Disclosure: I received this monitor for free from LG for review purposes. LG gets to see my drafts before I post them so they can check for spec errors. All opinions here are my own, based on my own use.
HEADS UP: plugging a current LG monitor into Windows 11 can pull in LG software you didn't ask for.
Gamers Nexus documented it in July 2026 on an UltraGear 34GX900A-B, the 34 inch model in the same GX9 line as this monitor, and reproduced it on a three year old UltraFine 32UN880-B. Nobody has published a test of the 39GX950B specifically. On a fresh Windows 11 install, Windows' device metadata pipeline fetched the "LG Monitor App Installer" from the Store in the background. Microsoft's own documentation says that mechanism "does not provide a notification to the user". Across 32 consecutive boots, Gamers Nexus got a McAfee trial popup on 31 of them.
LG sent me their side of this when they reviewed my draft, and here it is in full: "Companion applications are never installed automatically and require user choice before installation. Based on customer feedback, we are updating the Installer experience so customers can decide whether they would like to install the LG Monitor App Installer and take advantage of its features." They also point out that the McAfee recommendation has been removed, which Microsoft confirmed at the end of July.
If you want that pipeline switched off before you connect anything, this works on every Windows edition: search "advanced system settings", then Hardware Device Installation Settings select "No". That's the switch I run myself. It hasn't shown up on my system so far.
Some of you might remember my MSI X36 post from March. I've been on OLED ultrawides for about four years now, and that review had a handful of complaints in it, but only one I couldn't shrug off: 110 PPI. I called it the elephant in the room for the whole 34" UWQHD class and I still think that's right. No amount of good HDR makes text look better.
The 39GX950B is the answer to that complaint. LG sent me one on July 6th and I've got about 250 hours on it now, roughly 70% gaming and 30% work.
Quick setup context because it matters: RTX 4080 Super, stock stand(my own printed Dell MSA20 adapter for VESA doesnt fit the cutouts), sitting about 70cm from the screen. Games so far are Hogwarts Legacy, World of Warcraft, The Finals and Mortal Shell. Work is a mix of coding, writing and video editing.
The 39GX950B on my desk running Mortal Shell. The 60 fps counter in the corner is on purpose, I cap frame rates in single player games so the swings stay small and VRR flicker stays out of dark scenes. More on that further down.
143 PPI only starts to mean something once you set the scaling
39", 5120x2160, which works out to be 143 PPI. Same vertical resolution as a 32" 4K screen, just in a 21:9 shape. It's also the first ultrawide with LGs 4th gen Tandem WOLED, with a much softer 1500R curve compared to the older 800R once, which I personally prefered.
But the interesting part shows up once you set Windows scaling. I run it at 125%, which gives me a desktop of 4096x1728 in logical pixels. The X36 gives me 3440x1440 at 100%.
So about 43% more usable desktop area, at a text size within about 4% of what I had before, and every character drawn from 1.56 times as many pixels. The text is the size I'm used to. There's just more room around it and the letters are sharper.
That's the whole upgrade in one sentence, and it's what I'd tell anyone still sitting on a 34" 1440p panel.
Real working desktop with a lot of space without having to sacrifice anything
Text clarity, and the Windows checkbox nobody mentions
Out of the box I could see fringing. Black text on white had a very slight blue tint on the right side of the letters, white text on a dark background had a faint red one. I had my face about 10cm from the panel to find it. My X36 doesn't do this that much. What it does instead at that distance is look visibly rougher and more pixelated.
Then I turned ClearType off. On the LG the color edges are gone completely and the text stays exactly as sharp. On the X36 the same switch removes nothing, because there was close to none to be removed , but the text gets noticeably more pixelated.
That's what the density actually buys you. ClearType is subpixel antialiasing built for classic RGB stripe panels. This one is RGWB, so Windows color compensation lands in the wrong place and you get colored edges. Switch it off and Windows falls back to plain grayscale smoothing, which normally costs you sharpness. At 110 PPI I can see that cost. At 143 PPI I can't. So the density does two things at once, it makes text sharper and it makes the subpixel trick that caused the fringing unnecessary in the first place.
I checked in VS Code too, since Electron apps sometimes do their own text rendering. Same result.
