LG UltraGear 23.8" 24" Review

A speed demon on a budget. If you play competitive shooters and count every frame, buy it. For anything else, look elsewhere.

The LG UltraGear 24-inch is a one-trick pony, but it does that trick exceptionally well. This thing is built for one purpose: high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming, and it absolutely nails it. Forget about office work or creative color grading; this monitor is a pure, unapologetic gaming screen. The one thing to know? If you're a competitive gamer on a budget who needs speed above all else, this is a shockingly good deal.

The numbers don't lie. With a 180Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, this monitor's performance lands in the 94th percentile in our database. That means it's faster than almost everything else out there. The real surprise is how it manages that with an IPS panel, which usually trades some speed for better colors. Here, you get both: smooth, tear-free gameplay thanks to G-Sync compatibility and decent color coverage (99% sRGB). It's not the brightest at 300 nits, but for a dim room, it's plenty.

At around $287, this is a steal for the performance. You're paying for the high refresh rate and low response time, and you're getting exactly that without a bunch of fluff. It's absolutely worth it if your priority is frame rates over resolution.

Compared to the other monitors listed, this one exists in a different universe. The Samsung Odyssey G9 and ASUS ROG Swift OLED are premium, high-resolution giants. A more direct competitor would be something like a 24-inch 1080p 240Hz monitor from brands like Alienware or AOC, which might cost $50-$100 more for a slight edge in speed. The LG's value proposition is clear: nearly top-tier speed at a mid-tier price. If you're looking at 4K or ultrawide screens, you're not even shopping in the same category.

If you're looking for an all-around monitor for work and play, this isn't it. The ergonomics are bad and the resolution is low for productivity. Go get a 27-inch 1440p monitor instead, like a Dell S2721DGF.

We're giving this a strong recommendation for budget-focused competitive gamers. It does its job brilliantly. For anyone else—streamers who need multi-monitor setups, office workers, or single-player gamers who want immersive visuals—this monitor will feel like a compromise. But for its intended audience, it's a home run.