Okay. Just want to start off by saying, this is NOT a no-compromises upgrade from an XL2720Z. This is me deciding to try something different after getting used to a certain set of features for a long time. That said, I think I have found the display to hold me over until 240Hz+ OLED with BFI and VRR is reliable and affordable.
Yesterday I got my LG 27GR83Q and it's gorgeous! Huuuge overall image quality upgrade from my old BenQ XL2720Z 120HZ 1080P TN panel. That monitor has extremely good backlight strobing, and this monitor has NO strobing, but as of right now I'm actually not missing it. Having 240Hz refresh, VRR, hugely improved viewing angles and much higher PPI are all super nice after using an older monitor for so long. Also, since I don't even have the option for backlight strobing I am kind of forced into getting the full benefit of the IPS panel's improved color quality. Turning off Blur Reduction (strobing) on the old BenQ made the colors and contrast much better, but the strobing made such a huge difference on that screen that I simply always used it and took the huge hit to color\contrast\brightness. Since this LG doesn't have it at all, I'm not tempted to sacrifice all that beautiful color, brightness and contrast for it.
I think I'm okay with just using a non-strobed display for a while as a change. Maybe once OLED monitors have 240Hz with BFI and maybe simultaneous VRR (so far it has only been done on LCDs), I will go with something like that, but for now I'm very happy with this for $250.
Only things that I really don't like are related to ergonomics:
1. The Stand is pretty mediocre for what is supposed to be a $400-$500 monitor. It looks okay, but it feels a lot less substantial than my old BenQ... like if my cat decides to go crazy and climb behind my monitor for some reason, this one is far more likely to get tipped over, though it will probably never happen.
2.The lack of pivot\swivel (so you can point it toward someone next to you) feels pretty obvious when I grab onto it and it just can't go that way.
3. The most noticeable shortcoming of the base (for me) is that it doesn't go down nearly low enough. I have an unusual desk setup (my monitor sits on top of a vintage stereo receiver that I rebuilt) which requires the monitor to be set very low. My BenQ XL2720Z could lower to about 2 1/4 inches from the bottom of the bezel to the desk. The LG only goes to about 3 3/4 inches (when not tilted down), which is a pretty huge difference when talking about minimum height. It will go super high, but I'd have definitely preferred that it just go lower. Again, I know this isn't a common use case, but it is disappointing and kind of makes my setup just look wrong, where the old monitor went down so low it looked perfectly fine. It also doesn't angle downward much to compensate.
4. The ports on the back point straight out rather than down, which is a bit scary. Again... it's unlikely, but if my cat ever goes crazy and decides to scale "Mt. computer desk", the single DP port on this thing is terrifyingly vulnerable. I could get a right angle DP adapter, but the ports are stacked vertically so it will cover both HDMI ports, and there may not even be enough clearance for a cable to be angled that way back there. I have no idea what they were thinking with this design. Wall mounting would likely be a huge pain too... though I have no plans to do that.
Anyway, those are my gripes with it. They are annoying but not deal breakers considering what I paid for this thing. And, of course, if it had a strobing feature that would be nice, but because it isn't there I can just enjoy the monitor for what it does well. I will say, all my games feel like they are buttery smooth thanks to the combination of 240Hz and VRR. Just using the desktop at 240Hz is incredible, and the clarity of moving text\images is surprisingly good despite the lack of strobing. I'm sure this panel isn't technically fast enough to truly show 240fps cleanly, but it looks great to my eyes.
I do notice the dark\light haze at the edges of the display when I look at it, which I'm guessing is "IPS glow" (note, this is not backlight bleed... the backlight is actually very very even and consistent!), but this is FAR less noticeable than the red tint at the edges that my old monitor had due to poor TN viewing angles. Also, the anti-glare coating on the display seems just right and is definitely less grainy\textured than my old BenQ, so that's a nice bonus.
My OLED TV blows any of these monitors out of the water in any area related to picture quality and contrast, but again... this was only $250. I would personally not spend $500+ on an LCD monitor in 2023 after seeing OLED in action, but for what I spent it's a no brainer. At $399 (the current price) you'd definitely need to gauge the value of it based on your own needs, but I have a hard time picturing a monitor being substantially better than this in this price range outside of the ergonomic\stand issues I mentioned before.
So yeah... it's a keeper for me. Might look into a VESA mount stand or something to see if it improves ergonomics, but the display itself is better than I thought it'd be. I hope it is reliable too.
I will keep my XL2720Z just in case I want to use it for things that benefit greatly from strobing (emulation, 2D games, etc.) and I will keep checking in here periodically to see how BFI\strobing is evolving over time. Some day it will be affordable to have all these bells and whistles together, but for now I'll be happy to use such a nice modern display, and even happier that I got it for like $245 after coupons and cash back.
