MSI MPG 321URX review: QD-OLED

MSI MPG 321URX

MSRP $950.00

“MSI’s QD-OLED gaming monitor delivers on impeccable picture high quality whereas costing much less.”

Professionals

• Less expensive than the competitors
• A number of the greatest coloration we have seen
• Intensive listing of OLED burn-in prevention options
• 1,000 nits of brightness
• 3-year guarantee that covers burn-in

Cons

• A moderately bland design
• Restricted to USB 2.0 with built-in hub

You possibly can blindly choose any OLED gaming monitor launched this yr and slap it on the listing of the very best gaming screens, and it’d make sense. With a small number of panels obtainable, mainly each OLED gaming monitor appears nice. MSI has a really distinctive tackle the rising market of OLED gaming screens with the MPG 321URX, although, and it has an enormous edge over the competitors in terms of crowning a successful OLED gaming monitor in 2024.

That each one comes down to cost. MSI aggressively undercut the competitors with the MPG 321URX by wherever from $250 to $350. I assumed that may imply some clear compromises in different areas of the show, however as I shortly realized after unboxing my evaluate unit, that’s merely not the case.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming

MSI MPG 321URX Specs

Design

If there’s wherever the MPG 321URX compromises, it’s the design. It doesn’t look dangerous, although, just a bit bland. The shell is plastic, and from the entrance, you would confuse the MPG 321URX with some other 32-inch monitor. A spotlight is the shiny end, which is an enormous upside when mixed with an OLED panel beneath.

All the aptitude is behind the monitor, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not a lot. There’s a pretend brushed metallic look across the warmth sink (it’s nonetheless plastic), in addition to a shiny MSI dragon emblem. There’s additionally an MSI emblem on prime on the warmth sink which you can management with MSI Mystic Mild. It’s small and dim, nonetheless, so that you’ll by no means see it whereas truly utilizing the show.

Pedestrian because the design of the MPG 321URX is, the stand MSI consists of is great. There’s a routing channel that’s positioned behind the monitor, so there aren’t any dangling cables, and MSI opted for a single sq. stand, versus the lengthy legs you see on screens just like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8.

There’s additionally a variety of adjustment. You get simply over 4 inches of peak adjustment, 20 levels of tilt and pivot, and a really beneficiant 60 levels of swivel. You possibly can have the monitor arrange within the nook of your desk and modify the display screen simply with the included stand. Nonetheless, for those who want extra adjustment, there’s a 100mm x 100mm VESA mount obtainable.

Options

Probably the most direct competitors for the MPG 321URX is the Asus ROG PG32UCDM, and the MSI monitor positively takes a again seat to the Asus show with its set of options. The primary function of the MPG 321URX is the USB-C enter that’s able to 90 watts of energy supply. That is routed right into a KVM swap, permitting you to seamlessly use your peripherals throughout two sources.

There are a few caveats, nonetheless. MSI solely makes use of USB 2.0 ports. That shouldn’t be an issue on your keyboard and mouse, nevertheless it limits the usability of the USB ports for issues like your exterior onerous drive or webcam. The USB hub is on your keyboard and mouse, and never a lot else.

In comparison with the Asus competitors, MSI is lacking just a few different options. Most notably, it doesn’t embody Black Body Insertion (BFI), which is without doubt one of the key promoting factors of Asus’ show. Then again, MSI consists of energy supply with USB-C and a KVM swap, each of that are absent on Alienware’s dearer tackle this panel.

MSI actually good points an edge with its OLED prevention options, which I’ll dig right into a bit later.

Ports and menu

I respect how simple it’s to manage the MPG 321URX, and that basically comes right down to how massive the on-screen show (OSD) is. It’s massive, and a excessive sufficient decision that you just’re not squinting as you scroll by means of the choices. This all occurs with a joystick across the again of the monitor, nevertheless it’s centered, so I by no means had any hassle discovering it. You may as well management the monitor along with your mouse because you join the USB-B connection to your PC.

