LG 49WQ95C Review: 5120×1440 144Hz IPS FreeSync UltraWide Curved Gaming Monitor

The LG 49WQ95C-W is the first (and currently the only) 49″ 5120×1440 IPS super-ultrawide monitor with a high 144Hz refresh rate. So, let’s see how it compares to the more popular VA models!

Image Quality

The monitor is based on a Nano IPS panel, which boasts a wide 98% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for rich and saturated colors. Equivalent to around 135% sRGB gamut size, this causes over-saturation when viewing regular SDR content developed with the sRGB color space in mind.

Some people prefer the extra vibrancy provided by this, while others might want to view SDR content with proper colors. Luckily, the LG 49WQ95C has an sRGB emulation mode that can restrict the color output to 100% sRGB precisely for this reason.

The IPS panel also provides you with 178° wide viewing angles, which is one of the biggest differences when compared to the more popular VA ultrawides, such as the Odyssey G9. Colors, brightness, contrast and gamma all remain consistent across the entire screen, regardless of the angle you’re looking at it.

While VA monitors do have decent viewing angles to the point where you most likely won’t notice any issues when gaming or watching videos, if you’re doing professional color-critical work, even a slight shift in gamma is unacceptable – which is where IPS technology comes in.

On top of that, unlike the VA models, the LG 49WQ95C monitor has a subtle 3800R screen curvature, which helps with the overall viewing experience without distorting important details of your work.

Moving on, the 5120×1440 screen resolution on a 49″ sized screen provides you with a pixel density of 108.54 PPI (pixels per inch). As a result, you get plenty of screen real estate with sharp details and text, and no scaling necessary.

Basically, you can think of the LG 49WQ95C as two 27″ 2560×1440 monitors side by side, just without the bezels in between them.

The 32:9 super-ultrawide format is exceptionally useful when it comes to productivity work and audio/video editing due to the extra horizontal screen space.

While there are many games that support the 32:9 aspect ratio, a lot of content is limited to 16:9 or 21:9 formats, which will have black bars at the sides of the screen. So, make sure your favorite games support 32:9 ultrawide resolutions in case you plan on doing a lot of gaming on this screen!

Next, the LG 49WQ95C has a strong peak brightness of 400-nits, so it will be able to get bright enough even in well-lit rooms. The contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, as expected from an IPS display. So, you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA or OLED displays, but those panels have other drawbacks.

As mentioned earlier, VA panels have narrower viewing angles, while OLED displays suffer from the risk of burn-in and have a lower sustainable brightness for full white windows, making them less suitable for color-critical work. OLED monitors are also only available in a few form factors (42″+ 16:9 and a 34″ 3440×1440 ultrawide), all of which have imperfect subpixel layout that causes minor text fringing.

There are two 27″ and 32″ 4K OLED displays with the regular RGB subpixel layout that are intended for professional use, but they go for over $3,000 and are limited to 60Hz.

So, if you’re looking for a display for serious color-critical work, you’ll have to cope with the lower contrast ratio of IPS monitors as well as IPS glow at this price range.

The LG 49WQ95C also supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), but due to its low contrast ratio and lack of proper local dimming, you won’t be getting a noteworthy HDR viewing experience.

Performance

There are four responsive time overdrive modes: Off, Normal, Fast and Faster.

We recommend using the ‘Fast’ mode since ‘Faster’ can introduce inverse ghosting.

While not the fastest gaming monitor, the LG 49WQ95C eliminates most of trailing behind fast-moving objects for an enjoyable and responsive fast-paced gaming experience. Input lag is also excellent at ~4ms of delay, which is imperceptible.

Moreover, the monitor supports variable refresh rate for tear-free gameplay up to 144FPS. It has both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible certifications for impeccable performance.

Additionally, the backlight of the monitor is completely flicker-free and there’s an integrated low-blue light filter.

Features

At the rear of the monitor, there’s a directional joystick for quick and easy navigation through the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.

As an alternative, you can use the On-Screen Control desktop application by LG to make display adjustments using your keyboard and mouse.

Noteworthy gaming features include Black Stabilizer (improves visibility in dark scenes), various picture presets and crosshair overlays.

The LG 49WQ95C also supports Picture in Picture, Picture by Picture and has an integrated KVM functionality, allowing you to connect and display two PC sources side by side and control them via one set of keyboard/mouse.

Besides the standard image adjustment tools (brightness, contrast, color temperature, aspect ratio, etc.), the monitor offers several advanced settings, including four gamma presets, sharpness, 6-axis hue/saturation and color temperature fine-tuning in 500K increments.

Lastly, there’s a built-in sensor that can automatically adjust the screen brightness according to ambient lighting.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is robust and offers a good range of ergonomics, including up to 110mm height adjustment, -5°/20° tilt, +/- 15° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

The screen has a subtle 3800R curvature and a light matte anti-glare coating that prevents reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, a USB-C port with DP 1.4 Alt Mode and 90W Power Delivery, a dual-USB 3.0 hub (1 upstream + 2 downstream), a headphone jack and dual 10W integrated speakers with decent audio quality.

All four display inputs support 5120×1440 144Hz with dithered 10-bit color depth.

Price & Similar Monitors

The LG 49WQ95C price ranges from ~$1,100 to $1,500.

At $1,100, it’s the best value super-ultrawide monitor for gaming and work, but at $1,500, it’s a bit expensive.

In fact, if you want a 49″ super-ultrawide monitor with an IPS panel and a high refresh rate for both professional color-critical work and smooth gaming experience, it’s the only option available, so if you find a good price for it, it’s a great option.

In case you want a 49″ 5120×1440 IPS ultrawide monitor with a lower refresh rate, there’s the Dell U4919DW and the LG 49WL95C, but these also go for over $1,000.

Now, if you just plan on doing some basic content creation and don’t need professional-grade color consistency, you can get by with a VA model. The Samsung Odyssey G9 with 240Hz goes for around $800.

In case you want an ultrawide monitor for HDR, the Samsung Neo G9 with a mini LED backlight can sometimes be found for ~$1,300, while the MSI MPG 341CQPX with a QD-OLED panel goes for ~$850. There’s also the 49″ 5120×1440 240Hz QD-OLED version for $1,300, the Odyssey OLED G9.

Finally, for professional colorists, other IPS ultrawide displays worth considering include the LG 38WN75C (38″ 3840×1600), the LG 40WP95C (40″ 5120×2160) and the Dell U4025QW (40″ 5120×2160 120Hz IPS Black).

Conclusion

All in all, the LG 49WQ95C is an excellent monitor for gaming and work. However, it’s very expensive, so it’s only worth the price if you find it on sale or really want a single ultrawide display for professional color-critical work and gaming.

Specifications

Screen Size	49-inch
Screen Curvature	3800R
Resolution	5120×1440 (DQHD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	32:9 (Super-UltraWide)
Refresh Rate	144Hz
Response Time	5ms (GtG)
Adaptive-Sync	FreeSync Premium Pro (48-144Hz) G-SYNC Compatible (48-144Hz)
Speakers	2x10W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 90W PD)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 2x USB 3.0
Brightness	400 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 98% DCI-P3
HDR	DisplayHDR 400
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)