MSI Optix MPG321UR gaming monitor review | PC Gamer - kirkmisheire

Our Verdict

MSI's Optix MPG321UR is 1 of the first displays to support 4K / 144Hz, and it offers this alongside an impressive HDR colourize gamut. Sadly, it lacks broad Nvidia G-Sync and any overdrive functionality, but it does fling AMD FreeSync Exchange premiu Professional HDR play.

For

4K IPS at 144Hz
1ms GTG reception rate
97% DCI-P3 color
Collective-in KVM

Against

High-ticket in some regions
Saturated gaming presets

PC Gamer Finding of fact

MSI's Optix MPG321UR is ane of the first displays to support 4K / 144Hz, and it offers this aboard an impressive HDR color gamut. Sadly, IT lacks full Nvidia G-Sync and whatsoever overdrive functionality, but it does offer AMD FreeSync Superior In favor HDR gaming.

Pros

+
4K IPS at 144Hz
+
1ms GTG response rate
+
97% DCI-P3 color
+
Collective-in KVM

Cons

-
Expensive in much regions
-
Saturated gaming presets
-

Discipline October 4. 2021: A previous version of this article wrong stated that this monitor did not hold FreeSync certification or Director of Central Intelligence-P3 and sRGB display modes. The admonisher has AMD FreeSync Premium Affirmative certification and both Director of Central Intelligence-P3 and sRGB viewing profiles and the score has been adjusted because of this.

High resolution, intoxicated freshen up gaming has been a trifle of a dream until now, but thanks to a handful of 4K 144Hz monitors arriving at the end of 2021 it seems this dream play monitor featureset is finally present to stay.

The Optix MPG321UR is one of MSI's new flagship monitors and settled along the long list of crown end specs IT looks like a pretty impressive offer. It's a teensy more expensive than Asus' TUF Gambling Monitor VG28UQL1A operating theater the Eve Spectrum, but information technology's also bigger, brighter and has a more stunning colour gamut, which goes a long way to justifying the price jump.

MSI Optix MPG321UR specs

Panel size: 32-inch
Dialog box technology: IPS
Native resolving: 3,840 x 2,160
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Refreshen rate: 144 Hz
Reaction time: 1 ms GtG
HDR: Vesa HDR 600
Contrast: 1000:1
Color: 97 percent DCI-P3
Brightness: 600 cd/M2
Telecasting Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.1 x2, USB-C 2.0 x1
Other: Nvidia G-Sync mixable
MSRP: $999 | Astronomical Unit$1,599

At 32-inches, the Optix MPG321UR is huge, so it won't bear any issues displaying two, Oregon even three, windows pull-by-side. The 3,840 by 2,160 pixel firmness of purpose is adequate to forestall some pixelation across this generous cover, making it abundant to work on and delivering great lucidness when gaming.

This is about the biggest 16:9 monitor that you'd really consider having on your desk, but the surplus size means it's a live device for living room use if you'd prefer to do any armchair gaming. Too, if you ain a next-gen console the HDMI 2.1 inputs will net ball you fly the coop current console table games at their vertex 4K 120Hz output settings without needing to nab a new TV.

In addition to being able to run this monitor at its full 144Hz refresh rate over a DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 inputs, PC gamers will also get the benefit of G-Sync compatibility to eliminate blind tearing and other unwanted artifacts for anyone with a Nvidia GPU.

Scorn the Leontyne Price point this monitor doesn't have a physical G-Sync chip, instead deferring to adaptive sync for G-Synchronise compatibility. This means it'll miss out on variable overdrive engineering designed to keep ghosting and trailing on fast moving objects. There's also been no travail to chassis in any custom variable overuse features either, so you'll have to wait you'll get these artifacts on fast moving objects.

MSI Optix MPG321UR — (Paradigm credit: Future)

While MSI doesn't advertise it publicly, the Optix MPG321UR also features defend for AMD's highest tier of variable refresh rate compatibility:

FreeSync Premium In favour of

. This authentication means you can guarantee games like Bravo's Creed Odyssey and Borderlands 3 leave be able to run in 4K HDR at whatever freshen up rate your GPU is subject of. AMD's current best GPU still doesn't quite an undergo the grunt to push these titles overmuch ended 60fps, and so there's plenty of command overhead to get additional performance benefits if you upgrade to more powerful GPUs in the future.

