The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B offers a 49-Inch DQHD screen with a deep curve and a lightning-fast refresh rate. It’s competing with the Samsung Odyssey G9 models, which have a tight grip on the 49-inch category. Let’s take a closer look at LG’s implementation to know how it stacks against the established Odyssey monitors, which now include an OLED variant.
LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B Specifications
- Screen Size: 49 Inches
- Resolution:5120 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 32:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Response Time:1 ms
- Contrast Ratio: 2500:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 450 cd/m²
- Speakers: None
- Stand: Height–Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel–Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.1 x 2, USB 3.0 x 2, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimension (W x H x D): 46.1” x 23” x 15.5”
- Weight: 32.5 lbs
Design and Features
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B takes a simpler, but more mature approach when it comes to design. The monitor has a matte black finish with discrete purple accents and RGB lighting as opposed to the stark white finish of Samsung’s offering. The monitor is bezel-free, but to be honest, they are difficult to notice against the large viewing area.
The first issue that could arise from purchasing this monitor is its size and the available area on your desk. The steep curve and the massive stand required to keep it upright needs over 15 inches of depth from your desk. It’s also very heavy at 32.5 pounds, so asking for assistance in setting it up might be a wise decision.
The monitor feels every bit like a premium display when its build quality is considered. The plastics used are thick and sturdy, plus there were no cosmetic defects of any sort. The screen can wobble if you nudge it in a certain way, but the mechanism is firm and fully capable of holding the massive display up.
The LGUltraGear 49GR85DC-B has an OSD joystick under the logo on the bottom bezel. We like the placement since you won’t need to reach in too much to use it, plus the monitor’s headphone jack is right next to it. Some monitors go as far as including remotes, but that’s not entirely necessary for regular use.
The included stand offers tilt, swivel, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. Its essential to get your viewing angle right with this so you can maximize its immersive quality and suitability for multitasking or productivity. You can use VESA mounts, although we think that’s only necessary if your desk space is limited.
We think the main downside of the LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B is its limited connectivity layout. It does have DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 slots, and a couple of USB ports, but modern high-end displays tend to offer more. We’d like to see more USB receptacles and type-C connectivity for better flexibility since it is quite an investment.
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B doesn’t have speakers, although that’s fine since headsets will be better for immersion. However, LG has been using more powerful sets for some of its premium offerings, so we’d like to see those here as well. Its not a deal-breaker, but its always nice if a brand offers more add-ons for the money spent.
Display and Performance
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B sports a 49-inch 1000r curved VA panel with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms boosted response time. The backlight has a 450 cd/m2 output and a 1000 cd/m2 peak, while the contrast is listed at 2500:1. This model is HDR 1000-certified, but its local dimming is quite limited since it doesn’t have a mini-LED backlight.
Monitors like this are great for all types of use simply because of the massive viewing area it offers. It is equivalent to two 27-inch 1440p monitors side by side but without bezels in between. It is going to need a meaty GPU for gaming, but you also get great benefits with that investment.
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B covers 100% sRGB and 93% of the DCI-P3 gamut for excellent vibrancy in games and movies. The monitor has a deltaE average of 1.91 by default, so it’s reasonably accurate out of the box. Most users won’t need to apply advanced tweaks to it, so it’s ready for games and daily use after it is set up.
Calibrating the monitor reduced its dE average to 0.89, making it suitable for editing work and content creation. You will need a colorimeter to achieve similar results instead of copying ICC profiles or settings from reviewers. We can only recommend the additional purchase for those who are into color-critical work, but it’s unnecessary otherwise.
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B’s backlight reached 455 cd/m2 in SDR, but its peak only got to 801 cd/m2 when its HDR mode is active. The contrast reached 1933:1 at 40% brightness, with some room for expansion when its HDR mode kicked in. However, the limited local dimming zones did not utilize these numbers to the full extent.
Panel uniformity is great for the monitor, even if it’s quite large and curved at an aggressive radius. There are some minor light leaks that show up in dark images, but it is not as noticeable as the clouding that happens when the local dimming zones are functioning. A mini-LED unit would be better here, but adding those can potentially double the price tag.
VA panels are notorious for their slower pixel response times, but that isn’t completely true with this monitor. Its 240hz refresh rate, combined with a functioning overdrive, cleared it up. There is still some minor persistence, but it only happens in select instances.
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B is compatible with both FreeSync and G-Sync for tear-free gaming. It is essential to have this duality so you don’t have to buy another monitor if you decide to go with either GPU brand. Input lag sits at 3ms at 240Hz, so it is very fast and suitable for competitive play.
Thoughts on the LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC-B is a great choice for users who want an immersive yet high-speed gaming monitor. It’s also a great pick for multitasking since it gives you more room to maneuver, making it an excellent investment for your workstation slash gaming rig. It is built well with just about every feature you will need, so it should be solid for a few years.
However, there are some aspects where we felt LG could have improved to set it apart from its Samsung equivalent. We’d like to see more functional features and perhaps an improved local dimming implementation. It’s a decent pick, but you can sometimes catch the Neo G9 for two or three hundred bucks more.
Pros:
- Great Colors
- Attractive Design
- Fast and Responsive
- HDMI 2.1
Cons:
- No USB-C
- Limited Local Dimming
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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