MSI double monitor test: 2160p or 1440p resolution at 32″?

Details

Until recently, 32-inch monitors were a relatively marginal category and manufacturers were pushing mainly the smaller 27″ versions. Recently, it seems as if the market is swarming with 32″ monitors, and after the latest from AOC, we take a look at two new gaming models from MSI right away. At first glance they look the same, but besides the name they differ in panels, connectivity, or other small details, which we will gradually break down.

Basic parameters

Packaging and accessories

The packaging of the monitors is very similar, and other than the different image on the display and in the background, the packages are virtually identical. So it is important to notice especially the labelling, which reveals the main difference between the two models, which is the resolution. For simplicity, we’ll refer to them as the QHD and UHD versions in the review so we don’t have to write the long model designations MPG321xx…

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In the package we find a power cable without a large adapter, since the power supply is integrated in the monitor, HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C cables, as well as USB type B and audio cables, complete with documentation and screws.

The monitors share the same rectangular-shaped stand that sits firmly on the desk, and although its surface area is larger, you can put something on it, so it’s not a completely lost space on the desk.

The other part of the stand is also clad in black with an inconspicuous Gaming Series inscription on the back. It features a hole for cabling and height adjustment, which we’ll look at in more detail later. Neither newcomer offers RGB lighting on the stand.

You still don’t need any tools to connect the two parts of the stand and it’s just a matter of seconds.

The back side combines the design of brushed aluminium with glossy black and holes for RGB lighting, not missing the gold logos that we have been seeing for a year or two. There’s also a VESA 100×100 mount.

Installing the stand to the monitor hasn’t changed with MSI and still requires two steps.

In addition to the classic clicking of the stand into the VESA mount, the bottom edge needs to be fixed with two screws, which prolongs the installation. It is strange to see that MSI still maintains this method when the competition no longer uses any screws.

Since the monitors are identical in design, we’ll only show one at a time and always point out the differences between the QHD and UHD versions.

A look at the front shows a large flat panel with an anti-glare finish, a bezel-less design on three sides, and a relatively thin bottom chin that doesn’t stick out from a distance.

The back is rather inconspicuous without the active RGB LED, and aside from the glossy “wing”, you can’t really see the gaming spirit of the monitor.

The port options are another important aspect in which the tested pair differs besides the display resolution. We start with the QHD model (MPG321QRF-QD). The latter offers a pair of HDMI 2.0b and one DisplayPort 1.4, complemented by USB-C with DP alt. mode. This is followed by USB Type-B in the 3.0 version and a single, USB Type-A right next door. On the far right, we see the audio connector.

The UHD model has a significantly fuller underside, which is due to the trio of USB Type B in the 2.0 version, which are intertwined between the video connectors, and unlike the single Type A in the QHD model, we find up to 4 USB Type A 2.0 here. The audio connector is in the same place.

To the left of the video/USB ports we find the power connector, while the power supply is integrated in the monitor.

Just as we saw the difference between the USB ports on the bottom, the connectors on the side also differ in USB standard. The QHD model has the faster USB 3.2 gen. 1 ports, while the UHD version only has them at the 2.0 standard. The difference in speed is mainly due to the fact that the UHD model is also designed for console gaming and the USB ports are for connecting accessories like a gamepad, mouse or keyboard and not for data transfers from a USB flash drive and the like.

The joystick in gold colour is used for control, similar to the previous tested models from the manufacturer.

The other buttons are used to turn the monitor on/off and activate macro mode.

On the front under the logo we find a light sensor and on both sides a microphone.

The stand of both monitors offers the possibility of height adjustment, as well as display tilting.

Tilt is possible in the range of +20° and – 5°. You can adjust the height from 50 to 150 mm from the base. The top edge of the monitor thus moves from 480 to 580 mm from the table. The total height adjustment range is therefore 100 mm.

The monitor also offers the ability to swivel sideways by 30 degrees in both directions. Pivot, i.e. rotation to portrait, is not found here.

The back offers subtle RGB lighting, which you can of course customise and synchronise with accessories and components.

In the package you will also find an interesting accessory that serves to hold the mouse cable.

The bracket attaches to the bottom of the monitor where the holes are prepared. These are on both sides of the monitor, so this solution is suitable for both right- and left-handed users.

In the backlight bleed test, the UHD model performed very well, almost no deviations could be seen with the naked eye, which deserves praise.

The QHD model wasn’t so great, here you can see some deviations on the top left and bottom right, but it’s not dramatic and we can say that it’s average.

Of course, as always, every panel is different and your unit can be better or worse. In the next chapter we will measure uniformity with a colorimetric probe.

Until recently, 32-inch monitors were a relatively marginal category and manufacturers were pushing mainly the smaller 27″ versions. Recently, it seems as if the market is swarming with 32″ monitors, and after the latest from AOC, we take a look at two new gaming models from MSI right away. At first glance they look the same, but besides the name they differ in panels, connectivity, or other small details, which we will gradually break down.

