LG 27UD58-B 27-Inch 4K UHD IPS Monitor

  • Low input lag

  • Inexpensive

  • Good for gaming with Freesync included

  • No speakers or USB ports

  • Backlight bleed issues

  • Deep blacks not great

If you want a budget 4K monitor for gaming, the 27-inch LG 27UD58-B is well worth its low price point.

  • Design and Features
  • Setup Process
  • Image Quality
  • Software
  • Price
  • Competition
  • Final Verdict
  • Specs

We purchased LG’s 27UHD58-B 27-Inch 4K Monitor so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

Getting into 4K for either gaming, working or viewing entertainment can be a costly endeavor. Most of the time, 4K monitors can run upwards of $500 to $1,000 for a quality display, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Enter LG’s 27UHD58-B, a 27-inch 4K monitor aimed at getting gamers into the world of Ultra HD (UHD) without shelling out loads of cash. While this particular display does cut a few corners, it still makes a great option for those looking to purchase a sub-$300 4K monitor that will, for the most part, check all your typical boxes. 

Design and Features: Not luxury, but standard

While the 27UHD58-B isn’t the most stunning monitor around (especially for a 4K), it looks alright to us. The monitor features a unique crescent-shaped stand that is solid for cable management. It keeps the monitor very stable, but lacks any real adjustment for ergonomics. Because you can’t adjust swivel, height or distance, the 27UHD58-B definitely takes a hit in this department. You can adjust the tilt, but that’s pretty much it.

Moving up to the display, the frame is constructed from the same glossy black plastic that comprises the stand, meaning no metal in the build at all. While the plastic looks and feels fine, many other 4K monitors feature mostly metal builds—though they also command a higher price as a trade-off. The borders are acceptably thin here and the gap between the screen is sufficiently small. 

Towards the rear, the 27UHD58-B is made from a matte-black plastic that matches most other budget monitors and has ports that stick straight out. No real negatives there, but managing the cables may be a bit more difficult and it will need some extra space for them to jut out.

The overall thickness of the 27UHD58-B is solid compared to some monitors, and the stand’s minimal design allows it to sit close to a wall without too much issue. It’s also VESA 100x100 compatible, so you can choose to mount it if you’d like, and it’s quite lightweight. Overall, the build quality isn’t anything amazing (this is an approximately $300 monitor, after all), but it feels sturdy enough and seems like it will hold up just fine.

While this particular display does cut a few corners, it still makes a great option for those looking to purchase a sub-$300 4K monitor.

For ports, the 27UHD58-B features two HDMI 2.0 (needed for the latest 4K gaming consoles) and a standard DisplayPort, as well as a 3.5mm analog audio out for connecting to external speakers or headphones. 

While this monitor doesn’t include any internal audio options, this cost-saving measure on LG’s part is acceptable, as most built-in speakers are terrible anyways. We’d have liked to see some extra USB ports on the display for accessories, but the lack of them isn’t a big loss either, as USB hubs are a cheap solution/alternative to solve the problem.

Setup Process: Plug it in and you’re ready to play

Setting up the 27UHD58-B is simple enough. Depending on your usage, this may vary a bit, but it’s mostly the same for everything. After unboxing, plug in the power cable, the display connection of your choice (either HDMI or DisplayPort), and power on the monitor.

Those who want to further adjust settings within the monitor’s menu can also do so to improve things a bit. The on-screen display can be accessed and adjusted with the tiny joystick at the bottom of the screen. This is also the power button, but the joystick control is far better than many alternatives out there that force you to juggle between several buttons for functions. The menu is much more intuitive than some we’ve tested, and from here you can enable things like Game Mode to enhance performance if you so desire. 

Image Quality: Sufficient for a budget 4K panel 

Jumping off with contrast ratio, this LG monitor is middle-of-the-road in terms of black uniformity. It’s not horrible, but the image quality in a dark room suffers because of the prominent backlight bleed in each corner. In a brighter environment, it performs better with a decent peak brightness and Anti-Glare 3H coating on the screen that cuts down on annoying reflections. For gray uniformity, this monitor is much better and the dreaded “dirty screen effect” is mostly unnoticeable save a few small places. This means it’ll perform well for entertainment content and gaming, though it lacks HDR support and local dimming—two key features that really step up a 4K experience.

Viewing angles are adequate given the IPS panel and should produce solid image quality for users roughly aligned with the front. When viewed from an angle, colors will inevitably shift, but it’s much better than any VA or TN panel.

