":"hertz with 10 bit color and no chroma","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":107.439,"end_s":114.399,"text":"sub sampling something that was not possible on even the best monitors just","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":111.68,"end_s":119.28,"text":"a short while ago the catch you need either a 20 series NVIDIA","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.479,"end_s":124.0,"text":"graphics card or an AMD one from 2019 onward or else it's just not gonna work","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":122.24,"end_s":129.44,"text":"and as far as we can tell you'll be relegated to 95 hertz","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.799,"end_s":134.8,"text":"big buyer beware there companies should just be more direct","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":131.84,"end_s":139.2,"text":"LTT Store.com but assuming you're using it to its full","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":136.4,"end_s":143.92,"text":"potential gaming on the 950 is a great experience it's snappy clear and offers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.08,"end_s":147.84,"text":"a great deal of flexibility with g-sync compatible and freesync premium pro","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":145.92,"end_s":151.76,"text":"designations and the high resolution gives you the freedom to crank the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":149.52,"end_s":156.56,"text":"details in sightseeing games or drop down to 1440p or even 1080 if you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.64,"end_s":160.319,"text":"absolutely need as many frames as possible and hey if you're hoping","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":158.239,"end_s":164.959,"text":"NVIDIA's upcoming 30 series graphics cards are gonna let you run 4k at 120","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.72,"end_s":169.28,"text":"FPS and beyond then this monitor will have you covered for a fair few years in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":166.959,"end_s":172.64,"text":"that respect too also get subscribed so you don't miss our coverage of those","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":170.48,"end_s":176.64,"text":"gpus when they arrive but what about lg's claim about one","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":174.4,"end_s":182.56,"text":"millisecond pixel response time can this ips panel really game at 144 hertz","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":180.0,"end_s":186.319,"text":"without turning into a smeary mess to find out we set up a pursuit camera","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":184.56,"end_s":190.4,"text":"to photograph the display's inherent motion blur that's motion blur that's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.64,"end_s":195.04,"text":"not due to the persistence of vision in your brain on the default fast setting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.2,"end_s":199.12,"text":"it looks pretty good with very little smearing on the trailing edge and while","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":197.04,"end_s":204.159,"text":"the pictures don't look materially different with the slower normal and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":201.44,"end_s":208.159,"text":"offsetting selected in real life you can actually see a difference lg has made","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":206.239,"end_s":212.799,"text":"this easy to test since the settings change in real time without the screen","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":210.319,"end_s":216.239,"text":"going black between toggles nice","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":213.84,"end_s":220.4,"text":"it's also nice that lg lets you choose whatever overdrive setting you want even","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":218.56,"end_s":225.04,"text":"when adaptive sync is turned on something we did not see in our recent","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":222.48,"end_s":229.519,"text":"review of the samsung odyssey g9 back to the lg in order for them to get that one","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.36,"end_s":234.799,"text":"millisecond sticker on the box though they definitely use the faster setting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":233.04,"end_s":239.68,"text":"where aggressive pixel overdrive introduces garish inverse ghosting or","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.439,"end_s":244.08,"text":"coronas that are really distracting in game with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.12,"end_s":250.799,"text":"no real benefit in my humble opinion i will definitely be keeping it on fast","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":246.959,"end_s":253.439,"text":"so yes the 27 g950 is great for gaming","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":250.799,"end_s":257.68,"text":"but this monitor is 4k it probably makes the most sense for gamers who also are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":256.4,"end_s":261.84,"text":"creators and it delivers there too out of the box","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":259.759,"end_s":266.32,"text":"the color accuracy on our unit was squarely in professional territory with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.08,"end_s":272.4,"text":"deviations below what's detectable by the human eye it covered over 97 of the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":268.96,"end_s":275.12,"text":"dci p3 color gamut and a respectable 74","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":272.4,"end_s":280.24,"text":"of