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Do you need a gaming monitor?
Does it make gaming on your PC better?
Measurably, especially if your rig’s powerful enough to push past normal framerates.
TheOptix MAG272CQR(rolls off the tongue, huh?)
It’s a little bigger than usual at 27 inches, with the curved panel that’s becoming ubiquitous.
Turn the monitor around and you could see MSI’s “gamer” aesthetic in action.
This is a monitor designed to be seen from the back … presumably on an eSports stage somewhere.
The screen moves up and down with a light amount of pressure, and stays put reassuringly.
Just enough to give a boost to sharpen in-game graphics, without overtaxing an graphics card at 4K.
In-Game Experience
Using the MAG was enjoyable, without being remarkable.
I found more or less the same performance, with perhaps a bit of extra brightness.
I have to move Photoshop over to the Dell Ultrasharp to get precise white balance.
There are a ton of options in this monitor.
The layout and interface of the internal system is confusing and unnecessarily stylized.
It’s a good system paired to a bad user interface.
Allowing universal keyboard commands helps alleviate most of that.
The monitor’s RGB lighting is … well, it’s there.
If you want lighting, get a USB light strip instead.
I appreciate this, especially because many monitors (even gaming models!)
are moving to external power supplies, which creates awkward laptop-style power cords.
Thanks for keeping the back of my desk tidy, MSI.
What’s more concerning to me is how the monitor handles power.
That’s wasteful of electricity and bad for the health of the LCD long-term.
This may be addressed in a future driver update, but at the moment it’s very distracting.
Otherwise, keep looking.