The display does offer a occupation-level, Cuban sandwich 1ms achromatic-to-grayness (GTG) response rate, which combines with the high declaration CRT screen to make gaming feel snappy and sensitive, without losing a super high resolution image. GTG might be an easier bench mark to achieve than some tests, but this level is still up there with the fastest response rates possible for gaming displays, so this screen is more than adequate for the most elite rigs.

The Optics MPG321UR takes the screen brightness to the adjacent level aside offering a screen with a 600nit peak brightness allowing it to achieve Vesa HDR 600 certification. Patc this isn't quite the 1000nit minimum needed happening a TV to achieve HDR certification, it does go a long way towards making it a great look option when you're along the couch, and it's path brighter than most monitors. Combine this with the 97% DCI-P3 colour reproduction capabilities and you have an amazingly vivacious screen that's almost accurate enough to beryllium used for professional colour grading purposes.

MSI Optix MPG321UR gaming monitor on a blank background — (Image credit: MSI)

Some of the gambling viewing presets (particularly the racing mode) were non well calibrated out of the box, and made the colors look way more cartoonish than they required to atomic number 4. But thither are at any rate colouring surgical DCI-P3 and sRGB viewing modes that you can swap to for a more realistic viewing experience. I really couldn't obtain these presets in the menu system initially, only they are in that location, and MSI has said it'll make them more prominent in next software updates.

While IT's got a a few happening screen gaming enhancements, including crosshairs and scope filters, it's a little lighter than some competitors monitors in this department. As renowned to begin with IT doesn't make genuinely useful gaming technologies care variable overdrive or motion dim syncing, instead the Optix MPG321UR has opted for technologies like 'Smart Brightness' which is just adaptive brightness past another name, but required the inclusion of a dedicated webcam-looking light sensor at the bottom of the screen.

MSI suggests this feature will prevent you from blinding yourself when you move around on the monitor in a dark room, and sure much the great unwashe mightiness find this useful, simply information technology's the kind of thing that could also recoil massively by making unwanted changes to your screen brightness mid-game.

I'll take dumb brightness, thanks.

The one 'Gaming Intelligence' feature film that does seem same a worthy bonus is Sound Tune, which supposedly uses AI trained software to take off unclaimed backdrop noise from incoming and preceding comms. This feature is possibly massively helpful if you can't avoid background noise or you deprivation to subdued someone else's obnoxiously loud Blue switches.

Another rad feature of the Optix MPG321UR for some ability users out thither is the inclusion of four KVM USB 3.0 ports that allow for you to plug in multiple computers or consoles and control them with a single controller or encircling. This KVM compatibility will save heaps of meter if you want a single button to switch 'tween PCs, consoles and each the peripherals they'Ra wired to seamlessly.

It's refreshing to see that MSI is capable of delivering a premium gaming device that looks slenderly much subdued than the usual full-throttle red gambling unit. There is a strip of RGB lighting along the back of the monitor ensuring that you can still show people you're a gamer if you need to, but overall MSI has almost overcorrected pertinent that you'd lose this one in a business monitor roundup.

Considering the market it's aimed at, I wouldn't of necessity consider IT a precipitation that the Optix MPG321UR doesn't let in speakers, but I execute wonder wherefore a pair of functional 2W drivers wouldn't upright embody tacked along for those multiplication when nothing else is working.

The only other limitation is that the giant square base isn't particularly groovy or even overly stable on the frontal edge. IT's non going to descent over on its own or anything, but just don't put it anywhere it could be bumped easy from behind.

Information technology's definitely got a high toll tag, but the MSI Optics MPG321UR makes the most of its large and more accurate colourize gamut. HDR is still a bit of a horrorshow happening PC, but at least the 600cd/m2 peak luminance figures give HDR games a fighting chance of looking more spirited than their SDR counterparts.

It's a trifle surd to make a broad statement on valuate since it varies much between regions. We didn't feature Great Britain pricing at the time of written material but, in the US the MSI Optix MPG321UR lands at $999 putting it only when a couple of c dollars more (20%) than Asus' TUF Play Monitor VG28UQL1A. In Australia even so, the recommended retail price is Gold$1599 which is AU$634 (40%) more than its TUF competitor. So basically, it's okay valuate in USA, but it might be worth reconsidering for anyone Pile Low-level.

MSI Optix MPG321UR

MSI's Optix MPG321UR is one of the first displays to support 4K / 144Hz, and it offers this alongside an impressive HDR people of color gamut. Unhappily, it lacks full Nvidia G-Sync and any overdrive functionality, but it does offer AMD FreeSync Premium Pro HDR gaming.