LG Opens Preorders for UltraGear Evo 5K Gaming Monitor with Hyper Mini LED

LG has begun accepting preorders for its new UltraGear Evo AI GM9, a 27-inch gaming monitor with a 5K resolution and "hyper" mini LED technology. Announced at CES earlier this year, it's one of three new 5K displays unveiled at the annual event and priced at $1,199.99. That's a premium price for sure, and if users want to add some value to the package, LG is offering a special $1 rate for a 2-year extended coverage plan, valid until May 3, 2026.

So, what exactly is hyper mini LED? As LG explains it, hyper mini LED technology "employs an advanced architecture with numerous local dimming zones to provide precise light control - enabling ultra-high brightness and advanced anti-blooming performance."

It sounds like a more dense version of mini LED as we know it. As its name implies, mini LED backlights use more densely packed miniature LEDs compared to traditional LED panels, which can amp up the brightness and allow for finer grain control over what part of a scene get illuminated. One major upshot of mini LED is less blooming (otherwise known as the halo effect) compared to traditional LED displays.

The GM9 (27GM950B) features 9,216 tiny LEDs. It offers up 2,304 local dimming zones, which LG says is 1.5x more than a conventional mini LED monitor, and is rated to hit up to 1,250 nits of peak brightness. It passed VESA's DisplayHDR 1000 certification as well as TÜV Rheinland's Anti-Blooming certification.

Outside of the fancy backlighting, the GM9 is a dual-mode display supporting a 165Hz refresh rate at its native 5K resolution, and up to 330Hz in QHD. Other highlights include a 1ms response time, AMD FreeSync Premium certification and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, and on-device AI upscaling.

"Featuring 5K AI Upscaling, the gaming monitor intelligently enhances on-screen content to 5K without users having to upgrade or coax extra GPU performance out of their existing gaming setups. 5K AI Upscaling enables finer detail and sharper definition without added latency for a more immersive gaming experience," LG says.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20) input, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and a USB-C (90W power delivery) port.