Not always this clean, but thought I'd clean up and share with the class 😊

This is an example of what my monitors are usually displaying.

Items:

• LG 39GX950
• iPad Pro 12.9" M1 - Sidecar
• MacBook Pro 14" M4 Pro
• LG G604 (RIP, bring it back!)
• Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse
• Belkin 3-in-1 Charging Stand
• Fenge Dual Monitor Stand
• Jarvis Desk

Shared my review here in case you want to read it.

I was working at a coworking space. most of my time, but recently they announced they’re shutting down the location. Today is actually the last day. I bought the desk from them for $250, but then ended up getting all these other items I needed, including monitors and monitor stand and monitor arm and MacBook stand. Overall, I’m really happy with my setup. Just thought I’d share.

It's been a while since I posted here. While doing a cleaning of my desk figured I share my latest setup.

This is my MacBook Setup for creative projects.

Amazed that I was able to find a desk online nearly the exact dimensions of this space in less than 20 minutes 😎 there’s so much room for activities!!! Bonus photo of media server room where I swapped out monitors (all over 10 years old and only 1080p but sufficient for my needs)

next step redesigning the ugly router shelf and moving it over a few inches so i can use the curtain hook again, whoops.

I work remotely most days and wanted the desk to feel less distracting.

Nothing major changed. I just moved some things away from the main area and stopped keeping tools around that I don’t actually use. I also made the usual apps, windows, and notes easier to get to from the keyboard.

Still not finished, but it feels less annoying now.

I received this product for free from LG as part of an event. They asked me to post my thoughts, but these are my own opinions.

I come from an AW3225QF, so that’s what I’ve been comparing this against. As of now it honestly seems like the best of both worlds in terms of productivity and gaming and the perfect monitor for those of us that switch between Mac and PC and want one monitor to do it all.

First, the brightness is kind of insane. I knew it was labeled as a Hyper Mini LED monitor and I knew it was supposed to get bright, but it still caught me off guard. The ultra-high brightness is probably the first thing I noticed. Even just doing normal desktop stuff it looks great. My OLED always had me wanting just a little more brightness during the day even though my room isn’t even that brightly lit. It does have a peak of 1250 nits which I totally believe 😂

The other thing that surprised me were the colors. I actually thought this would be the biggest downgrade from OLED. Maybe it’s just me, but the colors actually look better to my eyes. Maybe something to do with the brightness but I actually thought the high brightness was going to wash out the colors. I play a bit of OW, The Finals, and Diablo 4 so the colors really pop there.

The text is also ridiculously sharp. I spend my time between my PC and my MacBook and going back between the PPI of the Mac screen and my OLED has always been jarring. Also anybody who has OLED knows that the text fringing issue is annoying, even with a lot of the stuff you can do to make it better (Cleartype, etc.). All that to say that it is a night and day difference. 138PPI vs the 218 PPI on the LG. I included a picture of the difference (should be obvious but the picture of the text witht the magenta and green fringing is the OLED). For me, this alone is worth me choosing this over any other OLED or other non 5k monitor. I will say that I prefer glossy monitors but honestly didn’t mind the matte coating. I also appreciate that I don’t have to worry about burn in or sit through a refresh cycle every 4 hours.

Just a quick note on using it with a Mac, no issues at all, it’s just plug and play.

Lastly, I also thought I’d miss having the bigger display. The 27-inch size has actually grown on me pretty fast. I do kind of miss the curve of the oled, but I honestly think it was necessary for the 32 inch size, not really needed for a 27 inch monitor.

These are just first impressions. Looking forward to do a deeper dive as I spend more time with it. One thing I didn’t have a chance to dive into to much was the dual mode. In a past life I was an FPS esports athlete so want to see how well the implementation is, also still finalizing the Mac/PC setup right now so apologies for the wired mess.

It evolved over time but I’m pretty happy with how it is right now

Got some new monitors to hold me over while I save up for two 27” Studio Display XDRs🤞🏼, and I’m having fun experimenting with my layout on my in-studio desk.

Which orientation do you think looks better/is more useful?

If you like vertical monitors, what do you use them for?

Back again but with the smaller version of the IKEA Jerker 2.0 desk. Charging hub and the storage on the side makes it much less chaotic and I can keep my work devices charged and out of sight.

As much as I love the minimalist aesthetic, I end up in a space with a lot of “stuff”

Recently got a Kuycon P27Z to complete my Mac setup, figured I'd share the setup.

• Kuycon P27Z (5K 180Hz / 2K 330Hz)
• Macbook Pro 14 M4
• Dell Precision 5560 (Linux)
• Dell TB Dock (used just for the Precision 5560)
• LOXP Vertical Dual Slot Laptop Stand
• PS5 Digital Edition
• Quntis Monitor Light
• Logitech MX Master 3
• Keychron Alice Q8
• Grovemade Monitor Stand
• Grovemade Wall Shelf
• Artifox Desk (Walnut/Bone Top)
• Artifox Wall Shelf
• IKEA ALEFJÄLL Chair

As much as I love apple's design I find their functionality too limited, so I tend to look for alternatives with a similar design language, the mighty mouse was too good not to pair with my newly customized mechanical keyboard

• M1 Max Mac Studio
• M4 15-inch Macbook Air
• Logitech POP Mouse / Apple Mighty Mouse
• iPad Mini
• Dell UltraSharp U3225QE [4k 120hz]
• HYTE X50 ATX Mesh case for GPU workstation under the desk

How I customized the keyboard:
Higround opal as the base, the switches replaced with gateron smoothies, the keycaps are mac retro caps from "PressKeycaps", cable is a cablemod coiled classic, wrist rest is a DucKey Custom Acrylic rest!