Range of settings

Controlling the OSD menu is simple and quick thanks to the presence of a 5-way joystick.

The menu itself offers many sections and settings, and the design is one of the most beautiful on the market. The first section features quick adjustments for brightness, RGB lighting, KVM switch control as well as gaming features such as crosshair and zoom.

The second section focuses on gaming and offers the choice of game mode, night vision (adjusting the black levels), refresh rate and countdown display, or enabling Adaptive-Sync or changing the response time.

The third section, aimed at professional use, offers in particular Low Blue Light mode or image enhancement and Pro Mode with Eco setting. You can change the image parameters in the fourth section where you can change the brightness, contrast, aspect ratio, colour temperature and sharpness.

This is followed by input selection, options for adjusting joystick functions, and then just settings, where you can choose both Slovak and Czech language, change the time and transparency of the OSD menu display or HDMI 2.1 settings, and the behaviour of the RGB lighting and the power button.

A quick look at the Optix Scope shows us three options for zoom size and zoom area dimensions. This feature can be a distinct advantage, especially in FPS games.

In the quick menu, which you activate by moving the joystick side to side, you can choose from the inputs, turn on the crosshairs with different designs but also which input is preferred for the KVM switch. That said, the quick actions are fully configurable in the OSD menu, which I highly commend.

The designs of the crosshairs are diverse and you are sure to find the right one for you.

The refresh rate or timer display is complemented by other connection parameters such as resolution, colour depth, mode and type of displayed content (SDR/HDR).

PiP and PbP

PiP and PbP modes are definitely important at larger screen sizes, and MSI has not forgotten about it in this case, quite the contrary. I feel that this section is the most sophisticated among the monitors tested so far, as it offers a few more features than standard.

In picture-in-picture mode, you have a choice of three secondary input sizes.

You can place it in each of the four corners. But new to me is the arbitrary placement in space, which is the fifth optional state.

You can also swap the main input for a secondary input at any time and vice versa.

The monitor also offers a PbP mode, which is picture-by-picture, where you can split the display in half and display the inputs side by side. You can choose from several configurations, namely splitting it in half horizontally and vertically, and the third option is to prefer one of the inputs, which occupies a larger part of the image.

Apps

Application support tends to be better with big gaming brands than smaller manufacturers, and MSI has certainly not let this area put them to shame. MSI’s Gaming Intelligence app offers all of the OSD menu options mentioned so far, but adds a few more as well. For example, you can create app configurations with specific on-screen layouts, specify what app to launch when you press the macro button or control a connected joystick.

There are also mouse settings, image cloning, app connectivity and image zooming options. Among the standard settings, we then find quick settings for image properties, gaming functions or the selection of one of the preset profiles (AdobeRGB, sRGB, etc.), which are not directly displayed in the OSD menu. Finally, there is also the RGB backlight option with the possibility of synchronisation via MSI Mystic Light.

In the advanced settings, you’ll find options for input switching, quick shortcuts, as well as editing the joystick’s quick action functions. So again, this is a duplication of the OSD menu, with a few little extras thrown in for good measure.

I rate the app very positively, it offers a lot of settings and tweaks, it is dressed in a nice outfit and above all it works as you would expect. So I praise MSI for this area and other manufacturers could be “inspired”.

Until recently, 32-inch monitors were a relatively marginal category and manufacturers were pushing mainly the smaller 27″ versions. Recently, it seems as if the market is swarming with 32″ monitors, and after the latest from AOC, we take a look at two new gaming models from MSI right away. At first glance they look the same, but besides the name they differ in panels, connectivity, or other small details, which we will gradually break down.

Image properties

We tested the display properties using the Datacolor Spyder5Elite probe. The display in both cases has a 32″ IPS panel with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, the resolution corresponds to our internal naming, so UHD is 3840 × 2160 px and QHD is 2560 × 1440 px. There’s an anti-glare finish and even bezels on three sides. The brightness parameters are also identical, which the manufacturer puts at 400 nits in normal operation with HDR peaking at 600 nits, 1000:1 contrast ratio and that’s more or less where the similarity ends. It’s worth noting that both displays are G-Sync Compatible certified, which has also been detected accordingly by the Nvidia Control panel. Both monitors have support for gaming consoles, but only the UHD model got the newer HDMI 2.1, while the QHD relies on HDMI 2.0b.

So let’s move on to the differences. The UHD model has a lower frame rate of 144Hz, which is top of the range for UHD resolution. The QHD model, however, has 165 Hz as standard and can reach up to 175 Hz after overclocking. We’ve seen faster QHD panels before, but not in this size. Also different is the response time, the UHD model having 1 ms in MPRT mode and the QHD model having the same value in GTG. The UHD version has a slightly higher quality panel as it natively supports 10 bit depth, while the QHD relies on 8 bit + FRC. The difference in the panel is also reflected in the gamuts presented, where the UHD model is said to offer 99 % Adobe RGB, 97 % DCI-P3 and 143 % sRGB.The QHD version has a slightly lower 95 % DCI-P3 and a slightly higher 144 % sRGB.

