LG - 38GL950G-B

I really do think an OLED at 45 inches in a 21:9 aspect ratio and 5k resolution is the ultimate end game monitor for both productivity and gaming. I've been using a 38 inch LG ultrawide IPS (38GL950) for the past 4 years in my home office setup and although it's an awesome monitor, during heavy coding sessions I've had this urge for more screen real estate to better fit my development environment and documentations. Gaming on it is nice due to the immersiveness of 21:9, especially playing MMOs like World of Warcraft, but the lower brightness and contrast of IPS makes images not as vibrant. I've also been using a 47 inch LG tv (47LA7400) as a dedicated computer monitor on my bedroom setup for the past 12 years. With over 60,000 hours of use on it, it is still working perfectly. I love LG and their quality. At a mere 1080p resolution though, I can see the pixels in text, which can cause eye fatigue during coding tasks after a while. Gaming on it is quite immersive, mostly due to the size, but without a curvature, things on the left and right of the screen feel as if they're farther away, which can take away from the immersion. I also have an LG CX OLED tv which I've tried gaming on and although images are absolutely stunning due to the vibrant colors and clarity, the aspect ratio doesn't make gaming as immersive. I considered going the 32:9 route but didn't want to sacrifice screen height and knew that most games didn't support this aspect ratio. I've been constantly searching Google and Reddit for the past 3 years wondering when LG would release a 45 inch 21:9 OLED with at least 110 pixels per inch and 120hz refresh rate. It's finally here and I'm so excited.

I got an LG 38GL950G, love this thing, wish they would come out with a 38" OLED 4k. The 39" Lg currently offers has too much curve and is only 2k res unfortunately.

I'm a little bias. But there have been three big jumps in Ultrawide. The first 3440x1440p monitor \~2014 [LG 34UC97](https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-34UC97-S-ultrawide-monitor) 38" 3840x1600 144hz IPS \~2019 [38GL950G](https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-38gl950g-b-gaming-monitor) 45" OLED 5k2k \~2025 [lg45gx950a](https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-45gx950a-b-gaming-monitor) There was a huge gap where Oleds started to come out but not in the great 38" 3840x1600. So you had to sacrifice for OLED. Now you're getting a jump in PPI, jump in refresh rate, jump in screen size and resolution. This is what the ultrawide early adopter crowds has been waiting *years* for.

I have the Alienware 3225qf. At times I wish it were brighter and an UW (I do appreciate the glossy oled though). My favorite display resolution was 3840x1600 on my old lg 38GL950G-B. I was perfectly fine without oled and regret the switch. Sadly it’s a discontinued model and the current variant 38wr85qcw is too distracting. The white bezel stands out and the “dimming zones” are distracting. I’ve see the 5k2k in stores and the semi gloss display doesn’t seem bad but the oled brightness still feels lacking.

