Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? That appears to be MSI’s mantra with the new MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 gaming monitor, which was on full display this week at CES. As its name implies, the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 (say that three times fast) uses a 5th-generation QD-OLED panel with an RGB stripe sub-pixel arrangement.
The move to a vertical RGB stripe instead of the slightly odd triangular sub-pixel layout on previous Samsung QD-OLED panels allows for sharper text on screen. The increase in text clarity doesn’t come at the expense of the other advantages inherent to OLED panels (namely, rich color, ultra-fast response times, and deeper blacks).
In the case of the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, we’re looking at full-screen brightness of 300 nits (1,300 nits peak), which is an increase from the typical 250 nits of preceding QD-OLED panels. MSI says that it incorporates an anti-reflective DarkArmor Film to boost the black levels by another 40 percent (VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified), while delivering a 2.5x improvement in scratch resistance (a curious bullet point for a desktop monitor, but it’s appreciated).
MSI has also swapped out the rather large Y-shaped stand for a more compact flat base. This should help gamers reclaim previous desk space and make for a slimmer profile (the footprint has been reduced by 62 percent).
The MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 measures 34 inches across, features a 1800R curve, and has a resolution of 3440 x 1440. You’ll also find that the refresh rate is a speedy 360 Hz, and the response time is an OLED-typical 0.03 ms.
When it comes to connectivity, the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 2.1a port, and a USB Type-C port (DisplayPort Alt Mode) that also supports 98-watt Power Delivery. You’ll also find a two-port USB-A (5 Gbps) hub and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The monitor also incorporates the MSI OLED Care 3.0 AI Care Sensor, which provides comprehensive protection for the display panel. This NPU-based IC can detect whether a person is sitting in front of the monitor; if no one is present, the monitor will initiate automatic power-optimization and/or automatic pixel-refresh routines to extend the panel’s usable service life.
At this time, MSI has not announced pricing or an on-sale date for the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36.
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