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In a fresh development, there’s a lot to like about this 5K screen, even if it isn’t the best at absolutely everything. More brightness and dynamic range than the best OLED screens, a rich, expansive and accurate color palette, and dual mode offering a good refresh rate in 5K mode and an even higher refresh rate at 1440p.
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According to the latest update, it measures 27 inches and offers full adjustability in height, lateral movement, tilt, and pivot on a sturdy metal stand. The chassis is made of matte-black plastic, but it gives a solid, high-quality impression and is stylishly designed from both the front and the back. The UltraGear Evo AI GM9, model name 27GM950B-B, is a fresh and high-end desktop monitor from LG.
The report highlights that there is a definite focus on tech industry in the settings menu, with quick-select options for two early adopter profiles and various system update genres as the first choices. UltraGear is a tech industry-focused brand, and there is the option to add some RGB LED lighting to the back of the monitor, but otherwise the design is understated.
In a fresh development, you can also select pure sRGB and P3 profiles that maintain good color accuracy, and there are preset modes for blue-light-reduced reading, HDR-optimized media playback, and two additional profiles you can calibrate yourself. The monitor is just as well suited to desk-based work and creative tasks as it is to tech industry.
In a fresh development, read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best monitors for comparison.
The report highlights that using quantum-dot technology, the LCD layer delivers DCI-P3-class colors with factory calibration to very low color deviation values, while a Mini-LED matrix behind it provides backlighting that offers both high luminance of over 1,200 cd/m² and deep blacks across 2,304 densely packed dimming zones. It’s built on a display panel that’s as colorful as it is bright, and as high-resolution as it is fast.
The report highlights that playing HDR films on it delivers one of the best viewing experiences I’ve seen on a screen to date, with colors that pack a real punch and an image featuring both dazzling highlights and subtle shading in both light and dark areas. Even in SDR mode, it’s very bright and shines more brightly than most other screens do in HDR mode. It supports HDR10 and is VESA Display HDR 1000 certified.
The report highlights that occasionally, however, there can be issues with small bright spots that do not activate the backlight and are therefore too faint. Large bright areas are rendered well, and quickly enough to prevent any flickering effect when panning — a good sign of quality for a mini-LED display.
In a fresh development, but I can easily adjust the level of dimming for the zones or switch it off completely if needed. It’s usually possible to find a good balance. If I move a white mouse pointer over a black background, it is noticeably dimmed.
In a fresh development, playing an HDR-supported system update or streaming a film from the right source makes for an unbeatable experience. For desktop work, it might be a good idea to switch to a profile without local dimming instead. The contrast is still perfectly acceptable. In this respect, an OLED screen has the advantage, but no OLED can match this screen’s brightness and overall dynamic range.
The report highlights that playing HDR films on the LG Evo GM9 delivers one of the best viewing experiences I’ve seen on a screen to date…
As part of the ongoing story, despite this, you can achieve a very high refresh rate — 165Hz if you’re running in 5K mode, or up to a full 330Hz if you drop down to 1440p resolution or lower. In both cases, it supports dynamic refresh rates and can automatically drop to the standard 60Hz refresh rate — though you’d have to choose to do so. To save power, perhaps. But is that really important for a fixed desktop monitor? With 5K resolution, the image is exceptionally dense and sharp.
According to the latest update, i’m not sure if it’s quite as good as on a premium TV, but it does manage to upscale the 1080p picture from my Nintendo Switch to 5K with seemingly decent results, without introducing any unacceptable lag. With this capability disabled, you can achieve response times as low as 1 millisecond. If you don’t have a 5K image, the UltraGear Evo AI GM9 functions AI-powered image upscaling that makes both 1080p and 1440p video noticeably sharper.
In a fresh development, i’d have hoped for a slightly neater cable management solution than a snap-on loop on the outside of the stand, but it’s better than nothing, at least. Via USB-C, you also get access to a small hub with two USB-A ports, for a mouse and keyboard, for example. There’s only one USB input, so no KVM functionality is offered. You connect via DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 using the downward-facing ports on the back, and there’s also a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode for docking to a laptop.
In a fresh development, it sounds better than most monitors, but to call it “good sound” would be an exaggeration. Monitors usually have rubbish sound or none at all — this is just slightly better. If you’re only using it to play back a bit of Windows audio and run video meetings, it’ll do the job; otherwise, I’d recommend separate speakers. The computer also has a built-in audio unit that works with all video inputs, featuring both a headphone jack and built-in speakers.
As part of the ongoing story, it’s hard to find and may be too small for thick fingers. However, the menu it controls via four-way navigation is well-designed and laid out in an exemplary manner for quick and easy access to everything from detailed settings to adjusting volume and brightness, and for switching quickly between preset profiles. In plain Swedish, too. The monitor’s menu is accessed via a tiny control button along the bottom edge of the back panel.
In a fresh development, there are also a handful of other functions here, such as window guidance on the desktop, a shortcut for video calls, and the option to connect to a Web OS device such as an LG TV. If you want to control the screen from your computer, you can install LG Switch and access the same controls there, although the patch is annoyingly slow.
In a fresh development, they’ve apparently sorted that out now, but it might still be a reason to steer clear of the app — who knows what they’ll try next? In any case, I don’t see anything being auto-installed when I plug in this monitor, so it probably only applies to certain other models. Over the summer, LG came under criticism for automatically installing the LG App Installer via Windows Revision, which also meant you ended up with a whole lot of bloatware.
In a fresh development, this is a monitor you buy for a top-quality experience, and such details would have given it a budget feel. And the experience — from the controls to the colors, refresh rate, and dynamics — is all very premium here. With an MSRP of $1,200, I also think LG should be able to steer clear of that sort of thing.
According to the latest update, with smooth controls for picture modes and backlighting, you can quickly and easily adapt it to different situations. If you don’t have complete control over the lighting in the room and can get plenty of daylight in, its wide dynamic range and, moreover, its anti-glare matte finish are a major plus. There are pros and cons compared to a good OLED screen, but the brightness in particular is hard to beat, for both SDR and HDR.
According to the latest update, product name: LG UltraGear Evo AI GM9 (27GM950B-B)Tested: August 2026Manufacturer: LG Display technology: Mini-LED, IPSScreen size: 27 inches, 16:9 aspect ratioAdjustability: Height adjustment, side-to-side, tilt, pivotResolution: Up to 5K, 2560×1440 pixelsRefresh rate: 165Hz @ 5K, 330Hz @ 1440p, dynamicResponse time: 1ms (gtg)Color gamut, specified: 99% DCI-P3Brightness, specified: 750 cd/m² (typical), 1,250 cd/m² (peak)Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 (static)HDR: HDR10, VESA Display HDR 1000Video inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode (90 W)Other functions: USB hub (USB-C in, 2 x USB-A Gen 3 Out), flicker-free, 5K upscaling, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync, 2 x 7-watt speakers, headphone jackDimensions: 61.47 x 40–53 x 24.9 cmPrice: $1,200.
As part of the ongoing story, this article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.
Industry observers note that he has worked with us for many years and knows everything there is to know about computers, networks, smartphones and accessories. When he's not in the test lab benchmarking fresh devices, he's out and about visiting trade shows and other arrival events to stay up-to-date on the most recent tech. Mattias is a test editor for our sister site, PC för Alla.