LG 39GS95QE Review: 3440×1440 240Hz OLED UltraWide Curved Gaming Monitor

A lot of gamers are interested in ultrawide gaming monitors larger than the most popular 34″ form factor. The LG UltraGear 39GS95QE-B is one of the first such models available with an OLED panel, so let’s see how it performs!

Image Quality

One of the most sought-after forms of ultrawide monitors is the 38″ 3840×1600 size/resolution combination, which provides you with the same pixel density as the popular 34″ 3440×1440 models but with a notably bigger screen.

Sadly, the LG 39GS95QE has a 3440×1440 resolution, which results in a lower pixel density of 95.62 PPI (pixels per inch). Therefore, you will get the same text and detail clarity as that of 24″ 1080p and 32″ 1440p monitors.

The details are still reasonably sharp, but some users might find it inadequate, especially if they’re coming from a display with a higher pixel density. It is, however, a big upgrade from the monitors with ~81 PPI, such as that of the 27″ 1080p and 45″ 3440×1440 models.

In fact, at a viewing distance of ~91cm (~36″), individual pixels won’t be noticeable on the 39GS95QE, which is reasonable given the screen’s size.

The bigger issue is the fact that the LG 39GS95QE monitor uses LG’s W-OLED panel with the first-generation RWBG subpixel layout as opposed to their newer panels with an RGWB layout.

This causes minor but noticeable fringing on small text and fine details, and the low pixel density makes it even more visible. The fringing is not really noticeable in games and videos, but if you plan on using the monitor for work that involves a lot of reading and typing, it can be bothersome to some users.

Note that there are no 38″ 3840×1600 OLED (or mini LED) HDR displays available nor scheduled for manufacturing at the time of this writing. However, 39″ and 45″ 5120×2160 OLED models with the improved RGWB subpixel layout are planned – though they’re not expected before 2025.

You can think of the LG 39GS95QE as a 32″ 2560×1440 monitor with ~30% extra width. The extra horizontal screen space of the 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio provides you with a more immersive viewing experience by extending your field of view in compatible games and displaying movies shot at the ~21:9 formats without the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen as they’d be shown on 16:9 displays.

Of course, some games don’t support ultrawide resolutions (mainly competitive titles, such as Valorant and StarCraft II), so they will have black bars at the sides of the screen – same as 16:9 videos.

The ultrawide resolution also benefits productivity work and audio/video editing.

Moving on, the LG 39GS95QE is based on LG’s W-OLED panel with improved brightness performance, reaching up to 1300-nits for < 3% APL (Average Picture Level, white window size), resulting in bright HDR highlights. 100% APL is also bumped up to 275-nits, which is more than bright enough for most users under normal lighting conditions.

However, it’s important to note that these brightness measurements refer to white luminance.

While Samsung’s QD-OLED panels have a lower white luminance than W-OLED panels, they actually have a higher color volume as well as a wider 99.3% DCI-P3 color gamut, which results in an overall higher perceived brightness with more saturated colors.

The LG 39GS95QE still has an exceptional 98.5% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage for a vibrant image quality with punchy colors.

There are two HDR modes: Peak Brightness Low and Peak Brightness High. The ‘Low’ mode is more accurate but it’s limited to ~650-nits, whereas the ‘High’ mode can reach up to 1300-nits but it makes content brighter than intended. So, you’ll need to pick the mode according to your preference. We’d like to see a firmware update from LG that allows for both accurate and bright (as specified) HDR image.

Next, you get 178° wide viewing angles, which ensure that the image remains flawless regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen. The panel also supports true 10-bit color depth for less banding and smooth gradients.

Further, the LG 39GS95QE is factory-calibrated and has an sRGB emulation mode, in case you wish to restrict its color output to 100% sRGB for accurate SDR colors.

Performance

The LG 39GS95QE has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, providing you with buttery-smooth gameplay.

All OLED displays have instantaneous pixel response time speed, so there’s no visible ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Additionally, the monitor has low input lag of ~3ms, which is imperceptible.

VRR (variable refresh rate) is also supported via AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and HDMI 2.1 VRR for tear-free gameplay up to 240FPS, though some VRR flicker may be present in dark scenes of games with fluctuating frame rates, as expected from OLED monitors.

The main disadvantage of OLED displays is the risk of permanent image burn-in and temporary image retention. When leaving an image on the screen for too long, bright static elements can ‘burn-in’ and become permanently visible.

However, if you’re using the monitor sensibly and use the available burn-in prevention features, this shouldn’t be an issue – these include OLED Screen Move, Screen Saver and OLED Image Cleaning. LG’s also offers a 2-year warranty that covers burn-in.

Lastly, the LG 39GS95QE-B monitor is flicker-free and there’s a low-blue light filter mode available.

Features

Behind the screen, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu. Alternatively, you can use LG’s On-Screen Control desktop application to adjust monitor settings using your keyboard and mouse.

Apart from the standard image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, etc.), the LG 39GS95QE also offers some advanced settings, including manual color temperature adjustments in 500K increments, sharpness, three gamma presets, aspect ratio (Full Wide, Original, Just Scan, Cinema 1 and Cinema 2), automatic input detection and 6-axis hue/saturation.

Other features include Black Stabilizer (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature), a refresh rate tracker, crosshair overlays and Picture in Picture / Picture by Picture support.

The monitor also supports hardware calibration, allowing you to apply and store color corrections using a chip on the display itself instead of ICC profiles.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is robust and offers a good range of ergonomic adjustments, including up to 120mm height adjustment, -10°/15° tilt, +/- 10° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

The screen has a steep 800R curvature for added immersion, though some users might find it too aggressive.

Further, the screen has a matte anti-glare coating that adds a bit of graininess to the image (mainly noticeable on solid colors), but it efficiently prevents reflections.

The design has purple accents, a cable management hole, customizable RGB lighting at the rear and an integrated cooling fan, though it’s silent.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth, a headphone jack with DTS Headphone:X support and a dual-USB 3.0 hub. The headphone jack can also be used for a microphone as long as the monitor is connected to the PC via USB.

Price & Similar Monitors

The LG 39GS95QE price ranges from $1,300 to $1,500. Even at $1,300, it seems a bit expensive considering that the 34″ 3440×1440 175Hz models can be found for $800. However, if you want a 39″ version, it’s currently the only model available – it can be found on sale for $1,000, which is a reasonable price.

We also recommend waiting for the ASUS PG39WCDM model based on the same panel, which will feature a USB-C port with 90W Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, built-in KVM, BFI up to 120Hz, a heatsink instead of a cooling fan and a better 3-year warranty that covers burn-in. No word on pricing and availability yet though.

Conclusion

Overall, the LG 39GS95QE is an excellent gaming monitor if you don’t mind the lower pixel density and minor fringing on small text and fine details, which in addition to the aggressive screen curvature might not appeal to those looking for a display for both gaming and work. We’d also like to see a bit lower price and a firmware update that addresses the HDR inaccuracy.

Specifications

Screen Size	39-inch
Screen Curvature	800R
Resolution	3440×1440 (UWQHD)
Panel Type	OLED
Aspect Ratio	21:9 (UltraWide)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time	0.03ms (GtG)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync Premium Pro (48-240Hz) G-SYNC Compatible, HDMI 2.1 VRR
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness (1 – 3% White Window)	1300 cd/m²
Brightness (10% White Window)	800 cd/m²
Brightness (100% White Window)	275 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	Infinite
Colors	1.07 billion (true 10-bit) 98.5% DCI-P3
HDR	VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)