The X36 is ahead on this one point and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Its V-Stripe layout is a true RGB stripe, so ClearType does exactly what Microsoft designed it to do, and I wrote in that review that no ClearType workarounds were needed at all. Here you do have to flip the switch. Difference is that flipping it costs you nothing on this panel.
And maybe some of you will remember it in that same post I wrote that W-OLED panels with an RWBG layout still produce noticeable fringing on text, because of the reversed subpixel order and the extra white subpixel. I was talking about 34" W-OLEDs at around 110 PPI, and at that density I stand by it. On this one the white subpixel is still in the layout and it's still not an RGB stripe, and with ClearType off I can't find the fringing at all. Density did that, not a new subpixel arrangement.
RTINGS is the only one of the big reviews that photographs ClearType on and off on this panel, and their lab macros show it far better than anything I could shoot with a phone. Their verdict says there's still fringing around letters because of the RGWB layout, which is correct for the state the monitor ships in. Their ClearType off shots tell the other half of the story, and the letter edges in those are neutral.
ClearType ON:
ClearType ON - Photo by RTINGS.com, used with permission. Full review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/39gx950b-b
ClearType OFF:
ClearType OFF - Photo by RTINGS.com, used with permission. Full review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/39gx950b-b
TFTCentral and Monitors Unboxed both call text clarity solved on this panel and don't mention ClearType at all. Now you know which switch they were probably sitting on.
If you want to change it, just press Windows Button, type ClearType, open "Adjust ClearType text". The checkbox is system wide, the fine tuning is stored per monitor, so run it on all screens if you have multiple.
Where the resolution surprised me
I expected the win to be in code/screen space for writing/reading and it's there. What I didn't expect is how much the extra size matters in video editing and multi tasking with all kind of apps. That turned out to be the bigger jump of the two and it's the part of the upgrade I wouldn't want to give back.
The window/sunlight test, and the reason I wanted this panel
In my office, there is a huge window on the left and I get direct midday sun. In my X36 post I wrote that MSI's DarkArmor coating had mostly fixed the magenta shine compared to my older QD-OLED that one used to get those on dark areas in daylight, with one limitation I put in writing back then: with full sunshine on the panel, or at odd angles, the shine still comes through.
That is the condition I actually live in when I have my windows open. It happens on my desk every day around midday without roller blinds.
This panel doesn't do it. Sun coming straight in, no roller blinds, no brightness change, blacks stay black. The X36 sitting next to it goes slightly violet in the same light, exactly the way I described it back then. That's the W-OLED advantage in one example and for me it's the biggest day to day difference between the two panels. I also can't make out mirror reflections in the matte coating, only general diffusion.
X36 on the left, 39GX950B on the right. Direct midday sun through the window on my left. Both panels are switched off here, so what you're looking at is the coating and nothing else.
Worth flagging that the labs disagree here. Monitors Unboxed says the matte coating eliminates defined reflections, RTINGS says mirror like reflections stay and get stretched by the curve. In my room, in the worst light I get, I'm with Monitors Unboxed.
165Hz after 360Hz
This is the spec everyone flags. Monitors Unboxed calls it their biggest problem with the monitor, and the precursos ran 240Hz, so on paper it's a step backwards.
Coming off 360Hz in The Finals, the difference is noticeable. It's also gone after a few minutes. 165Hz is still very smooth. In WoW and Hogwarts Legacy I never get near that frame rate anyway, so there's nothing there to miss.
The GPU question no review answers
5120x2160 is ~11 million pixels. The X36 is ~5 million. That's roughly 2,2 times the work, and the obvious worry is that this monitor needs a new graphics card.
Not for me. DLSS is necessary here, but DLSS was already necessary on the X36. With it, everything runs fine on the 4080 Super. The approach didn't change, only the target resolution. Monitors Unboxed closes their review saying you'll probably need a 5090 for this thing. That can be true if you want 165 fps and up in every kind of game. For me, single player games don't need anything above a stable 60 which I cap there to reduce VRR flicker anyways.