I’d like to share some information about my new favorite monitor in case there is someone who will benefit from my experience. # Background I’m a professional Mac & iOS software engineer, amateur video editor, and avid PC gamer. I spend 70% of my time on my MacBook Pro using Xcode, productivity tools, and Final Cut. The remaining 30% of my time is spent gaming on the PC. I prefer games like Tomb Raider, The Talos Principle, Half-Life 2, Defense Grid, Portal, Stray, Command & Conquer, Battlefield, Deliver Us the Moon, and Kingdom Rush. In other words, I play 1st-person adventure, 3rd-person adventure, RTS, tower defense, and FPS games. # Monitor Priorities These have always been my top priorities for picking a monitor: * Ultrawide * As big as possible * The highest pixel density possible (PPI) * Good for coding, productivity, and video editing on the Mac * Good for non-competitive gaming on the PC * Frame rates above 100, preferably around 120 or more * Very clear text * G-SYNC compatible          * No burn-in issues (unless the monitor is so amazing that it's worth it) # Acer Predator X34 I started with the Acer Predator X34 in 2015. This was a great monitor for the time! It was a 34-inch IPS display with a resolution of 3440 x 1440. It had a fast pixel response time of 4ms (fast for 2015), and it refreshed at 100 Hz. I loved that monitor for PC gaming, and the text was super crisp for coding and productivity. However, I wanted more vertical space for coding. # LG 38GL950G Later on, I upgraded to the LG 38GL950G. This was a 38” monitor. It had a resolution of 3840 x 1600. It was basically like my previous X34, except it was larger, had more space for productivity apps, supported HDR for gaming, and had a faster refresh rate (144 Hz) for gaming. It was better than my old monitor in every way (both for gaming and productivity). # LG 40WP95C Then in 2023, I got the LG 40WP95C for productivity use only, and kept the LG 38GL950G for gaming. This was a great combination. The older LG 38GL950G was great for gaming because of its large size, fast refresh rate, fast pixel response, and HDR. Meanwhile, the newer LG 40WP95C was perfect for productivity. It had a large 40-inch display, and it was a 5K2K monitor. This means it had a resolution of 5120 x 2160. It was essentially a 4K display that had extra space on the sides to make it an ultrawide. It was perfect for coding and productivity, and it had a much higher pixel density than all of my previous displays. Text was nice and crisp! Unfortunately, the 40WP95C wasn’t good for gaming at all. Its max refresh rate was 72 Hz. It was just a productivity monitor. That’s why I kept the 38GL950G for gaming. # LG 45GX950A Ever since I got the LG 40WP95C, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a 5K2K gaming monitor that would double as a productivity monitor. It was a long wait, but LG finally announced the 45GX950A at CES last year. Whoa! It looked amazing! It was a 45-inch monitor with 5K2K resolution! The 45-inch size sounded amazing, and it had the high pixel density that I was hoping for. It had a high refresh rate for gaming, and it was an OLED, so I knew the colors and brightness would blow me away. I was starting to wonder if this would be my ultimate monitor! Well, I bought one, used it for a few days, and… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s too big! I always wondered if I would reach a size limit where a monitor felt uncomfortably large, and this monitor definitely did. Here are my thoughts after using this monitor for several days… First, here are the pros: * Gaming is super-immersive and engaging. * It almost makes games feel 3D, and it takes up most of your field of view. * It’s similar to wearing a high-resolution VR headset. * It makes games intense, beautiful, and brilliant! * This was my first OLED display, and damn…it’s impressive compared to IPS displays for gaming. Here are the cons: * It’s way too much immersion for productivity use. * It requires much side-to-side head movement to see everything. * It requires much up-and-down head movement to see everything. * I don’t feel comfortable when it’s 24” from my face (my typical viewing distance). I wanted to move it at least 30” from my face for productivity apps. * It has an aggressive curve, so straight lines appear very curved. * Using it for a few hours made my eyes feel tired, and even gave me a hint of motion sickness. There was another problem with this monitor on the Mac: Text was too small when using the native resolution of 5120 x 2160. I ended up changing the Mac to a lower resolution of 3840 x 1620. That made the text large and very sharp, which was great. However, it meant this monitor had the same usable space as my old LG 38GL950G. Hmm…so I had the urge to push this monitor further away from me, and it had the same usable space as my 38” display. What did that mean? The monitor was too big for me! I thought about it for a few days, spent a lot of time comparing it to my other monitors, and eventually returned it. I was sad to do so, because I loved it for gaming. However, it just wasn’t comfortable when using productivity apps. # Dell U4025QW Now that I ruled out the LG 45GX950A, what was left as a possible upgrade? The Dell U4025QW looked very appealing. It’s a 40-inch 5K2K display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, supports G-SYNC, has HDR, and it’s an IPS display. This monitor sounded perfect for my needs of mixing productivity with gaming. I also knew from experience that I would like the 40-inch size. Well, I just bought it a few days ago, and I’m loving it! This is the ultimate ultrawide monitor for a mix of productivity and gaming! Here is what I like about it: * 40” is the perfect size. I wouldn’t want anything larger. * It has a very subtle curve. It’s almost flat. * I can see all 4 corners with minimal head turning. * It has a 5K2K resolution. * On the Mac I use a scaled resolution of 3840 x 1620. It’s the same usable space as my 38”, but everything is much sharper. * This is the best PC gaming experience I’ve ever had on an IPS display. It’s much better than the 38”. * The built-in KVM switch is lovely. I have my MacBook Pro and gaming PC connected. It switches seamlessly between them. It handles switching for the video input, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and headphones. With all that connected, I still have 3 available USB ports. * There is no power brick. * Color uniformity is great. There are only a couple of cons: * This monitor is no match for the super vibrant and immersive gaming of the LG 45GX950A. I’ll miss that intense gaming experience. * All 5K2K monitors require a beefy video card. Gaming performance is good if you're running a 5090. In short, if you need a large, high-resolution, high-quality, ultrawide monitor that is good for productivity and gaming, the Dell U4025QW sits right in the sweet spot. I would highly recommend it. The LG 45GX950A is great, but only for gaming. **Regarding pixel response time**: I saw many comments and reviews online that slammed the Dell U4025QW for having a slow pixel response time. That was my biggest concern when purchasing the monitor. However, I don’t notice it at all. I suppose it’s because I play non-competitive 1st-person adventure, 3rd-person adventure, RTS, tower defense, and FPS games. I frequently have the quality maxed out, and even have some motion blur enabled. Pixel response times don’t seem to be an issue with those settings. # What's Next? Now I want something just like the Dell U4025QW, but as an OLED (or maybe a MicroLED one day)! That would be a powerful combination!