rec 2020 it also offers hardware calibration as long as you have lg's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":277.759,"end_s":285.52,"text":"calibration studio software installed which should be available soon for free","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":282.479,"end_s":288.96,"text":"from their website okay so the 27 g950","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.52,"end_s":290.88,"text":"is a worthy upgrade to last year's 850","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":288.96,"end_s":295.759,"text":"but a lot has changed in that year what about compared to arguably the hottest","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":293.12,"end_s":303.12,"text":"displays of 2020 samsung's odyssey lineup the g7 is 50 cheaper 5 inches","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":299.36,"end_s":305.199,"text":"bigger and runs at 240hz instead of 144.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":303.12,"end_s":312.0,"text":"it too has great color accuracy thanks to a quantum dot enhancement film but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":308.08,"end_s":314.0,"text":"it's only 1440p not 4k if you lean more","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":312.0,"end_s":317.52,"text":"gamer than creator though the g7's higher refresh rate definitely","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":315.12,"end_s":321.6,"text":"contributes to better motion clarity but with more smearing and dark scenes due","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":319.28,"end_s":325.6,"text":"to the va panel's poorer handling of dark to dark transitions additionally","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":323.759,"end_s":329.44,"text":"though the g7 has a motion blur reduction strobing mode","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":327.52,"end_s":333.919,"text":"but that introduces image doubling due to crosstalk you're also going to have","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":331.28,"end_s":339.28,"text":"to be okay with narrower viewing angles and a tight 1000r curve so it's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.72,"end_s":345.6,"text":"definitely a more gamer focused less versatile display than the lg 950 which","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":342.32,"end_s":347.6,"text":"above all has more RGB","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":345.6,"end_s":351.84,"text":"it does but you know just kidding but i do really like how it's implemented in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":349.44,"end_s":355.36,"text":"addition to the regular lg nipple stick for controlling the SSD there's also a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":353.68,"end_s":359.919,"text":"click wheel that lets you adjust the brightness and select effects without","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":357.68,"end_s":363.759,"text":"installing any extra software very convenient and intuitive the bezels","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":362.32,"end_s":368.16,"text":"have been improved on this monitor since last time around with a narrower d","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":365.84,"end_s":372.96,"text":"branded chin bar there's no logo here and it's sharp but not too in-your-face","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":370.56,"end_s":377.28,"text":"stand offers 16 centimeters of height adjust 20 degrees of tilt and 90 degrees","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":375.759,"end_s":381.44,"text":"of rotation still no swivel though","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":379.52,"end_s":386.639,"text":"which brings us to the monitor's shortcomings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":383.12,"end_s":389.12,"text":"HDR while the 27 gn 950 does have an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":386.639,"end_s":395.199,"text":"appreciated and noticeable vasa display HDR 600 certification the difference","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":391.6,"end_s":397.28,"text":"between HDR and sdr isn't that crazy and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":395.199,"end_s":402.24,"text":"there's a lot of daylight between what this monitor can do versus one that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":399.199,"end_s":403.6,"text":"shines at a thousand nits overall it's a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":402.24,"end_s":409.68,"text":"nice to have just don't buy this monitor for HDR","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":406.639,"end_s":411.84,"text":"similarly the backlight is a bit weird","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":409.68,"end_s":414.8,"text":"i'm not miffed that this monitor doesn't have full array local dimming with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":413.36,"end_s":418.56,"text":"hundreds of zones because i'm generally not even into","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":416.96,"end_s":422.56,"text":"fault really but this monitor doesn't not have local","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.88,"end_s":427.44,"text":"dimming either it's somewhere in the middle what lg calls active dimming the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":425.199,"end_s":431.28,"text":"de facto result isn't as bad as it looks on this test pattern but i'm still a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":429.44,"end_s":434.72,"text":"little on the fence about it i mean i guess it's making some scenes darker but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":433.599,"end_s":438.639,"text":"if