Brave new 4K world. With more powerful graphics cards and new consoles, gaming in UHD has finally gained a foothold and this is also reflected in the displays. Gone are the days when you still had to enjoy 4K with a sluggish 60 Hz and meager response times. The nice thing about it: the 4K monitors are slowly but surely becoming more affordable and boast a wide range of functions. The MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD for 1,099 euros UVO belongs to this category and it is worthwhile.
As usual, setting up the MSI monitor is quick and easy. Hang the base on the stand, display, and fasten with two Phillips screws. Easy and relaxed to do alone. All the necessary cables are included, in the case of the HDMI cable even as an ultra-fast version, so you can use it to connect one of the new consoles.
The monitor turns out to be quite unspectacular from the front, thanks to the narrow bezel you can hardly see anything of the case. The back is more lavish, with a chic carbon look and configurable LED lighting, of course, compatible with MSI Mystic Light. Very nice: the robust base, which holds the monitor securely, only requires a depth of just under 25 cm.
Another look at the back reveals a whole cornucopia of connections and makes the gamer's heart beat faster. In addition to a DisplayPort 1.4a, there are a whopping two HDMI 2.1, meaning you can connect both a Playstation 5 and an Xbox Series X/S at the same time if you wish and you don’t have to do without 4K at 120 Hz. Even better: there is also a DisplayPort-compatible USB-C connection, so that you can connect a notebook in addition to a PC and two consoles if you wish. Strong.
When it comes to USB connections, almost nothing is left to be desired. With a whopping six Type-A and three Type-B ports, you can pretty much clamp everything to the monitor that is not on the tree with three. Only downside: it's all USB 2.0. There is also KVM compatibility, which can be set using the on-screen display. The fact that there are also mic-in, headphone-out, and a 3.5 mm audio combination connection complete the almost perfect connection pattern.
When it comes to ergonomics, too, little is left to be desired. With -5 to +20 degrees of tilt, 100 mm of height adjustment, and 30 degrees of swiveling, pretty much everything is covered. The only thing missing is a pivot function, but that's bearable. Wall mounting is also possible thanks to a 100 mm Vesa screw connection.
The extremely clear OSD is operated using a mini joystick on the back, alternatively, you can download the MSI OSD app for Windows and use it to configure everything. The setting options are extensive. In addition to the blue light filter and anti-flicker, there is a professional mode that allows different color profiles. Excellent for people who not only want to play with their monitor but also want to work with it.
There are also a number of gaming features such as genre presets, night vision (blackening), or smart crosshairs, which enable crosshairs whose color always adapts to the image shown so that they are always perfectly visible. Almost cheating. Smart brightness is also available so that the brightness of the display adapts to the ambient lighting thanks to a sensor. Apart from that, there is also Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture. Excellent facilities here too.
MSI relies on an IPS panel with Quantum Dot technology for the display, which ensures rich color reproduction and pleasantly good HDR - the monitor is VESA HDR600 certified. The resolution is 3840 x 2160 in 16:9 format with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a specified response time of 1 ms. In fact, the response time is a bit higher, at around 4 ms, which is certainly not enough for an e-sportsman but is more than sufficient for everyone else. The display features Adaptive-Sync and is NVIDIA G-Sync compatible.
When gaming, the MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD cuts a really good figure thanks to clean color reproduction, good HDR, and a fast response time along with a high refresh rate. Of course, the black is not as rich as with a VA panel, but it is impressive. The very good color calibration ex-works is pleasing, even if the contrast value is not at the top of the food chain, which is not really noticeable when working or gaming.
Overall, our test sample had a fairly homogeneous illumination, display errors were not recognizable and we could not determine any irritations even with fast movements. The device even scores in all respects when it comes to viewing angles. Above all, we were impressed by the strong, rich colors that make current games a real pleasure, especially at the high resolution and with activated HDR.
CONCLUSION
Strong all-rounder
With the Optix MPG321UR-QD, MSI has actually put together a great package that not only covers PC gaming and also works on the computer but is also ideally suited for connecting the new consoles. This has its price, but compared to similar monitors, MSI is not bad at all, especially since the equipment is also at its finest.
With 4K, 144 Hz, HDMI 2.1, and even KVM with umpteen USB ports, the MSI monitor is well-positioned. There is also very little to complain about in terms of image quality, mainly because the color representation is very good and the monitor even has presets for professional work. All in all a great package and a thoroughly recommendable monitor.
Pros
- many up-to-date connection options
- KVM ready
- good ergonomics
- good response time
- high refresh rate
- 4K 120Hz with the new consoles
- very good color representation
- very decent HDR
- many extras for gamers
- clear operation
Cons
- The contrast could be a little better
- Labeling of the connections hardly recognizable
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