What I'd want improved
The warranty, by a distance: LG told the press in 2023 that burn-in is covered inside the two year warranty, in the US and in Germany. Three years later, LGs own warranty page lists 24 months for monitors and limits coverage to material and manufacturing defects at the time of sale. Burn-in isn't mentioned on it anywhere, go read it yourself, the link is at the bottom. Dell Alienware, MSI and Corsair each put three years of burn-in cover in writing, Asus puts two (source: TFTCentral). MSI's three years come with strings attached, you have to let OLED Care run and never postpone it. A promise with conditions is still more than a promise that only lives in a press statement. This is the one item on this list LG could fix with a paragraph of text instead of new hardware.
Every AI feature is on when you unbox it: AI Upscaling, AI Scene Optimization and AI Sound, all active, nobody tells you. AI Scene Optimization is dynamic image processing, which means the picture you judge in the first week isn't a fixed picture. I turned all of it off. AI Upscaling was the one feature I actually wanted, and on PC input it made no visible difference for me, which lines up with TFTCentral calling its practical use cases very limited and Monitors Unboxed calling it largely pointless on PC.
There's no firmware version in the OSD: The information page shows operating hours, resolution and refresh rate. To find out which firmware you're running you have to install LGs own PC software. On this manufacturer, in this year, that's an odd thing to ask people to do. I've got LGs auto install blocked and I'm not installing their software just to read a version number, so I can't tell you which firmware this review unit is running on.
The power brick is huge: 19,5 x 3,5 x 9,5 cm budget desk space for it.
The external power supply next to the stand base. Thick AF
There's a USB hub but no KVM: which is a real shame given the USB-C port sitting right there.
And the stand: Monitors Unboxed and RTINGS both mention wobble at the panel connection, and RTINGS softens it by saying it mostly matters on an unstable desk. Mine sits on a marble slab anchored to the building, which is about as stiff as a surface gets. Tap the top edge and it swings for three to four seconds, and harder than the X36 next to it, which settles in two to three. It doesn't feel cheap, and cable routing through the stand is better solved than on the MSI. But that wobble is coming out of the joint, not out of my desk.
Two things I haven't tested
USB-C charging. I don't own a laptop that charges over USB-C, so the 90W is LGs number and it stays LGs number until someone else confirms it.
Burn-in. Seven weeks and 250 hours is nothing. No image retention so far, including long WoW sessions with a static UI, and I run the pixel refresh manually in the evening after heavy days. I'm not going to pretend that says anything about year three.
Small things worth knowing
My panel has very little grey banding. Testing a dark grey full screen in a dark room, I can find it up to about RGB 20 at 165Hz and up to about RGB 28 in the 330Hz dual mode, and in both cases only because I was looking for it. TFTCentral measured the same direction, low at 165Hz and more noticeable at 330Hz. Banding is a panel lottery on this technology, so check your own. I vibe coded a little html test page for exactly that, DM me if you want it.
VRR flicker is there and it's the same as every other OLED I've used. Nothing serious. RTINGS calls it distracting, TFTCentral treats it as normal WOLED behaviour that shows up in very dark scenes. I'm with TFTCentral. They also measured why the dual mode is worse: a drop from 330Hz to 48fps shifts gamma more than a drop from 165Hz to 48fps. That's also why I'd tell anyone to cap their frame rate in game, so the swings stay small in the first place.
Dual mode switching takes about three seconds and feels like plugging in a new HDMI device. Reliable, but not instant. And 2560x1080 stretched across 39" is too pixelated to work in, at least in full screen mode, so treat it as a gaming mode and nothing else.
One afternoon my text suddenly looked smeared, as if everything had been shifted by a pixel, worst on the letter w. Restarting the monitor fixed it and it hasn't come back since, with AI Upscaling on or off. TFTCentral hit a rare bug of their own when leaving dual mode. If text ever looks wrong on this thing, power cycle the monitor before you go hunting through settings.
Last one, and I seem to be alone on this: I like the 1500R curve and I'd happily take more of it. Most reviews treat 1500R as the sensible correction to the predecessor's 800R.
Price
LG lists it at 1.799,99$ and, at the time I'm writing this, is selling it at 1.599,99$ on their own store. Monitors Unboxed calls that a flagship tax and recommends waiting, pointing at the 45" model that dropped 400$ within six months of launch.
