LG 27GL83A-B Review and Specs. Now that we’re spending more time functioning from home, monitors like LG 27GL83A-B are most likely going to get even more popular. For a gaming monitor that can also be used for work, this 27-inch monitor doesn’t focus on increasing pixel density or stretching the aspect ratio, like its competitors. LG has thought differently through this monitor and there’s a lot to be said about a big, color-accurate display that you can easily maneuver around to view the most comfortable angle you can get– double points if its reasonably priced.
The end result is a QHD monitor that delivers an outstanding 1-millisecond response time and a 144Hz refresh rate that looks great in every aspect. Even if there’s a ton of action, you won’t miss a thing using this display and there aren’t any discernible issues.
Everything, combined with a sturdy design and strong gaming look, makes this monitor a good choice for your gaming display needs. At just under $500 bucks, the LG 27GL83A-B is definitely not an impulse buy. Let’s dig deeper to see if it’s worth the price.
LG 27GL83A-B Design
Sleek, beaming and aggressive with RGB lighting on the rear, the LG 27GL83A-B is enough proof that LG has gamers’ needs at heart. Ideally, I can’t decide what’s more appealing here, the monitor’s vivid 27-inch, 2560 x 1440 resolution display or the mesmerising LED lighting on the rear of the panel. Whichever excites you, colleagues and friends will have something to say about the 27GL83A-B, whether they walk in front or behind the monitor.
The flexible lights (LG calls them Sphere Lighting 2.0) are on the rear of the 27GL83A-B, so you can really see them. The lights do get bright enough to bounce off nearby walls and even the surface of your desk.
Besides the light flashes of color, the monitor’s chassis is designed from textured black plastic, while the cylindrical arm is hefty metal. It measures 24.2 x 22.6 x 10.8 inches with the stand. Despite having the modern design, the display is quite thick, at 2.3 inches at its widest point. The screen offers tilt, height and pivot adjustment, so you can adjust the vertical angle both upward and downward.
LG 27GL83A-B Productivity Performance
When not gaming, this monitor will let you do some work on the side. With an Ultrawide resolution, you have the ability to open two large browser windows side-by-side without ever having to alt-tab on your PC. You really save big on time, and at this point, we easily recommend an Ultrawide monitor to anyone that often has lots of work that needs to be done at their computer.
Overall, the LG 27GL83A-B is a stellar, mid-size gaming monitor that’s super powerful, delivers excellent picture quality– and the price is right for gamers shopping on a tight budget. More big and premium screen alternatives include our Editors’ Choice the Alienware AW3420DW and the ASUS ROG Swift PG349Q, sure, you’ll spend more but you get high-end gaming performance, high-quality visuals and higher screen resolution– respectively with either alternatives.
Ports & Interface
On the LG 27GL83A-B, you find an HDMI port and a full-size DisplayPort for video output on the back of the monitor. Its 38-inch sibling, the LG 38GL950G-B gets the same video ports, but it lets you connect your PC to the monitor via an upstream USB 3.0 (type-B) ports, and you also have a pair of downstream USB 3.0 ports for charging your smartphone and other peripherals.
Also, there is a headphone/mic jack that give you the convenience of keeping your gaming headset plugged straight into the monitor. Remember there aren’t dedicated headphone and mic jacks, so for streaming you might need a splitter.
LG 27GL83A-B Gaming Performance
The LG 27GL83A-B is a midrange monitor designed for creatives and gamers, and it easily performs as one. It’s a 27-inch QHD (2560 X 1440) IPS display, that you can easily mistake for a TV, especially due to its fairly wide 16:9 aspect ratio, which renders content across a wide canvas.
Playing Resident Evil 2 Remake is exciting, as the monitor makes zombies– the slow, shambling, groaning type– incredible again. You are easily immersed in the shuffling lumps of bloody meat battering down, and the tumble through broken windows and lunge from the shadows is brought to life than before. And, in a game that’s certainly opposite in terms of tone and color palate, Scavenger looks amazing, with all its blue them and fluid movement. Simply put, no matter what game you throw at this monitor, it looks amazing.
The amazing gaming performance is not only due to the 144Hz refresh rate, but it has been pushed down to just 1ms, meaning even the most fast-paced online games, you won’t be held back by a mediocre monitor. Here, you have excellent picture quality and fast performance– all you have to deal with is a high price tag.
In addition to its gaming prowess, the LG 27GL83A-B is an Nvidia G-Sync panel, which makes lots of sense at such a high resolution. In some games like Metro Exodus, you’ll be getting around 50 fps, but thanks to G-Sync, everything feels like you’re playing at the native framerate. G-Sync, for as long as you have a compatible Nvidia graphics card, is basically like cheating and that’s how we all love it.
Bottom Line
With its easy design and subtle gaming look, great display and performance features (144Hz refresh rate, G-Sync) that matches well with gaming, the 27-inch LG 27GL83A-B is a capable and beautiful gaming monitor. If we’re being honest, unless you need a bigger screen– maybe 34-inches, you don’t have to look at other options before committing on the 27GL83A-B.
But it also has a few flaws that are too obvious to ignore, considering you’re paying shy of $500 for it and considering that there are far cheaper options (like the Sceptre C275W-1920RN) out there that offer almost the same level of performance. That includes lack of USB ports and omission of built-in speakers, but those can’t be deal-breakers for gamers looking to nab value in a budget, yet capable gaming monitor.
That said, for a 27-inch gaming monitor, the LG 27GL83A-B has its credentials in order and we think it’s worth its price tag. This monitor is great and your games will look immersive and beautiful in it, and movies will equally look great, if not as good. It’s got fluid and crisp visuals, nice color reproduction, and extremely smooth gameplay whenever using the DisplayPort.
LG 27GL83A-B Verdict
The LG 27GL83A-B is a 27-inch gaming monitor with incredible color accuracy and an approachable price tag, making it an easy recommendation for creatives and gamers alike, and with the sleek design, it’s very easy on the eyes.
PROS
- Vivid QHD (2560 X 1440) display
- Excellent response time, 144Hz
- G-Sync enabled
CONS
- No USB ports
- Lacks built-in speakers