32" 4K OLED Gaming is here and it's amazing! - MSI MPG321URX Review

[@tftcentral]

***UPDATES and FAQ*** 1) The MPG 321URX from this review DOES support firmware updates. The lower spec version of this screen, the MAG 321UPX does not 2) The "game mode" menu just has various modes for different genres where the colour vibrancy and sharpness have been artificially enhanced. Experiment with those if you want for different games, but they will be less "accurate". 3) Further testing of the True Black 400 vs Peak 1000 HDR modes: tftcentral.co.uk/articles/testing-hdr400-true-black-and-peak-1000-mode-brightness-on-new-oled-monitors

[@geoelectric]

How do Adobe RGB, Anti-Blue, etc Pro mode settings affect HDR? And how does this interact with the Game Mode setting? It’s not clear to me when the Game Mode vs Pro Mode setting is used, much less the effect each would currently have on HDR.

[@CarnivoryHODL]

For the 1:1 mode, does that mean you can have the same smaller aspect ratio like ASUS offers, just needs more tweaking to be done? Maybe make a tutorial on how to do this?

[@chrismmkkhfd1311]

Which settings are best for HDR mode if not RGB?

[@jumperdynamix8808]

Thank you for the information. I found that out yesterday when switching around while i was watching HDR content. Are you sure that when NOT set to sRGB, for example DisplayP3, does it actually use to appriopriate HDR gamut like Rec2020 ? Also i read that few people have more issues when using VRR via HDMI than with DP. Are there differences between these two inputs that could be the reason?

[@jumperdynamix8808]

How can i use the 1:1 mode ? Its greyed out on my 271QRX and Adaptive Sync, PIP/PBP and Optix Scope are all disabled. Can you also take a look at the "Game Mode" presets. What about that one mode called "Premium Color"

[@Ceeziep]

Thank you for the review. This is what I needed in order for me to make my decision!

[@Capt.Marco-Hawk-L.L.A.P]

Another great review, thank you. you really help to make difficult decisions much easier

[@tftcentral]

Glad to help 😀

[@Pierceb2]

Fantastic review with great testing and documentation. Now I also know that there have several firmware updates as well as well as that the URX gets those updates so I will be ordering one of these.

[@JSmith-kh4vo]

This is the perfect monitor for my needs. I game on console, and the fact that the input lag stays that low even at 60hz is perfect. I just can't find this monitor anywhere for sale right now.

[@InFlamesor12]

Finally a reviewer that at least mentions the DSC, it would be fine though if you'd mention the issues associated with it.

[@tftcentral]

The only issue associated with it here is the inability to use NVIDIA DSR / DLDSR. No other issues 😀

[@InFlamesor12]

@@tftcentral What about the gsync or freesync type of VRR technology and especially with HDR on...Black screens, flickering, alt tabbing taking almost 5 seconds of black screen inbetween and so on and so forth. They say in synthetic test that its a losless compression, however it has these issues.

[@markshenefelt7611]

@@InFlamesor12 I am using the monitor right now with gsync enabled and havent seen these issues yet. will keep testing. Update. Alt tabbing does indeed flash a black screen for a few seconds in my testing.

[@tftcentral]

These aren’t universal issues though, some are related to graphics card implementation and only in certain situations.

[@Bottlecap]

4090 user here. I have the new Alienware 32 inch 4K QD OLED, before I was using an Asus 4K 144hz panel. DSC on both can cause issues that are hard to explain, but it is not limited to *just* DSR. I absolutely guarantee you that. It’s just they are so niche and often so specific, the amount of information on them is scarce.

[@OpinionatedFrench]

I ordered mine on Friday. I’m now like a teenager waiting for its first car. This is truly going to be amazing 😻. This really is a huge step for me, never having had a monitor faster than 60hz nor any prior oled experience over 7” (my iPhone). To me 1400€ for such impressive high-end characteristics is simply a bargain and it will pair nicely with my new 4080 super rig. I’m going to have a use for it for at least the next 10 years. I will update once I get it. Cheers !

[@tftcentral]

Enjoy!!! Let us know how you get on 😀

[@JSmith-kh4vo]

Thank you guys for this review. This is the most detailed review that I have come across, ever.

[@e2k220]

Just got mine today looking forward to your best settings guide

[@tftcentral]

Should have that sorted in a few days 😀

[@NearynHub]

​@@tftcentralis there one for the PG32UCDM as well? Since it's the same price here. Thanks for the good reviews!

[@tftcentral]

@nathanaelniklaus2981 not a video for that one but you can find our best settings and calibrated ICC profile here if you want to give them a try tftcentral.co.uk/articles/icc-profiles-and-monitor-calibration-settings-database

[@robertslayman360]

Where'd you order it from?

[@e2k220]

@@robertslayman360 MSI US website. It was in stock last week on Friday.

[@CookaSoupNieceEH]

Shocking that it maintains low input lag at 60hz

[@groundreaper9421]

The PG32UCDM looks like a PG32UQX in regards to 60 Hz input lag. I still don‘t know why so many manufacturers have problems with 60 Hz input lag numbers. 😭 The Alienware AW3225QF also seems to have high input lag at 60 Hz (HDR). I directly compared it to my ASUS PG27AQDM OLED at 60 Hz (PS5 with HDR enabled) and the AW3225QF feels really choppy and laggy in regards to input lag. Response times are great on both.

[@yazannajjar1719]

do we know the numbers for the input lag in terms of is it 2.5 ms or whatever and same for 60hz

[@Dr.WhetFarts]

Looking forward to the HP Omen 32 inch 4K/UHD test.

[@markshenefelt7611]

Wonder if they can add the ability to change brightness and contrast and color in HDR through firmware update? And add an unlocked srgb mode. My only issues

[@GamerGG-df7jk]

This is a great review. The only question I have is how do the specs compare with the ASUS PG32UCDM?

