LG is launching the next OLED monitor for gamers. The UltraGear 32GX870A uses the brighter WOLED MLA+ technology and supports both the native UHD resolution with 240 Hz and Full HD with 480 Hz in dual mode. DisplayPort 2.1 is offered for the interfaces, but the exact version remains unclear.
In the meantime, OLED technology has become standard equipment for gaming monitors. Therefore, new features have to come in order to make a new purchase tasty. These include the so-called dual mode, which, in addition to the native resolution, provides a mode with a quartered resolution at a doubled refresh rate. This is also offered by the LG UltraGear 32GX870A, whose WOLED panel represents the native resolution of 3,840 × 2,160 pixels with up to 240 Hz. Alternatively, however, it is possible to switch to 1,920 × 1,080 with 480 Hz in favor of a higher refresh rate.
LG UltraGear 32GX870A MLA+ with higher brightness
There is talk of “MLA +” at the WOLED panel used by the in-house subsidiary LG Display. MLA stands for Micro-Lens Array and means tiny lenses (microlenses) that give the OLED displays of the third generation more brightness by bundling the light. In the fourth generation, LG again renounces MLA. Thanks to MLA, the display should achieve a selective brightness of 1,300 cd/m2 in HDR mode. For SDR, 275 cd/m2 are called.
LG UltraGear 32GX870A DisplayPort 2.1, but in what form?
The new DisplayPort 2.1 video interface is not yet very common on monitors. LG indicates this, but does not reveal what speed is applied to the individual DisplayPort 2.1. Only in the maximum version (UHBR20) are full 80 Gbit / s (gross) offered, with UHBR13.5 it is only 54 Gbit / s and with UHBR10 still 40 Gbit / s. The advantage over DisplayPort 1.4 is rather low in the last case. In addition, the UltraGear 32GX870A offers HDMI 2.1 twice, which can also be used to display 4K UHD at 240 Hz.
| Generation | Link | Bitrate (1 Lane) | Bitrate (4 Lanes) | Data rate (4 lanes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DP 1.0/1.1 | RBR | 1.62 Gbps | 6.48 Gbit/s | ? |
| HBR | 2.7 Gbit/s | 10.8 Gbps | 8.64 Gbit/s | |
| DP 1.2 | HBR2 | 5.4 Gbps | 21.6 Gbps | 17.28 Gbit/s |
| DP 1.3/1.4 | HBR3 | 8.1 Gbit/s | 32.4 Gbit/s | 25.92 Gbit/s |
| DP 2.0/2.1 | UHBR10 | 10 Gbit/s | 40 Gbit/s | 38.69 Gbit/s |
| UHBR13.5 | 13.5 Gbps | 54 Gbit/s | 52.22 Gbit/s | |
| UHBR20 | 20 Gbit/s | 80 Gbit/s | 77.37 Gbit/s |
LG UltraGear 32GX870A price
In online retail, the LG UltraGear OLED 32GX870A-B is advertised from 1,357 euros. According to the information of the dealers, it should be available in a few days. Even though the true “street price” level is yet to become apparent, it seems to be comparatively high at the moment.
LG has a very similar equipped model in its program with the UltraGear 32GS95UX-B. This monitor also offers an OLED panel with MLA and dual mode for 4K @ 240 Hz and FHD @ 480 Hz for the same size. Instead of DisplayPort 2.1, there is still DisplayPort 1.4 and you are looking for USB-C in vain, while the newcomer has USB-C with 90 watts of power delivery to offer. For this, the older model is already available to buy from 800 euros.
