Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Go to page:

Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

Image 1 of 3

MSI MPG271QR X50 — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

This is the point where I talk about variable versus constant brightness, and the MPG271QR has only the latter. Though there are options called AI Brightness and AI Dimming, they refer to the light sensor that modulates the screen’s brightness when you leave your desk or the room lighting changes. Since constant brightness is the only mode, the peak level is just over 303 nits, which is plenty of light. Though the top three screens have higher levels, the MPG271QR is more than bright enough for indoor use. Black levels and contrast are unmeasurable, like all OLEDs.

After Calibration to 200 nits

Image 1 of 3

Calibration does not change anything except the peak brightness which I set to 200 nits to level the playing field. You can set it using windows or full fields and get the same value either way. Black levels and both static and intra-image contrast cannot be measured. This is the typical performance that you’ll find from any OLED display.

Test Takeaway: The MPG271QR delivers decent peak brightness over 300 nits for SDR content. It doesn’t have variable brightness like its closest rivals from Aorus and Asus. But it still delivers a stunning image with deep blacks and tremendous texture.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Current page: Brightness and Contrast

Prev Page Response, Input Lag, Viewing Angles and Uniformity Next Page Grayscale, Gamma and Color

TOPICS

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.