LG UltraGear 27G61ZB-B: Specs, Price, Pros & Cons
This needs a disclosure more than a review, because LG sells the same hardware twice. Compared against the 27G610A-B we also cover, every specification row is identical — same panel, same brightness, same stand, same ports.
The differences are a certification badge, a different barcode, a lower list price, and which retailer stocks it. Two shelf tags, one monitor. Judged on its own it is among the strongest budget 27-inch gaming panels we have catalogued, with budget-grade extras to match.
Category strengths
Where the LG UltraGear 27G61ZB-B beats the average
- A faster response time ?1 ms vs 1.3 ms (avg)
- Has height adjustment ?
- Has pivot adjustment ?
- More HDMI ports ?2 vs 1.74 (avg)
- Has swivel adjustment ?
- Has headphone output ?
- Has variable refresh rate ?
Where the LG UltraGear 27G61ZB-B trails the average
- A much lower contrast ratio ?1,000 :1 vs 423,802.48 :1 (avg)
- Lower peak brightness ?400 nits vs 697.38 nits (avg)
- No USB hub ?
- No USB-C ?
- A slightly smaller screen ?27" (68.58 cm) vs 29.13" (73.99 cm) (avg)
- No picture-by-picture ?
- A lower pixel density ?109 ppi vs 125.84 ppi (avg)
- No local dimming ?
- A slightly lower refresh rate ?200 Hz vs 208.82 Hz (avg)
- A lower color depth ?8 bit vs 9.53 bit (avg)
Editor’s note
The 27G61ZB-B needs a disclosure more than a review, because LG sells this exact hardware twice. Comparing it against the 27G610A-B we already cover, every specification row is identical down to byte-identical dimensions and weights – same 200 Hz QHD IPS panel, same 400-nit brightness, same four-way stand, same ports. The differences: this ZB version carries no VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification (its marketing says 'HDR10' where the 610A says 'DisplayHDR 400'), it has a different UPC, a lower list price, and it is the SKU you will find at Amazon while the 610A lives at lg.com. Two shelf tags, one monitor.
Judged on its own, it is the strongest sub-$200 27-inch gaming panel we have catalogued. 200 Hz native with a genuine 1 ms GtG, 400 nits typical – unusually bright for budget IPS – 99% sRGB with factory calibration, and a stand that adjusts height, pivot, swivel and tilt at a price where tilt-only is the norm. Street pricing around $170-180 makes it something of a category benchmark.
The economies are visible if you look. HDMI is 2.0, so the full 200 Hz needs the DisplayPort. Contrast is a plain 1000:1, the panel is 8-bit, and the missing DisplayHDR certification means HDR content merely displays rather than impresses. There are no speakers and no USB. And unlike its own 32-inch sibling, it carries FreeSync Premium only – no NVIDIA G-Sync certification, though adaptive sync works fine on GeForce cards in practice.
Buy whichever of the twins is cheaper on the day – that is genuinely the whole decision. At equal prices, the 610A's DisplayHDR badge is the only tiebreaker, and it is a small one.
Specifications
Quality bars are generated automatically against 90 other monitors.
Picture
Larger screens are more immersive; measured diagonally.
The total pixel count; higher is sharper.
The panel technology; OLED offers the best contrast.
The more specific panel or backlight technology (e.g. QD-OLED, WOLED or Mini-LED VA).
The native or supported bit depth used to reproduce colour gradients.
The display surface treatment and its balance of glare control and image clarity.
Higher refresh rates are smoother for gaming and scrolling.
Grey-to-grey response; lower reduces motion blur.
Higher brightness makes HDR highlights pop.
The ratio between the brightest and darkest output.
Wider colour gamut for more vivid, accurate colour.
Full sRGB coverage keeps everyday content and photos colour-accurate.
The certified HDR tier.
Pixels per inch; higher looks sharper.
Dims parts of the backlight independently to improve contrast.
More independently controlled zones can improve HDR precision.
Gaming
Variable-refresh technology for tear-free motion.
Syncs the refresh rate to the GPU.
Backlight strobing for clearer motion.
The delay between an input and the image changing; lower is better.
The minimum-to-maximum refresh range over which variable refresh rate operates.
Ergonomics & design
The width-to-height ratio (e.g. 16:9, 21:9).
The curve radius (e.g. 1000R); blank for a flat panel.
Raise and lower the panel.
Angle the panel up and down.
Rotate the panel left and right.
Rotate to portrait orientation.
The VESA wall / arm mount pattern (e.g. 100 x 100 mm).
Connectivity
More HDMI inputs connect more devices.
The highest HDMI standard supported by the monitor.
DisplayPort inputs, preferred for high refresh rates.
The highest DisplayPort standard supported by the monitor.
A USB-C input, often with power delivery for laptops.
Charges a connected laptop over USB-C.
Built-in USB ports for peripherals.
Integrated speakers.
A 3.5 mm audio output for headphones or external speakers.
Control two computers with one keyboard and mouse.
Features
A built-in camera for video calls.
A built-in microphone for calls.
A wired network port for USB-C docking.
Shows inputs from two computers side by side.
Specs last verified August 19, 202636 of 42 specs verified (86%)Unverified specs show as Unknown — never estimated, never scored
Where to buy
Prices and availability may change. Check the retailer before buying. We may earn a commission on purchases.
Price history
Monitors with similar specs to the LG UltraGear 27G61ZB-B
Ratings & reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.
The bottom line
The LG UltraGear 27G61ZB-B earns a VS Score of 36, trailing most of the 91 monitors we compare here, at least on the spec sheet.
- Who it’s for
- Whoever finds it cheaper than its twin: 200 Hz QHD IPS, 400 nits, a genuine 1 ms GtG and a full 4-way stand, usually under $180.
- Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who already owns the 27G610A-B – this is the identical monitor under an Amazon-channel SKU, differing only in its missing DisplayHDR badge.
- The trade-off that matters
- Benchmark-grade fundamentals with budget-grade extras: HDMI 2.0 only, 1000:1 contrast, no speakers, no USB, and FreeSync without G-Sync certification.
- The main alternative
- LG UltraGear 27G610A-B is the same hardware with a DisplayHDR 400 badge – buy whichever twin costs less on the day.
The VS Score is calculated from the weighted specifications above, measured against every other monitors we track — a shortlisting guide, not a substitute for your own priorities. See how we score.
