At face value, the LG CX and the LG GX offer many similar features of OLED TVs. However, they also come with specific individual characteristics. So if you’ve narrowed your choice down to these two models, this detailed LG CX vs GX comparison and product review will help you pick the TV that best fits your needs and preferences.
LG CX vs GX
LG CX
The LG CX is the new and improved version of the 2019 LG C9 model. It features many of its predecessor’s capabilities, only in a more optimized package with more powerful Smart TV capabilities. It’s a great TV that offers excellent value for the money.
Pros:
- Beautiful picture quality with a rich color palette
- Fast and stable Smart TV platform
- Infinite contrast ratio
- Great price for an OLED TV of its capabilities
Cons:
- No HDR10+ support
- Noticeable bass distortion at higher volume levels
LG GX
A beautiful TV inside and out, the LG GX is the perfect TV for mixed usage and is designed to mount flush to the wall with its super-thin “gallery” design. This model is powered by a robust image processor and impressively wide viewing angles, tailor-made for home cinema enthusiasts. Of course, like its rival in this comparison, the GX isn’t entirely flawless.
Pros:
- Perfect solution for a wide seating area
- Fast and stable Smart TV platform
- Infinite contrast ratio
- Slim and stunning “Gallery Design”
Cons:
- No HDR10+ support
- Relatively expensive
Features Face to Face
Panel Technology
The CX and the GX come with LG’s superb OLED panel technology. OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) is a flat light-emitting technology with a series of thin organic films between two-panel conductors.
OLED panel technology offers several advantages compared to traditional LCD panels. Most significantly, OLED panels deliver many improved characteristics, mainly in higher brightness, better contrast, and wider viewing angles.
They also consume less power and are generally thinner and more flexible than other types of panels. However, one downside you should be aware of is that OLED panels have a slightly shorter shelf life than other types of TV panels.
Image Processor
Besides having the same panel technology, the CX and GX employ the same image processor. This is the 3rd generation α9 AI processor, a sophisticated image processor specifically crafted for LG’s 4K TV series.
This image processor uses a deep-learning algorithm to recognize the quality of content, remove noise, and optimize contrast and saturation. With face enhancing and text upscaling features, the α9 AI processor automatically adjusts the picture to best fit the genre you’re watching. It does so thanks to its AI brightness control feature. The result of this is always a crisp and clear image.
Motion Technology
The CX and the GX offer a near-instantaneous response time. The CX can fully transition between scenes in approximately 1.7 milliseconds, while the GX does so in around 2.3 milliseconds. These slight differences are irrelevant, as such numbers place the CX and the GX well below the average response times and tenfold higher.
With this kind of motion technology, the motion on these two models looks very smooth. Most of the time, you won’t experience any motion blur, although it can occur from time to time if you’re watching at a 120Hz refresh rate.
Picture Quality
In this LG CX vs GX comparison, you’ll notice they differ in some key characteristics, but they are also similar in a few crucial factors. When it comes to overall picture quality, the two models provide almost identical image resolution support.
| Resolution | LG CX | LG GX |
|---|---|---|
| 4K/120Hz | Yes (Only in Game Mode) | Yes (Native Support) |
| 4K/60Hz/4:4:4 | Yes | Yes |
| 4K/60Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 1440p/120Hz | Yes (Native Support) | Yes (Native Support) |
| 1440p/60Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 1080p/120Hz | Yes (Native Support) | Yes (Native Support) |
| 1080p/60Hz/4:4:4 | Yes | Yes |
The only slight difference between the two models is in terms of their highest supported resolutions. More specifically, the CX displays the 4k120/Hz resolution best in Game Mode. Outside of this setting, you’ll likely experience some frame skips or image stutter. The GX doesn’t struggle with such issues.
Contrast Ratio / Black Level
Since both of these models utilize LG’s OLED panel technology, they don’t have a fixed contrast ratio. Instead, the CX and GX can dim each pixel individually, meaning that they practically provide an infinite contrast ratio and produce perfect blacks. In this regard, no other non-OLED panel can deliver the same contrast ratio presentation.
Local Dimming
Due to their capability of turning off each pixel individually, these OLED models don’t feature a backlight. With that in mind, there’s also no local dimming feature. This ability enables them to display subtitles and brighter objects without any visible blooming around them. Consider this, the CX and GX deliver equally impeccable dimming properties.
Peak Brightness
Like all LG’s OLED TVs, the CX and the GX deliver decent but not overly impressive peak brightness numbers. In the table below, we’ve compared both the SDR and HDR peak brightness capabilities of the two models:
| Brightness Values | LG CX | LG GX |
|---|---|---|
| Peak 10% Window SDR Brightness | ∼ 460 nits | ∼ 388 nits |
| Peak 100% Window SDR Brightness | ∼ 175 nits | ∼ 175 nits |
| Peak 10% Window HDR Brightness | ∼ 820 nits | ∼ 740 nits |
| Peak 100% Window HDR Brightness | ∼ 150 nits | ∼ 140 nits |
As you can see from the table above, the CX performs noticeably better in terms of SDR and HDR peak brightness on a small percentage of the screen. That said, looking at the maximum luminosity across the entire screen, the two models record similar performance numbers.