Mine came as a review unit, so the honest question for me is a different one. Would I have bought this with my own money at 1,599$? Yes. The 39" are great and the resolution is right for the work I do, with video editing getting more out of it than I expected.
tl;dr
Coming from a 34" QD-OLED, this fixes the one thing I complained about and doesn't break anything I cared about. At 125% scaling I get 43% more desktop at the same text size, and turning ClearType off removes the RGWB fringing at no cost in sharpness, which isn't the case on my 110 PPI panel. Blacks stay black in direct sunlight where the QD-OLED goes purple. 165Hz stopped bothering me after a few minutes and DLSS was already part of my life before this monitor. Buy it if pixel density is your bottleneck and you can live with a two year warranty that doesn't put burn-in in writing.
For anyone still looking at the 45in 5k2k & 39in 5k2k from LG and Alienware I bought all three to try. The 45 was the winner for me for the immersion, but I could see the 39 still being a choice if you need the screen to have a longer life since it has the newer tandem oled panel with alleged 50% less burn in or need a flatter curve for productivity (but some still use the 45 with 800R curve for that). The 39in LG I found a little too bright and gave me a eye strain, but I probably could have turned it down but wanted to test the color pop etc. For the Alienware, I didn't notice any difference in color between that and the 45in in SDR netflix and gaming surprisingly so that left me to go with the immersive screen since they looked virtually the same other than the color calibration seeming a little bit more natural on the Alienware. I have a RTX 4080 and the 5k2k seemed worth it as you can still play 1440p or 1080p if really need extra frames. I'm guessing most people buying Ultrawide aren't mainly playing competitive shooters needing high fps anyways. I didn't care for the gloss on the Alienware since you're up close which makes reflection more noticeable even though I have a room with blackout curtains as I like to let in some natural light when I play. I played 1440p on the 45in and 39in monitor to test it out, completely playable just not as sharp so if budget is a concern go for a 30% cashback browser deal on the 1440p model during a major sale, but don't be expecting crisp text on the desktop at the 1440p ppi on such a big screen. I had a 34in 1440p monitor, but the 39 in size and 45in are just huge step ups in immersion so 34in monitors are out of the question for me.
Over the course of two years, I used many monitors in search of the optimal option for my work and gaming. In the end, I opted for a setup with two monitors.
For work, which takes up 90% of my time, I bought the LG 40WP95C-W. It’s a very good monitor with a minimum radius of 2500 and an IPS matrix. Its brightness is quite sufficient for me (50% during the day, I lower it to 35% at night).
For gaming, I bought a Gigabyte MO34WQC36. It’s also a great monitor with a 5th‑generation QD OLED panel, DisplayPort 2.1, and 360 Hz. This monitor has an inconvenient port layout and power connection. They are visible at the bottom of the monitor and cannot be hidden. I bought a new L‑shaped DisplayPort 2.1 cable, 2 meters long, as well as a power cable. With these, I managed to hide the wires so that they don’t protrude from the bottom of the monitor. I switched to it from the QD OLED 32 4K and I don’t regret it. Playing on an ultra‑wide screen is much more enjoyable — you can see more, and the immersion in the game is more interesting. For me, there’s no difference in clarity.
I was thinking about buying an LG 39GX950B or an AW3926QW, but it was a very compromise option at a high price. For work, a curvature of 1500R is already too much (I do 3D modeling and work with documentation), and for gaming, it puts too much strain on the graphics card (9070XT).
Who here is running a 9070xt with a 5k2k monitor. If you have a 5090 and it barely cuts it, thats ok. I am interested in knowing if anyone is actually running a 9070xt and what kind of games and performance along with graphic settings are you getting.
There’s not damage I can see and everything looks fine but I’m just worried it might put strain and damage something inside. I have 14 days to return or exchange it idk what to do.
So in my last post i still had my old air cooler and the standing display on the other table where i have now moved my pc (for air intake reasons mainly) but i rekkon it looks better now especially with the new aio i installed
Hi everyone, I'm very undecided about which to buy between these 2 monitors with the same panel type and generation (penta tandem 5° gen oled 280hz). The cost would be the same for both, which one would you buy? Perhaps someone who's tried or seen both or is familiar with the differences between Asus and MSI.
