Size does matter. It\u2019s probably the simplest way to sum up the LG UltraGear GX9<\/b>, a 45-inch curved OLED gaming monitor running at a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 5K2K<\/b> (5120 x 2160) resolution. On paper, it already sounds like a bit much even for a gaming monitor, and in all honesty, it kind of is. But if you\u2019re the sort who\u2019s already running a high-end PC and looking for something that actually lets it stretch its legs, or looking to change up the way you work on your daily productivity tasks, this is very clearly the kind of display LG had in mind.<\/p>\n
Trivial: The model reviewed here is the 45GX950A<\/b>, which features a fixed curved display. LG also sells another model, the 45GX990A, that comes with a \u201cbendable\u201d screen that can change from flat to a 900R curve. The latter model, however, is not available in Singapore.<\/p>\n The UltraGear GX9 is big enough to swalllow your standard desk. <\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The first thing you realise once the GX9 is actually sitting on your desk is that 45 inches is likely to be <\/b>bigger <\/i><\/b>than any display you ever have<\/b> in front of you. I\u2019m not kidding! Unlike a 65-inch television that\u2019s a few metres away from you in a living room, a 45-inch monitor is big in a way that changes how you sit, how far back you lean back, and how you look at the screen naturally. Cleverly, LG has made the GX9\u2019s display an 800R <\/b>curved one and that helps with that more than I expected, because instead of feeling like you\u2019re staring at something flat and oversized, the display sort of wraps into your field of view. It doesn\u2019t completely eliminate the need to move your head, but it makes the whole experience feel more intentional rather than just excessive. I can\u2019t emphasize enough that you do need a fairly deep desk to make it work, though \u2013 anything too shallow and it starts to feel like the GX9 is a bit too close for comfort.<\/p>\n The UltraGear GX9 sports an 800R curvature. Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n What surprised me more is how usable it is outside of gaming. Ultrawide monitors sometimes feel like they\u2019re all about width and not much else, but here, the extra vertical space makes a difference in ways that are hard to appreciate until you\u2019ve used it for a while. Windows don\u2019t feel cramped, and you\u2019re not constantly resizing things just to make everything fit. It ends up feeling closer to a dual-monitor setup without the break in the middle, which is probably why I ended up doing more work on it than I initially expected.<\/p>\n Design-wise, LG keeps things fairly straightforward, which honestly works in its favour. The panel itself is already doing most of the talking, so the rest of it stays relatively understated. The stand is solid without being overly bulky, and there\u2019s some thought put into cable management at the back, although once everything is plugged in, this is still a setup you\u2019ll notice from across the room. There\u2019s no real way around that \u2013 it becomes the centrepiece whether you planned for it or not.<\/p>\n The more interesting part is LG\u2019s Dual Mode<\/b> feature, which allows you to switch to any of the eight preset screen options<\/b> via the monitor OSD, with five screen sizes<\/b> (24-, 27-, 34-, 37- and 39-inch) and aspect ratios as well as 4K or 1080p resolution. Refresh rates are dynamic too, going up to 330Hz for 1080p and 165Hz when switched to 4K. So despite its larger-than-usual display, you\u2019re not locked into one type of experience, which makes it easier to justify using it for both slower, more cinematic games (like RPGs) and faster, more competitive ones (like esports shooters) without feeling like you\u2019re compromising too much either way.<\/p>\n A 45-inch ultrawide monitor that runs at 5K2K is a great companion for your productivity tasks.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n After spending a couple of weeks with it as my main display, though, what stood out to me wasn\u2019t just the size or the sharpness, but how quickly it started to change the way I used my setup. It\u2019s small things at first, like how I arrange windows on my desktop or how I stop alt-tabbing as much because everything can just sit side by side. Then it creeps into how you experience games, especially when that curved panel starts pulling more of the scene into your peripheral vision. It\u2019s not something you immediately notice on day one, but give it a bit of time and it becomes hard to go back.<\/p>\n Ghost of Tsushima: Director\u2019s Cut.