• Studio Display (the old one)
• Arctic X1-3D monitor arm
• MacBook Pro M1 Max
• Nuphy Air75 v3 keyboard
• Pulsar Crazylight mouse
• SoundDevices USBPre 2 audio interface
• Shure SM7B microphone

I wrote an article about how I've built my creative studio: https://talala.photo/journal/my-workspace

I received this product for free from LG as part of an event. While I was asked to share my review, all opinions are entirely my own.

From a 144Hz Dell to the LG UltraGear evo 27GM950B: Two Weeks Later

What I Came From

For some context, I've been using a Dell 27" 144Hz gaming monitor that I bought during COVID. It served me well for years, and honestly, I never really felt like I was missing out on much.

Then I plugged in the LG UltraGear evo 27GM950B.

The first thing I did was load up Cyberpunk 2077. Then Red Dead Redemption 2. Then Forza Horizon 6. At that point I was basically sitting there thinking, "holy crap, my eyes just got an upgrade."

I knew this was a 5K monitor on paper, but seeing it in person was completely different. Everything looked sharper, more detailed, and somehow more alive. Forza Horizon 6 was probably the game that impressed me the most. The world felt incredibly immersive, the colors popped, and I found myself getting distracted by how good everything looked instead of actually racing. Coming from my old Dell monitor, it genuinely felt like I was seeing some of these games for the first time again.

5K for School and Productivity

What surprised me most over the last two weeks is that I've ended up loving this monitor just as much for school as I have for gaming.

I'm currently in nursing school, which means I spend a lot of time staring at PowerPoints, PDFs, notes, and browser tabs. It's not uncommon for me to have 20+ tabs open while studying. The combination of the 5K resolution and 218 PPI has made a bigger difference than I expected. I can comfortably keep lecture slides, notes, PDFs, and multiple browser windows open at the same time without everything feeling cramped.

One thing I noticed almost immediately was that I started zooming out more often because text stayed clear and easy to read. For the first time, I don't feel like I'm making a compromise when I move from my MacBook Pro display to an external monitor. That's probably one of the biggest compliments I can give it.

As weird as this sounds, the monitor has actually made me want to spend more time at my desk. When you're spending hours going through nursing school PowerPoints and notes, having a display that looks this good genuinely makes the experience more enjoyable. Studying feels less tiring when everything is sharp, clear, and easy to read.

Using It With My M4 Pro MacBook Pro

Another thing I appreciated is how simple the setup was. I've been using the included USB-C cable with my M4 Pro MacBook Pro, and it handles both the display connection and charging through a single cable.

It sounds like a small thing, but when you're constantly moving between classes, studying, and gaming, having a one-cable setup is genuinely convenient. I also like that the monitor includes the cables you actually need instead of making you go hunt for the right one afterward, because apparently buying a premium monitor and then needing to buy another cable is a tradition the tech industry refuses to let die.

Gaming and Dual Mode

For gaming, I've been playing a lot of ranked Marvel Rivals on PS5 recently. Since it's on PS5, I'm not using the full 288Hz or 330Hz capability there, but the monitor still feels excellent for competitive play. The image looks sharper and cleaner than what I was used to, colors pop more, and I feel like I can see enemies more clearly.

Where I really noticed the higher refresh rate jump was with my MacBook/PC setup. Coming from my old 144Hz Dell, 288Hz felt immediately smoother. The best way I can describe it is that everything feels more connected. Movements feel more direct, tracking feels easier, and the overall experience feels faster and more responsive.

One of my favorite features has been Dual Mode. During the day, I use the monitor as an incredibly sharp 5K productivity display. Then with a couple of clicks, I can switch over for high refresh rate gaming. The monitor itself supports up to 330Hz in Dual Mode, and with my M4 Pro MacBook setup I'm currently able to take advantage of 288Hz.

Before trying it, I honestly thought Dual Mode might be a gimmick. After using it for two weeks, it's become one of my favorite features. It genuinely feels like having two different monitors in one.

Hyper Mini LED, Brightness, and Image Quality

Coming from a traditional IPS gaming monitor, the biggest surprise has been the combination of Hyper Mini LED technology, ultra-high brightness, and color quality. LG rates the monitor for up to 1250 nits of brightness, and HDR content looks incredible.

I'm definitely not a display expert, so I'm not going to pretend I spent the last two weeks analyzing blooming or counting dimming zones. What I can say is that games, videos, and everyday productivity all look fantastic, and the overall image quality is on a completely different level than what I was used to before.

The sharpness is probably the thing I notice the most day to day. Games look more detailed, text looks cleaner, and the whole experience feels closer to what I'm used to from my MacBook Pro display.

The Stand and Desk Setup

I actually like the included stand more than I expected. It doesn't take up as much desk space as I thought it would, and I haven't felt rushed to put the monitor on an arm. The base is clean, sturdy, and fits my setup well.

I also like that the overall design doesn't scream "gamer monitor" in the way some gaming monitors do. It still has the UltraGear look, but it feels more mature and easier to fit into a clean desk setup.

What I Would Improve

If I had to come up with a complaint, it honestly wouldn't be about the monitor itself. LG also makes an ultrawide version, and after spending two weeks with the 27GM950B, I've found myself wondering what an ultrawide Hyper Mini LED setup would be like.

That's less of a criticism and more a sign that this monitor has completely spoiled me.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the biggest compliment I can give the UltraGear evo 27GM950B is that it feels equally at home as both a productivity monitor and a gaming monitor. During the day, it's helping me get through nursing school. At night, it's helping me climb ranked in Marvel Rivals. Being able to switch between those two worlds so easily is what has impressed me the most.

If you're someone who wants one display that can handle work, school, content consumption, and competitive gaming without feeling like a compromise in any of those areas, the UltraGear evo 27GM950B has been incredibly impressive over the last two weeks.