Hey,
It’s Pete Matheson with a new issue of Experiments in Progress.
Monitor shopping in 2026 is a mess. You've got Mini LED, OLED, QD-OLED, Tandem OLED, curved, flat, ultrawide, super ultrawide. Every brand claims theirs is "the one."
Here's what's actually worth your money.
🖥️ The 2026 Monitor Buying Guide
So here's my list broken down by what you actually need it for:
If you just want solid productivity and gaming without spending flagship money, start here.
LG 27GP850-B. Reliable all-rounder, easy recommendation for most desks
Xiaomi G34WQi. Surprisingly capable ultrawide for the price
Neither will blow you away on paper, but they'll do the job every day without you thinking about it.
OLED burn-in anxiety has kept a lot of people away from these panels. This is LG's answer.
The 4th gen panel is built specifically to address the burn-in worry that's followed OLED monitors around for years. Good value, easy to set up, recommend.
🖼️ Best Studio Display Alternative: Meirro PD6 (32" 6K)
I went into this one sceptical. A 32-inch 6K monitor with 224 PPI Nano IPS Black, Thunderbolt 4, 96W power delivery and an Apple-style aluminium build, aiming squarely at the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR crowd.
224 PPI Nano IPS Black panel — genuinely sharp
Thunderbolt 4 + 96W power delivery — one cable, laptop charges too
Comes with a remote control — didn't expect that on a productivity monitor
Out of LG's three new 2026 UltraGear Evo monitors, this is the one I'd actually buy.
27" GM9 — 5K Hyper Mini LED, the Studio Display alternative, best for colour-critical work
39" GX9 — 5K2K Tandem OLED, my top pick, the best all-rounder for work and play
52" G9 — 5K2K ultrawide, the biggest and most immersive, built for gaming and sim racing
The thing is, most people don't need the biggest screen — they need the one that's genuinely great at both spreadsheets and games. That's the 39".
If you want maximum immersion and don't mind the desk real estate, this is the world's largest 5K2K 240Hz VA gaming monitor.
1000R curve for genuine wraparound immersion
240Hz refresh rate at 5K2K resolution — rare combination
Handles Mac, Windows, and console productivity and gaming duties
I compared it directly against the 45" OLED and the 52" Dell — this is the one for people who game or sim-race first, work second.
👑 The New Productivity GOAT? Dell UltraSharp 52" vs Samsung Odyssey G9 57"
I lived with the 57" Samsung Odyssey G9 for over two years. It was brilliant — until the Dell UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt (U5226KW) showed up asking to take its spot.
After two years with the Samsung, the Dell is the first monitor that's genuinely made me reconsider what "best productivity screen" means.
Dell UltraSharp 52 — Thunderbolt hub, screen partitioning (PiP/PbP), built for serious multitasking
Samsung 57" G9 — still a beast for gaming, but the Dell edges it on daily productivity workflow
📊 Which monitor should you actually buy?
If you care about… | Get this |
|---|---|
Budget productivity + gaming | LG 27GP850-B or Xiaomi G34WQi |
OLED without burn-in anxiety | LG 27" UltraGear evo (27GX700A) |
Studio Display alternative | Meirro PD6 (32" 6K) |
Best all-rounder for work AND play | LG 39" UltraGear evo (5K2K OLED) |
Maximum gaming/sim-racing immersion | LG 52" UltraGear evo G9 |
Serious multitasking/productivity hub | Dell UltraSharp 52" |
Long-term ultrawide gaming | Samsung Odyssey G9 57" |
Best value overall |
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