I'm currently on an IPS LG 38GL950G which is 1600p because I refuse to downgrade to 1440p, and the brightness comparison seems disheartening.... https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tools/compare/lg-38gl950g-b-vs-lg-45gx950a-b/4449/83695

I bought the LG 38GL950G-B 38 Inch 5 years ago. There has been nothing on the market since then that I was interested in. With the 45GX950A-B, I figured Id give it a try...like I said the curve is to aggressive for literally everything.

I had a 38inch lg before, 3840*1600 on a 5080 OC. Now the 5k2k. In cyberpunk I noticed a 20 FPS drop, but still above 120 FPS in basically everything. I didn't run any before and after benchmarks. I wanted a bigger screen and resolution as well as oled. So any drop is acceptable to me. Also yes, I run dlss and FG as so far I have not noticed any artifacts myself. I guess it really depends on how picky you are and if you tend to "look for" those frame differences or artifacts.

I just upgraded from the 38" Ultragear to LG's 45" 5K2K OLED. Text looks fine to me but admittedly it's 90% for gaming so I might not have the most discerning eyes.

Not to me. Not sure if we have the same 38" but my Ultragear is 1000R I believe, so it's not a big leap. If I was coming from a flat display, might take some getting used to.

Just order the 38 inch. lol

Sorry for the confusion. Mine is custom made. It is from China. 38inch, Nano IPS with 144Hz Refresh rate.

If youre going ultrawide for the sake of actually having a large screen to work with, your best choice would be to go for a 38in because they scale better and have 3840x1600 resolution. And their color accuracy is usually top notch. There's no real good reason to use 34in UW outside of gaming when 38in exists and is a better resolution size for scaling. I have the MSI MEG 38inch, but previously had the LG38G nanoIPS. Same panels in both monitors, my LG just got killed by a brown out.

Tbh my guy, I have a 38 LG 144hz monitor I use for work (the newest one but I can’t remember the monitor number) and a AW3225QF for gaming. When I occasionally game on the 38, the difference between it and oled is pretty minor unless you are playing a very dark game. I’ve been playing a lot of Lost Epoch on it and quite frankly, it looks nicer to my eyes.

I think the sweet spot is in the 45-50" range for a 5k2k monitor. I've been wanting something in that range for a very long time now. I have a 38" 3840x1600 LG monitor now, and as great as it is, I would love more size and resolution.

