5K monitors are going mainstream as LG unveils a 40-inch curved ultrawide model with Thunderbolt 5 – and a hefty price tag

LG UltraFine 40-inch monitor delivers 5K2K resolution and strong color specs for creative workflows
Thunderbolt 5 brings high-speed data up to 120Gbps and 96W charging
Nano IPS Black panel doubles contrast over regular IPS monitors

LG has released its latest 5K monitor as it looks to encourage the hardware into territory once reserved for niche creative professionals.

The LG 40U990A-W UltraFine 40-inch monitor features a 39.7-inch curved ultrawide screen with a 5120 x 2160 resolution, and it is the world’s first display to support Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

It arrives with a steep price of approximately $2,246, raising questions about how much functionality users genuinely need and what justifies the cost.

Targeting creative precision with premium display specs

The UltraFine Nano IPS Black panel boasts a 2000:1 contrast ratio, which doubles that of traditional IPS monitors.

Combined with 99% DCI-P3 coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification, LG is targeting professionals in video production and photo editing, where color fidelity and shadow detail matter.

Its wide 21:9 aspect ratio and 2500R curvature add a layer of immersion that some professionals may appreciate, making the 40U990A-W a capable business monitor.

For those who rely on pixel accuracy, this monitor could appeal as the best monitor for video editing, although its impact will depend on how well these specifications translate into real-world consistency and performance.

From a hardware perspective, the presence of Thunderbolt 5 brings speed improvements for data transfer up to 120 Gbps and enables up to 96W of laptop charging.

The port also supports daisy chaining of 5K2K monitors, allowing complex, multi-display setups without clutter.

While this might suggest future-forward convenience, the real-world benefits of Thunderbolt 5 remain largely untested at scale.

Early buyers of this device may encounter compatibility issues or diminishing returns compared to more mature standards.

This 5K monitor also features a 3-sided narrow bezel, with adjustable height, swivel, and tilt options that are now standard on premium displays.

We’ve rounded up the best monitors for photo editing on the market today
And here are the best monitors for programming we’ve found
Want to host an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU and up to 4PB of SSD storage on one single PCIe slot?

5K monitors are going mainstream as LG unveils a 40-inch curved ultrawide model with Thunderbolt 5 – and a hefty price tag