MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD 32" 16:9 4K 144 Hz IPS Gaming Monitor, 32", 3840 x 2160, 144Hz, Connection 3.5mm DisplayPort HDMI USB A 2.0

Ever since obtaining a PS5 and XSX, I had difficulty identifying a monitor that could support both simulatenously, at 4K, at high refresh rates. With my MacBook, work laptop and the above consoles - needless to say, I required a lot of inputs.Enter the MPG321 UR-QD. With bonus of added KVM! This monitor has made my life exponentially easier to deal with, switching inputs seamlessly with the KVM following a few seconds later.Tossing up between the M32U, I'm stoked that I took a punt on this monitor instead of. The colour, auto-brightness are excellent features. The Monitor DOES HAVE A BUILT-IN MICROPHONE, which worked excellently for me in work. Only gripe is manually switching the Mic Input when gaming, but this is a very minor issue.The Display is amazing. ... MoreEver since obtaining a PS5 and XSX, I had difficulty identifying a monitor that could support both simulatenously, at 4K, at high refresh rates. With my MacBook, work laptop and the above consoles - needless to say, I required a lot of inputs.Enter the MPG321 UR-QD. With bonus of added KVM! This monitor has made my life exponentially easier to deal with, switching inputs seamlessly with the KVM following a few seconds later.Tossing up between the M32U, I'm stoked that I took a punt on this monitor instead of. The colour, auto-brightness are excellent features. The Monitor DOES HAVE A BUILT-IN MICROPHONE, which worked excellently for me in work. Only gripe is manually switching the Mic Input when gaming, but this is a very minor issue.The Display is amazing. Simply amazing - accentuated with the HDR600 display, this makes the screen pop! Even my partner (who is not an avid gamer) could appreciate the vibrancy of the display. This monitor is a dream to use and has my highest recommendation.

With the "new normal" of working from home I was looking for a second screen to complement my 5 year old 32" 4k Samsung display. I was tossing up between a Gigabyte M32U and the MSI Optix MPG32UR-QD, and decided to with MSI's monitor because everything the Gigabyte could do, the MSI could do better.The MSI's display is gorgeous with excellent colour space coverage and accuracy thanks to its quantum dot technology providing accurate colours even at peak brightness. That peak brightness of 400-600 nits also outperforms Gigabyte's display, but still offers satisfyingly deep blacks especially for an IPS panel. Gigabyte heavily advertised the KVM feature of their monitor, but the MSI Optix offers the same feature, letting you use the monitor as a hub for your keyboard ... MoreWith the "new normal" of working from home I was looking for a second screen to complement my 5 year old 32" 4k Samsung display. I was tossing up between a Gigabyte M32U and the MSI Optix MPG32UR-QD, and decided to with MSI's monitor because everything the Gigabyte could do, the MSI could do better.The MSI's display is gorgeous with excellent colour space coverage and accuracy thanks to its quantum dot technology providing accurate colours even at peak brightness. That peak brightness of 400-600 nits also outperforms Gigabyte's display, but still offers satisfyingly deep blacks especially for an IPS panel. Gigabyte heavily advertised the KVM feature of their monitor, but the MSI Optix offers the same feature, letting you use the monitor as a hub for your keyboard and mouse and switch seamlessly between input devices. Both the Gigabyte and MSI Optix support a peak refresh rate of 144Hz and have VRR/Freesync support, but only the MSI Optix has full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 making it the better choice for anybody planning to hook a PS5 console up to their monitor.While the primary reason for my buying a second monitor was to improve productivity at work, I also wanted the new monitor to be my primary gaming monitor, and the MSI Optix doesn't disappoint. I play a lot of fighting games and the input lag between making a button press and seeing the result on-screen is important. Input lag is unnoticeable to me, and if the "Hardware Unboxed" Youtube reviews are to be believed, this screen takes less than a millisecond to get image from source to screen whether at 60Hz or 144Hz, and any display lag after that is down to the speed of the panel refreshing. So unless IPS panel technology dramatically evolves over the next few years, you'll be on an equal or better footing with anybody you compete with online.Finally the panel supports HDR600. While the peak brightness is not as high as I'd like for HDR and more local dimming zones would help provide blacker blacks, these would also drive up the cost. The HDR support is a nice-to-have feature when using the monitor for games and movies. There isn't any other panel in this price range that is going to look better for content consumption.The MSI Optix provides an excellent balance of price to performance and has to be the pick of monitors for gamers or professional artists/editors in 2022.

