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High-quality, max-spec gaming monitors can get quite expensive, but if you temper your expectations around size and resolution, you can get a serious, quality screen for fairly little money. The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a 27-inch, 165Hz, 1440p monitor available for $399, and it provides an excellent picture and fantastic motion performance. It features a wide color gamut and impressively low input-lag figures. It isn’t the brightest or highest-contrast monitor on the market, but for the price, it’s one of the best options we’ve tested, and earns our Editors’ Choice award for a midrange gaming panel at its size.
The Design: Just a Little RGB
The MAG274QRF-QD is a 27-inch monitor with a matte-black plastic body. The screen is surrounded by only a thin band of plastic on the sides and top, with an inch-wide bezel on the bottom holding the MSI logo and some telltale “gamer”-style angular molding. The monitor attaches to a sturdy stand with a roughly trapezoidal metal base (covered in the same black plastic). On the stand, the screen can tilt up and down (-5 to 20 degrees), rotate left and right (75 degrees in either direction), and pivot up to 90 degrees to switch between landscape and portrait orientation.
All ports sit on the left side of the back of the display, facing down. They include the connector for the power adapter, a DisplayPort input, two HDMI inputs, a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an upstream USB connector (Type-B), and two USB Type-A downstream ports. A small red joystick sits in the lower right rear corner for controlling the onscreen display (OSD), and a power button can be found just below it on the bottom edge of the screen.
The back panel also holds “Mystic Light” RGB accent lighting you can program using provided MSI software for Windows 10(Opens in a new window) or Android(Opens in a new window). It’s a bit more subtle than the RGB lighting on Alienware’s gaming monitors, but it can still provide a small light show on your wall while you play, if that is your thing.
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Picture Quality
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) Rapid IPS monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate. It is G-Sync and HDR10 compatible. We test gaming monitor luminance and color gamut using a Klein K-80(Opens in a new window) colorimeter, a Datacolor SpyderX Elite(Opens in a new window) colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G(Opens in a new window) signal generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman(Opens in a new window) software.
Out of the box, using an SDR signal, the MAG274QRF-QD showed a peak brightness of 206.394 nits (candelas per square meter) and a black level of 0.207 nit, for a contrast ratio of 997:1. With an HDR10 signal, peak brightness jumped to 346.474 nits, and the black level to 0.348 nit for the exact same 997:1 contrast ratio. That’s in line with MSI’s stated specs for the monitor and comparable with similar models. (See more about how we test monitors.)
Color is where the MAG274QRF-QD really shines, thanks to its quantum dot color technology. Out of the box, in Game/User mode, it shows an impressive color gamut that far exceeds the sRGB color space, as seen in the chart below…
This does mean that the monitor quite oversaturates more limited-color content by default, and so doesn’t provide the most accurate color even though it’s relatively free of any odd tinting. Unless you calibrate the monitor, expect color that pops a fair bit more than usual.
The monitor also easily covers most of the DCI-P3 color space, as seen in this chart, hitting more than 96% of the gamut…
This doesn’t mean colors are completely accurate, though; greens and reds are rather oversaturated, and magentas lean a bit redder than ideal.
If you want to enjoy non-gaming content, the MAG274QRF-QD is excellent for that, too. It displayed our 4K Costa Rica test footage(Opens in a new window) with bright, vibrant colors that looked accurately saturated and not harsh or cartoonish. The reds of feathers and the greens of plants looked vivid, and fine details came through nicely (with the video converted to the panel’s native 1440p).
Gaming Performance
The MAG274QRF-QD is an absolute beast when it comes to lag. We measure input lag using an HDFury Diva(Opens in a new window) HDMI matrix, and the monitor showed a lag measure of just 1.4 milliseconds with a 60Hz signal. That stands alongside another MSI gaming monitor with the lowest input lag we’ve tested to date, the MSI Optix MPG341CQR.
The Final Fantasy XV Benchmark(Opens in a new window) looked fantastic on the MAG274QRF-QD. The sunny parts of the benchmark were consistently bright and colorful, with vivid greens in grass and blues in the sky. In shadows and dark scenes, details like the textures and cuts of the party’s black clothes could be clearly seen without looking blown-out. The motion was smooth, with no noticeable choppiness or tearing.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive demonstrated the MAG274QRF-QD’s impressive speed. The 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility made action look very smooth, and I noticed no screen tearing even while spinning around frantically next to walls.
No Optix Illusion Here: A Great Buy
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is an impressive 27-inch gaming monitor. Its color performance is exceptional, its input lag is one of the lowest we’ve seen, and its 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync support provide very smooth motion. Combined with solid if modest contrast, that all adds up to an excellent picture that will serve you well with any PC game you play. That’s quite the package for around $400. The oversaturated colors mean the Optix isn’t the best option for creators who need accuracy, but for gamers it deserves an Editors’ Choice award for its screen size and price band.
If you want to spend even less and don’t mind stepping down to 1080p resolution, the $299.99-list Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor (S2721HGF) also offers a very strong picture and a curved screen. If, on the other hand, you’re willing to spend a bit more for extra refresh speed for twitch-fast esports matches, the Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN boasts a 360Hz refresh rate, the highest available in its category.
4.0
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The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a 27-inch gaming monitor that offers incredibly wide colors and excellent motion performance in an affordable package.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/msi-optix-mag274qrf-qd