you're looking for it it can be noticeable sometimes so ah","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":437.039,"end_s":443.599,"text":"probably not that big of a deal so should you buy this monitor","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":442.16,"end_s":447.84,"text":"only maybe if you don't have enough GPU power to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":445.36,"end_s":453.759,"text":"game in 4k at high refresh rates maybe save some money and go with the 1440p","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":450.0,"end_s":457.599,"text":"27gl 850 instead or save a little less","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":453.759,"end_s":459.84,"text":"money and check out the 240hz samsung g7","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":457.599,"end_s":464.479,"text":"but if you're a gamer who also dabbles or even works in photo editing or video","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":462.16,"end_s":468.8,"text":"editing or if you have a multi-monitor setup or if you just really prefer 4k","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":466.56,"end_s":472.8,"text":"displays then this is a fantastic monitor that almost does it all speaking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":471.68,"end_s":478.56,"text":"of doing it all what do you get when you mix drop and thx the drop thx panda","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":476.319,"end_s":481.52,"text":"wireless headphones baby audio file quality is no longer reserved for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":480.0,"end_s":486.72,"text":"headphones with wires these puppies claim to be the world's most distortion-free wireless headphones they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":485.039,"end_s":490.319,"text":"get you closer to the music than ever before these closed headphones keep all","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":488.72,"end_s":495.44,"text":"the quality contained and feature a community centered design they've got","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":492.16,"end_s":496.759,"text":"thx triple h amplifier technology ldac","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":495.44,"end_s":501.68,"text":"plus qualcomm qc5125 technology and matching ft plus","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":499.759,"end_s":506.08,"text":"thd measurements don't know what that means well how about this 30 hours of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":503.68,"end_s":510.08,"text":"wireless battery life two microphones bluetooth connectivity and they're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":507.919,"end_s":514.56,"text":"compatible with home assistance they've got a detachable gaming mic and weigh","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":511.84,"end_s":517.44,"text":"just 375 grams check them out today at the link below so thanks for watching","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":516.159,"end_s":524.56,"text":"guys if you like this video you might also like our recent review of the samsung odyssey g9 it's like the g7 but","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":521.839,"end_s":527.839,"text":"it's 49 inches super ultra wide 240hz that's insane","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":525.92,"end_s":531.279,"text":"go go watch it lions hosted it i wrote it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"when steve jobs unveiled the original iphone back in 2007 the year i graduated high school he pitched it as a music player a phone and an internet communicator all rolled into one are you getting it and the crowd went nuts because who wants to buy three devices when one device can do it all fast forward to today and we're seeing similar convergence in the world of monitors case in point the lg 27 gn 950 a 144hz variable refresh rate monitor for gamers that's also a color accurate 4k monitor for creatives but can it compete with samsung's 240hz g7 and can you compete with this slippery segue to our sponsor private internet access pia features fast multi-gigabit vpn tunnel gateways worldwide if you're looking for a vpn learn more about pia through the link below my first impression of the 27 gn 950 was that it was basically just a 4k version of 2019's immensely popular 27 gl 850. that monitor was the first ips to advertise one millisecond pixel response time but it was only 1440p but is that the whole story just decide if the higher resolution is worth an extra 300 bucks to you and call it a day not quite as the 950 addresses a couple of our gripes from last time around namely upping the brightness to achieve a vasa display HDR 600 certification and most importantly adding RGB another upgrade comes with display stream compression a feature of displayport 1.4 that allows this monitor to run at 3840 by 2160 resolution at 144 hertz with 10 bit color and no chroma sub sampling something that was not possible on even the best monitors just a short while ago the catch you need either a 20 series NVIDIA graphics card or an AMD one from 2019 onward or else it's just not gonna work and as far as we can tell you'll be relegated to 95 hertz big buyer beware there companies should just be more direct LTT Store.com but assuming you're using it to its full potential gaming on the 950 is a great experience it's snappy clear and offers a great deal of flexibility with g-sync compatible and freesync premium pro designations and the high resolution gives you the freedom to crank the details in sightseeing games or drop down to 1440p or even 1080 if you absolutely need as many frames as possible and hey if you're hoping NVIDIA's upcoming 30 