[@markshenefelt7611]

Asus has more niche features that I personally won’t use. The MSI is built better imo. No power brick and no chunky vesa mount

[@tftcentral]

Comparison video coming soon 😀

[@Wesmosis]

Amazing video TFT, so I just bought the monitor a week ago and it has been fantastic so far. I’ve updated the firmware according to your latest video to the 011 , Do you recommend using HDMI or display port to connect it to iMac 5K?

[@tftcentral]

Either connection will be fine, so whichever is easier

[@RandomGuy-pm3fh]

One area i'd love to hear more from you on is why do OLEDs flicker a lot when VRR is enabled in games? It's one of the main reasons i'm worried about moving to OLED. I cannot tolerate gaming without g-sync, so it's a non-starter if flicker occurs. It seems to be an issue on all the three released 32in 4k 240hz OLEDs released so far, to varying degrees.

[@ZioComposite]

Anecdotally have experienced "VRR Flicker" in probably 1% of my gaming scenarios and possibly less. Specifically game menus that are under 30fps it seems. Regular gameplay I have never had that issue.

[@sudd3660]

any sync tech have this flicker issue, and it happens on desktop also.

[@anfernee1980]

I have a sony A95L which has 1300 nits on 10% window, I just can't get down to these brightness levels for now, although I would also like a 32-40 inch QD oled monitor. But with those brightness values for now I will wait for future releases in the next few years

[@tftcentral]

That’s fair enough. Keep in mind your viewing position and distance here though. You might not want super bright from only a couple of feet away 😎

[@anfernee1980]

@@tftcentralyes i have also a PG32UQX and i love to stay in a “desktop” setup instead of tv big screen. BUT from PG32UQX and A95L for the moment i don’t feel the need to change. I will change for a future 32-40 inch monitor qd oled with 1300 1400 10% window peak. Please keep your works, you are the best out there, also better than tv reviewer, and i know what i am sayng. Congratulations for your passion, we feel it

[@BareSpis]

Guys, I have a problem with this monitor when using PS5. I use the HDMI-cable that came with the monitor. It stutters a lot even when VRR is turned on on the PS5 + 120 hz mode, and adaptive sync is active on the monitor itself. It's like there is "no sync" between the refresh rate and the frame rate at all. Have tried to disable HDCP on the PS5, didn't help. Tried other cables, didn't help. VRR works like a charm on PC...

[@yamahass66]

Trying to find reviews on your website wich is best for photo editing but just find for games. Any screens you would recomend for editing under 1000 dollars? Most possible ppi, colour accuracy and UHD could you name a few? Thanks!

[@zach2930]

Would you recommend this monitor over the asus?

[@Drebetic]

Commenting for the answer

[@tftcentral]

In the USA, yes for sure as the price difference is drastic. In the UK where price is very similar I would give edge to the Asus For slightly better accuracy, Dolby Vision, BFI.

[@timurgafforov8856]

Hi! Thanks for the great review. Though - how does it do with ABL? It's just that I do a lot of professional video editing and I've never used an oled or qd-oled panel. I am concerned about the ABL and how much it creates problems during video editing. Thanks a lot in advance.

[@dinospumoni8255]

Can you comment about OLED Care 2.0? I had the MEG 342C which had 1.0 and on that monitor, every 4 hours a pop up would appear. I read that with OLED Care 2.0 they were going to change that behavior. Can you completely disable the 4 hour pop up from every showing up again after the initial first time prompt?

[@tftcentral]

I didn’t notice that or any intrusive behaviour during all my use although didn’t specifically experiment with it

[@markshenefelt7611]

They need to make it like Dell where when you turn off the monitor it does the pixel refresh.

[@dinospumoni8255]

@@markshenefelt7611 that's how it worked when I had the MSI MEG 342C, it did it automatically during standby. The problem was you couldn't disable the pop up every four hours.

[@Bartek-eq1xh]

2 basic, important question: 1. is it possible to change the brightness in HDR mode (Asus allows it)? 2. does the LFC work properly below 48 Hz ? (monitor is NOT gsync certified)

[@tftcentral]

No you can’t change brightness setting in HDR mode

[@Bartek-eq1xh]

Thanks for answer; can you do it from windows level? Playing in a dark room at 1000 nits can be sometimes unbearable for eyes @@tftcentral

[@tftcentral]

@Bartek-eq1xh it only reaches 1000 nits for very small APL. it’s very unlikely to cause you problems I think. Have you used an OLED monitor before out of interest? You could use the HDR 400 true black mode too I suppose if it really was an issue

[@countertime]

@@tftcentralThe issue is not peaks but average/paper-white brightness. Just like you mention for SDR, playing in HDR in dark room may be more comfortable at a lower overall brightness. On my AW3423DWF I prefer ~67-75% in peak 1000 mode. Glad the question was asked.

[@Bartek-eq1xh]

My everyday display is currently LG G1 55 in a big room. I love HDR mode, but I never set it 100% bright. Usually max 60% "oled brightness". I am looking for a monitor for a smaller place. Tv/monitor without possibility to make it dimmer/brighter is like a fix loudness speaker :(@@tftcentral

[@choocharoo]

Nice!! Im torn between this 4k 32 and their 34 1440p version. Its crazy that the 34 is more expensive but i guess it is what it is. My problem is I only have a 3080ti Suprim. So 4k is gonna work my card to the bone for 80fps and with the 34 inch I can probably play at the 144-170 fps. Touch choice. Interesting note this is slightly cheaper than the Alienware model here in canada as well.

[@choocharoo]

@@DrakonR sadly Reddit has so many people getting their monitors with screen damage. Really hurting them with this model becoming more available.

[@choocharoo]

@@DrakonR absolutely . But warranty should be long term use. Not masses of people taking new devices damaged. That’s just bad business. Honestly I’m leaning towards the 34 UW 1440p. The 4K is just too much for a 3080ti. Asus has a new 34 inch in Canada too. But it’s 1799 vs the new gen AW for 1499. God damn Asus man lol.

