MSI MPG271QRX QHD gaming monitor review: Another speedy OLED to consider

27-inch QHD QD-OLED panel with 360 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR400 and wide gamut color.

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MSI MPG271QRX
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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After reviewing several OLED displays in short succession, I’m finding myself addicted to them. The combination of deep contrast and rich color is compelling even when I’m just looking at Word, Excel and Photoshop. The image is truly three-dimensional. It feels like I’m looking into the monitor rather than at it.

Gaming is also a completely different experience. I’ve played on many fast LCDs that refresh as high as 540 Hz. They are excellent monitors but not as much fun as an OLED. The fact that there is no motion blur means that moving images have the same resolution as static ones. 240 and 360 Hz refresh rates create input lag so low that I can’t perceive it.

(Image credit: MSI)

The MPG271QRX is another excellent monitor in a category filled with excellent monitors. At this point, the differences are so small they are almost non-factors. Here, you get 360 Hz and an extra wide color gamut courtesy of Quantum Dot technology. It isn’t super bright, but it is more than bright enough. It delivers superlative HDR and is color-accurate with no need for calibration.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The only flaw I noted was the MPG271QRX’s 50% reduction in light output when selecting the custom color temp option. It can be calibrated, but losing that much brightness was a problem for me. Fortunately, there are no visible color errors in the default picture modes, so this issue is not a deal-breaker.

At this writing, the MPG271QRX is around $800, so it is not a budget display by any means. But it is so capable for both work and play that it’s easy to say you’re getting your money’s worth. If you’re shopping for a flat 27-inch OLED, the MSI MPG271QRX is definitely worth checking out.

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

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.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dimar
    No DisplayPort 2.1a?
    Reply
  • UnforcedERROR
    dimar said:
    No DisplayPort 2.1a?
    It's a 1440p monitor, it doesn't need more than 1.4 to support 360hz.
    Reply
  • oofdragon
    Why aren't smartphones 360hz already as well?
    Reply
  • UnforcedERROR
    oofdragon said:
    Why aren't smartphones 360hz already as well?
    Why would you want a 360hz phone display? Appreciably worse battery life and practically 0 discernable difference in viewing quality. Ultra high refresh is great for low latency, first-person gaming, but is overwise unimportant.
    Reply
  • mahanddeem
    A question to the reviewer, were the test for absolute input lag done with VRR on or off?
    Thanks
    Reply
  • plshelpmeimunderthewater
    hi bro i recently just bought this and i was looking for the best settings for this or best configuration can you help me please
    Reply