MSI's next-gen 4K OLED monitor is a gift to gamers and creative pros

Best Prices Today: MSI MPG 272URX

OLED displays had a terrific 2024, however this 12 months could be even higher. The first 27-inch 4K OLED shows primarily based on Samsung’s third-gen QD-OLED have arrived. That’s necessary for 2 causes: 27-inch 4K displays are well-liked, and QD-OLED’s pricing will undercut the uncommon few 27-inch 4K OLED shows that have been accessible earlier than.

MSI’s MPG 272URX QD-OLED is the primary of this new breed to land on my desk, and it’s spectacular.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED specs and options

The MSI MPG 272URX’s most necessary characteristic is its decision. 27-inch 4K displays have been accessible previous to this 12 months, however they have been uncommon. The new MSI additionally has a 240Hz refresh price, whereas prior 4K OLED displays have been caught at 60Hz.

• Display measurement: 26.5-inch 16:9 widescreen
• Native decision: 3840×2160
• Panel kind: QD-OLED 10-bit panel
• Refresh price: 240Hz
• Adaptive sync: Yes
• HDR: Yes, HDR 10, DisplayHDR 400 True Black Certified
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20), 1x USB-C with DisplayPort and 98 watts USB Power Delivery, 1x USB-B 5Gbps upstream, 2x USB-A 5Gbps downstream, 1x 3.5mm audio-out
• VESA mount: 100x100mm
• Speakers: None
• Price: $1,099.99

While the 4K QD-OLED panel is the headliner, MSI hasn’t skimped on the extras. The MPG 272URX has a DisplayPort 2.1a port that may deal with as much as 80Gbps of bandwidth, a USB-C port with 98 watts of Power Delivery, and a pair of downstream USB-A ports. A KVM swap is included, as properly.

Read on to be taught extra, then try our roundup of the best 4K monitors for comparability.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED design

The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED doesn’t make a robust first impression. From the entrance, it options slim bezels on the perimeters and high, whereas a matte-black plastic chin strains the underside of the show. Around again you’ll discover a combination of matte-black metals and plastics with some engaging however refined MSI branding. Thankfully, the monitor contains RGB LED lighting to supply much-needed aptitude.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Its sturdy and practical stand follows the identical understated method, utilizing matte-black supplies that keep away from drawing consideration. While the stand’s base is giant, its flat design means the desk house it occupies stays usable. The stand features a beneficiant cable administration cutout and gives typical ergonomic changes: tilt, swivel, and peak. It can even pivot 90 levels for portrait orientation. A 100x100mm VESA mount is accessible for third-party monitor stands and arms.

The MPG 272URX QD-OLED has an inside energy provide as an alternative of an exterior energy brick. This barely will increase the monitor’s thickness however eliminates the trouble of discovering house for a clumsy energy brick in your energy strip. Personally, I choose an inside energy provide and respect MSI’s determination.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED connectivity

MSI doesn’t maintain again on connectivity with the MPG 272URX QD-OLED. The monitor has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 2.1a port, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort mode, totaling 4 video enter choices. The DisplayPort 2.1a connection helps as much as 80Gbps of bandwidth, the utmost this model of the usual can present.

The monitor’s USB connectivity is equally spectacular. The USB-C port delivers as much as 90W of energy supply, making it appropriate for charging related tablets or laptops. The monitor additionally contains two USB downstream ports and a USB-B upstream port, offering connectivity for units with out USB-C. A KVM swap perform rounds out the characteristic set.

While the MSI’s connectivity is superb, it’s largely matched by what’s accessible on competing 27-inch 4K OLED displays getting into the market, such because the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. However, the specs for the upcoming Alienware AW2725Q and Samsung G81SF present they received’t supply USB-C with DisplayPort, which supplies MSI and Asus a bonus in connectivity.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED options

Matthew Smith / Foundry

An easy-to-use joystick, centered on the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED’s chin, gives entry to the monitor’s on-screen menus. It provides a complete vary of high quality changes together with gamma, coloration temperature, and coloration settings, in addition to coloration calibration. Competitors normally supply these choices too.

