Presentation
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD has a 27-inch IPS panel displaying a Quad HD definition of 2560 x 1440 px. This model supports a native refresh rate of 144 Hz but is overclocked by default to 165 Hz. It is also compatible with Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, and G-Sync (G-Sync Compatible) technologies between 30 and 165 Hz. The manufacturer announces a response time of 1 ms, responsiveness equivalent to that of the TN models. The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD stands out from other monitors on the market with its quantum dot filter (Quantum Dot), which is supposed to display more vivid and more precise colors, which is far from the case, as we will see. The ergonomics are complete, as are the connections, with, in particular, USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C port. Finally,
Sold around €550, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD enters into direct competition with the Asus TUF VG27AQ, also equipped with a 27-inch Quad HD 144 Hz IPS panel while being a little cheaper (€490), and to a lesser extent with the AOC 27G2U and its 27-inch 144 Hz IPS panel limited to Full HD definition, but much more affordable (€250)
This is the current trend: monitors for gamers are becoming more and more sober. The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD does not show any deception on the front. The screen edges are quite thin, and the finishes are neat. In addition, the 27-inch panel benefits from a matte coating that limits annoying reflections.
The back of the monitor offers a little more character and assumes its gamer style. The foot incorporates a fairly basic but effective cable management system. Finally, we discover a strip of RGB LEDs that should delight color lovers.
Very good student, this monitor has neat ergonomics with many settings. It is adjustable in height over 10 cm, in inclination between -5° and +20° and even manages rotation over ±75°. It also has a pivot that allows the passage in portrait mode.
The external power supply is compact, but its power is also limited (60 W), which limits the USB-C port to 15 W to recharge a laptop.
The connection includes two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort 1.2 input, a headphone output, two USB 3.0 ports, and even a USB-C port (5 W). Too bad MSI didn’t think of offering a USB port on the edge of the monitor, more convenient to access than the ports placed at the back, and the power of the USB-C port is also limited.
To navigate the OSD menus, MSI relies on a single joystick. For us, it’s simply the most effective system yet for quickly setting up a monitor. MSI also allows you to use the four directions as customizable shortcuts to change sources, choose image mode, display superimposed information, etc. A good idea! The OSD also allows you to adjust the blue light filter on four levels and to modify the basic settings (brightness, contrast, saturation, and temperature). It can be moved anywhere on the screen. And that’s not all: its transparency is configurable, as is the duration before its disappearance. Powering up is managed independently via a button at the slab’s base.
On our 140 x 60 cm desk, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD remains quite discreet. With a depth of only 20.7 cm, the monitor leaves enough space for the keyboard and mouse. The Quad HD definition offers a good compromise between compactness on the desktop and a comfortable workspace under Windows or macOS. The resolution remains quite fine (109 px per inch), and some will be tempted to use the scaling embedded in modern operating systems to adapt the size of the fonts. On the other hand, you must have a sufficiently powerful graphics card to correctly exploit this native Quad HD definition with a frequency of 165 Hz ( GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 5700 XT ).
This monitor consumes about 27 W with a white set at 150 cd/m². The relative consumption thus reaches 134 W/m², well above the average of the screens tested (100 W/m²). At minimum brightness (59 cd / m²), it consumes 18 W and rises to 47 W at maximum (358 cd / m²).
Colors and contrast
By default, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD monitor displays near-perfect color temperature and gamma. The curves are stable over the entire spectrum, and the averages measured — 6780 K for gamma and 2.2 for gamma — are close to the reference values (6500 K and 2.2). On the other hand, with an average delta E of 4.6, the colors cannot be considered faithful to those sent by the source. Remember that when the delta E is greater than 3, the difference in shade is perceptible to the human eye.
We chose Movie mode, then lowered the brightness to 27 to get white close to 150 cd/m², but that didn’t improve color accuracy much. No other mode does it better. The temperature and gamma curves remain stable over the entire spectrum, but the colors are still far from faithful, with an average delta E measured at 4.5.