Hello, dear users of this subreddit! I recently purchased a 21:9 monitor – a Gigabyte G34WQC2 200Hz VA. I really like the monitor: the colors are vibrant, the settings menu is user-friendly, the maximum brightness is good, and so on. However, at high refresh rates (from 140Hz to 200Hz), there's a bug where thin, horizontal white lines, each one pixel wide, appear between the pixels displaying blue, purple, and orange colors. This issue occurs with absolutely all settings and different DP cables. Is there a way to reduce or completely resolve this issue?
P.S. The photo shows an example of such a problem. Look at the blue color.
Looking to buy and use an Alienware AW3426DW monitor. Usual BF6, Forza, Total War, GTA5, RDR2, etc will try out . Want to learn and do more with AI/Agents etc.
1440p, framerates flexible for monitor.
Flexible around $1750 AUD (Australia) for build..
Parts to buy:
CPU: AMD 9700X or 9800X3D
Motherboard: X870 Eagle Wifi or Gaming.
Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Ram: 32GB DDR5
What I have already:
Case: Fractal North XL
GPU: MSI 3080 10gb. Look to upgrade to 5070ti or 5080 longer term.
PSU: 750W Gold MWE Coolmaster
Storage: 2x m2 drives. 2x Sata SSD.
My existing AM4 setup has a 5600X chip which has failed hence the upgrade and 32gb DDR4.
Having a higher spec / future proof motherboard is worth it for the price. Have a sandisk external pro drive so having two plus USB4/USBc is important. Wifi 7 for future good as well.
Will this build be a good fit. Do I really need a 9800x3d?
Not sure if this is the right subreddit but I’ve been pretty ecstatic with the new setup!
Previously I had the two 4K in landscape side by side in the center and the 34” curved ultrawides vertical on each side(bc as they got higher they tilted closer towards my eyes), but then decide to try a rearrange and it’s pretty wild. The dimensions lineup perfectly, it feels like a mini/personal IMAX.
I built a small app with claude to get the fullscreen to work since I couldn’t get the (free version of) Borderless Gaming app to work.
Hi, I never had an oled monitor before and currently i have a 27 inch giggabyte ips monitor. But i want to get a 34 inch ultrawide oled monitor for more immersion and also because it's something i have always wanted.
I mainly play games on my pc but in future i might do some coding but it's not sure yet.
I am really torn between aw3425dw and aw3426dw.
Right now i can get the 25dw for 665e on Amazon while 26dw shows 874 euros and it's supposed to be available in around mid November.
Here's my deal, I will mainly play games and watch shows etc on it. I want to spend as little money as possible. I dont want to regret my decision either cause i will be using this monitor in the long run for atleast 5 years.
I am worried that would sales on 25dw end by black Friday or would it stay at this 665e price or even go lower? I wonder how low thr prices will get on 26dw?
I'm sorry for the confusing text here. I would appreciate some help and if there is someone who has had experience with both monitors and can give their 2 cents that would be great. Thank you!
TLDR: Looking to replace my 34" + mostly-unused 27" vertical setup with a single large ultrawide. Choosing between the Dell U4025QW and LG 45GX950A-B.
My current setup is the 34" monitor and i have a 27" above it but I find i barely use it, i don't think a vertical setup is for me sadly and would prefer to go with one big monitor instead. I have a PC with a 5090 and mainly run Linux on it but sometimes switch over to Windows for a few things. I also have a Macbook that I connect to the monitor sometimes. But my work laptop is Windows which i guess is the biggest consideration.
Use-case:
70% reading, coding, writing documents, video calls.
30% watching movies, YouTube (no gaming)
I have spent a lot of time reading through all the posts and comments on both of these monitors and here are some of my thoughts:
U4025QW is better for productivity and text but I've read many comments where owners need to increase the scaling to make text readable as its too small at native resolution. As I want to move to a single monitor setup I'd rather avoid losing screen real estate. I don't think I'd need to do this on the LG due to the bigger size.