[@choocharoo]

@@DrakonR ya I’ve been with dell 10 plus years . Overall good. Was trying to get them to price match the MSI 32 here in Canada but today the price went from 1399 to 1499. Feels bad looking at 34 uw that are only 1440p and paying more sigh.

[@choocharoo]

@@DrakonR I hooked up a lg CX for a night. Most games I was getting 90fps. However hitting 100 nope; not without turning down details. I think I’m gonna just go the UW 34 1440p. Just gotta pick a model now lol

[@FrangellGaming]

Thank you for the extremely detailed review. I always thought you had at least a million subscribers considering the level of polish your reviews, videos & articles always have, and I was absolutely shocked when I saw your subscriber count just now. Absolutely a shame that more people haven't found your channel.

[@tftcentral]

The KZbin channel is still pretty new (despite us having it available for a long time) but we are hoping to continue to grow it in the coming years. The main website is still where most people find our content though. Thanks for the kind words 😀

[@chifferhuertas]

I have two 4k monitors in 16:9: one 31.5" which seems very small to me and one 41.5" which seems very large to me, so I wonder: could there be a 36" or 37" size in the near future with 6k or 8k in 16:9? I think it would be a perfect size for many? Thank you

[@Evoprimals]

I was thinking the exact same thing. A 36 inch woule be ideal to me.

[@mitsuracer87]

37 5k 360hz plz

[@chifferhuertas]

@@mitsuracer87 Yeah!

[@Kadano]

I'm noticing that at 10:25, the 60 hz input lag test result is covered up / blurred out. The green color, as well as a (presumably older) screenshot of it I've seen posted on reddit supposes that it was very low, 0.45 ms. Why was it covered up? Did it turn out that you made a mistake when measuring 60 hz and it's actually higher? All the OLED reviews I've seen had 8-40 ms of input lag at 60 hz, so 0.45 ms on this model would be quite the outlier.

[@tftcentral]

Yes there was an error in the figure. It’s discussed and retested here Massive firmware updates tested! - MSI 32” and 27” QD-OLED monitors kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJCpf4aJgZmirMk

[@Bjornvarthr]

But at that small price difference in Europe, the Asus PG32UCDM is the better option than the MSI imo since it has bfi and will have dolby vision soon. The Alienware is not for me since it doesnt have power delivery and I want a flat screen.

[@danijelb.3384]

Man the Asus monitor is listed in a shop here in Germany at 1799€. I hope that's not true, it's the only listing so far. That would be 600€ more than the Alienware.

[@Bjornvarthr]

@@danijelb.3384 In norway the asus is about 1560 eur and the msi about 1460 eur. Alienware around 1250. But its insane that it doesnt have power delivery so that ones not for me.

[@NearynHub]

@@danijelb.3384That's insane.

[@Captain-Chats]

Yep there's hardly any difference in price which is why i went with the Asus, delivery in a few weeks

[@lePoMo]

my guess, or rather hope, is that the current european prices are just the effect of shops having sold through their preorders at MRSP, increasing price for next preorder allocations, still selling through their preorders, and so on. In other words, I'm hoping prices come down once they're actually available, or at least once supply outgrows demand. I for one will wait it out. I was planning on buying once reviews hit, but knowing they can sell them for so much less, I refuse to encourage their european pricing politics.

[@TheAstralen]

I've used this monitor for a week now but I'm close to returning it for the simple reason that I find it to be non-suitable for productivity at 125% scaling due to text being to sharp and "thin" in most desktop apps like browsers, explorer, using Citrix VM and so forth. My eyes get tired pretty quickly and since this monitor is so expensive in the EU, it's a tough pill to swallow. Also, using 125% scaling means I loose desktop width space (which of course is a given) I got back to my Odyssey G8 OLED UW monitor and find text being much easier on the eyes. The obvious drawback of using the G8 is that the MSI excels at gaming with the 4K resolution and 3rd gen panel which generally looks better. I feel old :) It's a sad decision since the MSI is a really amazing monitor but I guess 4K monitors isn't suited for me.

[@andrewmorris3479]

Bought the Alienware AW2725DF and very happy with it! This is a great choice in the US if looking at the 31.5” 4K 240Hz QD-OLED panel.

[@markshenefelt7611]

Thats a great panel, i had both that and the 4k and couldnt go back down to 1440p after using 4k.

[@andrewmorris3479]

@@markshenefelt7611 Yeah I can’t go 4K yet or it’ll be hard to go back. Although at 110PPI in game things are quite sharp coupled with QD-OLED Gen 3 subpixel improvements.

[@CarnivoryHODL]

Also have the AW, but switching for the MSI once I get it next month.

[@doppelsauger1334]

Why? I got both now and differences are minimal well msi cheaper and 100$ gift card also better menu options Is there any other reason why you switching from 2725df to msi? ​@@CarnivoryHODL

[@bencarruk]

Any thoughts on the MAG 321UP QD-OLED model for £799 in the UK ?

[@PumatSol]

IT’S TIME

[@PumatSol]

What pro mode did you use for HDR testing? I know you checked TB400 and Peak1000 modes, but what about the “pro mode” setting? People online are reporting that this setting actually affects HDR colors, and the sRGB mode might actually clamp HDR to rec 709(?!) That would mean if you want accurate SDR color you have to manually open the OSD and switch out of sRGB mode every time you want to use HDR. Please check this!

[@tftcentral]

updated testing on this topic in the pinned comment

[@juanblanco7898]

I beg your forgiveness, but may I ask you what picture settings are typically used by you when performing input latency measurements? Do you set the display to a default factory mode or set it to sRGB emulation mode which is typically a more appropriate option for use in SDR?