An excellent monitor, well designed with minor shortcomings

This screen is bright, colorful, and works flawlessly on my GTX 1080 Ti gaming PC (I get 120hz 4k through Displayport) and on my 2021 Macbook Pro M1 Pro (120hz through the included USB-C to USB-C cable.)PROS:- 4K 144hz gaming on HDMI 2.1 (or 120hz on Displayport) is AWESOME.- Can do my design work on my 4k monitor and game on my 144hz monitor... and they're finally the same monitor!- 32 is huge and beautiful; I definitely wouldn't want it any bigger- Color saturation is very good- Brightness is great- RGB LED's on the back are pretty when you can see 'em- Auto brightness control works quite well; good if your computer is in a window-lit room in the day that's very bright but gets dark at night- Tons of high quality cables included (you need quality ... MoreThis screen is bright, colorful, and works flawlessly on my GTX 1080 Ti gaming PC (I get 120hz 4k through Displayport) and on my 2021 Macbook Pro M1 Pro (120hz through the included USB-C to USB-C cable.)PROS:- 4K 144hz gaming on HDMI 2.1 (or 120hz on Displayport) is AWESOME.- Can do my design work on my 4k monitor and game on my 144hz monitor... and they're finally the same monitor!- 32 is huge and beautiful; I definitely wouldn't want it any bigger- Color saturation is very good- Brightness is great- RGB LED's on the back are pretty when you can see 'em- Auto brightness control works quite well; good if your computer is in a window-lit room in the day that's very bright but gets dark at night- Tons of high quality cables included (you need quality cables to do 120+ hz 4k)- Three KVM cables included (though they're not super long)- Pretty customizableCONS:- The viewing angles are a little on the weak side. It's not the end of the world, but keep in mind that if you sit close to the screen, the screen is so large that the edges of the screen will be slightly darker. This is pretty normal but is slightly disappointing- About 0.5 of the left/right edges of the screen are a tiny bit dimmer; this is pretty normal but also slightly disappointing- So far, I haven't gotten the KVM to work yet. I'm researching how to set it up properly and hoping it's just me.

Great Montior, Horrible HDR for PC

**Day 1 Impressions and Quick Review** I was looking to upgrade my PG278Q monitor. And this one was the one I have been eyeing for awhile. First, the games look beautiful. With my RTX 3090 and 5800x, i can usually get in the neighborhood of 70-90fps per game so far (high settings on almost all categories, with slight adjustments in some parts like anti-aliasing, shadow quality, scaling) and it looks amazing. I am not a competitive gamer, I love RPG games. So my goal here is not to hit 120+ fps. Elden Ring, AC Valhalla, Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, and RE Village all look fantastic. I quickly loaded each one up just to see how it would look. I tried using the HDR on the monitor (out of pure curiosity), but it makes the games that I have just too dark. In terms of ... More**Day 1 Impressions and Quick Review** I was looking to upgrade my PG278Q monitor. And this one was the one I have been eyeing for awhile. First, the games look beautiful. With my RTX 3090 and 5800x, i can usually get in the neighborhood of 70-90fps per game so far (high settings on almost all categories, with slight adjustments in some parts like anti-aliasing, shadow quality, scaling) and it looks amazing. I am not a competitive gamer, I love RPG games. So my goal here is not to hit 120+ fps. Elden Ring, AC Valhalla, Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, and RE Village all look fantastic. I quickly loaded each one up just to see how it would look. I tried using the HDR on the monitor (out of pure curiosity), but it makes the games that I have just too dark. In terms of color, I still believe that my monitor that I use for drawing is must better, and the quality of the colors is quite noticeable. So, compared to the VP3256-4k, it falls short, but I did not expect it to beat it in terms of color. The MPG321UR-QD XBOX Edition is most definitely made for gaming and succeeds in every way, except in HDR. I knock off one egg, simply because HDR is too dark. If you are hoping for a great HDR experience, I would recommend you look elsewhere. Since OLED monitors will be hitting the market soon, with LG releasing an OLED monitor (not the TVs) this summer. Those will most likely hit the HDR mark you will be looking for. Overall, I am in love with this monitor. I will keep you updated if anything else comes up.

Great monitor, terrible KVM functionality.