MSI packs within the choices, however every thing is clearly labeled. You get six coloration modes tailor-made for gaming, eight image modes that may clamp the colour to completely different gamuts, and two HDR modes. Even higher, you possibly can entry the completely different coloration and movie modes with HDR turned on, although you continue to can’t mess with settings like brightness and distinction with HDR enabled.

For ports, MSI has a normal array. You get two HDMI 2.1 connections, together with a DisplayPort 1.4a port. Meaning you’ll have to run with Show Stream Compression if you need the complete decision and refresh price (it’s a lossless compress approach). The HDMI ports additionally help Variable Refresh Price (VRR) and downscaling, in order that they’re completely suited to consoles.

The built-in USB hub isn’t as stellar. As talked about, you’ve got USB-C enter with 90W of energy supply and a KVM swap, each of that are nice inclusions. The USB-A ports are locked to USB 2.0, nonetheless, so you possibly can’t use them for equipment that want lots of bandwidth like an exterior onerous drive.

Picture high quality

I went into this evaluate a pessimist. Certainly, I assumed, if MSI was undercutting the competitors a lot, there can be some sacrifice to picture high quality. I anticipated wonky coloration, disappointing coloration accuracy, and brightness that missed the mark, not as a result of MSI branding, however as a result of worth. Boy, was I incorrect.

The picture high quality on the MPG 321URX is gorgeous. It’s simply pretty much as good as the opposite screens we’ve examined utilizing this identical panel, and even a bit higher than the Asus PG32UCDM with the default settings out of the field. You’re actually not giving up something with this monitor, regardless of what its worth would recommend.

Out of the field, the monitor is tuned to the Eco image profile with Premium Coloration as the sport mode. This configuration is strong. With it, I measured 100% of sRGB, 87% of AdobeRGB, and 98% of DCI-P3. The Premium Coloration sport mode appears to unlock the complete vary of coloration obtainable on the monitor, which implies accuracy is a bit off. It’s nonetheless not dangerous, with a median coloration distinction of simply 1.37.

MSI consists of three modes to clamp the colour gamut to sRGB, AdobeRGB, or DCI-P3. With these modes, the colour accuracy is great: sRGB had the bottom end result with an error 0.69, whereas AdobeRGB had the very best at 0.94 ang DCI-P3 was proper within the center at 0.79. All of those outcomes are unbelievable, nevertheless it’s attention-grabbing to see how the colour error scales with the protection of those completely different coloration areas.

If you happen to’re doing any work on the MPG 321URX, it is best to do it in SDR. In HDR, the colour error was 4.9. That’s due to how brightness works with HDR. The brightness will enhance and reduce relying on how a lot of the display screen is stuffed, so the colour error can change fairly a bit relying on what’s on-screen. Regardless, HDR appears nice, so it’s for media consumption, not creation.

Brightness is on level right here, too. This is identical Samsung Show third-gen QD-OLED panel we’ve seen earlier than, and it was capable of hit 987 nits of brightness for 1% of the display screen within the HDR Peak 1000 mode. That’s typical of what we anticipate out of this panel, as showcased by screens just like the Alienware 32 QD-OLED.

SDR brightness continues to be missing. It topped out at 238 nits, which is a hair under among the different QD-OLED choices. It’s not far behind, however for those who’re searching for blistering brightness, HDR continues to be the way in which to go together with this show.

Gaming

The MPG 321URX is a gaming monster, and also you don’t even have to take my phrase for it. It’s licensed with DisplayHDR True Black 400, so that you’re getting nice HDR efficiency, and it helps Adaptive Sync, which implies you’ve got VRR throughout each AMD and Nvidia GPUs. That’s to not point out the excessive 4K decision and speedy 240Hz refresh price — that is the height gaming expertise for most individuals, throughout each consoles and PC.

In comparison with different OLED choices, MSI actually stands out with its ClearMR 13,000 certification. It is a comparatively younger customary that checks and validates movement readability, and MSI is topping the charts right here. The 13,000 tier is the very best obtainable — so excessive, the truth is, that it wasn’t even obtainable when ClearMR launched a few year-and-a-half in the past. As a result of excessive refresh price and low response occasions of OLED, most gaming shows might earn this certification, and a few, equivalent to LG’s panels, have already got. It’s nonetheless good to see MSI exit of its technique to put a stamp of approval on its high-end gaming monitor, although.