[@tftcentral]

We've tried different modes in the past and those kind of options don't impact input lag measurements. We will typically test the screen with VRR /adaptive sync enabled on the monitor, but if for any reason that returns a high figure (very rare in our experience) we would also experiment with adaptive sync off, and other settings.

[@juanblanco7898]

@@tftcentral Thank you very much for your response! I know that this is a general consensus in the field and it's good to know that it has actual experimental basis instead of pure assumptions. The reason I'm asking is this was determined to not actually be the case for some models, like LG's 1440p 240 Hz WOLED monitor as tested by RTings. This finding has got me concerned by confirming suspicions I had for some time now that picture modes that restrict/modify "native" performance of the panel may induce considerable input latency penalty due to additional image processing. I'd love to know if it's something specific to the way WOLED panels in particular operate, the specific processing unit on that model or a specific firmware. With VRR flicker issues characteristic of OLEDs only testing with VRR enabled as a default approach may be deemed problematic, but I am not to be criticizing the overall wonderful work you do. Since I care for accuracy a lot while being sensitive to input latency AND lacking the ability for making corrections on the GPU side; this is both a very important and a frustratingly vague issue for me. Searching for a display is a pain in a case like mine, even if the budget was of no concern... With this in mind, could you, by any chance, tell what picture mode is generally more likely to be enabled when you perform input latency measurements, even if there's no strictly set procedure in place?

[@mistacrust]

Awaiting the order of the MPG 271QRX - do you have a review for that coming soon by chance?

[@tftcentral]

We do indeed 😀

[@sureshmilton]

Such a good review.

[@moomah5929]

Ah, this was the one where the US gets a relatively great price offer (that's why it's sold out there), while in Europe they are charging a near 350€ premium. 1051€ incl. VAT VS the 1399€ they are asking for. Even worse in other countries like the UK, where they charge 1650 bucks.

[@macd7743]

Stellar review, as always! 👍

[@droneforfun5384]

Thank you for reviewing this! Must have been quite some work. Do you know if the burn in warranty will be valid for a unit imported from the states to europe?

[@tftcentral]

Not sure how they’d work that. Prob best to contact them to check

[@audiojunkie5435]

Definitely contact MSI. Usually you have to send it back to the country in which it was bought for warranty, and there are usually part differences due to sourcing differences. Also, monitors are generally something you want to be able to easily return due to the panel lottery so I'd personally suggest against importing.

[@droneforfun5384]

@@audiojunkie5435 thank you a lot

[@droneforfun5384]

@@tftcentral thank you a lot

[@madhaze0126]

Question! Why do you need BFI if the motion is so good? It's either good and you don't need BFI or it isn't good ?

[@tftcentral]

Well the motion clarity is very good at 240Hz, but it can still be further improved. So had it been available at 240Hz it could have given it another boost, beyond what’s possible from the current panel refresh rate limits. It would also give you that boost without any additional overhead for your graphics card. Equally if you can’t power a screen like this at 4K 240Hz, you could use BFI to improve motion clarity from lower refresh rates. On the Asus it only works at 120Hz but that could be handy if that was all you could drive form your system. Also useful then for games consoles that run at max 120hz anyway

[@DaboooogA]

Excellent review thanks

[@drunkensailor775]

Would you clear up a lot of confusion about hz vs fps? Personally I run max refresh rate at stable 72 fps on 144hz screen, and see no much difference between running 144fps, not tearing, VRR lowers the refresh rate and makes motion clarity worse in my opinion + the input delay(at least on my IPS) You give us lab results of UFO running it at 60hz, but it's worthless for real use. Would really love to see test raults of this, like running 60 fps at 360hz or 240hz. People talk about this all the time since high refresh rate became so widely available but our GPUs can't hold up to it(specially in 4k, hell we can barely run 144fps at 1440p with a 4080), so most people choose a compromise. Which compromise is better is the debate topic.

[@Takashita_Sukakoki]

Was there any vertical banding on 5-25% gray?

[@armen1136]

I have some on mine, It's weird because i didn't notice any on the Dell 32 inch when I had it, But noticed it on this one. I can live with it though, It's only noticeable in certain scenes, So not really a deal breaker for me. It's still miles better than blooming on mini led and backlight bleed from edge lit screens.

[@Takashita_Sukakoki]

yeah its a common issue, usually you can return it and roll the dice again. The lg OLED monitors banding was bad and the fan audible so back to the store it went

[@thepadster123]

Think it might have to be the Asus for me. Or maybe the Alienware 27. That fugly bottom bezel would OCD me into a new vortex of hell.

[@patto2.0]

What are your thoughts on HP OMEN 32? Think it's the best looking new monitor with good specs

[@thepadster123]

Look smart, but not a fan of that white/stormtropper look (same on the Alienware). I like my monitors all blacked out.@@patto2.0

[@markshenefelt7611]

If you can control the light in your room the bottom bezel isnt as bad, but i agree they should have gone with black

[@AG_Da_Gamer]

Asus also has that ugly Chin

[@moliii8809]

Thanks for the review. Appears a good choice but the UK pricing makes no sense at £1,399. Not a fan of curved monitors but the Dell AW3225QF seems much better value at £989. I'll therefore be waiting to see pricing for Asus, Gigabyte & Hp qd-oled variants.

[@tftcentral]

Asus variant is about £1300 too. I’d expect some of these prices to change when stock is more widely available due to the pressure from Dell and others. While stock is very limited and selling out anyway, there’s no need to lower it yet

[@moliii8809]

Many thanks for that - I couldn't find pricing on the Asus variant. Such a hard call - but waiting still feels like the right decision for now.@@tftcentral

[@sudd3660]

any comment on how it is in use with varied content? my current 1440p woled work without toggling modes, i have hdr movies playing back on small window or KZbin hdr videos windowed or fullscreen. i do not use auto hdr in windows, all content from sdr to hdr works, at worst same as my ips monitor. i just heard so much chatter about toggling modes on the monitor or in windows to make things work right or best. does this MSI oled work without fuss?

