LG C4 OLED42C4PUA 42"

The LG C4 42-inch is a world-class gaming monitor disguised as a TV. Buy it for your desk, not your sunroom.

The gaming performance is what really surprised us. A 0.1ms response time isn't just a marketing number, it translates to motion clarity that has to be seen to be believed. Fast-paced shooters feel instantaneous, and the support for both G-Sync and FreeSync means you're covered no matter what GPU you're running. The Game Optimizer dashboard is genuinely useful, letting you tweak black stabilizer and frame rate counters without digging through a dozen menus. On the movie side, the a9 AI processor does a solid job cleaning up older 1080p content, though it's not quite the magic trick Sony's processing can be. The 80W audio system is also a pleasant step up from the usual tinny TV speakers, with enough body to make Dolby Atmos content feel somewhat spacious without a soundbar.

The Sony BRAVIA XR A95L is still the picture quality king with its QD-OLED panel and superior processing, but it doesn't come in a 42-inch size and costs a fortune. If you're shopping this size, the C4's real competition is using a dedicated monitor. The new LG OLED evo C5 is the natural step-up if you want a brighter panel and the latest processor, but it starts at 55 inches, so desk users are out of luck. The Samsung QN990F and Sony BRAVIA 9 are both brightness monsters that will crush the C4 in a sunny room, but they're huge, expensive, and aimed at living room buyers. The TCL QM8K and Hisense U8 Series are the value plays if you need a big, bright screen without OLED money, but you'll sacrifice those perfect blacks and instant response times. For pure desktop and console gaming at this size, the LG C4 is still in a league of its own.

At around $800, this is a steal for what you're getting. You're paying for a top-tier gaming monitor that moonlights as a premium smart TV. A dedicated 42-inch OLED gaming monitor with these specs would easily cost you $300-$500 more and probably wouldn't have a smart TV interface or this good of a speaker system. If you need a dual-purpose screen for a desk or a small room, the value here is undeniable. Just don't expect it to light up a bright living room like a mini-LED would.

The LG C4 42-inch is the best small OLED you can buy right now, period. It's basically a giant, gorgeous gaming monitor that also happens to be a brilliant 4K TV. The real headline here is that 99th percentile gaming score. With a 120Hz panel, full HDMI 2.1 support across all four ports, and a response time that makes traditional monitors look sluggish, this thing is a dream for PC and console players. But don't get it twisted, it's also a stellar movie-watching screen thanks to those perfect OLED blacks and Dolby Vision. The a9 Gen7 processor does a lot of heavy lifting to keep motion smooth and upscaling sharp, though we wish the peak brightness had a bit more punch for well-lit rooms. If you're sitting at a desk or in a darker den, this is the screen to beat.

If you're looking for a bright, punchy HDR experience in a sun-drenched living room, this isn't it. The aggressive auto-brightness limiter and just-average peak brightness will leave you squinting. Go get a Samsung QN90D or a Hisense U8N instead. You'll trade those perfect blacks for a picture that can actually fight the sun.

Buy this if you want the ultimate 42-inch display for a desk or a dark media room. It's a no-brainer for PC and console gamers who need one screen to rule them all. The combination of size, speed, and OLED picture quality is unmatched at this price. If you're putting it in a bright family room, look at a brighter mini-LED instead. But for the right setup, the LG C4 42-inch is as good as it gets.