An affordable 4K monitor with cutting-edge features

If you’re looking for a new 4K display to pair with a great laptop, PC, or Mac, your search can quickly become complicated. From HDR support to refresh rates and speakers, all the features and options can be overwhelming.

One monitor that makes it all easy is the LG UltraFine 32UN650W. It packs a lot of great features for under $500, like excellent color accuracy, built-in speakers, HDR support, a sleek design, and controls that make menus easy to navigate. It’s also great for light PC gaming thanks to AMD FreeSync, though it has a low 60Hz refresh rate that might be too restrictive for more serious gamers.

If you’re looking for a new budget-friendly 4K monitor, the LG UltraFine 32UN650W will hit the right place. It is one of the best monitors under $500.

About this review: XDA purchased this screen for the purposes of this review, and LG has not seen its contents prior to publication.

LG UltraFine 32UN650W: Pricing and Availability

• This screen was originally released in 2020
• The screen is still available at Best Buy, Amazon, B&H, and other retailers

The 32-inch LG UltraFine 32UN650W was originally released in 2020 and is still available today. The suggested retail price is $450, but that will vary depending on the retailer. At the time of this writing, Amazon has it for $435 and Best Buy for $449. The screen is also available at B&H and Walmart.

Design: Thin and sleek, but still plastic

• LG UltraFine 32UN650W is completely made of plastic
• She has slender feet
• There are integrated speakers

Many of the monitors I’ve reviewed, such as competing Dell 4K monitors or Lenovo monitors, tend to have large, bulky stands. However, LG thinks differently with the UltraFine 32UN650W, which is one of the thinnest and most stylish monitors you’ll see on sale, right down to the stand. It has an open design and a semi-circular shape, which gives the monitor a slim look and provides more physical space on your desk to place items underneath. The support arm on the back has an integrated cable clamp so you can route your cables more efficiently.

The screen itself is all white on the back, with a black accent on the bottom bezel on the front where the joystick is. I like this white color choice, because it’s something Dell has been using in its UltraSharp lineup for a while. It helped the screen blend in with my setup.

Another cool thing on the back of the screen? The ports are not hidden under the back where they are hard to reach. Instead, the ports are centered on the back of the screen, making it easy to connect and unplug cables! There are two HDMI 2.0 ports (supporting HDCP 2.2), a DisplayPort 1.4 port, and an audio jack for connecting to external soundbars and speakers.

The lack of USB-C and USB ports is a disappointment because you can’t use the monitor as an accessory hub for keyboards or mice. But you can convert DisplayPort to a USB-C video signal using an adapter, which I did for direct connection to my Surface.

Even the 5-watt speakers are perfectly located at the bottom of the user-facing screen, creating just the right audio show when I listened to my favorite songs on Spotify. It’s always a good idea to see on-screen speakers, as it reduces the need to use dedicated speakers, which add even more clutter of cables and stuff to the office. Unlike other monitors, LG includes MaxxAudio, so you can tweak the audio and boost things like bass for a better experience.

Despite all this, there are some limitations to the LG UltraFine 32UN650W’s design. First, its arms and legs are made of plastic, unlike the metal you see in expensive monitors. This material selection is expected for a sub-$500 price tag, but it isn’t permanent. There are also ergonomic concerns. The screen can move up and down by up to 110mm, but it can’t be rotated completely vertically, and can only be tilted slightly at angles from -5 to 20 degrees. This is tricky if you’re constantly on social media and like to rotate your screens vertically. You can only use this monitor vertically with the included stand.

This monitor also uses a special circular power connector that is inserted into the back of the monitor. It’s not the standard AC notch you’ll see on other HP, Dell, and Lenovo monitors. There’s a chance if this power connector breaks or fails you’ll have to buy one through LG directly, which isn’t ideal.

Interface and Buttons: Easy-to-use joystick controls

• The screen has joystick controls
• Easy volume control
• The onscreen display menu contains a large number of options

When reviewing a monitor, I always spend extra time in the menu system tweaking brightness, contrast, and more. Navigating these menus can usually be a pain, especially on cheap monitors in this price range that can require multiple button presses to complete simple tasks. Fortunately, the LG UltraFine 32UN650W makes menu navigation easy with its built-in joystick controls.

