You could blindly pick any OLED gaming admonisher released this year and slap it on the list of thebest gaming monitor , and it ’d make sense . With a diminished pick of panel available , basically every OLED play monitor looks great . MSI has a very unique take on the growing mart ofOLED play monitorswith the MPG 321URX QD - OLED , though , and it has a self-aggrandising sharpness over the competition when it comes to top a gain ground OLED gaming monitor in 2024 .
That all comes down to cost . MSI sharply undercut the competition with the MPG 321URX by anywhere from $ 250 to $ 350 . I thought that would mean some clear compromises in other surface area of the exhibit , but as I quickly learned after unbox my review unit of measurement , that ’s just not the shell .
Video review
MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED Specs
Design
If there ’s anywhere the MPG 321URX compromises , it ’s the design . It does n’t look bad , though , just a petty bland . The shell is plastic , and from the front , you could mix up the MPG 321URX with any other 32 - inch monitor . A highlight is the shining destination , which is a vainglorious top when unite with an OLED panel underneath .
All of the flair is behind the admonisher , but it ’s still not much . There ’s a faux brush metallic element look around the heat cesspit ( it ’s still plastic ) , as well as a glossy MSI dragon logo . There ’s also an MSI logo on top on the heat sink that you could control with MSI Mystic Light . It ’s belittled and dim , however , so you ’ll never see it while in reality using the video display .
prosaic as the design of the MPG 321URX is , the stand MSI admit is excellent . There ’s a routing channel that ’s pose behind the monitor , so there are n’t any dangling cables , and MSI opted for a individual square bandstand , as defend to the foresighted leg you see on Monitor like theSamsung Odyssey Neo G8 .
There ’s also a wide range of readjustment . You get just over four inches of acme readjustment , 20 academic degree of tilt and pivot , and a very generous 60 degrees of swivel . You could have the varan set up in the corner of your desk and adjust the screen just with the included stand . Still , if you need more modification , there ’s a 100 mm x 100 mm VESA mount useable .
Features
The most direct competitor for the MPG 321URX is theAsus ROG PG32UCDM , and the MSI monitor definitely take on a back seat to the Asus showing with its hardening of feature . The main feature film of the MPG 321URX is the USB - vitamin C stimulation that ’s capable of 90 James Watt of force delivery . This is routedinto a KVM replacement , allowing you to seamlessly habituate your computer peripheral across two root .
There are a duet of caveats , however . MSI only use USB 2.0 ports . That should n’t be a trouble for your keyboard and mouse , but it limits the usability of the USB ports for thing like your outside severe driving force or webcam . The USB hub is for your keyboard and mouse , and not much else .
compare to the Asus challenger , MSI is missing a few other features . Most notably , it does n’t let in Black Frame Insertion ( BFI ) , which is one of the key selling detail of Asus ’ display . On the other mitt , MSI includes ability delivery with USB - C and a KVM switch over , both of which are absent on Alienware ’s more expensive take on this panel .
MSI really gains an bound with its OLED bar feature , which I ’ll dig into a bit after .
Ports and menu
I apprise how well-off it is to control the MPG 321URX , and that really number down to how with child the on - screen exhibit ( OSD ) is . It ’s big , and a high enough resolution that you ’re not squinch as you scroll through the options . This all happens with a joystick around the back of the proctor , but it ’s centered , so I never had any problem finding it . you could also control the proctor with your mouse since you connect the USB - B connection to your PC .
MSI packs in the options , but everything is clearly label . You get six color modality tailored for play , eight image mode that can clamp the colour to dissimilar gamuts , and two HDR modes . Even comfortably , you’re able to get to the unlike color and picture modes with HDR turned on , though you still ca n’t mess with circumstance like luminance and contrast with HDR enabled .
For embrasure , MSI has a standard array . You get two HDMI 2.1 connections , along with a DisplayPort 1.4a embrasure . That mean you ’ll need to run with Display Stream Compression if you want the full solution and refresh rate ( it ’s a lossless compress proficiency ) . The HDMI ports also support Variable Refresh Rate ( VRR ) and downscaling , so they ’re perfectly suitable for consoles .
The integrated USB hub is n’t as star . As mentioned , you have USB - C stimulus with 90W of power delivery and a KVM flip , both of which are peachy comprehension . The USB - A port are lock to USB 2.0 , however , so you ca n’t habituate them for accessory that call for a lot of bandwidth like an external hard drive .
Image quality
I go into this reappraisal a pessimist . Surely , I believe , if MSI was undercutting the competition so much , there would be some forfeiture to look-alike quality . I expected rickety colour , disappointing color accuracy , and brightness that lack the mark , not due to the MSI branding , but due to the price . Boy , was I wrong .
The image quality on the MPG 321URX is sensational . It ’s just as good as the other monitoring gadget we ’ve test using this same control board , and even a bit unspoiled than the Asus PG32UCDM with the default preferences out of the box . You ’re really not giving up anything with this monitor , despite what its Mary Leontyne Price would suggest .
Out of the box , the monitor is tune up to the Eco word picture visibility with Premium Color as the game mode . This conformation is solid . With it , I measured 100 % of sRGB , 87 % of AdobeRGB , and 98 % of DCI - P3 . The Premium Color game mode seems to unlock the full range of semblance available on the monitor , which stand for truth is a bite off . It ’s still not bad , with an average coloring material difference of just 1.37 .
MSI includes three style to clamp the semblance gamut to sRGB , AdobeRGB , or DCI - P3 . With these mode , the colour accuracy is excellent : sRGB had the lowest result with an error 0.69 , while AdobeRGB had the highest at 0.94 ang DCI - P3 was ripe in the middle at 0.79 . All of these results are antic , but it ’s interesting to see how the color error scales with the coverage of these dissimilar color spaces .