We start our display quality tests with the UHD model.

It did very well in basic settings. It achieved the expected brightness of 394.4 nits, had great values of 100 % sRGB, 100 % Adobe RGB, 96 % DCI-P3 and 99 % NTSC as well as a very good average Delta E colour deviation of 1.4. These are some of the best measured results we’ve ever had, which is all the more surprising given that it’s a gaming model. The uniformity is also very good, which only confirms our assumptions from the black level test.

We also tested dedicated modes, which slightly adjust the values for the needs of a given mode, which is also nicely visible in the graphical representation of the triangle in the colour spectrum.

The QHD model does similarly well with 100 % sRGB, 100 % Adobe RGB, 97 % DCI-P3 and 100 % NTSC, adding one percent each time in two modes compared to the UHD model. Brightness is a little lower with 385 nits as the maximum measured value, while Delta E is significantly better with a figure of just 0.79. However, the slightly worse uniformity we already saw in the black test is confirmed.

We can observe the correct functioning of the colour profiles here as well, I have no comments on this area.

Input Lag and Response Time

We also measured the input lag on the monitor in multiple Overdrive modes.

The UHD version performs very well with values of 9.8 and 9.5 ms, placing it in the top few percent.

The QHD model is even slightly faster and ranks among the absolute top with 9.2, 9.1 and 9.0 ms.

We could observe very similar results in the UFO ghosting test, where from the factory the default value is Fast mode and not Normal.

The QHD panel gives a slightly better result thanks to the “Rapid IPS” panel, as it has less visible ghosting in Fast mode than the UHD panel in the image below.

In both cases, Fastest mode is not recommended due to the presence of inverse ghosting.

Power draw

As with the AOC Agon 4 Pro AG324UX test, I measured power draw using the Zeon smart socket in multiple scenarios. In the first test, I looked at the power draw on the Windows desktop after resetting the monitor’s settings, so again, the baseline state the monitor is in when you first take it out of the box. Here, the socket showed me 44.4W for the UHD model and 37.3W for the QHD version. It’s important to mention that the baseline brightness is 70 %.

I then opened Eizo monitor test, displayed the white colour and measured the power draw at 0 and 10 % brightness. The measured values are 37.7 and 49.5 W for the UHD version, the QHD model had 31.2 and 62.1 W.

Then I opened YouTube and ran 4K HDR video of Costa Rica to test the power draw in HDR mode, here the values varied between 60-85 W depending on the current scene, and that was with both monitors.

The last thing I tried was charging via USB-C. I plugged in a MacBook Pro 14″ that had 50 % battery and waited for it to start charging. The power draw only jumped to 57.6 watts. However, the MacBook was showing that it was charging using 15 W, which is more than the 8 W of the AOC monitor, but not nearly as much as the 90 W charging presented.

Until recently, 32-inch monitors were a relatively marginal category and manufacturers were pushing mainly the smaller 27″ versions. Recently, it seems as if the market is swarming with 32″ monitors, and after the latest from AOC, we take a look at two new gaming models from MSI right away. At first glance they look the same, but besides the name they differ in panels, connectivity, or other small details, which we will gradually break down.

Conclusion

The MSI Gaming Optix MPG321QRF-QD and The Optix MPG321UR-QD is a pair of newcomer 32-inch monitors that look the same at first glance, but upon closer inspection you’ll find a number of differences. The design, build quality, control application and overall impressions of use are all on a very good level.

The difference between the UHD and QHD model, besides the panel itself, is in connectivity, with the UHD model being more geared towards use with multiple devices at once, especially the PC + console combination, while the QHD version is more for use with a single device, although multitasking isn’t discouraged either. Both panels deliver great colour performance, brightness is also very good and the fast refresh rate, low input lag and G-Sync support are a great combination for a true gaming experience. This is further complemented by a host of tweaks in the OSD menu and apps, which is definitely one of the best.

Exceptionally, there is not much to criticise, it’s really just small things like the need to screw the stand to the body, the lack of a pivot or a smaller range of height adjustment. Of the pair, I’d personally reach for the UHD model, which at 32 inches makes sense and the QHD resolution ceases to be sharp enough.

The last obstacle before the purchase may be the price. The QHD version is around 850 euros at the time of writing, and the UHD model has relatively limited availability, but one store has it for 1200 euros. Given the better performance in virtually all aspects, it’s a better choice than the AOC Agon 4 Pro AG324UX we tested last, so it’s really worth paying a little extra here, if you can find the new one available anywhere. This will hopefully improve over time.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

• Contents
• Details
• Range of settings
• Image properties
• Conclusion