However, the MSI notably lacks a uniform brightness mode. This is an possibility offered by some rivals, comparable to Asus, which restricts the OLED monitor’s most SDR brightness to cut back fluctuations when switching between darkish and shiny content material. The monitor additionally lacks brightness adjustment in HDR mode. I feel each Uniform Brightness and adjustable HDR brightness needs to be normal for any premium OLED monitor.

MSI gives the usual array of gaming-centric options, together with an on-screen crosshair, timer, refresh price readout, black equalizer for reinforcing visibility in darkish areas, and a scope mode for zooming in to take extra exact pictures. While these options don’t present an edge over the competitors, players who use them will respect their presence.

The MPG 272URX QD-OLED takes a cross on audio. The monitor doesn’t embrace built-in audio system, so homeowners have to depend on a headset or exterior desktop audio system. That isn’t uncommon for a gaming monitor, and since most individuals would seemingly use a headset anyway, the dearth of audio output isn’t a major downside.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED picture high quality

The MSI MPG 272URX has a 26.5-inch third-generation Samsung QD-OLED panel with 3840×2160 decision and a most refresh price of 240Hz. 4K decision is the headliner for this monitor and, certainly, its total efficiency is in any other case consistent with prior QD-OLED displays (in SDR, no less than).

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

We begin off with brightness, the place the MPG 272URX QD-OLED gives a modest most SDR brightness of 269 nits. That’s proper consistent with most QD-OLED displays we’ve examined. The Asus ROG Swift PG27QDP, which has an LG WOLED panel, was a bit brighter on this take a look at.

A shiny end coats the QD-OLED panel. Though it has a superb anti-glare end, reflections will probably be apparent when a shiny gentle supply is reverse the monitor, and in any brightly lit room. The monitor is greater than shiny sufficient to make use of in most settings, however glare might grow to be a problem in case your room has giant, sunlit home windows or shiny lights sitting reverse the monitor’s place within the room.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

Contrast is a power for all OLED displays. An OLED panel’s means to activate every pixel individually makes it doable to realize a minimal brightness of zero nits. That’s necessary, because it gives a greater sense of realism in depth, in addition to extra convincing element in darkish scenes. The MPG 272URX does properly right here, although it additionally has no benefit, as all its rivals supply the identical distinction efficiency.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

The MPG 272URX produced a coloration gamut that spans 100 % of sRGB, 98 % of DCI-P3, and 92 % of AdobeRGB. These figures aren’t a lot completely different from prior QD-OLED displays, however they’re glorious outcomes and present the monitor can present a vibrant and hyper-saturated picture that many individuals will take pleasure in. They additionally make the monitor a sensible choice for inventive work, and the monitor even contains preset modes for sRGB, DCI-P3, and AdobeRGB.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

Color accuracy is extra mid-pack, however the MPG 272URX’s coloration error stays slight and is unlikely to face out to most viewers. The coloration error studying was highest in blue and cyan however, even understanding this, the picture regarded correct to my eyes. This stage of coloration accuracy is nice for gaming, leisure, and most inventive work. To be frank, customers who want higher accuracy than this needs to be taking a look at a show for inventive professionals, just like the BenQ SW272U.

The MSI MPG 272URX diversified from our gamma and coloration temperature targets. I measured a gamma of two.3, off our goal of two.2, which signifies the picture is a bit darker than it needs to be. That is widespread for an OLED gaming monitor. I additionally measured a default coloration temperature of 6100Ok, which is a bit hotter than our goal of 6500Ok. Personally, I like a heat picture, so this didn’t bother me. The monitor additionally has a number of coloration temperature presets for additional adjustment, although they aim obscure labels like “Warm” and “Cool” as an alternative of particular coloration temperature values.

