What's the difference when playing games on a 480 Hz monitor?

Refresh rate is an important parameter for gamers.

Screen refresh rate is a factor that most users pay little attention to when choosing a monitor or TV. Unlike size and resolution, which can be directly felt from the first use, frame-rate is only effective for certain tasks.

However, once users get used to high refresh rate screens, they easily feel the difference and find it difficult to go back to a lower solution. Increasing the scanning frequency for devices has also been a development direction of the technology industry in recent years. Popular products such as iPhone and MacBook also have 120 Hz screens.

In the professional device group, LG's high-end UltraGear models support up to 480 Hz. The Korean company's line of monitors is also highly appreciated for not sacrificing display quality.

Can the human eye tell the difference?

When high refresh rate monitors first came out, many argued that refresh rates above 60 Hz were unnecessary. The reasoning was that movies only display at 24 FPS, while most digital content maxes out at 60 FPS. But in reality, users always want faster displays.

When the 120 Hz, 240 Hz, 300 Hz milestones were introduced, customers who bought the new generation could see the difference. Once they got used to it, it was hard for them to go back to a slower device. Similar to the 480 Hz level on the UltraGear 27GX790A.

Refresh rate is a less noticed index, ranked after size and resolution when choosing a monitor.

Even though I’m using a 240Hz monitor, I was still surprised when I switched to LG’s product. Even the first actions like moving the mouse across the screen, the animation of opening Windows apps became smoother. This is because the UltraGear product solved the problem of Skip Animation, which is the main cause of the image feeling “jerky”.

The Korean company's UltraGear line was born to serve gamers. The high-refresh rate product of 480 Hz is for a more specialized group: shooter gamers. The 27GX790A model is still good for playing League of Legends or Elden Rings . However, with a price of nearly 30 million VND, if you do not exploit the full potential of the product, it is a waste.

480 Hz display dedicated to shooting game needs.

FPS games, which require high reaction speeds, can make a difference in performance in a split second. As a result, this group of players is always looking for better refresh rate monitors to serve their needs. High-speed devices like the LG UltraGear model help to see opponents in a flash, giving them more time to make decisions. This is especially important in sniper shooting.

On the other hand, the high speed of the screen helps to reduce Motion Blur. This is inevitable with fast-paced games where the camera angle moves continuously like CS2 or Valorant . Reducing Motion Blur, my eyes have to adjust less to "focus" again after moving the mouse, reducing fatigue when playing for a long time.

To achieve this, LG's model also supports G-Sync/FreeSync, which syncs with Nvidia/AMD GPUs to avoid screen tearing, which is common when the refresh rate is increased.

The UltraGear 27GX790A's response time is 0.3ms, which is among the fastest on the market. This number reflects the time it takes for the screen to completely switch from one color to another. The lower the number, the faster the speed. When playing CS2 or Valorant , the flash or smoke effects on the LG monitor quickly transition, giving you an advantage in duels.

Difference between OLED display (front) and LCD product (back) at the same resolution.

LG's OLED display also ensures deep blacks and good contrast. In dark scenes of the game, bright objects are easily revealed, giving players an advantage.

Not just gaming

Just launched at CES 2025, the UltraGear 27GX790A has a new design, with many improvements compared to the previous generation. The important upgrade is the monitor base, with a flat metal surface instead of a three-prong base. In addition to increasing stability, this design also limits the space occupied under the screen.

This stand weighs about 5 kg, equivalent to the weight of the monitor, ensuring good stability and no shaking on the table. It is also designed to support lifting, rotating, and flipping at many flexible angles. This is a good choice when used with the UltraGear 27GX790A, instead of buying additional lifting arms.

LG's expensive line of monitors has a premium design and sturdy stand.

At 27 inches, 2K resolution is adequate. It’s not sharp enough to completely eliminate pixels at normal viewing distances. However, jaggies are hard to spot when viewing content or playing games on this screen. When measuring the metrics, the LG monitor achieved 100% sRGB, 90% AdobeRGB, and 96% DCI-P3. This is good enough for graphics work that requires a wide and accurate color gamut.

LG also has a 32-inch version that can switch between Full HD-480 Hz and 4K-240 Hz. Unfortunately, the UltraGear 27GX790A only has one configuration option.

The Korean manufacturer's high-end products all use OLED panels, with an MLA coating that increases brightness like on TVs. The brightness can reach 1,300 nits. Combined with a matte coating, the product has effective anti-glare capabilities in many environments.

Who is the UltraGear 27GX790A for?

The $1,200 2K monitor isn’t for everyone. It may be less flexible than the 4K/FHD switchable options. But it’s the only option on the market that offers both an ultra-high refresh rate and a decent resolution at the same time.

To fully exploit the screen's performance, the customer's computer must also be powerful enough. To load CS2 or Valorant at 480 FPS at 2K resolution, the PC needs RTX 4060 cards or higher. For other shooting games like PUBG, Call of Duty, the configuration must also be upgraded accordingly.

A powerful enough computer configuration is required to play games with the UltraGear monitor.

In addition to the purpose of playing “hardcore” games, LG monitors also serve well for graphic work needs, watching entertainment content… Good finishing quality, high-end and long-term after-sales service.

At this price range, gamers also have the option of 540 Hz from BenQ, with a response time of only 0.1 ms. However, customers have to make many trade-offs, such as the resolution is only Full HD, the TN panel is far inferior to OLED. Samsung also has a 49-inch super-long option for under 30 million VND. However, the product only supports a 240 Hz refresh rate.

If not gaming, this price range has 5K, 10-bit screen options from Apple LG, Samsung, serving well the needs of professional graphics and printing.