Last year I reviewed the LG UltraGear 45 OLED (45GS96QB) gaming monitor and was suitably impressed with its form factor, size and brilliant colours.  

I was close to purchasing one but at the RRP of $2,999, I expected it to be perfect, and although it was close, I thought it still needed a higher resolution – 2K on a monitor this big is not ideal.  This year they are back with a new model, the UltraGear 45-inch OLED Dual-Mode 5K2K gaming monitor (model 45GX9950A-B) and it is much improved over what was already a near-perfect monitor.

This year LG has increased the resolution to 5K2K (5120×2160), added a USB-C input port, increased the refresh rate to 165Hz at 5K2K or 330Hz at WFHD resolution, improved the speakers and a lot more.  

So how compelling does that make the new LG UltraGear 5K2K gaming monitor?  Read on to find out, and if you read the first section closely, I suspect you already know how this ends.

Specs and display

The resolution on the LG UltraGear 45-in 5K2K monitor is crazy.  At 5120×2160, the sheer number of pixels results in crisp text and imagery at all times and when combined with the 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio you get an unimaginable amount of usable workspace.

At a productivity monitor, for me, it is unsurpassed.  I can easily have 5 or 6 windows open at once, and I can refer to different windows simultaneously.  

The 800R curvature does require some getting used to when looking from one window to another but the learning curve is not that steep.  Some may dislike the curvature when performing high-end image and video editing as getting a straight line in one of the windows on the left or right side of the monitor when viewing is not easy.  Distortion may occur with this photo and image editing but that is something I rarely do, and in my basic photo editing, I did not have any issues at all.

I love the 21:9 aspect ratio as it allows for more screen real estate in front of your eyes, where it should be – something that isn’t happening with a wider 16:9 display.

The OLED display on the LG UltraGear 5K2K monitor is, as you would expect from a good OLED display, with “bold and dark shadows, bright lighting and vivid colours.”

With a peak brightness of 1300 nits it delivers a typical DCI-P3 colour gamut of 98.5% and a DisplayHDR True Black 400 with a Delta E ≦2 colour accuracy to produce these vivid colours and deep blacks.  The display is so bright that I only turn it up anywhere close to full brightness when gaming.

The LG UltraGear 45 5K2K is capable of a refresh rate of 165Hz at full resolution, which is not great if you are playing games that rely on fast refresh rates.  If you are playing games that don’t require this as much then you’ll be fine – assuming you have a PC powerful enough to push the resolution.  That is a LOT of pixels to push.

Image courtesy LG

If you need a faster refresh rate, the Dual Mode in the monitor’s title means it is capable of changing the screen resolution to support a faster refresh rate.  In this case, the refresh rate is capable of jumping up to a decent 330Hz which is good but you do have to sacrifice the resolution – a lot.  The 2560 x 1080 is a big step down and to be honest, not worth it IMO as the picture is incredibly blurry.

Connectivity

The connectivity is improved with:

  • HDMI 2.1 x 2
  • DisplayPort 2.1
  • USB-C 
  • Headphone jack
  • USB upstream and downstream ports

This time, the USB-C port offers true DisplayPort Alt Mode, along with 90W Power Delivery support to charge your devices while gaming.  I was able to connect several laptops to the monitor using USB-C (one at a time, not all at once :D) and use them to drive it without any issues.

I tend to use the DisplayPort mostly on the monitor as it leaves the USB-C port free to plug other devices and laptops in on the fly.  It is better for high speed gaming anyway so it’s all ready to go whenever I am.

As you would expect in 2025, the monitor features AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, NVIDIA-validated G-SYNC compatibility, and VESA AdaptiveSync certification to provide for high-end graphics with low latency while gaming. 

Design and hardware

The LG UltraGear 45in 5K2K is thicker than last year which makes it feel more sturdy than before but in doing so it also looks less impressive and more boring – something you don’t expect from a monitor that has an RRP of $3,499.

It is still not overly deep but the curvature of the monitor makes it seem so at times.  

Below are two bottom-firing speakers, each rated at 10 watts.  They are an upgrade from last year but I still wouldn’t expect studio-quality sound from them and that’s fine because if you want and expect good quality sound, then you are most likely using headphones or a dedicated external speaker system.