The MPG 272URX’s 4K OLED panel delivers an enormous enhance to sharpness over final 12 months’s 1440p OLED panels. More importantly, 4K decision vastly reduces the sub-pixel oddities that OLED panels can undergo. While 1440p QD-OLED displays are nice, they present ugly aliasing round small fonts and a few high-contrast edges. The new 4K QD-OLED panel doesn’t fully take away this however, as a result of larger pixel density, it’s way more troublesome to note the impact. The MPG 272URX appears to be like about as sharp as another 4K monitor when seen from two to 3 toes away.

That’s excellent news for the MPG 272URX. Sharpness is the large motive to purchase a dearer 4K QD-OLED monitor over a less expensive 1440p QD-OLED monitor. Whether the advance is well worth the cash will rely in your preferences, however there’s no disputing 4K QD-OLED delivers a dramatic enhance to sharpness.   

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED HDR picture high quality

Samsung’s third-gen QD-OLED panels are glorious in SDR, very like the prior era. But what about HDR? Here, QD-OLED has one thing to show as LG’s newest WOLED panels, which entered the market within the second half of 2024, typically served up higher HDR brightness.

Jon L. Jacobi / Foundry

The MPG 272URX delivers stable HDR efficiency. Like most OLED displays, it performs finest when solely a small portion of the show is brightly lit. I measured a most brightness of 934 nits when simply 10 % of the show panel confirmed a shiny white HDR picture, however that was lowered to 263 nits when that picture is proven full display screen. Still, the MSI’s peak brightness beats most OLED displays.

Subjectively, I used to be extremely impressed by the monitor’s HDR efficiency. The lightning strikes that crackle via the “Into the Storm” scene from Mad Max: Fury Road felt eye-searingly shiny. The monitor additionally teased out refined gradients of luminance across the black gap in Interstellar’s “Gargantua” scene. While I wouldn’t say the MPG 272URX redefines the usual for the very best HDR displays I’ve reviewed, it definitely ranks close to the highest of its class, and I discovered HDR content material pleasing on the show.

MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED movement efficiency

The MSI MPG 272URX excels in movement readability, boasting a most refresh price of 240Hz and Adaptive Sync assist (with official G-Sync compatibility and unofficial FreeSync assist). The result’s stunningly easy movement.

A 240Hz refresh price strikes a sensible stability, because it’s the best price that mid-range to high-end GPUs can realistically obtain at 4K decision in fashionable video games (as you want a constant 240 FPS to totally profit from the refresh price). The monitor’s movement readability is additional enhanced by OLED’s fast pixel response instances, which cut back movement blur throughout fast-paced motion.

In apply, the movement readability is crisp, although not with out limitations. Scrolling take a look at pictures from DOTA 2 and League of Legends revealed that terrain, character silhouettes, and spell results have been discernible, although some character names and hitpoint bar particulars have been laborious to make out. Still, this can be a excessive normal of efficiency. In titles that ask much less of a monitor’s movement readability, like World of Warcraft, the picture approaches perfection in movement.

It’s value noting that 27-inch OLED displays with 1440p decision and a 360Hz refresh price can be found, offering a minor however noticeable enchancment in readability that aggressive gamers will respect. However, for most individuals, the MPG 272URX’s 4K 240Hz strikes a perfect stability between sharpness and movement readability.

Should you purchase the MSI MPG 272URX?

The MSI MPG 272URX is a exceptional 27-inch 4K OLED monitor. It retains the beautiful distinction, wealthy colours, and pinpoint accuracy of earlier OLED shows whereas stepping up with a sharper picture and improved peak HDR brightness. The design, although not flashy, is practical and well-equipped, providing a wide selection of video and USB connectivity.

However, the $1099.99 price ticket may make some hesitate. With older 27-inch 1440p OLED displays now dipping beneath $800, the MPG 272URX’s worth proposition rests squarely on its 4K decision. For those that crave additional sharpness and element, although, the premium is definitely justified.