The backlit joystick on this display is centered below the bottom chin. You can press the joystick left and right to adjust the volume and press down in the middle to access the menu system. Press down once and to the left to switch inputs. You’ll also get audio feedback and a beep to let you know you’re pressing the right buttons. So easy!

The menu system itself is very intuitive. There is a quick setting that gives you modes for brightness, contrast, volume, and color modes. Next, there is an input menu for switching inputs and aspect ratios. The third menu is Picture Settings, where you can change the picture mode and color temperatures, turn AMD FreeSync on or off, optimize the screen for HD content, or adjust the black level balancer and response times for games. There are many features here that would have been difficult to find and navigate without a joystick.

Display: Surprisingly color-accurate, but only 60Hz

• Packs great color accuracy and contrast ratios
• There are a lot of controls for image quality
• The refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz

Given the budget price, I never expected the LG UltraFine 32UN650W to have excellent color accuracy. When I tested the screen with my colorimeter, the results were nearly as close to what I’d record with more expensive monitors like the Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-20. I tested the screen configured to default settings at 45% brightness, 70% contrast, standard color temperature, and a high black level.

Everything on your screen will look lifelike, and there’s plenty of room for multitasking thanks to the 4K resolution. The screen gets really bright in HDR mode (up to 1,000 nits, according to my colorimeter) and comfortable level in Standard mode (370 nits). It also doesn’t suffer from the IPS glow and backlight bleed problems of cheaper screens. Contrast is up to 1,000:1, just as LG suggests, which is standard for an IPS screen. Monitors with VA panels have higher contrast but are more expensive.

In terms of color accuracy, this monitor puts numbers above the 70% benchmark we usually look for: 82% AdobeRGB, 98% sRGB, 86% P3, and 77% NTSC. For reference, the Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-20 reaches 86% Adobe RGB, 94% sRGB, 79% P3, and 82% NTSC when in Adobe RGB mode. Combine those numbers with HDR certification, and this is great for entry-level photography and video editing.

But let’s put these numbers into words. In standard, non-HDR mode, I noticed how bright the XDA homepage was, with the purple gradient on our homepage appearing right off the screen. Then, watching nature videos featuring Costa Rica in 4K, I felt like I had entered the jungle myself. The green moss on a bushy sea turtle shell, and the fine grains of sand in beach scenes seemed stuck.

There’s only one thing that bothered me about the screen: the refresh rate. While 60Hz is great for light PC gaming, it’s not the best for console or competitive gaming. I connected my Xbox Series X to this monitor, and it didn’t feel smooth in terms of gameplay. For PC games though, there are plenty of great features to boost the picture quality. I enjoyed playing CS:GO On this screen, AMD FreeSync support and the Black Stabilizer helped smooth out some dark scenes and make games look smoother. But it’s still not as smooth as a great 144Hz refresh rate gaming monitor like the more expensive Dell 32 4K UHD Gaming Monitor I use every day.

LG UltraFine 32UN650W: Should you buy?

You should buy the LG UltraFine 32UN650W if:

• You’re on a budget and need a 4K HDR 60 Hz monitor
• You need a screen to connect to multiple devices
• You want a monitor with built-in speakers

You should not buy the LG UltraFine 32UN650W if:

• You are a serious PC gamer or need a higher refresh rate
• You need USB ports

The LG UltraFine 32UN650W is a great monitor for anyone on a budget. Coming in at under $500, it packs a ton of features that you’d usually only find on more expensive monitors. You get HDR 10, on-screen joystick controls, and many additional menu options that can boost picture quality for games and beyond. The color accuracy is on par with the most premium screen resolutions, which means that this monitor will surely make whatever you are working on or looking at more vibrant and vibrant.

LG UltraFine 32UN650W

The best budget 4K monitor

LG UltraFine 32UN650W is one of the best affordable 4K monitors you can buy. It has a really sleek design that features joystick buttons for menu controls, and a slim plastic stand. Color accuracy is also great, at 86% Adobe RGB and 94% sRGB, and the screen supports HDR. The only weakness is that while AMD FreeSync supports basic PC gaming, it hits a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz.

Positives

• HDR10 support
• Joystick controls
• Built-in speakers
• Slim stand and design

cons

• It does not contain USB ports
• The maximum resolution is up to 60 Hz
• There is no ability to rotate vertically
• There is no USB-C