MSI Optix MAG272CQR Review: Decent Speed, High Contrast

Another MSI value performer

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MSI Optix MAG272CQR
Editor's Choice
(Image: © MSI)

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Viewing Angles

MSI Optix MAG272CQR

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Any VA panel gives up some quality in off-axis viewing, and the MAG272CQR is no exception. At 45 degrees to the sides, the color shifts to green and brightness falls by about 50%. Detail is well rendered but with no apparent change in gamma. The top view is very washed out with little difference between light and dark zones and an overall drop in brightness. This monitor is best enjoyed by one person sitting front and center.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

MSI Optix MAG272CQR

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

We’ve encountered a few VA screens that had below average uniformity but the MAG272CQR is not one of them. Its 8.52% deviation is very good. We couldn’t see any glow or bleed when viewing in a darkened space. Our meter detected a little more light in the upper left corner but it was invisible to the naked eye.

Pixel Response & Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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MSI Optix MAG272CQR
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Panel response is the best indicator of a monitor’s motion resolution potential. With identical 6ms scores from all screens, the MAG272CQR is typical in that regard. Any 165 or 170 Hz monitor should deliver the same look, as long as its overdrive is properly implemented, like it is with the MAG272CQR.

Though the MAG272CQR comes in last in the lag contest, the extra 4ms it takes over the top two screens is something only the most skilled gamer will perceive. Most players will have no problem racking up their frag count in a first-person shooter when using the MAG272CQR.

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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.