MSI Optix MPG27CQ WHQD 144hz Curved Monitor Review

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

Priced around £480 right now, at most major retailers. down from an MSRP of £519, the Optix is pretty good value for money. It’s not a cheap monitor at all, however, you get some fantastic features in return for your investment. For a 1440p high frame rate display, you’ll struggle to find anything better for the same money or less. Not sure why it’s on Amazon at much higher prices though, but I expect that will fix its self in good time.

Overview

When we tested this monitor, the results were pretty impressive. The Gamut and contrast performance were the clear standout features. This was clearly reflected in our real-world testing too. The black levels and panel uniformity seemed excellent. The Spyder may have rated it at 2.5 for luminance, but that was multiple brightness levels. Setting the brightness between 50-75% improved this to near perfect as far as I’m concerned.

We performed our usual calibration on the monitor too. However, when flicking between the default and calibrated profiles, we saw zero change to the display. Our humble human eyes are not as sharp as our testing hardware it seems. Pretty much the only change of significance was a tiny reduction in brightness, and a slight increase in Gamma, which seemed to cancel each other out, but resuled in better backlight uniformity. Overall, I would be happy to leave all settings at default, with the exception of a slight reduction in the brightness to suit your taste and room ambient lighting.

Gaming

With super fast refresh rates, the Optix is simply staggering to game on. From casually playing Deus Ex at home to professional eSports gaming, it has a lot to offer to any gamer. It features a snappy 1ms response time too, as well as blue light reduction, anti-flicker, and ghosting and other technologies. Of course, all of these can be changed for the fantastic OSD, and even changed from your mobile device once it’s paired.

Quality Panel

By far my favourite feature is the curved screen. It sports a superb 1440p resolution that’s great for productivity and gaming. The slight curve feels very natural, looks great, and really involves you in your games too. It’s even better for multi-monitor setups too, as they’ll continue to wrap around you as you join them together. The ultra-slim bezel makes the screen feel even bigger too; more panel, less plastic, that’s always a winner.

Added Value

The stand is as good as they get, and while it lacks vertical modes, it offers plenty of adjustment to suit your requirements. It’s also very sturdy, adding an air of quality to the monitor. Rich colours, a well calibrated out of the box experience, stunning RGB lighting effects that are more than just aesthetics, it certainly all adds up. While many may scoff at the near £500 price tag, it’s worth every penny thanks to every feature adding serious value to any PC gaming setup.