MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD Review: Speed, Quality and Pro Aspirations

MSI's Optix MPG321UR-QD is a 32-inch Ultra HD gaming monitor with Esports cred and professional aspirations.

Reviews
By
published
MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Shutterstock, MSI)

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.

If resolution is your top priority, only an Ultra HD gaming monitor will do. Though you can get smoother play from a faster QHD or FHD screen, UHD still offers the tightest pixel structure and the sharpest rendering of static and slow-moving images.

Now that consoles have added UHD, 120 Hz and FreeSync to their feature lists, we’re seeing a new surge of 4K monitors hitting the market. That surge is driving prices down and the MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD is a great example. It delivers a lot of features with high performance and a stunning picture for an attractive price.

(Image credit: MSI)

With its 715-nit capable backlight, massive color gamut that covers 117% of DCI-P3 and excellent HDR, it’s a great choice for playing the latest titles while enjoying realistic graphics and phenomenal contrast. Accurate color modes mean you can use it for any color standard from sRGB to Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, and the monitor even approaches Rec.2020.  This is one of the most colorful monitors we’ve tested to date, equaling premium screens like Asus’ PG32UQX. Our only wish is for gamma presets and a calibration mode that doesn't limit brightness and contrast.

Though it runs at the same 144 Hz as other Ultra HD gaming screens, MSI's monitor has one of the best overdrives we’ve seen. This ensures the smoothest possible play south of a 240 Hz panel. You will need a powerful PC to keep frame rates high, but if you can sustain over 100 fps, the experience is much closer to reality.

We also loved MSI’s well-thought-out features. The room light sensor is useful for those who play in changing light environments. The adaptive crosshair and sniper magnification are also a great enhancement to your favorite shooters.

The MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD currently sells for around $900. That’s a bargain when you consider that it performs on par with the top Ultra HD screens that cost anywhere from two to three times as much. Even professionals can consider it for post-production use. If you want to jump into Ultra HD gaming on a console or PC, the MPG321UR-QD is definitely worth checking out.

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.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • asianjabbachoy
    i have a M32U-SA 32in UHD . what are the differences between these two? to me it seems only difference is the HDR 600 and the RGB in the back of the monitor - can anybody see any other differnce? color accuracy is very similar but the MSI optix seems to have a bigger color gamut? is that noticeable? is it worth the $135 premium i paid for the M32U?
    Reply
  • cknobman
    Lets see.
    Edge lit.
    Poor contrast ratio.
    Brightness not impressive.
    Poor screen uniformity.

    No way in hades I'd pay $900 for this.
    Reply
  • watzupken
    E-sports gamers won't be bothered with UHD monitors. What they want is high frame rates, couple with high refresh rate. I feel most will get a 1440p monitor for gaming if they want to step up from 1080p. The performance lost at UHD is too great, and especially so for fast pace games.
    And when I see edge LED lit, I am not hopeful of good HDR performance. You get very bright backlight @ 600 nits, but it generally lights up the entire screen. So till mini LED or OLED monitors become more mainstream, I think people buying LED lit monitor should not be looking at HDR as the main reason to buy a monitor.
    Reply
  • Endymio
    From the Article: "modern video cards can easily wring 200 fps or more from FHD and QHD screens. Does that matter? Oh yes, it does. Even casual gamers can easily see that difference. "
    I'd lay money that, in a properly-constructed double-blind test, 95% of gamers, casual, expert, or even professional eSports gamers, could not identify the difference between a 140hz and 200hz frame rate, or even between 140 and 360hz.
    Reply
  • jtcmedia
    32 inches is too big for a desktop monitor for my taste.
    Reply
  • Sopping_Wet
    Following the recent firmware updates. Inclusion of Premium Color mode in the OSD and now using the 8K HDMI 2.1 cable to my 12gb 3080 it is now the perfect monitor. That is all.. I am a critic but any saturation in windows with HDR on, flickers and oddities are gone. Colours are perfect.. my KDR is up with is less than 1ms latency and yep, I am one happy chap.
    Turn off your LEDs and enjoy the perfect black and colours in a dark room. boom
    Reply
  • Sopping_Wet
    cknobman said:
    Lets see.
    Edge lit.
    Poor contrast ratio.
    Brightness not impressive.
    Poor screen uniformity.

    No way in hades I'd pay $900 for this.

    In my actual experience, couldn't be further from the truth with my Optix MPG321UR QD
    Reply
  • Sopping_Wet
    The review of the MPG321UR-Quantom Dot 4k needs to be updated. Since the two latest firmware updates on this monitor our colorimeters show it to be almost half the input lag, the HDR is closer to 650-700, Premium color is perfect - when local dimming is off.
    It is currently the best monitor we have tested in store for gaming. While you need to use the DP 1.4a cable during the firmware updates, use the HDMI 2.1 Port (if you have a HDMI 2.1 card) and enjoy extra color performance, less lag and zero signs of any ghosting.
    Reply