[@droneforfun5384]

My 321 urx is coming tomorrow. Im planning to use my current 27” in portrait mode, in addition to the 321urx. I got two PCs. One question: How do I share both monitors with both computers? Is it possible to run the 321urx in 240Hz and the older screen at 144Hz at the same time? (For windows applications). Thanks!

[@tftcentral]

Yes you can run each screen at a different refresh rate using windows extended desktop settings. I guess you can connect each screen to each PC using a different cable, although you’d need the relevant connections on each graphics card. For instance one pc could be connected to this MSI screen using displayport and the other using HDMI 2.1, but you’d need HDMI 2.1 output on your graphics card for that. And so on

[@ameliabuns4058]

Would you personally prefer/recommend the alienware for 250CAD mode or the MSI? I'm not sure if curved is for me but it's a very very slight curve from what i've seen. I think i'd prefer flat but my worry is burn-in warranty and dolby vision which i heard is important?

[@tftcentral]

Not reviewed the Dell yet so hard to say. But review and then a comparison of them are coming soon!

[@dinospumoni8255]

I'm waiting for this one, I just returned two Alienware models because those geniuses didn't put a peel on the screen and they both arrived scratched...

[@markshenefelt7611]

And air bubbles form behind screen after a while.

[@darkmanure]

@@markshenefelt7611 One of my scratches turned into a dent. Yeah it's partially my fault.

[@S3lvah]

Thanks for this informative review! Any idea why there's been a small regression in (Rec.2020) color gamut from Gen 2 to Gen 3 QD-OLED? Also, unrelated but something that's been perplexing me and I thought you might know: Is LG Display really planning on forcing a matte coating upon everyone, despite the wide criticism? I've heard on the grapevine that the matte coating comes pre-installed from their factory, meaning that the only option for those wishing for glossy is buffing it out and voiding their warranty, or going to their competitor. They have a unique opportunity to push their ambient-lit black depth advantage, but they're throwing some of it away by not even doing _semi-_ glossy like Samsung Display.

[@tftcentral]

No I’m not sure why there’s a small drop in coverage although it only seems to be impacting the 32” gen 3 panel, the 27” is still higher around 82% as tested in the Dell AW2725DF recently. Perhaps related to the pick inkjet process needed on the 32” module and the higher pixel density Re the coating, I agree they need to make it lighter at least. They’re getting the same criticism they got on old IPS panels, then switched to lighter matte many years ago. But I don’t think going fully glossy is likely, or even appropriate for the mass market. Would be great to have a choice. The info we have for their future panels doesn’t talk about coating type other than that they were planning a glossy version of their 27” 240Hz panel. So maybe that’s a testing the water kind of thing and we’ll see further options later on

[@S3lvah]

@@tftcentralHmm, yeah, the pico-inkjet process having a slight impact is plausible. And it's nice to hear they're at least exploring some options. Here's hoping for a light matte coating on the 32"s. Many thanks for the reply and for the content as always :)

[@tftcentral]

@S3lvah they’ll be aware of the feedback I’m sure. I know display manufacturers have been asking for alternatives and choice too

[@gilliamdelauw1693]

Are you planning on make a review of its 27 inch counterpart? Or may we simply expect similar results?

[@tftcentral]

yes we are, at some point soon :)

[@wotankrieg]

Thank you for the review but the question right now is Here in Europe the MSI model is in stock and costs only 100 euros less than the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM which is already out of stock and may take a month to be available, so is it worth waiting for the Asus and paying that 100 euros more or on the contrary should I buy the MSI right now?

[@mehe]

The Alienware uses the same panel and is 300€ less in europe

[@wotankrieg]

@@mehe i prefer a non curved panel

[@tuluszungi6332]

Please measure power consumption in your reviews, it's not only useful to know about energy consts, it also tells you how good the technology in this case qd-oled is using it's power, how it is improving compared to last genration of qd-oled and how it fares vs. other technologies like woled. Samsung claimed many different things already in that regard, something like double efficienty compared to 1st gen and no review looks at these things event a little. Pretty disappointing.

[@NearynHub]

I think Monitors Unboxed measures the Power consumption at full screen white. See his recent review.

[@squatch545]

Is QD-OLED, or WOLED going to be better for text clarity?

[@razyel7749]

Does this monitor supprt g-sync or will it in a future firmware update?

[@XXu-vf3bz]

Just ordered the UPG model from local store as they haven't got this UPX model yet. Seems the only difference is 90W PD charger vs 15Watts and a few USB ports short. Hopefully MSI not using 'lower grade' screens on lower models.😂

[@XXu-vf3bz]

@@theolee8667 Yeh I heard it too, cheers mate!

[@shaidmiah6957]

It is now £1099 in the UK, is this price difference now worth it from the £1350 that the ASUS is asking for?

[@tftcentral]

I’d say so yes! Decent saving there for a great screen

[@shaidmiah6957]

@@tftcentral Thanks! Ordered it right now and can’t wait to try it out coming from just cheap LCD’s. I’ll also adjust the settings to your best settings video on it too.

[@MistaVauros]

Fantastic review. How closely does it compare to the Asus PG32 model? Don’t think the $300 premium for the ASUS is justified? One more thing: I heard the pixel cleaning prompts to run every 5 hours, which can be intrusive. Is this accurate?

[@tftcentral]

It’s pretty close tbh overall. The Asus has BFI in limited capacity, and will have Dolby Vision HDR at some point but it’s hard to justify the current price difference in the US tbh

[@MistaVauros]

@@tftcentralYea, I agree. Did you find the pixel cleaning prompting to run every 5 hours?