series graphics cards are gonna let you run 4k at 120 FPS and beyond then this monitor will have you covered for a fair few years in that respect too also get subscribed so you don't miss our coverage of those gpus when they arrive but what about lg's claim about one millisecond pixel response time can this ips panel really game at 144 hertz without turning into a smeary mess to find out we set up a pursuit camera to photograph the display's inherent motion blur that's motion blur that's not due to the persistence of vision in your brain on the default fast setting it looks pretty good with very little smearing on the trailing edge and while the pictures don't look materially different with the slower normal and offsetting selected in real life you can actually see a difference lg has made this easy to test since the settings change in real time without the screen going black between toggles nice it's also nice that lg lets you choose whatever overdrive setting you want even when adaptive sync is turned on something we did not see in our recent review of the samsung odyssey g9 back to the lg in order for them to get that one millisecond sticker on the box though they definitely use the faster setting where aggressive pixel overdrive introduces garish inverse ghosting or coronas that are really distracting in game with no real benefit in my humble opinion i will definitely be keeping it on fast so yes the 27 g950 is great for gaming but this monitor is 4k it probably makes the most sense for gamers who also are creators and it delivers there too out of the box the color accuracy on our unit was squarely in professional territory with deviations below what's detectable by the human eye it covered over 97 of the dci p3 color gamut and a respectable 74 of rec 2020 it also offers hardware calibration as long as you have lg's calibration studio software installed which should be available soon for free from their website okay so the 27 g950 is a worthy upgrade to last year's 850 but a lot has changed in that year what about compared to arguably the hottest displays of 2020 samsung's odyssey lineup the g7 is 50 cheaper 5 inches bigger and runs at 240hz instead of 144. it too has great color accuracy thanks to a quantum dot enhancement film but it's only 1440p not 4k if you lean more gamer than creator though the g7's higher refresh rate definitely contributes to better motion clarity but with more smearing and dark scenes due to the va panel's poorer handling of dark to dark transitions additionally though the g7 has a motion blur reduction strobing mode but that introduces image doubling due to crosstalk you're also going to have to be okay with narrower viewing angles and a tight 1000r curve so it's definitely a more gamer focused less versatile display than the lg 950 which above all has more RGB it does but you know just kidding but i do really like how it's implemented in addition to the regular lg nipple stick for controlling the SSD there's also a click wheel that lets you adjust the brightness and select effects without installing any extra software very convenient and intuitive the bezels have been improved on this monitor since last time around with a narrower d branded chin bar there's no logo here and it's sharp but not too in-your-face stand offers 16 centimeters of height adjust 20 degrees of tilt and 90 degrees of rotation still no swivel though which brings us to the monitor's shortcomings HDR while the 27 gn 950 does have an appreciated and noticeable vasa display HDR 600 certification the difference between HDR and sdr isn't that crazy and there's a lot of daylight between what this monitor can do versus one that shines at a thousand nits overall it's a nice to have just don't buy this monitor for HDR similarly the backlight is a bit weird i'm not miffed that this monitor doesn't have full array local dimming with hundreds of zones because i'm generally not even into fault really but this monitor doesn't not have local dimming either it's somewhere in the middle what lg calls active dimming the de facto result isn't as bad as it looks on this test pattern but i'm still a little on the fence about it i mean i guess it's making some scenes darker but if you're looking for it it can be noticeable sometimes so ah probably not that big of a deal so should you buy this monitor only maybe if you don't have enough GPU power to game in 4k at high refresh rates maybe save some money and go with the 1440p 27gl 850 instead or save a little less money and check out the 240hz samsung g7 but if you're a gamer who also dabbles or even works in photo editing or video editing or if you have a multi-monitor setup or if you just really prefer 4k displays then this is a fantastic monitor that almost does it all speaking of doing it all what do you get when you mix drop and thx the drop thx panda wireless headphones baby audio file quality is no longer reserved for headphones with wires these puppies claim to be the world's most distortion-free wireless headphones they get you closer to the music than ever before these closed headphones keep all the quality contained and feature a community centered design they've got thx triple h amplifier technology ldac plus qualcomm qc5125 technology and matching ft plus thd measurements don't know what that means well how about this 30 hours of wireless battery life two microphones bluetooth connectivity and they're compatible with home assistance they've got a detachable gaming mic and weigh just 375 grams check them out today at the link below so thanks for watching guys if you like this video you might also like our recent review of the samsung odyssey g9 it's like the g7 but it's 49 inches super ultra wide 240hz that's insane go go watch it lions hosted it i wrote it"}