Something rather rare, the calibration of the screen using a probe, has almost no effect on the rendering. It slightly improves the color temperature, which is slightly closer to the reference value, but these are not more faithful. No need in these conditions to offer you the colorimetric profile since it does not do better than the factory calibration. The quantum dot filter used by MSI seems quite complicated to operate correctly, and we see that even a probe cannot tame this panel.
The contrast ratio measured at 850:1 is quite low for an IPS monitor. In comparison, the best IPS models display a rate greater than 1200:1, such as the Asus VG27AQ (1220:1) or the AOC 27G2U (1250:1). This contrast isn’t a problem for daylight use, but in the dark blacks are grayish and look washed out. It is a far cry from the ratio offered by VA panels, the best representatives of which, such as the AOC Q3279VWF and the Philips Momentum 436M6, display a ratio of over 4000:1.
The average difference in white homogeneity is 8% on the 27-inch panel. There is thus no difference in brightness perceptible to the eye. We didn’t notice any light leaks around the corners or clouding on our test model. IPS technology offers very wide viewing angles, with little variation at 45° from the axis of the screen.
Reactivity
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD monitor doesn’t use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to adjust brightness, so it’s flicker-free and headache-free for those sensitive to this phenomenon. MSI also offers an option to reduce blue light in software.
This model is G-Sync certified and FreeSync compatible between 30 and 165 Hz and therefore works optimally when the graphics card “sends” between 30 and 165 fps. Between 20 and 60 Hz, the monitor uses the LFC system (for Low Frame Compensation), which quadruples, triples, or doubles the number of images displayed to maintain a feeling of fluidity. At 20fps, for example, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD runs at 80Hz and quadruples the frame rate. At 30 fps, it operates at 90 Hz and only uses LFC between 60 and 165 Hz. The supported range is, therefore, very wide and covers all uses. We would still recommend a high-performance graphics card, such as the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or the Radeon RX 5700 XT., to take advantage of the native Quad HD definition and a very high number of images. The fluidity is there in all cases, and the image does not suffer from tearing ( tearing ) or jerks ( micro-stuttering ).
Activating the black image insertion system via backlight scanning (MBR, for Motion Blur Reduction) is possible. Still, it is necessary to deactivate Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync and G-Sync).
We measured afterglow time at 6.5ms with overdrive set to Fastest. A slight reverse ghosting effect is present, but without being annoying. By using the Fast setting, this reverse ghosting disappears completely.
The MSI monitor is one of the fastest IPS models on the market. If it does not compete with the Asus VG279QM – the fastest – with its Full HD 280 Hz IPS panel displaying a remanence time measured at 4.5 ms, it competes with the most responsive IPS models such as the BenQ Mobiuz EX2710 and its 6 ms or the Asus TUF VG27AQ (8 ms). Monitors equipped with TN panels, such as the Alienware AW2518HF (240 Hz flashed at 3 ms), remain more responsive, but the IPS panel of this MSI product offers many more advantages (better viewing angles and contrast). Finally, we measured input lag at 10.9ms (at 60Hz). There is, therefore, no lag between the action with the mouse and its repercussion on the screen.
CONCLUSION
The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD is a good monitor for gaming. Its Quad HD 165 Hz IPS panel is responsive, has neat ergonomics, and has complete connectivity, but it suffers from a few crippling weak points in this very competitive segment. The limited contrast and, even more, the perfectible colorimetry make it lose its fourth star. It makes you wonder if MSI wouldn’t have done better without the quantum dot filter. It is better to turn to the excellent Asus VG27AQ with its IPS Quad HD 144 Hz panel, admittedly a little less responsive but much better calibrated.
STRONG POINTS
- Responsive 165 Hz IPS panel.
- Comfortable Quad HD definition.
- Many ergonomic adjustments (height, tilt, rotation, portrait).
- Complete connection.
WEAK POINTS
- Limited contrast.
- Color fidelity.
- USB-C port limited to 15W.
- Consumption.