[@tftcentral]

@MistaVauros yeah I think so although can’t recall frequency

[@markshenefelt7611]

@@tftcentral I wish they would have pixel cleaning during standby like the dell

[@tftcentral]

I think it does that too. In all my uses I don’t remember it being intrusive although it’s not something I actively experimented with

[@alex24buc]

Hello, after the latest firmware I have a question. Which pro mode profile should I use with HDR? Is still user the best color profile? Thanks for your answer!

[@tftcentral]

Yes for the full colour space available

[@alex24buc]

@@tftcentral Thank you very much!

[@nico198X]

Is this monitor getting Dolby Vision? I thought it was advertised as having that previously.

[@tftcentral]

Don’t believe so. Can’t recall that being mentioned for this model. Dell has it (albeit a bit broken) and Asus getting it in H1 sometime apparently

[@markshenefelt7611]

They probably could through firmware

[@salvation7x]

Amazing is the price in Europe... 1500€ for just a monitor for play games, this is a big NO !!!

[@chrisvig123]

Early adopters on these new OLED 30 something inch monitors u will pay through the nose….wait a couple years they will be cheap as chips

[@VIRT22]

OLED is a premium tech not meant for your average mainstream gamers. It's intended for those with big disposal income.

[@salvation7x]

Not really, the price its for the hype, oled its a technology with many years in the market@@VIRT22

[@Alinho295]

@@chrisvig123We are talking about something different. 949 dollars in US, 1500 dollars in PL When you compare the buying power of these two countries, the price for PL/Europe is a joke, being decent in the US. I won’t overpay that much for no reason

[@Dizzyfatpigeon]

​@@VIRT22 it's not just that, it's more dumb how EU buyers always get screwed compared to US pricing Something that would be $1000 always ends up being way more, like €1300 plus tax or something dumb

[@fattslice91]

Are you able to test for the dreaded G-Sync compatible flickering that a lot of OLEDs seem to have? I recently purchased & sadly returned the AW3225QF due to an insufferable flickering it produced whenever G-Sync was enabled and I am hoping not all these new panels have that issue...

[@markshenefelt7611]

I didnt notice any yet on the Asus or the MSI versions, still testing.

[@danieljrgensen133]

Are you talking about the issue of screen flickering, when playing games at a low framerate(because your computer is too slow to keep frame rate above 60 fps)? Lowering your graphical settings in the demanding games or upgrade your computer hardware(faster graphics card) will fix this issue! 😉

[@Dx-so7jm]

This monitor isn't even Gsync compatible correct ?

[@fattslice91]

@@danieljrgensen133 Happened regardless of the FPS unfortunately--60, 90, 120, even 150-180, its shouldn't be related to LFC

[@fattslice91]

@@Dx-so7jm Nothing suggests its "officially certified" as G-Sync compatible, but any FreeSync monitor can be forced into working with it; only flickering I get on my Odyssey G8 (not certified) is when the FPS goes below 50 during a loading screen or something which is when LFC kicks in

[@GamerGG-df7jk]

Would you recommend this monitor or the PG32UCDM for gaming?

[@tftcentral]

Both very similar. It probably depends on your region and the pricing as discussed at the end of the video

[@GamerGG-df7jk]

Mostly for HDR Gaming. Money isn't a concern. ​@@tftcentral

[@GamerGG-df7jk]

​@@tftcentralI plan to use it for HDR Gaming. Money isn't an issue. So what would you say is better for HDR Gaming? Looking for advice

[@NecroMoz]

Unfortunately it's laughably, laughably expensive in the UK compared to the Alienware.

[@MrMatthieuuu]

the quality is better than the ASUS ROG SWIFT PG32UCDM????

[@zeerox8637]

Here in Sweden it costs € 1 523,64 and thats insane! Comparing it to the ROG Swift PG32UCDM that costs € 1 612,43, means there is really no reason to even buy this one (MSI MPG321URX). ROG Swift PG32UCDM have features such as Dolby Vision and able to configure the monitor more to your own liking.

[@HappyHubris]

Is the pixel density high enough to make 1440P games look decent? My 7900XTX would struggle to play games at 4K@120Hz let alone 4K@240Hz.

[@Justme-jp8ih]

7900xtx is a 4k gpu how would it struggle lol

[@doppelsauger1334]

When will you do a msi 27qrx oled review? Would be amazing if you could do side by side with the alienware 2725df

[@tftcentral]

Yes should be reviewing that quite soon!

[@doppelsauger1334]

@@tftcentral how its quite soon? I love see you take on msi before my return date runs out on my alienware 2725df on the 6 , hoping you guys put it up actual soon thanks great videos i cant decide between msi or alienware 27

[@tftcentral]

@doppelsauger1334 we’ve not received it yet but we’re expecting it to arrive this week, so I’d say within the next 2 weeks period we should have it completed

[@Mafioso1731]

I want this for gaming yes .. but I also want to use it for work. Is there a risk of ruining it for doing work on it and not just play?

[@HJ-zq4jd]

if nothing is moving, it could be

[@jedics1]

Considering even a 4090 can't run most games at 240 fps, reviewers should cover how 4K monitors display lower resolutions, can it take a 1080/1440p resolution cropped at 24/27 inches with black borders? Can you move that image to the bottom center of the display for example? Or does it just allow for a stretched blurry full screen mess? This feature is a make or break for anybody like me who uses their monitor for everything, watches movies, uses programs and plays single player games at 4K but also plays a lot of shooters that need as much fps as possible above all else. Then I can begin to justify spending 3x the price for an oled display that degrades every hour that you use it leading to its inevitable failure.

[@tftcentral]

That’s a good point. We tested that on the Asus model which has a couple of good scaling modes. I’ll check the MSI too

[@jedics1]

I look forward to a video about it....I need a new monitor :) @@tftcentral

[@VexOoo-x7y]

You realise you don't have to hit 240 frames in every game right ? Its just fine to hit 100 frames on a demanding game and hit 240 when you play league or valorant

[@ogremair803]

Waiting on a 2160p UW QD Oled, whenever Samsung decides to release that.