I had a similar 34" 21:9 LG monitor and I found it too small for my liking (the height/vertical FOV felt too narrow). I prefer larger screens). So I switched it for an LG 38" 21:9 instead, which felt way better.

I always considered 38" at 3840x1600 to be the sweet spot in terms of ppi and vertical screen real estate. The GX9 is an upgrade to both which makes it the top choice until the higher ppi 39" versions arrive later this year

I went from 2 22" displays to 1 49" Samsung CRG9. The 49" was great for work productivity but for gaming I found it to be too short (not tall enough). I sold the 49" and now have a centered 38" (3840x1600) "main" display and an off center 27" (2560x1440). For my uses, the 38" is excellent for both work productivity and gaming and I use the 27" on the side for comms (Email, Teams, Discord, etc.)

I have the 39" LG oled and the 38" lg IPS display that is 3840x1600. For games, the benefits of oled and a higher refresh rate far outweigh the smaller resolution of the 39. I love it and will never go back. Another advantage is that for fps games, 3440x1440 is much easier to drive to high refresh rates. My 3090 was hovering around 110 in CoD MW3, and is significantly better than that around 160+ I may still play Civilization on my 38", but for everything else, 39" is great!!

The 38 inch lgs fit the bill

Same, 38" LG for both work and gaming and love it - but considering 27" OLED maybe this year, because even 4080s struggles to get high enough fps on higher settings in new UE games.

THIS! I have a LG 3840x1600 38" - perfect! Just wish it was 144Hz. I refuse to go down to 1440P.

I have a 38” LG with a slight curve, maybe 1500R and I really like it. I keep thinking I want to do the LG 5k 45” but it has an extreme curve and I am a bit worried it’s too big for what I need. I mostly use my PC work type productivity but play games on it as well. If you think 45” is too big, look at a 38” or 40”. However, these sizes don’t seem that prevalent.

3840x 1600, 144hz, 1ms. 38” LG

In follow-up of my previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/ultrawidemasterrace/s/3pdB5GfzyG Update: down from 4 to 2 - LG 38" and Dell 40" remain. Was able to order the LG 38", and it arrived this yesterday. First impression; • ⁠Size is nice, but would not say no to 40" either. Drawing programs, CAD/Vectorworks/Sketchup are very nice full screen! Far better overview than before. • ⁠21:9 is a good ratio! Not too high, not too wide. • ⁠Curve is small, but dont need more. I don't have the impression my straight lines are curved at all. • ⁠3840*1600 resolution at 110ppi is better than expected (come from an 188ppi laptop). I'm a bit further away than from the laptop so at first impression definitely pleased with the quality. Text sharpness is what it should be. • ⁠Brightness is running at 60%, which is more than bright enough for me. In HDR mode i had to put it at 100% to be comfortable. There is an auto brightness function but its rubbish at first glance. • ⁠when standing I have to put the monitor at highest height, I would not mind a few additional centimeters here... First conclusion (LG38" vs Dell40"): Since no additional brightness is needed, the LG already has a slightly higher refresh rate and response time, and KVM functionality is not the highest priority; the Dell's advantages remain a few additional inches, and the far superior resolution. So, if in a week or so I'm ok with the size and resolution of the LG I will stick with this one I guess... Also this was an open box deal for €850, which would make the Dell x2 in price without a discount. Do they often give discounts? No longer on my list is the LG40". Found a used one with 1y warranty remaining for €800. Since I currently have brightness at 60% the 240cd/m² would be ok, but I'm afraid of the 72Hz... Also at this 5120x2160 resolution I might be pushing the GPU too much? Although I'm planning to buy a RTX 4080 Super of RTX 5070 Ti...

I've been rocking a 38 LG and I absolutely love it. I originally had dual 1080p 32s, and then Upgraded to a 34, hated how small it was, returned it and got the 38. I rock a vertical 27 next to it, and this is my all time favorite setup I've ever had.

Hey LG! I’ve had the 38” LG IPS and now have the original 45” OLED! I’d say my sweet spot is probably the 45”. It has the perfect vertical resolution and the curve is super immersive. While I currently only use it for gaming I think it’d be cool to do a review of the 3440x1440 and the 5k2k side by side in productivity apps to help clear the muddy waters in the PPI conversation. Thanks!

