Get the LG 27GL850 for £339 at Overclockers UK (22% off)
1440p 144Hz screens are the biggest growing category right now, because they offer the best sweet spot between price and performance - more pixels than 1080p without being as hard to run as 4K, and more than double the refresh rate of a standard 60Hz monitor. Of course, there are plenty of monitors offering this spec on the market, so what makes the 27GL850 special? Well, the reason the 27GL850 is so good comes down to its Fast IPS panel. It was the first monitor on the market to use LG’s new ‘Nano IPS’ screen technology, which combines the extremely fast pixel response times you’d expect from a TN panel with the colours and viewing angles you get from IPS. That makes for a screen that’s a great all-rounder. You could easily use it during the day for colour-accurate work, thanks to its 98% DCI P3 colour gamut coverage and excellent factory calibration, then play competitive games that take advantage of its 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms GtG pixel response time. No matter what you like playing, from slow-paced strategy games to faster shooters, this monitor is a superb choice. In terms of specs and features, pretty much all of the boxes here are ticked. You get FreeSync and G-Sync Compatibility to prevent tearing without the input lag penalty of regular v-sync, good ergonomics including height adjustment from the included stand and 100x100 VESA compatibility if you want to use your own mount. Ports on the rear are easy to access, as they face backwards rather than down, and the OSD is easy to operate with a simple joystick. Even down to the small details, this monitor nails it. So: I reckon the 27GL850 is an excellent monitor and this £339 price point is absolutely killer. After the first reviews of this model went live a year or so ago, it’s become quite popular and therefore hard to find at anything close to RRP - just like recent graphics card and processor releases. To see it freely available and at such a good price is a real turnaround, so do research it yourself and pick one up if it looks right. I don’t often get upset when I have to send review units back during my day job at Digital Foundry, but the 27GL850 is one that I’ve missed pretty much every day! That’s probably why, a year later, the 27GL850 remains DF’s top overall gaming monitor pick.
