LG UltraWide 38WR85QC-W 37.5" Silver 2023

This is the monitor you buy when you're tired of dual-screen clutter and want one gorgeous, fast panel that handles your 9-to-5 and your 5-to-9. Just don't overpay, and maybe keep some eye drops handy.

What surprised us most is how well the Nano IPS panel handles color. With 98% DCI-P3 coverage, it's in the 96th percentile for color performance, and it shows. Colors are vibrant without looking like a cartoon, and the 450 nits of brightness with DisplayHDR 600 is enough to make highlights pop without being blinding. The 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time are solid, landing in the 74th percentile for performance. It's not going to make a 360Hz esports panel sweat, but for immersive RPGs and racing games, the 2300R curve pulls you right in. The built-in 7W speakers with MaxxAudio are actually usable, which is a rare compliment for monitor audio.

The Dell UltraSharp U4025QW is the elephant in the room. It offers better out-of-box color accuracy and a slightly sharper 5K2K resolution, but it's strictly a 60Hz panel for work. The LG fights back with 144Hz and gaming chops, making it the clear winner if you do both. On the pure gaming side, the Alienware AW3425DW is a QD-OLED that will smoke this LG in contrast and HDR, but it's smaller and lacks the KVM and productivity focus. The LG sits in a sweet spot where it's a better gamer than the Dell and a better worker than the Alienware. If you need one screen to rule them all, this is it.

Let's be real about the price. We're seeing this monitor listed everywhere from a reasonable $1,082 to a laughable $388,725. Obviously, don't pay the latter. At the low end of that range, this is a fantastic deal for a premium ultrawide with a KVM and Thunderbolt. Newegg seems to have the most sane pricing right now. If you're dropping over $1,200, you're in Dell U4025QW territory, and you should think hard about whether you need that extra color accuracy. For the right price, this is a no-brainer for the hybrid worker who games.

The LG 38WR85QC-W is basically the Swiss Army knife of monitors. It's a massive 38-inch ultrawide that genuinely pulls double duty as a productivity beast during the day and a solid gaming panel at night. The one thing to know is that it nails the work-from-home setup better than almost anything else, thanks to a built-in KVM switch and a port selection that's in the 99th percentile. It's not the absolute fastest or sharpest gaming monitor out there, but it's the one screen that can replace your whole dual-monitor mess without making you feel like you compromised.

If you're a competitive esports player who needs 240Hz or more, this isn't your monitor. Go grab a 360Hz 1440p panel like the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMG instead. And if your work demands absolute, print-ready color accuracy without any calibration fuss, the Dell UltraSharp U4025QW is the more boring but more precise choice. This LG is for the all-rounder, not the specialist.

Buy it if you can find it for around $1,100. The LG 38WR85QC-W is the ultimate one-monitor solution for people who clock in during the day and frag out at night. The KVM switch and port selection are genuinely life-changing for a clean desk setup, and the 38-inch ultrawide format is the perfect size before things get ridiculous. Just be prepared to spend some time adjusting the picture settings to get it perfect and to hunt for a deal from a retailer that won't make your wallet cry.