Review on LG 32GK650F B Monitor: FreeSync, 2560X1440P Resolution, Pivot & Swivel Adjustment, High Dynamic Range, 32GK650F-B.AUS by Greg Rice

So I've had this monitor for a little over a week just to make sure I've gotten my head together enough to write an in-depth review on it. For the price (I bought it for $350) I think it's a fantastic gaming monitor and I'm very happy with my purchase. However, I would not recommend this monitor for people with small desks. Sitting too close will only compound the panel's inherent flaws. If you want to know more, read on. Strong contrast is really the highlight when choosing a VA panel over IPS or TN. The contrast is very good. Bright white and dark black erase the floor with an old TN panel I worked with. It won't look as good as OLED, but I think it's good for TN or IPS. VESA mount - this may not be a big deal to others, but it was actually very important to me. I'm planning to mount two monitors on the same arm, so VESA is a must. In fact, I'm a little surprised at how many brands still don't use it. Low input lag and pixel response time make this monitor so good for gaming. Not only can you reduce input lag to around 1ms with the Motion Blur Reduction setting, but the monitor itself has a pretty good pixel response time. The gameplay is really good and I don't feel any difference between this and my TN panel. Refresh rate 144Hz. This was my first time trying 144Hz and I really like it. Games are much smoother, and Windows itself works much better. I can never go back to 60Hz. Overall Design - I really appreciate LG's sophisticated gaming design. I can't stand the looks of some gaming monitors. they just seem tasteless to me. This one is good, and the little touches of red stand out without being too gaudy. Stand - I won't be using it for very long as I will be arm mounting my monitors but I really like the stand. It's fully articulated (lift, rotate, tilt) and is pretty durable too. The footprint is also relatively small considering the size of the panel it has to accommodate. I also appreciate the cable management clip that doubles as a headphone holder. Manage keyboard/mouse cables. There are several "ports" on the underside of the panel for connecting a tiny ring for cable management. The ring itself is very cheap and I have a feeling it will likely just fall out or break if you pull too hard. but I still appreciate it very much. This is a nice feature that will make your desktop look cleaner than without it. Narrow Bezel - This monitor has a double bezel. It has an ultra-thin plastic bezel along the outer frame and a slightly thicker one under the bezel itself. When it's off, you can only see the thin outer frame, but once you turn it on, both frames are visible. You should be able to see the difference in the photos provided. On Screen Controls - I really like the look and feel of the LG OSD. It definitely feels like a gamer, but it doesn't look gaudy. In my opinion, only the Samsung gaming monitor menu looks better. Where LG crushes all others is menu management. The navigator is a little dial at the bottom of the panel and I love that. This makes changing any setting quick, efficient, and painless, and eliminates the guesswork involved with button-based controls. The dial also serves as the monitor's power button. It's one click to turn it on and one click and then up the dial to turn it off. Simple. Weaknesses Pixel Density - In my opinion, this is the weakest aspect of the monitor. That's why I wouldn't recommend it for people with small tables. If you sit too close you can see the pixels and it doesn't look good. The monitor also struggles to display very small text, which is why some complain about the blurriness. This leads me to think that a 27" option would actually be ideal for this monitor, but I don't think a 1440p model would be available in 27". notice it with this monitor. although not much. It's almost impossible to tell in games unless you're actively looking for it. However, I notice this in Windows Dark Mode. When I move the window panes there's a messy trail behind it, but honestly it's not that bad. It's very minor and I doubt most people will even notice it. I think people will notice the color change (again, that's the problem) of small dark text more when scrolling. With fast movement, thin text turns purple due to a faint color transition. It doesn't really matter in my opinion, but some people won't be able to get over it. Other miscellaneous cons: No pass-through USB port, which is available on higher models (about $200 more), but that's not the case. worth it in my opinion. The colors are good but not outstanding. It will not be able to keep up with IPS panels in this area. The default settings will likely need to be changed. Some settings, like brightness, were too high. Viewing angles will be limited, but I literally don't care. This only matters for TVs in large rooms. I'm sitting right in front of the monitor, I don't need wide viewing angles. The power supply is not built into the monitor, but I would like to do it. These thick stones make it difficult to work with cables and just look ugly. Overall I am very happy with my purchase. With low input lag, high refresh rate, 32 inch size and 1440p resolution, gaming has become such a comfortable experience. I really feel like I got the "full package" for only $350. If the pixel density was better this would be a SIMPLE 5 star rating.