[@dasquizplugin5135]

Will this come also for 49 inch? i loved this monitor at gamescom 2024

[@tftcentral]

Will what come for the 49” model, sorry?

[@dasquizplugin5135]

@@tftcentral i tested the MPG321URX on the gamescom and the color and everything was crazy! Then i looked up in the internet to find it but i wanted to have the screen bigger for 49 inch (MPG 491CQPDE) then i saw it doesnt have 4k and 240 hz will it be a big difference? :(

[@staraffinity]

Waiting for the HP monitor with the same panel to see how that is received.

[@markshenefelt7611]

Yeah i have this and the asus testing now, but i think i may keep the MSI and wait for the HP and then get that. I think it is the best looking of the bunch.

[@staraffinity]

@@markshenefelt7611It’s available now in some markets it seems. What do you think? I find the white line from the outer casing that is seen on the sides and the top when looking at the display from the front be bit disturbing. Maybe one kan paint this with a black pen or something. :D Seems nice otherwise. What do you think?

[@SirCosmin]

There's a new FW update, released on 2024-02-27

[@FranticFountain28]

Does anyone know if MSI forces you to have the same display settings for each input source, or if there is a way to save custom display settings for each input?

[@jasiekkobra2183]

Does the MSI have a fan or is passively cooled like the Asus

[@light3267]

passive cooled

[@yazannajjar1719]

Hello, do you have the input lag measurements for this monitor at 240hz and 60hz? I see in the video .43 and .45 but what does that equal to in its full number? Would it be like 2.5ms or something else?

[@tftcentral]

Those are the full numbers including signal processing lag and a small amount related to pixel response times

[@yazannajjar1719]

@@tftcentral I have never seen low input delay like that in 60hz, that’s amazing! Was it the lowest input lag you’ve ever tested?

[@tftcentral]

@yazannajjar1719 yes I think so. Although we haven’t always tested 60Hz

[@yazannajjar1719]

@@tftcentral Thank you for your responses!

[@Vilmir]

Might cancel my pre order in France if the release price is much lower in the Us. Does not make sense to overpay by 300€ to have it earlier as the price is likely to drop along the year…

[@ozgurkuzu2202]

No pal u need to test games right now , it is a game changer.

[@OblivionDust2719]

Too bad MSI didn't offer us here in europe reduced price like they did for North America. Think im going to buy Asus, they're the same price here in Sweden

[@billx4266]

Here in belgium the asus is listed at 1699 euro.

[@Rivroner]

Is it possible to update firmware in this monitor?

[@tftcentral]

yes it is

[@hinatashoyo2999]

​@@tftcentralno it isn't lol MSI said that it won't get any firmware updates

[@tftcentral]

No they didn’t. I know what you’re referring to but that’s the MAG 321UPX. The MPG 321URX supports it, and it’s listed on their website clearly too

[@iDOLEAST]

What about PWM and ripple factor of this beauty?

[@tftcentral]

No PWM as it’s an OLED. can you clarify what you mean by ripple factor?

[@BareSpis]

The VRR doen NOT work properly when using PS5 or Xbox series X/S. It's a lot of judder even if VRR is turned on in the console menus and adaptive sync is activated on the monitor. It almost looks like the classic v-sync judder you get when the framerate is well under the monitors refreshrate with no VRR. Don't know if this has to do with the monitor not beeing freesync/g-sync sertified.

[@shauncarroll5071]

Was this fixed?

[@BareSpis]

@@shauncarroll5071 Yes!

[@Bobrisak]

Can anybody from you - reviewers - adress how is the flickering during VRR with this panel? I mean during games where you have peeks of lower PFS? Can you ??? Quite important, thanks

[@tftcentral]

It’s so variable and hard to give advice on. Depends on the system, and very much on the game. All OLEDs flicker in certain situations afaik

[@Bobrisak]

@@tftcentral appreciate your answer sir. There is a nice video from your friend (monitor unboxed) explaining that if is somebody interested in flicker issue, it is important to listen to reviews/user experiences and that flickering is somehow influenced by fact how the manufacturer was successfull. This is the reason of my question :). can you look for it when reviewing 360Hz variants? :) lot of people would appreciate if there is some difference between AW 2725 and MSI model - trust me

[@tftcentral]

I’ll look in to how we might standardise some testing that could investigate this reliably and in a repeatable way

[@Bobrisak]

@@tftcentral May the God bless you and your testing rig to find a proper way. If objective scientific way is not realistic you can always add "comment" how is your subjective perception of this issue with such a disclaimer and I am completely fine with that. Don't be robot, people buys monitors for hardly earned money, not robots :). Ones again, thank you

[@UNr34]

Does it support 12 bit color?

[@StudyWithNika]

what is the highest hz the monitor can output by using hdmi 2.1 cable instead of dp without using dsc

[@tftcentral]

DSC can’t be disabled on this monitor anyway so it’s irrelevant I’m afraid

[@peaheaduk]

Personally i have gone for the Dell Alienware 32 AW3225QF for £989 in the UK which along with Dell's fantastic customer support it's a no brainer for me. There a re a few bugs currently with HDR but that should be fixed in the March firmware update to come but overall it's fantastic I also like the fact the Dell supports HDMI EARC so you can pipe the sound directly to a sound bar or suitable speakers, The curve is ever so slight and helps bring the monitor into your vision, my last few monitors have been curved so this is not an issue for me. Hope you get to review it soon.

[@tftcentral]

Thanks for the input. We have it with us now for review very soon

[@peaheaduk]

The Dolby Vision bug limits HDR brightness to around 500nits but if you turn the monitor off and back on again it will give you the full 1000nits apparently. @@tftcentral

[@barakoas]

Watch out! The MAG 321UPX QD-OLED will NOT support software updates! Like WTF!

