MSI MPG 341CQPX assessment: A beautiful gaming ultrawide show with USB-C

At a look

Professional’s Ranking

Professionals

USB-C energy with 98 watts of Energy Supply
Nice coloration efficiency
Increased HDR peak brightness than some friends
240Hz refresh price and excellent movement readability

Cons

Stand is simply too giant
Works with FreeSync and G-Sync, however lacks certification
SDR brightness is mediocre

Our Verdict

The MSI MPG 341CQPX is one more QD-OLED ultrawide, but it surely improves on its predecessors with higher HDR, a 240Hz refresh price, and USB-C port with 98 watts of Energy Supply.

Greatest Costs As we speak: MSI MPG 341CQPX

$779.99

The flood of ultrawide displays with a Samsung QD-OLED show panel has became a tsunami. Each monitor maker has at the least one, and lots of have a number of. Nonetheless, the brand new MSI MPG 341CQPX floats atop this deluge with a number of options that few, if any, rivals supply. That features a 240Hz refresh price and a USB-C port with 98 watts of Energy Supply. The MPG 341CQPX isn’t excellent, however its benefits are notable.

MSI MPG 341CQPX specs and options

At a look, the MSI MPG 341CQPX’s specs look so much like aggressive QD-OLED displays. It’s a 34-inch panel with a decision of 3440×1440, it helps Adaptive Sync, and it has all kinds of ports together with USB-C.

Show measurement: 34-inch ultrawide 21:9 side ratio
Native decision: 3440×1440
Panel kind: QD-OLED
Refresh price: As much as 240Hz
Adaptive Sync: Adaptive Sync
HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 400 licensed
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 98 watts of Energy Supply, 1x USB-B upstream, 2x USB-A downstream, 1x 3.5mm audio out
VESA mount: 100x100mm
Audio system: No
Value: $899.99 MSRP, $849.99 typical retail

Nonetheless, the MSI has some benefits. It has a refresh price of 240Hz, which is on the higher finish of what’s accessible from OLED displays proper now, and unusual in QD-OLED displays. It additionally has a USB-C port with 98 watts of energy supply, which is greater than many rivals. Regardless of this, it’s fairly priced with an MSRP of about $900.

Consumers be warned: MSI’s branding is somewhat complicated. It has an older monitor, the MSI MAG 341CQP, which appears to be like comparable, and at present comes up in search outcomes for the MSI MPG 341CQPX. Watch out to double-check the itemizing and the mannequin variety of the monitor.

Additional studying: See our roundup of one of the best displays to study competing merchandise.

MSI MPG 341CQPX design

The MSI MPG 341CQPX’s design is its weakest trait, although that’s to not say it’s dangerous. The panel itself is a reliable effort. From the entrance, the monitor has slim bezels on three sides and a small chin on the underside. Flip it round and also you’ll discover an expanse of black plastic that feels sturdy. It’s broadly just like the Gigabyte MO34WQC, however I believe the MSI MPG 341CQPX appears to be like a tad costlier.

With that stated, the MPG 341CQPX lags alternate options just like the Alienware AW3423DWF, LG Ultragear 34GS95QE, or Samsung Odyssey G85SB. These rivals have a extra premium {and professional} look that’s a greater match for many desks.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

The MPG 341CQPX additionally lacks RGB lighting. Personally, I don’t thoughts this, however most rivals that model themselves as a “gaming monitor” supply some type of RGB lighting. Consumers trying so as to add some aptitude to their desk would possibly miss it.

MSI additionally makes the error of choosing a big stand. It’s almost as vast because the monitor itself, and a bit deep, which makes the monitor arduous to suit on a small or shallow desk. Whereas the broad stand offers the MPG 341CQPX a racy look, it additionally means you’ll be able to’t use a few of the area it occupies like, nicely, a desk. Additionally, to nitpick: I don’t assume the stand base appears to be like prefer it goes with the monitor. It’s extra spindly, and a special coloration, which appears odd. A 100x100mm VESA mount is obtainable, although, so the stand’s issues will be solved with a third-party monitor stand or arm.

MSI MPG 341CQPX connectivity and menus

The MSI MPG 341CQPX has a superb vary of connectivity for a 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor.

Video connectivity contains two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. MSI formally states that each one of those ports assist the monitor’s full decision and refresh price. The identical is true of most 34-inch ultrawides, as a result of 3440×1440 decision isn’t particularly excessive for a monitor in 2024. Nonetheless, it’s good to see.