I purchased this monitor so I could have both a great display for gaming as well as a professional quality monitor for work. The KVM functionality in particular interested me, so I could easily swap between my home PC and work laptop.To change between input and displays, you need to select them manually using the joystick, it's not just a pc1 / pc2 button and the streams are not linked, it's the same as having any dual input monitor, you have to go into the menu and change the input, only twice as you also have to do it for the USB... Not great...When the monitor goes to sleep, the USB goes to sleep and you cannot wake the PC. Turning the monitor on and off also doesn't wake the PC... I've had to plug in a second mouse to my gaming PC to wake it when my laptop ... MoreI purchased this monitor so I could have both a great display for gaming as well as a professional quality monitor for work. The KVM functionality in particular interested me, so I could easily swap between my home PC and work laptop.To change between input and displays, you need to select them manually using the joystick, it's not just a pc1 / pc2 button and the streams are not linked, it's the same as having any dual input monitor, you have to go into the menu and change the input, only twice as you also have to do it for the USB... Not great...When the monitor goes to sleep, the USB goes to sleep and you cannot wake the PC. Turning the monitor on and off also doesn't wake the PC... I've had to plug in a second mouse to my gaming PC to wake it when my laptop isn't connected...........Super annoying. Otherwise the monitor itself is great, however overpriced. I have updated to the latest firmware and contacted MSI. A number of others have reported the same issue, which remains unresolved to date (12/06/2022).

More Pros than Cons

I will start with the PURELY ANNOYING first:If you are NOT using Windows, there's no way to update the firmware.Additionally a drive called NO NAME will auto-run on your computer (Mac or Windows) until you install the MSI OSD Settings Software. And, of course, if you only use a Mac, there's no installation available. This unwanted drive will auto-run perpetually on a Mac when using the monitor, unless, in the unlikely event, MSI deems to fix it in future.Otherwise, the monitor is astounding:The color clarity and accuracy is excellent for design work and digital artwork. It was ready to go out of the box and with not a single dead pixel.Maximum frame rates on game consoles are no problem and the monitor auto-connects to devices with ease. My MacBook is ... MoreI will start with the PURELY ANNOYING first:If you are NOT using Windows, there's no way to update the firmware.Additionally a drive called NO NAME will auto-run on your computer (Mac or Windows) until you install the MSI OSD Settings Software. And, of course, if you only use a Mac, there's no installation available. This unwanted drive will auto-run perpetually on a Mac when using the monitor, unless, in the unlikely event, MSI deems to fix it in future.Otherwise, the monitor is astounding:The color clarity and accuracy is excellent for design work and digital artwork. It was ready to go out of the box and with not a single dead pixel.Maximum frame rates on game consoles are no problem and the monitor auto-connects to devices with ease. My MacBook is connected via the USB-C port and it is buttery smooth to work on a monitor of this size at 120Ghz.MSI is generous with included cords. There's only one HDMI 2.1 included, but then there's a cord included for just about every other major port.The OSD menu is not overdone (which I can only access via the joystick on the back of the monitor as outlined above) and makes perfect sense. It is easy to navigate and key functionalities are customizable. Note: No Gamma adjustments.Additionally B&H, via FedEx, had this monitor delivered in TWO days as promised. Kudos to MSI for packaging that is TRULY protective and expertly sealed to ascertain brand new condition.I am extremely grateful to be able to say "Yes" to this tool for work and play, despite the annoyances.Maybe MSI will consider being more user friendly to Mac users in the future. It's a missed opportunity. The monitor runs beautifully with the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X. There's going to be crossover customers who run Mac's for their work, who will be annoyed that MSI didn't consider them important enough to provide full compatibility.

Revised Review from a MacBook Pro User

This is a revised review after I ordered a new cable that fixed the issues I was having . . .For the most part, the cables that came with the monitor didn't work with either a 2021 MBP or a 2019 MBP. Odds were about 1/30 with a TB3, USB C or other cable that the monitor would receive a video signal. Sadly, there was some sort of connection because a file named NO NAME would pop up and then disconnect, over and over. Super frustrating.But after I got a Cable Matters USB C to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable, everything worked as expected.My originalish review . . .The good: B&H had this delivered the monitor to San Francisco within a day which was amazing. Monitor was well packed and easy to setup & use with a Vesa arm. It's one of the more affordable options for a ... MoreThis is a revised review after I ordered a new cable that fixed the issues I was having . . .For the most part, the cables that came with the monitor didn't work with either a 2021 MBP or a 2019 MBP. Odds were about 1/30 with a TB3, USB C or other cable that the monitor would receive a video signal. Sadly, there was some sort of connection because a file named NO NAME would pop up and then disconnect, over and over. Super frustrating.But after I got a Cable Matters USB C to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable, everything worked as expected.My originalish review . . .The good: B&H had this delivered the monitor to San Francisco within a day which was amazing. Monitor was well packed and easy to setup & use with a Vesa arm. It's one of the more affordable options for a monitor covering so much of the Adobe RGB gamut. It also comes with a bunch of cables.Once set up and working the monitor looks good.The bad: the monitor has been very hit or miss in receiving a signal. This includes using the usb-c connection directly from the MacBook Pro and an OWC thunderbolt hub (multiple usb-c and thunderbolt cables used to eliminate cable as the problem) and using a DisplayPort cable. It seems to be working now but unclear what has changed.There's also an annoying file named NO NAME that keeps popping up and getting ejected each time the monitor is connected. For Mac users, apparently you have to go into the terminal and type some lines ti get this to stop. Haven't tried that yet as the info was from Reddit, not MSI. As others have mentioned, all firmware and software files from MSI for this monitor are for Windows machines.The ugly. Aesthetics are personal, but the whole gaming look on the back screams tacky. Fortunately the back faces a wall.