[@tftcentral]

That’s the other model, but no it won’t

[@techieg33k]

Great to hear 4k looks good at 32in. Really looking forward to the dual mode 4k/1080p still and hoping those look good at 4k 60hz

[@zip1792]

Hello, will there be curved models in 27" and 32"???

[@tftcentral]

The Dell AW3225QF is curved (1700R), but there’s no curved versions of the 27” announced yet. Although Samsung do make the panel with a curve if any manufacturer decides to adopt it

[@Prodrummer1603]

I watched both your Review and Tim's from Monitor Unboxed. His unit had much better gamma tracking in sRGB mode (without further calibration). Is this just due to panel variance ? Or is there something else going on ? I thought that Panel Variance was more likely to cause differences in White Point / Color Temperature than Gamma tracking.

[@beetleburper9440]

Wonder if theyll fix this hdr 1000 issue being dim

[@HelveticaBold1]

Is there an HGIG mode or equivalent?

[@tftcentral]

No not on these monitors

[@ilikedoldyoutubebetter4712]

Is it the same as the 27 inch model except lower resolution?

[@tftcentral]

The 27” has 360Hz so is different. We’ll have a review in the near future on that model too

[@abc-ni9lp]

Ignoring slow DP1.4a is kinda shocking

[@tftcentral]

Displayport 1.4 is perfectly capable of handling 4K 240Hz. Plenty more on displayport 2.1 (which I assume is what you’re getting at) here tftcentral.co.uk/articles/when-is-displayport-2-1-going-to-be-used-on-monitors

[@JamesWoo1]

should I remove its (protective) film on the screen? 🙏

[@tftcentral]

You mean the peel off cover?! Yes. It should have tape along the sides to show it’s not part of the screen

[@mistery264]

I will wait that ,, next-gen '' monitor with BFI on 240hz

[@Dr.WhetFarts]

You don't need BFI on an OLED panel. Motion clarity is far better than any LCD panel. Only LCD truly needs BFI to stop smearing.

[@tftcentral]

@DwFz that’s not entirely true. Motion clarity is better on an OLED but blurring and smearing are still an issue at lower refresh rates. Just have a look at the motion clarity photos in some of our written reviews showing 60, 120 and 240Hz for example. BFI can still be useful for those who are gaming at lower refresh rates, including for external devices, but want a motion clarity boost. Even at 240Hz it can in theory provide some nice additional benefits for competitive gaming , but I agree it’s of lesser value at higher refresh rates

[@Itsyourboyzo]

Would you say this is the top 4K OLED monitor at the moment!?

[@tftcentral]

In the USA, yes as its price is so much lower than the competition. In other regions it’s a fair bit more than the dell, and very close in price to the Asus so it’s a far trickier question.

[@Itsyourboyzo]

@@tftcentral I understand thanks for this!

[@kerrytaz2370]

any recomendations for a 2k monitor 240hz?

[@tftcentral]

OLED? Our pick of the 27" 240HZ models would be the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM, although our favourite 27" OLED right now is the Dell Alienware AW2725DF with 360HZ and QD-OLED panel. review here: tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell-alienware-aw2725df

[@kerrytaz2370]

@@tftcentral thanks! I hope they have 32 inch versions

[@MagicAppleJuice]

Wow, very awesome to see the same input lag on 60hz as 240hz. I play Elden Ring a lot which is (annoyingly) capped at 60fps and being used to the LG C2’s “boost” input lag mode, this was actually my only concern with the PG32UCDM, where it has 10ms of input lag at 60hz. Do you know why this is? I don’t understand why all these other monitors have increased processing lag the lower the refresh rate. You’d really expect it to be the exact same as there is no extra processing of the image going on, just less updates.

[@tftcentral]

Not entirely sure what causes it but assume it’s related to how the panel or scaler handles non native refresh rates

[@louisfriend9323]

@@tftcentral thanks for this one, for next monitor review: 8:23 to which other monitors is this motion clarity compared? 10:26 could you order this graph by latency rather than alphabetic? 18:04 could you provide some real world HDR examples on what the panel can achieve then? 9:57 is DSC supported by Radeon or Nvidia GPUs?

[@groundreaper9421]

@@tftcentralI know the review isn‘t out yet, but do you maybe have input lag measurements at 60 Hz (HDR) for the AW3225QF? I am currently using it at my PS5 and the input lag feels much higher than on my PG27AQDM. I tested them back to back and I can clearly feel the very high input lag of the AW3225QF at 60 Hz (HDR). I also tried to disable VRR on the AW3225QF and it did not change anything. It is a shame because I really like everything else on this monitor. The PG32UCDM also seems to be bad at 60 Hz according to your review. 😢

[@tftcentral]

@groundreaper9421 not yet I’m afraid. It’s still in its box but it’s next up for our test bench 😀

[@groundreaper9421]

@@tftcentral Awesome! I cannot wait for the review. :) RTINGS had a value of around 13 ms, but they use a different methodology to measure input lag. A few other users and me also experienced something strange with the AW2725DF and AW3225QF. The felt input lag with the mouse changed in a negative way when we activated one of the Smart HDR options from the monitor‘s OSD to on. Deactivating it with the option Off improved the felt input lag. It sounds crazy, but several other users from a German community forum felt the same. Could there be a potential bug? HDR should normally never introduce (

[@HelveticaBold1]

Why is it sold out everywhere?

[@tftcentral]

Because it’s a really good screen and at a great price too! 😀

[@HelveticaBold1]

@@tftcentral it appears it’s on back order. Hopefully MSI will be shipping soon.

[@HelveticaBold1]

I know this monitor is popular but something it definitely wrong regarding production. This hasn’t been available since your review.

[@tftcentral]

Plenty of people have bought it, but supply def isn’t keeping up with demand

[@HelveticaBold1]

@@tftcentral they bought it but it’s been a while since I’ve seen any in stock in the states. I check MSI’s site almost everyday, nothing, just says “out of stock”. If someone bought this recently please post below.