Out of the box, the color accuracy is surprisingly good and will be sufficient for anyone but professionals who need the utmost accuracy. Even then, with some slight adjustments and tuning, the accuracy should suffice even for those demanding users. We used a preset color calibration found online and noticed a nice bump in this department.

Most 4K games struggle to reach beyond 60Hz presently, making the monitor a decent option for the near future—at least until technology pushes 4K into the 120Hz space.

If you’re planning to grab the 27UD58-B to use as a gaming monitor, the display will work fine for most games. While the motion does look good thanks to a fast pixel response time, flicker-free backlight (a standard), and FreeSync, the 60Hz refresh isn’t the best. That said, most 4K games struggle to reach beyond 60Hz presently, making the monitor a decent option for the near future—at least until technology pushes 4K into the 120Hz space. For now, using the Extended range for FreeSync (40-60Hz) will give you the best overall experience, but for NVIDIA users, stick to the Basic option for best performance. The 27UD58-B also features a passable 5ms GTG response time, further enhancing competitive gaming.

Software: Intuitive, useful, and clean

LG includes a host of intuitive solutions for getting the most out of your new 4K monitor, and thanks to the highly navigable menu and joystick control, it’s not a big pain to use. Inside the on-screen controls, users can change typical things such as brightness, volume, and preset picture modes, but you can also gain access to the Screen Split 2.0 and Dual Controller. Having the option for an on-screen menu means it’s super easy to quickly adjust things instead of tapping tons of buttons.

In Screen Split 2.0, you can multitask with multiple windows all at once. There’s a total of 14 different viewing options and four picture-in-picture choices, giving you a lot of freedom if you want to have lots of things going on within the 27-inch screen. With Dual Controller, you can connect two different computers to one monitor and control each using the same mouse and keyboard.

Aside from the above, there are also a few advanced gaming features you’ll want to know about that further boost the 27UD58-B’s gaming capabilities. The first is the Game Mode that we briefly mentioned earlier. By enabling this, you can select three modes depending on your genre of game: two different FPS modes and one for real-time strategy games. 

Scoring an inexpensive 27-inch 4K monitor with additional gaming features and FreeSync is typically not an easy task, but with this LG display, you get just that.

In addition, users can further adjust settings with Black Stabilizer to give themselves an edge. Here you can reveal superior detail in dark scenes while the Dynamic Action Sync feature assures smooth, fluid gaming action to reduce latency and lag. The inclusion of AMD’s FreeSync tech is just the icing on the cake, helping to reduce stuttering and screen tearing while keeping your frames per second (fps) within an acceptable range. This tech also now works for NVIDIA card owners, so rejoice!

Price: Excellent bang for buck

For the overall package and $350 price, the 27UD58-B is undeniably excellent bang for your buck. Scoring an inexpensive 27-inch 4K monitor with additional gaming features and FreeSync is typically not an easy task, but with this LG display, you get just that. Sure, there are some noticeable features it lacks, like HDR support or included speakers, but these aren’t dealbreakers considering just how damn affordable it is in the end. The 27UD58-B can usually be found for right under $300, but it also routinely goes on sale for even less. At that low price, the value is solid and justified in our opinion.

LG 27UD58-B vs. Dell U2518D

While 27-inch LG 27UD58-D does gain an advantage in size, the 25-inch Dell has some key features that may persuade you. As mentioned in our review, the LG lacks HDR support, while this Dell does not. The U2518D also boasts improved motion blur over the 27UD58-B, as well as a brighter display (good for brighter spaces).

For those seeking a decent, entry-level 4K monitor for gaming, this display is a good option for the price.

In addition, the Dell has much better ergonomics for adjusting the display to your needs and has a better overall construction utilizing metal. However, the LG still gets an advantage in resolution (LG has 2160p vs. Dell’s 1440p), and a much better input lag and refresh rate. The choice between these two will mostly depend on if you want better resolution or the option of HDR.

Gaming-oriented, entry-level 4K.

Specs

  • Product Name
  • 27UD58-B 27-Inch 4K UHD IPS Monitor
  • Product Brand
  • LG
  • UPC
  • 719192606579
  • Price
  • $349.99
  • Weight
  • 12.35 lbs.
  • Product Dimensions
  • 18.27 x 24.92 x 7.95 in.
  • Warranty
  • 1 year parts and labor
  • Platform
  • Any
  • Screen Size
  • 27-inch
  • Screen Resolution
  • 3840 x 2160 (4K)
  • Refresh Rate
  • 60Hz
  • Panel Type
  • IPS
  • Ports
  • None
  • Speakers
  • None
  • Connectivity Options
  • HDMI, DisplayPort