The USB-C port additionally handles as much as 98 watts of USB Energy Supply. That’s essential, as a result of it gives sufficient energy to completely provide most Home windows laptops designed to be charged over USB-C. Opponents just like the Gigabyte MO34WQC have much less energy supply. Others, just like the Alienware AW3423DWF and LG Ultragear 34GS95QE-B, don’t have USB-C in any respect.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

MSI’s menu system is accessed with a responsive joystick management centered on the underside panel. It’s straightforward to make use of, and MSI’s menus are logically organized, well-labeled, and embody many picture high quality customization choices. This contains the standard gaming-centric options, like a black equalizer and on-screen crosshair, in addition to utility options like picture-in-picture/picture-by-picture modes. MSI additionally has a Home windows software which will be downloaded from the corporate’s web site and used to regulate the monitor’s options. These options are typical for a monitor within the MPG 341CQPX’s worth vary, however they labored nicely in my expertise.

Audio system are absent, nevertheless, so that you’ll want to attach exterior audio system or headphones. This, too, is typical for a monitor on this class, however not universally true, as rivals just like the Gigabyte MO34WQC embody audio system.

The MPG 341CQPX can ship an exceptionally deep and immersive picture that’s far superior to an LCD monitor…

MSI MPG 341CQPX SDR picture high quality

The MSI MPG 341CQPX is the primary monitor I’ve reviewed with a QD-OLED panel that may obtain a refresh price of 240Hz. Others, like the brand new Acer Predator X34, will arrive quickly. OLED monitor communities are referring to this as a “gen 2.5” panel (the official specs make no such declare). The brand new MSI does have some benefits in HDR efficiency and movement readability. In relation to SDR efficiency, nevertheless, not a lot has modified.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

First up is brightness, and there’s no surprises right here. The MSI MPG 341CQPX’s sustained SDR brightness is arguably somewhat low in comparison with different OLED displays, however not by a significant quantity.

Typically, the MPG 341CQPX’s brightness is ok for a room with mild management, and in reality I usually used it at a brightness degree far under its most. Nonetheless, it might seem a bit dim in a particularly brilliant room, comparable to one with floor-to-ceiling sunlit home windows. In that case, you would possibly wish to have a look at a monitor that depends on totally different panel know-how, comparable to a Mini-LED monitor.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Let’s be actual: that is attending to the purpose the place I’m undecided a distinction graph must be included in an OLED monitor assessment. OLED displays virtually all the time have an successfully infinite distinction ratio, which means they will obtain a minimal luminance of zero nits. The MPG 341CQPX can ship an exceptionally deep and immersive picture that’s far superior to an LCD monitor — however so can the competitors.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Shade gamut, however, does display variations between OLED panel applied sciences.

The MPG 341CQPX has a Samsung QD-OLED panel. The QD stands for “quantum dots,” a know-how that improves the colour gamut. Due to that, the 341CQPX can present an excellent vary of colours that cowl 98 % of DCI-P3 and 95 % of AdobeRGB. It’s lovely and vibrant.

That’s additionally true of different QD-OLED displays just like the Gigabyte MO34WQC and Alienware AW3225QF. Nonetheless, displays such because the LG Ultragear 32GS95UE-B as an alternative use an LG WOLED panel, which has a narrower (but nonetheless wonderful) coloration gamut.

Fact be instructed, this distinction doesn’t matter a lot in PC video games or motion pictures, which can look vibrant on each QD-OLED and WOLED displays. However in the event you’re a creator who needs the widest gamut doable, QD-OLED displays just like the MPG 341CQPX have the sting.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Shade accuracy can be a energy for the MPG 341CQPX. Although it doesn’t have the bottom coloration accuracy we’ve measured, it scores very nicely, coming in nearer to the chief than the losers. This degree of coloration accuracy is greater than sufficient to ship a practical image.

The MPG 341CQPX reached a default coloration temperature of 6200K, off our goal of 6500K, and default gamma of two.3, off our goal of two.2. In apply, which means the MPG 341CQPX’s picture appears to be like a bit darker and hotter than it ought to. It’s not a giant downside — in lots of conditions, it’s not noticeable — but it surely’s there. This minor draw back is shared with many different QD-OLED displays, which usually are typically barely off-target by these metrics.

Sharpness is okay. Like almost all 34-inch ultrawide displays, the MPG 341CQPX has a decision of 3440×1440, which works out to be about 109 pixels per inch. That’s fairly sharp, although far much less so than a 27-inch 4K monitor, which achieves 163 pixels per inch. QD-OLED panels even have points with pixelation and coloration artifacting round nice, high-contrast edges, which is because of their uncommon subpixel structure. This downside just isn’t usually seen in video games or motion pictures, however it may be a difficulty in the event you work with spreadsheets or paperwork which have small font sizes. Those that spend quite a lot of their day gazing textual content would possibly wish to contemplate a LCD show.