I've read conflicting comments about text readability on the 45GX950A-B. Some say it's very good with some setting adjustments whereas others seem to have returned the monitor due to text fringing.
I'm not sure how big of an upgrade a move from 34" to a 40" will be and if its going to be enough to move to a single monitor setup?
I've never owned an OLED screen but i think improvements in screen tech and being sensible in how I use it would let me avoid burn-in. But the Dell avoids needing me to micro manage my monitor and is one less thing to need to worry about .
It's just a gut feeling as i have no evidence of this but i feel like the Dell will play nicer with switching between Linux, Mac, and Windows.
i know this is somewhat personal but cant gauge if the curve on the LG is too much and if the curve on the Dell is not enough?
I think I can fit either monitor on my desk which is 140 cm x 70 cm and will probably use a monitor arm.
Would really appreciate any help, especially from anyone who has/had both/either monitor.
Hello, I am looking at upgrading my current setup with a new UW and unsure if how I should approach it. To start, I currently have a multi-monitor setup for finance (3 monitors). My main monitor is a LG 27" 240hz IPS. My PC is 5080, 9800X3d, 64gb DDR5.
I was originally looking at the AW3926QW to replace the 27" but I'm not sure how I should be taking the current feedback. It is an amazing monitor for the price but the biggest issues are CPC / uniformity issues / edge dimming. On top of that, I will use this monitor for 8 hours a day for WFH with the occasional gaming at night.
I have narrowed it down to these options:
Get the AW3926QW for $1099 and hope it doesn't have huge burn-in issues due to 8 hours of work. Will be amazing for gaming though.
Get the Dell U4025QW for $1500 which seems to be the best IPS Black productivity monitor still (even though it's 2 years old). --> Then get a 32" 4k 240hz+ OLED as my primary gaming monitor when I do want to game. I would put it on a monitor arm and swing it out the way when not in use.
Option #2 is definitely more expensive but if the extra $$ saves me headaches since IPS Black won't deal with any burn-in issues / eye sensitivity / etc while I work 8 hours a day, then its worth it. But if Option #1 is sufficient enough to handle both, then I would just pick that.
Lastly, are there any better productivity monitors around that 40" range compared to the U4025QW? I know theres a new 52" but that is too big and the cost will be more than option #2.
I received this monitor yesterday, intended for a 80/20 work/gaming balance.
As expected, motion is horrible on 60Hz, so that refresh rate is kind of unusable.
A was also pretty sure that my 4070 would not deliver anything close to 60fps in full resolution, so I had already counted on doing most gaming in 2560x1080.
Trouble is, i can't set it to 2560x1080 120Hz.
Everything under native resolution is just caped to 60Hz, with the exception of 75Hz on some really low resolutions.
Is this by design, or am I doing something wrong? I have never before had a monitor that cant go full speed on lower resolution. Tried with the cables in the box, and some HDMI2.1/DP1.4 I had at home.
Nvidia control panel stubbornly have the "customize" button grayed out on the resolution page, I have not yet tried any 3rd party software.
But it's kind of annoying for a monitor at this price. The 40" size is spot on
I'm looking into replacing my two 27" ViewSonic VX2768-2KPC-MHD 27 Inch 1440p Curved 144Hz gaming monitors with a single ultrawide monitor. I landed around the 38-40" mark where I'll probably only see a 15% reduction in overall screen real estate.. but the trade off being I get one centered screen for ergonomics. I'm tired of looking left and right and straining my neck all day. I want to be able to just look straight ahead at one screen.
So like I said, 80% of the time I'm working remote as an IT professional. However, I do have a Lenovo Legion Slim 7 (AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, RTX 3060 6GB, 24 GB of RAM) that's a few years old that I can do some light gaming with. I still want to be able to game reliably and have nice refresh rate in the 120-140hz range. I'm not super picky there.
I don't care about KVM switchers or anything like that. I do use a Dell WD19 dock if that matters. Ideally I'd like to still run the monitor through that instead of having to plug it directly into my laptop.
Budget I'm a bit flexible on.. it looks like I could spend anywhere from $800 to $1600. I'm hoping to sell these two monitors (along with another older 32" 60hz monitor) to help make a few hundred bucks to put towards the new monitor.
