LG 34WK95U Review: 5120×2160 HDR UltraWide Professional Monitor

The LG 34WK95U-W is the first ultrawide monitor with a 5120×2160 screen resolution; it’s aimed at those looking for a premium 21:9 picture quality.

Image Quality

There are numerous reports of people getting faulty units of the monitor which suffer from image burn-in or image retention. Not all units are affected by this, but if you decide to buy the LG 34WK95U or the LG 34BK95U, make sure the retailer has a good return policy.

LG has dubbed the 5120×2160 screen resolution as ‘5K2K’ though you may see people referring to it as 4K ultrawide, 5K ultrawide, or 2160p ultrawide as well.

Such high resolution on a 34″ screen of the LG 34WK95U results in a pixel density of 163 pixels per inch, which is equivalent to 4K UHD on a 27″ display.

The monitor is based on LG’s nano IPS panel, which boasts 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space (135% sRGB) for stunning color quality and accuracy.

Other panel-related specs are similar to the previous-generation IPS technology and include a 450-nit peak brightness, a 1,200:1 static contrast ratio, dithered 10-bit color depth (8-bit + FRC), and 178-degree viewing angles.

In addition, the LG 34WK95U supports HDR, which will provide you with a boost in maximum luminance to 600-nits for compatible content.

Although the monitor lacks proper local dimming for the optimal HDR viewing experience, you still get a notable improvement over the standard image quality. In fact, the LG 34WK95U ultrawide monitor has VESA’s DisplayHDR 600 certification.

Performance

We didn’t find any dead pixels nor excess backlight bleeding and IPS glow on our unit, and although the brightness uniformity could be a bit better, it’s more than acceptable.

The LG 34WK95U has a response time speed of 5ms (GtG), which is enough to eliminate ghosting in everyday use, while gamers most likely won’t be interested in this monitor as 5120×2160 at 60Hz is more demanding than 3440×1440 at 120Hz.

Further, the display is factory-calibrated and delivers impeccable color accuracy straight out of the box.

Sadly, the monitor uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to regulate brightness. Below 100% brightness, there’s a 240Hz flicker, which is invisible to the human eye, but those sensitive to flickering might experience headaches after prolonged use.

Features

In the OSD (On-Screen Display), you will find plenty of features and settings, including the advanced 6-axis and gamma (four profiles) adjustments.

The monitor has dedicated picture presets for both HDR and SDR viewing modes (Custom, Vivid, and Cinema) as well as the HDR Effect feature, which simulates HDR for non-compatible content.

Other picture presets include, sRGB, DCI-P3, EBU, Rec. 709, SMPTE-C, Color Weakness, and two custom Calibration profiles.

You also get the On-Screen Control software, which allows you to adjust most of the OSD-related settings in a desktop app rather than on the menu.

Design & Connectivity

While connectivity options are plenty, there is a catch. There are two HDMI 2.0 ports, but HDMI 2.0 will limit you to 3440×1440 resolution.

So, for 5120×2160, you will need to use either DisplayPort 1.4 or the ThunderBolt 3 port (USB-C with DP 1.4 Alt Mode, and 85W Power Delivery – 75W over USB-C, 10W for other USB ports).

You’ll need to make sure that your device supports Intel’s Titan Ridge Thunderbolt 3 with up to 40 Gbps.

Other ports include a headphone jack, an audio line-in port for the 2x5W built-in speakers, and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

The design of the LG 34WK95U monitor is simple but modern with thin bezels, a height-adjustable stand (up to 110mm), tilt, and VESA mount compatibility.

Price & Similar Monitors

The LG 34WK95U price is around $1,300. You can also find the LG 34BK95U-W model, which is the same monitor but with a different warranty.

We recommend getting the MSI PS341WU instead, which uses the same panel and offers basically identical image quality and performance, but it doesn’t have Thunderbolt 3 or power delivery over its USB-C port; It has a flicker-free backlight, no image retention reports, and it can be found for as low as $1,000.

For more information and similar displays, visit our best ultrawide monitors buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Thanks to its amazing image quality with vibrant colors, crisp details, and extensive screen space, this 34″ 5120×2160 IPS panel will spark the imagination of any content creator – given they have a compatible and powerful enough device. However, we recommend going with MSI’s model unless you really need Thunderbolt 3 and don’t mind the PWM flicker.

Specifications

Screen Size	34-inch
Resolution	5120×2160
Panel Type	Nano IPS
Aspect Ratio	21:9 (UltraWide)
Refresh Rate	60Hz
Response Time	5ms (GtG)
Speakers	2x5W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0 USB-C (Thunderbolt 3, DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 85W PD)
Other Ports	2x USB 3.0, Headphones Jack
Brightness	450 cd/m2
Brightness (HDR)	600 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio	1200:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC)
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)
HDR	VESA DisplayHDR 600