LG UltraGear 24" 23.7" Review

The LG UltraGear 24GS50F-B is a budget gaming monitor that excels at one thing: delivering smooth, high-contrast gameplay. Its 180Hz VA panel offers great motion clarity and deep blacks for around $140. Just don't expect it to be very bright or color-accurate. If you want a no-fuss upgrade for gaming in a dim room, this is a solid pick.

Let's talk about the LG UltraGear 24GS50F-B. It's a 24-inch, 1080p, 180Hz gaming monitor that's trying to do one thing really well: give you smooth, tear-free gameplay without breaking the bank. At around $140, it's sitting in that sweet spot for budget-conscious gamers who want to step up from a basic 60Hz screen but aren't ready to dive into the 1440p or 4K deep end.

This monitor is for the person building their first real gaming setup, or maybe upgrading a secondary screen. It's not trying to win any color accuracy awards or be the centerpiece of a streaming studio. Its job is to make your games feel responsive, and with a 180Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync, it's got the right tools for that job. The VA panel is the interesting bit here—it promises better contrast than the IPS panels you often see at this price.

What makes it stand out in our database is its overall feature set for the price. It scores in the 84th percentile for features, which is pretty impressive for a budget monitor. That means you're getting a solid refresh rate, adaptive sync, and decent ergonomics (tilt and VESA mount) without the usual corners being cut. It's a focused tool, and it knows it.

The 180Hz refresh rate is the headline act here. In practice, that means games feel incredibly smooth, especially fast-paced shooters or racing games. The 5ms gray-to-gray response time is decent, though not the fastest we've seen. You might notice a tiny bit more motion blur compared to a 1ms IPS panel, but for most gamers, the trade-off for the VA panel's contrast is worth it. The FreeSync support works as advertised, eliminating screen tearing without needing a fancy GPU.

Now, about that VA panel. The 3000:1 contrast ratio is where it shines compared to typical IPS monitors at this price. Blacks look deeper, which is great for darker game scenes. The catch is the 250 nits of brightness. It's enough for a dimly lit room, but don't expect it to fight off much glare from a window. The HDR10 support is more of a checkbox feature than a true HDR experience—it can accept an HDR signal, but with that brightness level, you won't get the eye-popping dynamic range of a premium screen.

Here's the deal: this monitor is almost shockingly consistent in price, hovering between $140 and $142 across retailers. That makes the value proposition very straightforward. For that money, you're getting a high-refresh-rate, adaptive-sync gaming monitor with a better-than-average contrast panel. You're not paying for extra ports, a fancy stand, or ultra-wide color gamuts.

Compared to the rest of the market, it's a focused budget offering. You could spend less on a 75Hz or 144Hz monitor with a TN panel, but the image quality takes a hit. Spending a bit more might get you a 1440p screen or a brighter IPS panel, but you'd be leaving the sub-$150 bracket. This LG carves out a niche for itself by being the best VA panel option at this exact price point.

The obvious competitors are other 24-inch 1080p high-refresh monitors. Compared to something like an AOC 24G2 (a popular IPS model), you're trading some viewing angles and potentially faster pixel response for much better contrast on this LG. If your room is dark and you play a lot of horror or space games, the LG's VA panel might be the better pick.

Then there's the step-up crowd. The Samsung Odyssey G3 is a similar VA panel monitor often around the same price. The differences are often in the stand and OSD menu—the LG's build and on-screen controls tend to feel a bit more polished in our experience. If you look at the competitors listed in the data, like the massive Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 or the 4K ASUS ProArt, that's a whole different universe of price and purpose. This LG isn't competing with those. It's competing for the wallet of someone who wants smooth gameplay above all else.

Skip this monitor if your primary use is professional content creation. The color performance, while fine for gaming, isn't calibrated or wide enough for accurate photo or video editing. Also, if your desk is in a very bright, sunny spot, the 250-nit brightness will be a constant frustration—you'll be squinting at the screen.

Instead, creators should look at an IPS panel with factory color calibration. For bright rooms, seek out a monitor rated for 300 nits or higher. If you're a competitive esports player chasing every millisecond of advantage, you might also want to consider a dedicated high-refresh TN panel or a faster IPS model, though you'll sacrifice the contrast this LG offers.

If you're a gamer on a tight budget who wants a significant upgrade from 60Hz and values deep blacks in games, the LG UltraGear 24GS50F-B is an easy recommendation. The 180Hz smoothness is tangible, the contrast is great for the price, and it does its core job very well. For a first gaming monitor or a secondary screen for a console or streaming PC, it's a fantastic choice.

We'd suggest looking elsewhere if your setup is in a very bright room, if you need accurate colors for photo editing, or if you really want the absolute fastest pixel response for competitive esports. In those cases, a brighter IPS panel or even a dedicated TN panel might serve you better. But for the vast majority of casual to semi-competitive gamers, this LG hits a very sweet spot.