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Cyberpunk 2077<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Gaming is where the GX9 truly shines, especially on games that support the 21:9 aspect ratio. I spent quite a bit of time with Ghost of Tsushima<\/b> and Cyberpunk 2077<\/b> on it, and both are exactly the kind of games that benefits from the extra width. Landscapes, such as the open grass fields in Ghost of Tsushima, feel more expansive, and the curve helps pull the edges into your peripheral vision so it feels less like you\u2019re looking at a screen and more like you\u2019re \u201csitting\u201d in the scene. The OLED panel does a lot of the heavy lifting here as well. Colours feel richer without looking overdone, blacks are properly deep, and there\u2019s a level of contrast that gives darker scenes in Cyberpunk 2077 more presence, especially in areas with low lighting or heavy shadows.<\/p>\n For PC games (and console games, by default) that don\u2019t support the 21:9 aspect ratio, this is how the GX9 displays them.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For console gamers, if you\u2019re hoping to hook up your consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Switch 2, then that\u2019s where the monitor\u2019s limitations show up. Modern consoles don\u2019t support 21:9 output, so everything runs in 16:9 with black bars on the sides. Not being able to use the full display seems like an awful waste, especially for the price you\u2019re paying for it. That said, the GX9 is very much a PC-first monitor, so it\u2019s not really a dealbreaker \u2013 just something you have to live with if you want to plug a console to it.<\/p>\n The smaller details ended up mattering more than I expected as well. The included remote makes it easier to switch modes or tweak settings without reaching behind the monitor, which is surprisingly useful given the size. The built-in speakers are decent enough for casual use too but it\u2019s not going to beat even a cheap pair of external speakers.<\/p>\n At $2,999<\/b>, it\u2019s probably not a stretch to say the LG UltraGear GX9 is the type of niche gaming monitor that isn\u2019t for everyone. It asks quite a bit from you, whether it\u2019s the kind of hardware (a 4K-capable gaming GPU is highly recommended) needed to properly drive it, the desk space to actually make it practical and comfortable to use, or just being okay with spending that much on a display in the first place.<\/p>\n But if you do have the setup for it, having the GX9 will feel like one of those upgrades that slowly works its way into how you use your PC. For the better too, I think. You start leaving more apps \u2013 or multiple browser tabs \u2013 open on your desktop without really thinking about it, and with the wider 21:9 aspect ratio, you\u2019re also just seeing more of the scene at any given time in supported games, whether it\u2019s more of the environment in front of you or things happening at the edges of your screen.<\/p>\n And now that I\u2019ve have returned the GX9, going back to my usual 32-inch monitor \u2013 which, for what it\u2019s worth, never felt small before this \u2013 just doesn\u2019t feel quite right anymore.<\/p>\n Update:<\/i><\/b> The LG UltraGear GX9 has an SRP of $2,999, but some retail outlets like <\/i>Gain City<\/i> is selling the monitor for <\/i>$2,399<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSpecifications and design<\/h2>\n
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\n \nKey Specifications<\/th>\n LG UltraGear GX9 (45GX950A)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Screen size<\/th>\n 44.5-inch (Curved)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Resolution (native)<\/th>\n 5K2K Ultra Wide (5120 x 2160)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Panel type<\/th>\n WOLED (Matte finish)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Refresh rate<\/th>\n 165Hz (Up to 330Hz in Dual-Mode)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Response time<\/th>\n 0.03ms (GtG)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Curvature<\/th>\n 800R<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Contrast ratio<\/th>\n 1,500,000:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Colour gamut<\/th>\n DCI-P3 98.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n HDR<\/th>\n VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Connectivity<\/th>\n 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB-C (90W PD), 2x USB-A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Adaptive<\/th>\n NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Speakers<\/th>\n Built-in 10Wx2 stereo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Size does matter<\/h2>\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n