On stability, the MSI MPG 341CQPX’s efficiency is similar to different QD-OLED displays, and broadly just like OLED displays as a class. That’s excellent news, as OLED displays have distinctive distinction and coloration efficiency. Brightness stays a bit low in SDR, although, and sharpness would possibly typically be insufficient. It’s a unbelievable monitor for gaming, motion pictures, and visible content material creation, although much less spectacular for workplace productiveness.

MSI MPG 341CQPX HDR picture high quality

The MSI MPG 341CQPX, like most QD-OLED displays, is VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 licensed. Which means it might obtain a peak brightness of 400 nits whereas sustaining a “true black” luminance of zero nits. It is a fundamental degree of VESA DisplayHDR certification, so it doesn’t essentially assure nice, and even first rate, HDR efficiency.

Nonetheless, the MPG 341CQPX additionally has a 1000 Peak Brightness mode, and ups the ante. On this mode, the monitor can obtain a sustained brightness of 1,012 nits in a ten % window, which means simply 10 % of the show was brightly lit (exhibiting a white HDR picture). Rising the lit space to 50 % drops brightness to 354 nits, and fullscreen sustained HDR brightness was simply 268 nits on this mode.

These are nice outcomes for an OLED monitor, and place the MPG 341CQPX subsequent to some latest LG WOLED displays, such because the Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG. Typically, the MSI MPG 341CQPX appears to be like fairly brilliant in HDR with the 1000 Peak Brightness mode turned on. Because the numbers present, it’s actually at its finest when displaying brilliant highlights. The lightning bolts from Mad Max: Fury Street’s “Into the Storm” scene have been sensible and well-defined, for instance.

Subjectively, I felt the development of the 1000 Peak Brightness mode was clear. Highlights weren’t as usually blown out and I noticed extra element in brighter areas of a scene. After going backwards and forwards, I made a decision that I desire the 1000 Peak Brightness mode, and I’m glad to see it was included.

Nonetheless, even this mode can wrestle to choose up luminance element in scenes the place extra of the show should be lit, and scenes that mild the whole display—like an motion sequence on a snowy mountain — can look a bit boring. That is still a problem for OLED displays, which nonetheless falter in fullscreen HDR brightness.

MSI MPG 341CQPX movement efficiency

The MSI MPG 341CQPX has a refresh price of 240Hz. Whereas that isn’t uncommon for an OLED monitor, it’s uncommon for a 34-inch QD-OLED. I’m certain that many different displays will quickly comply with go well with however, for now, it offers the MSI an edge over older rivals.

Movement readability is unbelievable. That’s thanks not solely to the 240Hz refresh price, which reduces movement blur because of persistence of imaginative and prescient, but additionally OLED’s fast pixel response instances, which scale back ghosting. Typically, small fast-moving objects are straightforward to determine and lots of particulars, together with small textual content, stay at the least partially readable. It’s inferior to a 360Hz OLED just like the Alienware AW2725DF, but it surely’s nonetheless nice.

Unusually — or, maybe not — MSI lists assist for Adaptive Sync know-how however doesn’t checklist AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync Suitable certification. This isn’t as a lot of an issue because it may appear as a result of Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, and G-Sync Suitable are broadly suitable with one another, and I confirmed the MSI labored with AMD FreeSync by way of my AMD Radeon 7800 XT. Frankly, I believe we’re going to see FreeSync and G-Sync certifications fade from relevance as VESA Adaptive Sync turns into the trade normal in coming years.

We’re not there but, although, and I nonetheless desire to see certification, because it offers customers peace of thoughts that the monitor will work appropriately with their AMD or Nvidia video card.

Do you have to purchase the MSI MPG 341CQPX?

The MSI MPG 341CQPX is a good entry into the OLED enviornment with a number of benefits over most rivals. Along with all the standard strengths of OLED, like excellent distinction and coloration efficiency, it has a 240Hz refresh, good HDR highlights (within the 1000 Peak Brightness mode), and a USB-C port with helpful Energy Supply. MSI would do nicely to enhance the look of its design, and the outsized stand is an annoyance, however the latter downside is well solved with a monitor arm. The MPG 341CQPX is a good alternative if you need a 34-inch ultrawide OLED monitor for video games, motion pictures, or content material creation.