Try to have a look at the screen sizes in a store before you buy. I had my mind set on a 49" but after having a look at it, it felt like it lacked screen height. I settled for a 38" LG 3840x1600 instead as it suited me better. If I were to buy a screen today I would have a look at the 5k2k screens and see if I like them.

I was in a same situation that I wanted to simplify my monitor setup. 80% work, 20% gaming. Was also considering the option of a 32" display. At the end I bought a 38" LG IPS display with 144Hz, Freesync, KVM switch, bunch of usb ports. So to speak the perfect allrounder. Ok, the producivity part is nice but damn, gaming is so much fun, pulling you into game, especially with FPS games. Want to also try Civ6 some time, is probably also nice to have a broad view. One of the best investments ever, every cent worth it.

Well, currently playing Doom Eternal that supports widescreens, no black bars and it's awesome on the 38" display. Besides that Half Life 2 and warhammer boltgun are the only fps games that I have :). And Borderlands 3, if you count that also as fps.

I recently bought the first one. Is one of the best purchases of my life, for real. It's the perfect allrounder. You can even game on that (has even freesync) without sacrificing any productivity related features.

Agree - noticeable improvement on my 38 3840 x 1600

Same I'm running a 38" LG as well, excellent monitor I've been desperately waiting for an OLED variant

I've got an LG 38" ultrawide and I really couldn't go back to anything lower, so that is my current sweet spot. I am terribly curious about the next generation of incoming OLEDs though, especially since my screen has a scratch on it that is impossible to ignore.

I guess you can put it to preference…. I don’t like 27” 4k.. text is too small and trying to get text to look good and not be too big to lose the 4k size…. It’s just not good. Basically, a 3440x1440 at 39”.. the text will be bigger. The actually benefit is just bigger size but the use screen is still the same as a 34” 3440x1440. If you want a bigger monitor and proper resolution, look at 38” 3940x1600 or the new 45 5k2k. When looking at monitor, you shouldn’t just look at size … you need to look at resolution to size. 4k - 32”+, anything smaller may give more ppi but the actual image size will be bad visually.. if you can’t see it well since it’s too small, what’s the point. 34” - 3440x1440, this seems to work really well. It’s not just me but many others who use it. Higher res may work for this size but… it may have the same issues as too high res for the size. We won’t know until it comes out and people try it. 38” - 3840x1600, this seems to be a proper size to res. It’s also a great work size due to the higher height resolution. The unfortunate part .. it’s not a standard size so they are expensive and most are older models. Nothing new for this size/resolution. 39” - these are mostly cheaper 3440x1440 due to bad resolution to size. There are more expensive versions as you can see but not worth it in my opinion. -other res may exist but the most likely one is 3440x1440 49 - 5120x1440, 2 1440p monitors basically. This is a popular 32:9 monitor size and from users… it seem to work well. This may get 5k2k versions and that might work really well thought the size maybe a little different. There are other sizes but those are the basic ultrawide sizes that I have seen. -57”, this is a nich size for ultrawide so didn’t add this. If you got this, you know you want it.

LG 38” that is IPS and 1600p. I absolutely love it. Slightly more vertical real estate than 34”, great for daily office use and solid for gaming as well with the 144Hz. I of course wish I could turn it into an OLED on command but I didn’t want to deal with poor text clarity and burn in concerns.

Grabbed the refreshed LG 38” and really love it. Not perfect and I of course wish I could switch it to OLED when gaming, but it’s the ideal productivity/gaming monitor for me.

I upgraded from a 34" to an LG 38" and I think 38" is pretty perfect. I'd have a hard time getting anything wider on my pretty large standing desk unless I ditched my speakers

I bought the 38" LG last year and I love it. I thought 360cd/m2 wouldn't be bright enough but I woke up my PC the other night and it was dark in my room, holy balls, I literally had to squint to use the damn thing. Very good for gaming. I think the 40" might be better for productivity but I got a steal on the 38" LG so I don't regret it. Since it's still under native 4K it's fairly easy to drive for gaming.

