LG 27UL650 and 27UL850 27 inch 4K IPS models with FreeSync
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made using the “Buy” button at the bottom of this post. Where possible, you'll be redirected to your nearest store. Further information on supporting our work.By combining a strong pixel density with decent screen size and a range of relatively affordable options, 27” ‘4K’ models are quite a popular choice. LG has offered models with this size and resolution for a number of years now, models which have offered impressive all-round performance and reasonable pricing. The LG 27UL650 and 27UL850 (27UL650-W and 27UL850-W owing to the white rear) feature such panels. The monitors appear very similar to the previous models, including the 27UK650. Not that this is a bad thing, it’s a design that many users quite like. The bezels are ‘3-side borderless’ with a dual-stage design comprising a slim panel border and thin hard outer component. The panel border appears to blend in nicely when the screen is switched off. An stand base has a crescent shape, a so-called ‘ArcLine stand’. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick facing downwards on the bottom bezel, beneath the LG logo.
The monitors use a 27” ‘4K’ UHD (3840 x 2160) LG IPS panel. A 60Hz refresh rate is supported alongside Adaptive-Sync, with the AMD FreeSync supported (40 – 60Hz variable refresh rate range) compatible GPUs and systems. The panel adopts a light matte anti-glare screen surface, has a 1000:1 static contrast ratio and 178°/178° viewing angles. The monitors support 10-bit colour via 8-bit + FRC dithering and come factory calibrated, something LG didn’t specifically mention for the 2018 model. On the ‘850’ model hardware calibration is also supported with a compatible colorimeter, using LG’s True Color Pro software. The monitors feature flicker-free WLED backlights (DC dimming), with 99% sRGB coverage specified alongside a typical maximum luminance of 350 cd/m². The monitors also respond to HDR10 content and can pulse the backlight higher (400 cd/m²+), but only a basic HDR support is offered without effective local dimming or an expanded colour gamut. The monitors are VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified, which is the most basic HDR level VESA certifies for. The earlier models did not have this certification, although HDR was ‘supported’.
Other features to note include a Low Blue Light (LBL) settings, ‘Black Stabilizer’ (enhances visibility of dark shades) and ‘DAS (Dynamic Action Sync)’ which minimises input lag. A 5ms grey to grey response time is specified. The included stand offers tilt, height adjustment and pivot adjustment (90° rotation into portrait). An alternative model (27UL600 or 27UL600-W) is also available with a more basic tilt-only stand. The included stand can be removed to make way for an alternative 100 x 100mm VESA compatible solution. The ports face backwards in a recessed area towards the right of the stand. These include; DP 1.4, 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and DC power input (external ‘power brick’). The ‘850’ model also features 2 USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C port plus 2 x 5W front-facing MaxxAudio speakers.
Further information is available on LG’s website. The monitor is now available with an initial retail price of ~$550 and ~$700 for the ‘650’ and ‘850’ models, respectively.