So far as truly utilizing the monitor for gaming, there isn’t far more to say. We’ve seen this panel earlier than and the wonderful gaming expertise it gives, and MSI lives as much as that customary. The HDR expertise stands out essentially the most, including a ton of depth and immersion to video games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2. 

These video games shine all of the extra on a big, 4K show just like the MPG321URX. The element is unmatched, and with the third-gen QD-OLED panel, you don’t get the colour fringing on fantastic particulars that you just noticed on some earlier QD-OLED screens just like the Alienware 34 QD-OLED. The primary draw back is that you just’ll want a strong PC to run this show — with a 240Hz refresh price, 4K decision, and enormous dimension, you possibly can’t actually afford to run video games at a decrease decision with out sacrificing the expertise.

There’s a particular upside for consoles right here, each as a result of 120Hz mode and the flexibility to downscale to 1440p by means of the HDMI ports. MSI helps picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes, however the console expertise is so nice as a result of it neatly matches on a 16:9, 4K show with HDMI 2.1 on the helm.

On the PC aspect, aggressive video games additionally get a lift with the nice movement readability of OLED. For me, the cinematic expertise is why you go together with an OLED monitor, however the low response occasions and 240Hz refresh price positively present a lift once you wish to squeeze in just a few rounds of Valorant or Fortnite. 

Guarantee and burn-in

MSI has upped its guarantee sport loads. Like Alienware, Corsair, and now Asus, you get three years of protection on this monitor that features burn-in. For MSI, which means a luminance of lower than or equal to three.5% at 50% grey with the height HDR Mode. I doubt you’ll ever get there in three years, as MSI consists of one of the crucial complete suites of burn-in prevention options cash can purchase.

The package deal is known as OLED Care 2.0. Like different manufacturers, MSI recommends a Panel Shield cycle to refresh the pixels after 4 hours of collected use. There are a far better array of choices, although. There’s pixel shifting with varied speeds, in addition to a slew of options that robotically detect and dim static parts in your display screen.

There’s multi-logo detection, which is able to choose up in your HUD in video games and cut back their brightness to stop burn-in. There’s additionally taskbar detection, which cuts out the Home windows taskbar. Maybe a very powerful is boundary detection. This robotically adjusts the brightness of boundaries in your display screen, equivalent to when you’ve got two home windows up on the identical time. That is the one space of burn-in that’s most troublesome to keep away from on a desktop, particularly for those who often have a number of home windows open.

It’s unattainable to say what these options will do after 1000’s of hours of use. They could add as much as make the monitor a lot much less inclined to burn-in, or they might not transfer the needle in comparison with different choices; there’s no technique to inform with out 1000’s of hours of testing.

Nonetheless, MSI positively consists of extra prevention options than different manufacturers, particularly focusing on crucial burn-in dangers like window boundaries and the Home windows taskbar. These options on their very own wouldn’t be sufficient, however MSI backs it up with a three-year guarantee, matching the opposite choices in the marketplace.

Must you purchase the MSI MPG 321URX?

I went into this evaluate with low expectations, and I got here out pleasantly shocked. MSI is ready to match the competitors from Asus and Alienware in picture high quality, help, and show choices, all whereas undercutting the worth by wherever from $250 to $350. The one options you’re giving up are BFI in comparison with the Asus mannequin and DisplayPort 2.1 in comparison with the upcoming Gigabyte model. These are each justified trade-offs given how less expensive the MSI mannequin is.

The MPG 321URX is an enigma. It doesn’t make sense the way it’s priced in comparison with the competitors, particularly with the few compromises it makes alongside the way in which. Perhaps MSI is making an attempt to get a leg up within the hotly aggressive OLED market, or perhaps different choices have simply been priced too excessive all alongside. It doesn’t actually matter — because it stands now, the MPG 321URX is the most cost effective technique to get an OLED show that’s this excessive in high quality, and it doesn’t surrender a lot to achieve its wonderful worth.

Editors’ Suggestions