As with nearly all gaming devices in 2025, the ever-present RGB lighting solutions are available in LG’s RGB Unity Hexagon Lighting.  These light up various rear sections of the monitor around the VESA mount and connectivity ports but are nothing special.  I don’t of too many monitors which offer great lighting but I think that the manufacturers feel they have to, just because it is expected of gaming devices.  If you want decent RGB lighting, look to one of the third-party gaming light companies.

There is the usual on-screen display where you can adjust the monitor’s settings.  This is where you select the game mode you want, if you wish to switch to the lower resolution/high refresh rate mode and adjust other game settings, such as showing the Crosshair or the FPS counter, both of which are implemented as overlays by LG.

I am far from professional, and my son would say I’m far from competent when it comes to FPS games.  The crosshair made a big difference to me and my accuracy – if you find you don’t need it nor want it, just turn it off but if you do, it is there.

The On-screen display is also used for adjusting brightness, contrast, sharpness, gamma and colour temperature.  I experimented with it a bit until I found what worked for me – everyone has different preferences, but don’t worry, there are enough settings for you to find what you prefer.

Performance

I only have an Intel Raptor Canyon NUC with an RTX3070 card in it, so my setup is far from premium, although it handles pretty well.  Using this, I was able to push the monitor at full resolution through the FPS games I tried.  It did crash a couple of times, though, so if you want to put the full res on a fast-paced game, then make sure you have the power to accomplish this.

I dropped the resolution down using Dual Mode for the faster refresh rate and although the game handled perfectly, the resolution was just not great.  You lose the definition and sharpness that makes this monitor so good, so what’s the point? In other words, if you buy this monitor for fast-paced FPS-type games, ensure you also have an upgraded PC to handle it.

Now, for slower games like NBA 2K25 and PGA Tour 2K25, the monitor is perfect.  The colours were amazing with the full resolution displayed in absolutely vivid glory.  The LG 5K2K monitor is ideal for these types of games, and you don’t need a high-end PC for it.

Performance with productivity tasks, as mentioned above, was perfect for me.  If you are a high-end creator who does extensive video and image editing, then you shouldn’t be looking for a flat monitor anyway, so don’t look here.  

For me though, I was able to have as many windows open as I wanted easily, organised how I wanted and was easily able to view them all – although it did require turning the head rather than just moving the eyes (first world problems).

To reorganise windows on my display, there is an app from LG called LG Switch, which works well. If you pay this much for this huge monitor, you would be better served using a third-party app such as WinSplit Revolution (free but discontinued) or its paid successor, MaxTo.  After purchasing this monitor, the €29 is a small price to pay for a lifetime licence of an app that offers extreme customisation and helps you to get the most out of your new LG UltraGear 5K2K monitor (MaxTo has a free trial period).

Final thoughts

The LG UltraGear 45-inch OLED Dual-Mode 5K2K gaming monitor is a large monitor with a significant curvature. It feels incredibly immersive, offering a remarkable gaming experience. For productivity purposes, it is equally handy with so much screen space that you may run out of windows to place on it.

It features all the necessary connectivity, including a full USB-C port with true DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90-watt Power Delivery support. The speakers are decent but not mind-blowing, but the monitor speakers are top-notch anyway.

The display is something else though, with a sharpness that is remarkable thanks to the 5K resolution. The OLED colours are bright, vibrant and accurate, making the overall experience a true joy.

The only issue I have with it is the Dual Mode — it would be nice to be able to drop the resolution to 2K instead of 1080P to increase the refresh rate. 1080P on such a large monitor results in a blurry image unfortunately, but you do get the full 330Hz refresh rate. In my opinion, the trade-off is not worth it.

If you need this higher refresh rate, I suggest you look elsewhere. If you decide 165Hz is enough for you, ensure your PC is capable of running the game at the full 5K resolution.

The LG UltraGear 45-inch OLED Dual-Mode 5K2K gaming monitor (model 45GX9950A-B) is available now for a RRP of $3,499. A steep price, but if you love your games (especially slower-moving games), there is nothing like it. You may be able to find it cheaper at some retailers — I did, and that’s why I now own one. I was so impressed with it that I put my own money where my mouth is.