The LG 5K2K on my desk is such big step up from the LG 38” UW IPS. I’m spending way too much time on gaming since I upgraded. Love it!

I tried both the LG38 and Dell U40. The panel uniformity on the LG38 is hot garbage. I've exchanged it once: Here is a picture of a "good" one at 100%. Yes, exposure time exaggerates the IPS glow, but all four corners are bleeding and visible in 0% brightness: [https://preview.redd.it/another-ips-panel-bleed-post-v0-bx3habx7jxge1.jpg?width=4029&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6220f6cda81c169866e6b680f7d24ec7227ada1c](https://preview.redd.it/another-ips-panel-bleed-post-v0-bx3habx7jxge1.jpg?width=4029&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6220f6cda81c169866e6b680f7d24ec7227ada1c) The replacement was worse, with bleeding all over the bottom edge in addition to the four corners. Here is a picture of my current Dell U40 at 100% and overexposed. It's nowhere near as bad in reality and at 30% brightness the bleed is not visible. [https://preview.redd.it/dell-u4025qw-black-uniformity-v0-d7b3jlu2skie1.jpg?width=3705&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5ae8c87109c9b46c221db57186414632b80352d](https://preview.redd.it/dell-u4025qw-black-uniformity-v0-d7b3jlu2skie1.jpg?width=3705&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5ae8c87109c9b46c221db57186414632b80352d) Note how the blacks are black and not blue.

Using a 38 3840x1600 and works great. Imo it will be fine until series 7k.

I hope that’s true. I’m a fan of the 38”, but 39” seems good. Will keep holding out

Ultrawide, for sure. The standard-ish 3440\*1440 I found a bit small, so I went with a 38" 3840\*1600. I do think my next will be a 5Kx2K, though. Many games won't support it, but you can run 16x9 if they don't just fine.

GUI monitor can be whatever you want. However, generally, people recommend having your reference monitor in the center, so having a GUI monitor to left and to the right of it makes more logical sense. I run a 38" LG ultrawide and a Flanders DM250 to the right of it.

I have a 42" c4 OLED after having a 38" LG ultrawide and I'll never go back. I have a 4080 driving it. I know it's a personal preference but I like having the real estate back on the top and bottom.

Is it really worth over 2x the price of the LG38? Imo those 38 inch panels (LG and AW38) are the GOATs for a mixture of productivity and gaming. I use an AW38 and my use case is exactly the same as yours.

38in LG ultrawide it’s IPS 🔥 gentle curve

Lookup va black level smearing before you go with a VA panel. I'd recommend checking out a video of say the Dell 34 inch VA panel as that's basically what you will end up with. Specifically look up black level smearing on any VA panel you are browsing. If you go cheap it could be worse than that. If you can't stand the black level smearing an IPS should be midrange for the price. There are plenty of options at 144 Hz. If you can get one I'd say go for the LG 38 inch 1600 p monitor as that is my daily driver for 3 years. I actually own the Alienware one but it's the same panel just 144 Hz and I'm not sure how common Alienware is as a brand in Europe. Otherwise you can go with an OLED 34 inch but they are expensive. I'd guess easily $1000 Euros. Imo increase your budget a bit for your monitor of choice. It's gonna usually last you 5 years. So an extra $200 can go a long way for peace of mind.

I have a 9800x3D and just got a 9070xt and I play on a 3840x1600 38" ultra wide, it's dope

Having used a 38" 3840*1600 extensively for work I've been waiting for a long time for an OLED ultrawide to meet or beat that resolution. I'n my opinion anything less than 1600 vertical pixels is insufficient for productivity usage so I've been extremely excited to try 45" at 5k2k for some time!

Their great, I had an LG 38” Curved UltraWide QHD+ (3840 x 1600) for many years and I found that great as well. 1600 is the min vertical I'm okay with personally