LG UltraFine 32BQ85U-W 4K IPS Black with USB-C
As an Amazon Associate and Newegg Affiliate 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.~32″ ‘4K’ UHD models provide an immersive and pixel-rich experience for strong detail and clarity plus an excellent amount of useful workspace. The LG 32BQ85U (32BQ85U-W owing to largely white rear) of the UltraFine series is one such offering, featuring an IPS Black panel to enhance contrast compared to most IPS offerings. The monitor offers simple homely styling, with crescent-shaped silver coloured stand base and cylindrical neck. Plus a black matte plastic bottom bezel and dual-stage bezels at the top and side. This means there’s a slender panel border flush with the rest of the screen at the top and sides, plus a slim hard plastic outer part. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick which faces downwards in the central region of the bottom bezel.
A 31.5″ 3840 x 2160 (‘4K’ UHD) LG Display IPS Black panel is used, most likely the LM315WR6-SSA1 more specifically. A matte anti-glare screen surface is adopted and 60Hz refresh rate supported, alongside a 2000:1 static contrast ratio – double the usual 1000:1 for the panel type. Adaptive-Sync is supported, allowing VRR technologies such as AMD FreeSync and Nvidia ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ to be used, with 60 – 40Hz range of operation. Other aspects of note include 178°/178° viewing angles and 10-bit (8-bit + FRC) colour support. Hardware calibration is supported using LG Calibration Studio software and a compatible colorimeter, allowing the LUT of the monitor to be directly addressed and custom calibrated presets loaded onto the monitor. A flicker-free WLED backlight provides a 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut and 400 cd/m² typical maximum luminance.
The monitor offers basic HDR10 support at the VESA DisplayHDR 400 level, allowing 10-bit colour processing to be used and the colour gamut put to good use. But not requiring high brightness by HDR standards or local dimming to enhance contrast. A 5ms grey to grey response time is specified (caution advised), with ‘Dynamic Action Sync’ (DAS) included as an integrated low input lag feature. The stand attaches centrally with a quick-release mechanism allowing easy removal, revealing provision for 100 x 100mm VESA mounting. Tilt, height (110mm or 4.33 inches) and pivot adjustment is offered by the stand. The ports face backwards in a recessed area to the right of the stand attachment point and include; USB-C (90W PD, DP Alt Mode), DP 1.4, 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports plus Type-B upstream, a 3.5mm headphone jack and DC power input (external ‘power brick’). 2 x 5W speakers are included.
Further details can be found on the manufacturer’s website. A 27″ variant (27BQ85U-W) is also available, with a detachable colorimeter included. At time of writing the product page for the 31.5″ model incorrectly shows this feature, which is exclusive to the smaller model.