Color
The CX and the GX deliver a wide color gamut with basically flawless DCI P3 color space coverage. This makes them excellent performers in showcasing HDR content. Moreover, the two TVs have a solid Rec. 2020 color space coverage, essential for watching HDR, UHD, and Bly-Ray content.
Despite having a fantastic color gamut, neither the CX nor the GX impresses with color volume. They have a decent color volume and are very capable of displaying deep and saturated colors. However, they can’t properly produce the brightest colors. Overall, the CX offers slightly better color volumes, but the difference isn’t significant enough to base your choice on it.
Viewing Angle
Both TVs have outstanding viewing angles and are excellent choices if you’re looking for a model for a wide seating arrangement. That said, the GX is better in this category, as it supports noticeably wider viewing angles.
Looking more into the specific numbers, the GX shows a Gamma shift at a thirteen-degree viewing angle, starting to drop in performance at around 70 degrees. In comparison, the CX shows a Gamma shift at a viewing angle of 57 degrees.
Reflections / Anti-glare
Both TVs have equally magnificent reflection handling capabilities. Even while watching content on your CX or GX in a very bright room, you won’t experience annoying reflections. This is because both of these models come with a glossy screen finish and reflect just around 1.5% of the total light that hits their screens.
Sound Quality
While testing the CX and the GX, we were surprised to discover how similar these two models are in terms of sound quality. The CX has a more powerful bass than its predecessor, the C9. However, it still suffers from the same weakness as the GX model. This is because it can’t get low enough to produce that room-shaking kind of bass. Still, the two TVs have a good sound frequency response and can get reasonably loud without sacrificing dialogue clarity.
Smart TV Platform (Operating System)
The CX and the GX use the same version of the same smart operating system. They come with LG’s in-house WebOS Smart TV OS, in this case, the 5.0 version. This means that the two TVs have the same OS capabilities. So, instead of comparing their OS features, we’ll focus on what these capabilities entail.
The WebOS 5.0 version comes with all 2020 LG TV models. It has a reasonably smooth interface and is straightforward to use. It doesn’t take much time to load up any apps you select. For reference, the 5.0 version only takes a couple of seconds to open YouTube.
Equally as important, it’s packed with a massive selection of apps and many advanced options and settings. LG’s app store provides you with the possibility of downloading popular apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and many others.
Connectivity
Many consumers often overlook the importance of connectivity properties when deciding on a new TV. However, we see this as one of the determining factors, which is why we’ll carefully compare all of CX’s and GX’s connectivity features. This includes input support, voice assistance capabilities, and wireless connectivity support.
Inputs
Comparing the input properties of the CX and GX models won’t get you far. This is because these two models have equally outstanding input lag responses across all supported resolutions and settings. Not only this, but the two TVs also come with an identical set of physical input ports. Check out the table below to see just how well the CX and the GX compare in this category:
| Input Ports | LG CX | LG GX |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI Ports | 4 HDMI 2.1 Ports | 4 HDMI 2.1 Ports |
| USB Ports | 3 USB 2.0 Ports | 3 USB 2.0 Ports |
| Digital Optical Audio Out | 1 Port | 1 Port |
| Ethernet Port | Yes | Yes |
Voice Assistants
Since they come from the same manufacturer, the CX and the GX use the same smart TV remote. Of course, we’re talking about the reasonably large and weighty LG Magic Remote. More importantly, in this context, the CX and the GX have the same voice assistant properties.
The two TVs have a satisfactory selection of voice control options you can activate through the remote’s built-in microphone. The voice assistant options include changing inputs, setting the screen brightness, or searching for content. Additionally, you can ask the voice assistant for the weather or time.
Wireless Technologies
Comparing the two models’ wireless technologies, the CX and the GX support the standard Wi-Fi options (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz), enough for general mixed usage like streaming or browsing the Internet without lags or buffering times. In addition, both TVs come with Bluetooth support, allowing you to pair additional speakers, video players, or other devices for a better viewing experience.
Standout Features
The main standout feature when comparing the LG CX vs GX is the GX’s gallery wall mount design. That said, the two TVs come with a set of standout features compared to other TV models from different manufacturers.
These two models offer VRR support and support both G-SYNC and FreeSync. Coupled with their impeccable response times, the CX and GX undoubtedly rank as some of the best gaming TVs you can find on the current market. Regardless of whether you’re gaming on an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card, the CX and the GX can assist you in achieving the best visual experience.
Conclusion
In terms of overall quality and performance, these two models are very similar. While conducting this thorough LG CX vs GX comparison, we’ve found no significant differences in mixed usage suitability.
Both the CX and GX are terrific for watching HDR movies and playing games and offer respectable performance when streaming shows and watching sports. They employ the same image processor, use the same panel technology, and have identical connectivity support. The similarities continue further looking at other image quality properties.
With that in mind, if we were to look into the tiny discrepancies to differentiate the two models, we could set them apart by specific traits. For example, the LG GX provides noticeably wider viewing angles and an impressively thin bezel, no gap from screen to wall design. At the same time, the CX delivers a slightly better color palette in general.
