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日本LG 27UP85NP monitor – Specs, Pros / Cons: Here’s How We Unlocked Its Pro Potential for Exceptional Image Quality
LG did it again. Their 27UP85NP monitor doesn’t have any fancy name or branding, however, it brings all the features that a Creator monitor should. First of all, it’s super-detailed, offering a 27-inch 4K UHD panel, which means a high pixel density. This is fantastic for designers and just in general, as movies and games (provided you can run games at 4K) will look amazing.
This is further cemented by the wide color coverage and accurate colors that the LG 27UP85NP manages to achieve. Thanks to our Display Profiles, the monitor becomes a content machine, being able to handle any type of color-related workflow, be it graphic design, photo and video editing, color grading, etc.
You can check the current price of the LG 27UP85NP here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Contents
Specs sheet, What’s in the box?, Drivers, OSD, Design, Connectivity
| Screen size | 27 inch (68.58 cm) |
|---|---|
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Response time | 5ms |
| Panel type | IPS |
| Backlight type | LED |
| Screen finish | Matte |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) |
| Technologies |
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| I/O |
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What’s in the box? Assembly
Drivers and Software
You can download all the available software and drivers from the monitor’s Support Page on LG’s website. You can download the OnScreenControl App, which is just like an OSD menu with all the available settings, as well as the Dual Controller, which is usually reserved for LG’s UltraWide monitors, but due to the high resolution that we have here, they feel that it’s neat to have. It allows you to connect two PCs to the same screen and split it in the middle, so you have two independent systems running at once.
Design and Connectivity
The monitor has a simple design, offering a clean silver aesthetic. The stand is long and cylindrical. It also offers a lot of adjustment, with Tilt, Pivot, and Height. The lack of Swivel movement doesn’t concern us, as it’s pretty niche and the other movements are much more usable. All the ports are flat out on the back, which isn’t the preferred way, as when the plugged cables are bent, it causes stress on the port and the cable connector.
In terms of ports, you get two HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.4, one USB Type-C, and two USB Type-A ports, as well as an audio jack. We also can’t forget about the built-in speakers, which are decently powerful so you can enjoy movies without headphones.
Display quality, Buy our profiles, Verdict
The LG 27UP85NP brings a 27-inch 4K Ultra HD screen (3840 x 2160p), which calculates to a pixel density of 163.18 PPI, a pitch of 0.1557 x 0.1557 mm, and a Retina distance of 21.07 inches or 53.51 cm. From this distance, the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels.
The correlated color temperature on a white screen after a Factory Reset in sRGB mode is 6550 K (Luminance 150 cd/m2 at 20% Brightness). The average gamma value is 2.18.
Color coverage
Here’s an illustration (Fig. 1). The whole “sail-shaped” map below consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of LG 27UP85NP can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
LG 27UP85NP: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display. In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 97% of the sRGB color gamut and 81% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) LG 27UP85NP covers 97% of the Web colors (sRGB)
This means that if the LG 27UP85NP tries to show any color outside of its triangle, it will show the closest color to it that’s inside the triangle.
Color accuracy
Now let’s see how big is the difference between the real colors and the one you’ll see on the LG 27UP85NP. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the bigger the number, the more different they look.
For the next illustration, we’ve chosen 24 common colors like dark and light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Values below 2.0 are considered suitable for color-sensitive work. Before our calibration of the LG 27UP85NP, the Average color accuracy was 4.7 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Web Design and Office Work profile, it lowered to 1.2 dE (Fig. 3). This is a MASSIVE increase of almost 4-times. Also, dE values below 1.0 are indistinguishable by the human eye, so with a 1.2, you’re getting very accurate colors, ready for any type of color-related workload.
(Fig. 2) LG 27UP85NP in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) LG 27UP85NP with our display profilesComparison in the sRGB color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom-tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate (they may seem strange at first but after a few minutes our brain will start recognizing them as accurate ones – that’s how Health-Guard differs from alternatives like f.lux).
Pro Tip: As the Health-Guard profile simulates paper and has as accurate as possible colors, it could be a great tool for prepress designers!
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Health-Guard Profile
Gaming and Movies
We also have a third Gaming and Movies profile, which regulates the black colors, making dark areas in games and movies appear more visible, thus giving you a better viewing experience. Shooting at your opponent first can be a make-or-break moment, so make sure you’re best prepared with our profile.
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
BUY OUR DISPLAY PROFILES
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for the LG 27UP85NP.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
Here’s how to prepare thе monitor for our profiles:
1. Open the OSD menu (On-Screen Display)
2. Reset Settings: Go to Menu ➡️ Information ➡️ Reset All Settings, and click ‘Yes’.
3. Brightness: Navigate to Picture ➡️ Brightness and set it to 70% for optimal viewing.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Verdict
The LG 27UP85NP is one of the better monitors that LG has to offer. It doesn’t have a fancy curve and it’s not an UltraWide model, however, it still brings, dare we say, flagship features, akin to an UltraWide monitor. The monitor brings great detail, as we’d expect from a 4K screen at just 27 inches.
In terms of its design, it’s got an entirely brushed silver finish and a stand that offers both Tilt and Height Adjustment, which help to make the screen more ergonomic for your height and your eyes.
The port selection also brings more ports than you’d expect, however, we’re not big fans of their positioning, as having the ports flat out on the back can cause strain on the cable or the port over time. Still, you get USBs, HDMIs, and a DisplayPort, along with an audio jack, so you can plug more than just a headset, but a bunch of peripherals.
Now, how good is the LG 27UP85NP for Creator work? Very, very good. Not only does it cover 97% of the sRGB gamut, providing punchy and vibrant colors, but the colors are also incredibly accurate, thanks to our Web Design and Office Work profile. With it, the monitor becomes nearly 4 times more accurate, with a dE decrease of 4.7 to 1.2.
The rest of our profiles bring different improvements. The Gaming and Movies profile makes games and movies look better and become more visible by stabilizing the black colors and it’s hues. As for the Health Guard, it reduces Blue Light Emissions and PWM (Flickering) so your eyes don’t get as tired.
You can check the current price of the LG 27UP85NP: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Pros
- 4K resolution with a detailed image
- 97% sRGB coverage
- 4X more accurate with our Web Design and Office Work profile
- Wide port selection
- Good Price
Cons
- Stand doesn’t offer full adjustability
