The LG UltraGear costs $150 to $200 more than the Samsung Odyssey G5, and RTINGS' own testing shows what that gap buys: a Fast IPS panel that clears motion cleanly versus a VA panel RTINGS measured with slow response and terrible VRR flicker. We compared both to see which 1440p monitor is worth buying.
Our verdict
Get the LG UltraGear 27-inch QHD if you’re a fast shooter or your GPU’s frame rate wanders; the Samsung Odyssey G5 is still a legitimate budget pick for slower, story-driven games.
Best overall
~$300–450 by model
Get it if fast motion, competitive play, or doubling as a work monitor matter to you.
Best value
~$150–220 Lowest price
Get it if you want the most 1440p per dollar and mostly play slower-paced games.
The price gap~$150–230 more for the LG UltraGear 27″ QHD
Each bar is an estimated price range, on one scale from ~$150 to ~$450.
We compared RTINGS’ lab-measured response-time and VRR-flicker results for both panel classes against current listings for each model, prioritizing measured motion performance over marketing refresh-rate claims. We haven’t run either monitor on a bench ourselves; the response-time and VRR-flicker figures come from RTINGS’ lab measurements, linked at the point each claim is made. Prices are always moving, so every button and link pulls the live listing.
How we rank
Published specifications, verified owner reviews, and independent safety or standards data where it applies — weighted the same for every pick, never sponsored placement.
Best overall~$300–450 by model
The motion-clarity upgrade RTINGS keeps rewarding
Get it if fast motion, competitive play, or doubling as a work monitor matter to you.
Skip it if budget rules and your games are mostly slow-paced. The G5 covers that.
RTINGS put the closest tested sibling in this lineup, the 27GP850-B, through its full motion suite and came away with an 8.5 out of 10, one of the stronger scores in the 1440p gaming category. The Nano IPS panel clears its pixel transitions fast enough that fast-moving edges stay sharp instead of trailing, and RTINGS measured input lag low enough to be imperceptible in competitive play. That’s the technical case for the whole UltraGear 27-inch line: it’s the Fast IPS family testers reach for as the 1440p benchmark.
Color accuracy is strong enough that the same panel doubles as a work monitor without a second display, and adaptive sync covers both G-Sync and FreeSync, so it’s not a gamble on which GPU you own now or buy next. Refresh options run as high as 240Hz depending on the specific model year, which is the one place LG makes this more complicated than it needs to be.
The line’s breadth is the real trap: model numbers proliferate every year, and pricing swings from $300 to $450 at Amazon depending on refresh tier and vintage. Buy the highest refresh rate inside your budget and don’t chase the newest model number for its own sake. Budget-first buyers should compare the Odyssey G5 below before paying the premium.
Strengths
Tradeoffs
Best value~$150–220
1440p at a 1080p price, with one RTINGS-documented catch
Get it if you want the most 1440p per dollar and mostly play slower-paced games.
Skip it if competitive motion clarity or VRR matters to your games. Go Fast IPS.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 exists to make 1440p at 165Hz cheap, and on price alone it delivers: it’s the panel that anchors every “budget 1440p” roundup, and Samsung’s sale cadence drops it under $200 routinely. The VA panel brings deeper blacks than the LG’s IPS layer, which single-player, dark-room gaming rewards, and FreeSync Premium covers tearing on AMD and compatible Nvidia cards alike.
The catch is real and RTINGS measured it directly. Their review of the G55A, the same VA generation sold under the current G5 name, found slow response times at every refresh rate, producing noticeable blur in motion, and rated the VRR flicker “terrible” as frame rates shift during actual play, worse than the panel’s already-soft baseline motion. That’s not a marketing footnote; it’s the specific weakness a competitive or fast-paced buyer needs to know about before they order one.
None of that erases the value case for the right buyer. At $150 to $220 on Amazon, it’s still 1440p and 165Hz for what many 1080p monitors cost, and slower-paced games rarely expose the motion issues RTINGS flagged. The UltraGear wins outright for anyone who plays competitively or games with VRR active.
Strengths
Tradeoffs
6 common questions, answered.
The UltraGear, clearly. RTINGS scored its closest tested sibling, the 27GP850-B, 8.5 out of 10 overall, while its review of the Odyssey G5’s VA generation (the G55A) found slow response times at every refresh rate. Fast IPS is a quicker-clearing panel technology than the VA layer Samsung uses here.
Yes, according to RTINGS’ testing. Their review of the same VA panel generation rated the VRR flicker “terrible” as frame rates change during gameplay, on top of an already slow baseline response time. It’s a real, measured weakness, not a rare complaint.
For strictly casual or story-driven games, not necessarily. RTINGS’ flagged issues with the G5 show up most in fast, competitive motion; slower games rarely expose them. If your GPU also doesn’t push variable frame rates hard, the G5’s savings are easier to justify.
Both support adaptive sync, but the UltraGear is certified for NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible and AMD FreeSync alike, while the Odyssey G5 leans on FreeSync Premium. Either works with either GPU brand in practice, but check the specific model’s certification before buying if you want the official label.
Expect $150 to $200 depending on sales. The Odyssey G5 regularly drops to around $150, and the UltraGear line runs $300 to $450 depending on refresh tier and model year, so the gap moves with both monitors’ own promotions rather than staying fixed. Watch both listings for a week or two before buying if the timing isn’t urgent, since neither one holds a single price for long.
The UltraGear. Its IPS panel holds color and viewing angles more consistently than the G5’s VA layer, which matters more for documents, spreadsheets and photo work than it does for gaming, on top of the motion advantage it already has.
