For years, LG has helped define what OLED gaming monitors should look like. From the original UltraGear OLED displays to increasingly larger ultrawide panels, the company has consistently pushed display technology forward without losing sight of what hardcore players actually want: speed, colour accuracy and immersion. With the new UltraGear evo GX9, LG introduces something genuinely new, resulting in one of the more exciting displays for your gaming setup.
The UltraGear evo GX9 is the world’s first 39-inch 5K2K curved OLED gaming monitor, combining a 5120 x 2160 resolution with a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio. It arrives with flagship specifications across the board, including a fourth-generation Tandem RGB OLED panel, dual refresh-rate modes, DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity and a near-instantaneous 0.03ms response time. On paper, it reads like a wish list assembled by PC enthusiasts.
At $2,199.99 CAD, it firmly sits in enthusiast territory. Fortunately, first impressions suggest the hardware largely earns that premium positioning. After two weeks with the UltraGear evo GX9, I found that it completely altered my productivity and, more importantly, gaming experience on PC.
At first glance, the GX9 doesn’t radically reinvent LG’s UltraGear design language. The familiar angular stand, matte black finish and restrained RGB lighting remain, avoiding the overly aggressive aesthetic that still dominates many gaming monitors. Instead, the star of the show is the panel itself. The 39-inch display immediately commands attention without feeling overwhelmingly large on a desk. It occupies significantly more horizontal space than a traditional 34-inch ultrawide but stops short of feeling excessive like some 49-inch super ultrawide monitors. Its 1500R curve feels particularly well judged.
Standing in front of the display, the curve wrapped naturally around my field of vision without creating noticeable distortion. Unlike more aggressive 1000R displays that almost force your head into the experience, LG’s implementation feels subtle enough for productivity while still adding noticeable depth during gameplay. The increase in vertical resolution is equally significant. Many ultrawide monitors simply stretch a 1440p image across a wider canvas. Here, the 5K2K resolution provides significantly more vertical workspace, making windows, documents and web pages feel less cramped. Even from a showroom floor filled with competing displays, the added sharpness immediately stood out.
At 143 pixels per inch, text appeared crisp enough that I could comfortably imagine using the GX9 as an everyday productivity monitor alongside gaming sessions.
Resolution tells only part of the story. The biggest visual leap comes from LG’s latest fourth-generation Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel. OLED technology has always excelled at producing perfect blacks and exceptional contrast, but brightness has historically been one of its weaknesses. LG claims the GX9 reaches up to 335 nits typical brightness, alongside VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. Numbers rarely tell the whole story, though.
Rather than feeling artificially oversaturated, colours looked natural yet incredibly vibrant. Playing a game like 007: First Light, I was stunned by the sheer contrast between the bright green foliage and the darker shadows. Individual leaves maintained their definition, while darker areas retained their texture rather than blending into a uniform black mass. One level in particular, featuring an underground nightclub, really showcased the UltraGear evo GX9’s vibrancy as coloured spotlights danced across the screen. It’s the sort of image quality that’s difficult to fully appreciate until it’s sitting directly in front of you.
LG hasn’t forgotten that this remains a gaming monitor first. The panel supports two refresh-rate configurations: a preferred 5120 x 2160 at 165Hz and a Wide Full HD at 330Hz option. That flexibility could prove incredibly valuable to certain players. Story-driven titles, like God of War Ragnarok, benefit enormously from the native 5K2K resolution, allowing the beautiful settings to make full use of the enormous canvas. Meanwhile, competitive players jumping into Marathon can switch to 330Hz mode for games where responsiveness matters more than sheer resolution.
Combined with a 0.03ms grey-to-grey response time, motion should remain exceptionally clean. It’s difficult not to immediately imagine firing up titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Microsoft Flight Simulator, or The Last of Us Part 2 simply to experience their environments across such an expansive OLED panel. Equally, competitive shooters such as Counter-Strike 2 or Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 stand to benefit from the monitor’s high refresh capabilities. The GX9 seems positioned to satisfy both audiences without asking users to choose one experience over the other.
Premium monitors increasingly live or die by their connectivity, and LG appears well prepared. The inclusion of DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20) is arguably one of the monitor’s most important features. Current flagship graphics cards are only beginning to fully leverage the increased bandwidth of DisplayPort 2.1, making the GX9 feel considerably more future-proof than displays that still rely on older standards.
HDMI 2.1 is also included for console compatibility, alongside a USB-C connection capable of delivering 90W power delivery. For creators who alternate between gaming desktops and laptops, that single-cable setup could significantly simplify daily workflows. Rather than acting solely as a gaming display, the GX9 feels equally positioned as a premium workstation monitor.
Artificial intelligence has rapidly become the marketing phrase attached to almost every new product. Thankfully, LG’s implementation feels considerably more practical and less intrusive than I was expecting. The GX9 incorporates AI Upscaling, AI Scene Optimization and AI Sound alongside OLED Care functionality. Each of these features provides pragmatic improvements in how games look and sound simply by being played on the display.
Perhaps the biggest surprise wasn’t the OLED panel; it was the size. For years, I have been using a dual 29-inch monitor setup to boost productivity. The GX9 makes a surprisingly convincing argument that 39 inches may actually be the better balance, paired with another monitor. The additional screen real estate noticeably enhances immersion without requiring the head movement associated with enormous 49-inch displays.
Multiple application windows fit side by side comfortably. I’m able to have two, even three browser windows open at once on the GX9, letting my secondary display handle apps like Slack, Discord, etc. For video editing, timelines stretched noticeably farther across the screen, allowing for far better control. Everything still felt naturally within reach despite having more screen real estate. If anything, the GX9 highlighted just how limiting traditional 16:9 monitors now feel.
The LG UltraGear evo GX9 doesn’t appear to be designed for the average gamer, nor is it trying to be. Its $2,199.99 CAD price places it firmly in enthusiast territory, targeting buyers building high-end gaming PCs that can take full advantage of everything the display offers. Based on my hands-on time, LG has produced a monitor that feels every bit as premium as its specifications suggest. The OLED panel is stunning, the 39-inch size strikes an excellent balance between immersion and practicality, and the added vertical resolution makes it feel equally suited to gaming, content creation and everyday productivity.
Between its exceptional image quality, thoughtful feature set and genuinely immersive form factor, the UltraGear evo GX9 stands out as a premium display worthy of serious consideration. For gamers and creators willing to invest in a flagship monitor, LG has delivered a product that doesn’t simply chase specifications; it delivers an experience that feels every bit as premium as its price tag.
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