LG C5 vs G5: what the extra money buys

The C5 and G5 are LG’s two main 2025 OLEDs, and on the spec sheet they share most of their features: Dolby Vision, four 4K 120 Hz inputs, webOS, the same remote. The differences are in the panel, the screen finish and the way each is meant to be installed.

Verdict: who should buy which

Side by side

Picture: the tandem panel and the anti-glare screen

Panel. Both are WOLED: each pixel’s light comes from white OLED material through color filters, with a white sub-pixel for brightness. The G5’s Primary RGB Tandem panel stacks more light-emitting layers, which LG uses to push brightness and color further than the C5’s conventional panel. RTINGS describes the G5 as the first TV with this panel and confirms the C5 stays on the traditional one. The gain shows most in HDR highlights and in a lit room; in a dark room, both have OLED’s perfect black.

Screen. LG markets the G5’s finish as glare- and reflection-free. The C5 has a standard glossy OLED finish. If the TV faces a window, the screen treatment matters as much as the panel. See best TV for a bright room.

The 97-inch exception. The 97-inch G5 doesn’t use the tandem panel (or MLA, the brightness technology of earlier G models), according to RTINGS, and LG’s sheet caps its VRR at 120 Hz. It’s still the largest OLED we list, but it isn’t a bigger version of the 65-inch’s picture.

For measured brightness, reflections and color volume, see the RTINGS reviews linked under Sources; we don’t test TVs.

Gaming: a tie for consoles

Both sets take 4K 120 Hz on all four HDMI inputs, with VRR, ALLM and G-Sync/FreeSync on the sheet, so a PS5, an Xbox and a PC can all stay plugged in alongside an eARC soundbar. The G5’s 165 Hz ceiling only matters to a PC that can render more than 144 frames per second at 4K. For consoles, the C5 gives up nothing. See best gaming TV.

Design, stand and wall mount

This is where the two differ most in daily life:

Weights without the stand, from LG’s US spec sheets.

• The G5 is built for the wall. It ships with LG’s own wall bracket (“All the G5 series come with wall-mount bracket, not stand”, says the sheet), made for its 1-inch body. On a standard tilting or full-motion mount it stands off the wall like any TV.
• On furniture, the G5 needs an extra purchase. LG’s optional G5 stand is a pedestal 19.1 in wide (55 and 65 in) or 19.7 in (77 and 83 in). The C5’s pedestal (18.5 in on most sizes) is in the box.
• The G5 is heavier: 5.9 lb more at 55 in, 11.9 lb at 65, 22.3 lb at 77 and 23.6 lb at 83. Check your mount’s rating, and use two people.
• Mount patterns differ at 55 to 77 inches, so a mount bought for one may not fit the other without adapter arms. See wall mount types.

Width and height are the same within 0.2 in at every shared size, so both fit the same wall space. At 65 inches:

Our picks

Our take

The C5 is the better buy for most rooms: the same inputs, the same HDR formats and the same OLED black, with a stand in the box and two smaller sizes. The G5 earns its price in a bright room or on a wall, where its brighter panel, anti-glare screen and thin body all count. If you’re choosing the 97-inch, know that it has neither the tandem panel nor 165 Hz.

LG has replaced both for 2026 (the C5 with the C6 and, at 77 and 83 inches, the tandem-panel C6H), so 2025 stock is the one to watch for price drops. Comparing across brands? See best OLED TV, Sony vs LG OLED and Samsung S90F vs S95F.