Simply Wow

This monitor is blowing me away.I used to have to decide between work and play for choosing a monitor, but not this time.The color clarity and accuracy is excellent for my design and digital artwork, pre-tuned perfectly right out of the box.I can finally play in the maximum available frame rates of supported games on my Series X, or even higher on a PC.Unlike a different brand I tried first, this monitor (thankfully) auto-connects to whichever device is in use right out of the box.MSI is quite generous with included cords. There's only one HDMI 2.1 included, but a cord is included for just about every other major port.Though it's obviously a "gamer oriented" interface design, the OSD menu is not overdone and makes perfect sense. It is easy to navigate ... MoreThis monitor is blowing me away.I used to have to decide between work and play for choosing a monitor, but not this time.The color clarity and accuracy is excellent for my design and digital artwork, pre-tuned perfectly right out of the box.I can finally play in the maximum available frame rates of supported games on my Series X, or even higher on a PC.Unlike a different brand I tried first, this monitor (thankfully) auto-connects to whichever device is in use right out of the box.MSI is quite generous with included cords. There's only one HDMI 2.1 included, but a cord is included for just about every other major port.Though it's obviously a "gamer oriented" interface design, the OSD menu is not overdone and makes perfect sense. It is easy to navigate and key functionalities are customizable.There's extra OSD Gaming software downloads that MSI offers for Android and Windows, but as usual, there's, understandably, no extra OSD software download for macOS or iOS users. Why bother I guess?That being said my Macbook connected right up in seconds via the USB-C port. It is stunning to work with a monitor of this size and clarity and via 120Ghz on macOS. Buttery smooth.Additionally B&H, via FedEx, had this monitor to me, as promised, in TWO days. I would have preferred the contents be obscured for shipping, but it wasn't a dealbreaker with a signature required package.Kudos to MSI for designing packaging that is TRULY protective. (Not so for the previous comparable monitor I had to return to B&H). The box is sealed on the outside and then there's an additional MSI seal to open inside before fully unpacking.There's more to learn, but I am extremely grateful to be able to say "Yes" to such an amazing tool for work and play.

Solid monitor for 4k gaming

At 32'', 4k and 144hz with 1ms response time, any monitor is going to be a bit pricy. I came from a BenQ PD3200U 32 Inch 4K, which specialises in colour accuracy, and is more suited to graphic artists. There was a noticable drop in colour quality when coming from this monitor that takes a little getting used to, however after a couple weeks of use, it has really grown on me. The colours are very vivid. Surprsingly so. The real reason to get this screen though is 4k gaming. 144hz is the sweet spot, and 1ms response time is the cherry on the cake. I can honestly say it has improved my play in fps games.The reason this screen doesn't get 5 stars is mainly because of the lack of control in the menus. there is no kind of manual calibration to speak of, only a selection ... MoreAt 32'', 4k and 144hz with 1ms response time, any monitor is going to be a bit pricy. I came from a BenQ PD3200U 32 Inch 4K, which specialises in colour accuracy, and is more suited to graphic artists. There was a noticable drop in colour quality when coming from this monitor that takes a little getting used to, however after a couple weeks of use, it has really grown on me. The colours are very vivid. Surprsingly so. The real reason to get this screen though is 4k gaming. 144hz is the sweet spot, and 1ms response time is the cherry on the cake. I can honestly say it has improved my play in fps games.The reason this screen doesn't get 5 stars is mainly because of the lack of control in the menus. there is no kind of manual calibration to speak of, only a selection of presets. Its generally easy to find one that works, but for a monitor in this price bracket, I would prefer more granular control.

This monitor has the features I want.

For me a 4K, 32 monitor is the perfect size and this monitor has G-sync, a built in USB hub, a headphone jack and no built-in speakers. All checkmarks on my wish list. It's not cheap but has a great picture and no defects or bad pixels. I guess HDR is good to have but I had to turn the brightness way down for comfortable viewing. Why not 5 stars? When I wake my laptop from sleep mode the monitor does not recognize the HDMI signal and stays in standby mode. If the monitor is off and I turn it on a half second after waking the computer, it sees the HDMI video from the laptop and lights up. A bit annoying, but not a major issue once you know the trick.