If you ’re doing any work on the MPG 321URX , you should do it in SDR . In HDR , the gloss error was 4.9 . That ’s because of how cleverness lick with HDR . The luminosity will increase and fall depending on how much of the covert is filled , so the colouring error can change quite a act depending on what ’s on - projection screen . disregardless , HDR look great , so it ’s for media uptake , not creation .
cleverness is on gunpoint here , too . This is the same Samsung Display third - gen QD - OLED board we ’ve seen before , and it was able-bodied to hit 987 nit of brightness for 1 % of the screen in the HDR Peak 1000 modality . That ’s typical of what we have a bun in the oven out of this panel , as showcased by monitoring gadget like theAlienware 32 QD - OLED .
SDR brightness is still lack . It topped out at 238 nits , which is a hair below some of the other QD - OLED options . It ’s not far behind , but if you ’re looking for blistering luminousness , HDR is still the way to go with this display .
Gaming
The MPG 321URX is a play monster , and you do n’t even need to take my Christian Bible for it . It ’s certified with DisplayHDR True Black 400 , so you ’re bring great HDR carrying into action , and it supports Adaptive Sync , which mean you have VRR across both AMD and Nvidia GPUs . That ’s not to mention the gamey 4 yard resolution and speedy 240Hz refresh rate — this is the summit gaming experience for most people , across both console and PC .
compare to other OLED options , MSI really stands out with its ClearMR 13,000 certification . This is a relatively young banner that tests and validate movement clarity , and MSI is top the chart here . The 13,000 tier up is the highest available — so mellow , in fact , that it was n’t even available when ClearMR launch about a year - and - a - one-half ago . Due to the high refresh rate and low reaction times of OLED , most gaming displays could gain this enfranchisement , and some , such as LG ’s panel , already have . It ’s still nice to see MSI go out of its way to put a mold of blessing on its gamy - close play monitor , though .
As far as actually using the admonisher for gaming , there is n’t much more to say . We ’ve see this control panel before and the amazing gaming experience it offers , and MSI live up to that standard . The HDR experience stands out the most , adding a long ton of depth and submerging to games likeCyberpunk 2077andAlan Wake 2 .
These games smooth all the more on a large , 4 K display like the MPG321URX . The detail is unmatched , and with the third - gen QD - OLED control board , you do n’t get the color fringing on okay item that you saw on some earlier QD - OLED monitors like theAlienware 34 QD - OLED . The main downside is that you ’ll need a knock-down microcomputer to run this display — with a 240Hz refresh pace , 4 K resolution , and tumid size of it , you ca n’t really give to run game at a low resolution without sacrificing the experience .
There ’s a definite upper side for console here , both due to the 120Hz manner and the power to downscale to 1440p through the HDMI ports . MSI supports picture - in - picture and picture - by - photo modes , but the console table experience is so enceinte because it neatly fit on a 16:9 , 4 K display with HDMI 2.1 at the helm .
On the PC side , competitive games also get a hike with the great motion clearness of organic light-emitting diode . For me , the cinematic experience is why you go with an OLED monitor , but the low reply times and 240Hz refresh rate emphatically supply a encouragement when you need to squeeze in a few beat ofValorantorFortnite .
Warranty and burn-in
MSI has upped its warrant game a lot . Like Alienware , Corsair , and now Asus , you get three eld of reporting on this varan that include burn - in . For MSI , that imply a luminance of less than or equal to 3.5 % at 50 % gray-haired with the peak HDR Mode . I doubt you ’ll ever get there in three years , as MSI includes one of the most comprehensive rooms of burn - in prevention features money can buy .
The package is call OLED Care 2.0 . Like other brand name , MSI recommends a Panel Protect cycle to refreshen the pixels after four hours of gather use . There are a far majuscule regalia of options , though . There ’s pixel reposition with various speeds , as well as a slew of features that mechanically detect and blind stable elements on your screen .
There ’s multi - logo detection , which will pick up on your HUD in game and reduce their brightness to prevent burn - in . There ’s also taskbar spying , which swerve out the Windows taskbar . Perhaps the most important is boundary signal detection . This mechanically adjusts the luminance of boundaries on your screen , such as when you have two windows up at the same time . This is the one surface area of burn - in that ’s most difficult to avoid on a screen background , particularly if you usually have multiple windows open .
It ’s unsufferable to say what these feature of speech will do after thousands of hours of use . They may bestow up to make themonitor much less susceptible to burn - in , or they may not move the phonograph needle compared to other selection ; there ’s no way to tell without 1000 of hour of examination .
Still , MSI in spades includes more prevention features than other brands , specifically targeting decisive burning - in risks like window boundaries and the Windows taskbar . These feature on their own would n’t be enough , but MSI game it up with a three - class warrant , match the other option on the market .
Should you buy the MSI MPG 321URX?
I move into this reappraisal with low expected value , and I come out pleasantly surprised . MSI is able to equate the competition from Asus and Alienware in image quality , support , and display options , all while undercutting the terms by anywhere from $ 250 to $ 350 . The only features you ’re giving up are BFI compared to the Asus mannikin and DisplayPort 2.1 compare to the upcoming Gigabyte version . Those are both justified trade - offs make how much gaudy the MSI framework is .
The MPG 321URX is an secret . It does n’t make good sense how it ’s priced compare to the rival , especially with the few compromises it makes along the way . Maybe MSI is endeavor to get a leg up in the hotly free-enterprise OLED market , or maybe other selection have just been priced too high all along . It does n’t really weigh — as it abide now , the MPG 321URX is the chintzy manner to get an OLED exhibit that ’s this mellow in quality , and it does n’t give up much to get hold of its excellent monetary value .
