MSI Optix MAG274R Monitor: Complete Review
The market for personal monitors has not changed in a decade. New items from different manufacturers are released annually. And sellers still divide monitors by purpose. This is a game - it's expensive. And this is for office and home - the monitor has a minimum price. There are devices for designers, but don't look at them - they are for creative people. This approach was used at the dawn of the 21st century. Now everything has changed. And the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor is direct proof of this.
In terms of technical characteristics and price, the device meets all the requirements of users from different groups. Games, office, graphics, multimedia - MSI Optix MAG274R perfectly adapts to any task. And the cost will delight even the most zealous buyer.
MSI Optix MAG274R monitor: specifications
| Model | Optix MAG274R |
| Display diagonal | 27" |
| Screen resolution, aspect ratio | 1920х1080, 16: 9 |
| Matrix type, backlight type | IPS, WLED |
| Response time, screen surface | 1 ms, matte |
| Display brightness | 300 cd / m² |
| Contrast (normal, dynamic) | 1000: 1, 100000000: 1 |
| Maximum number of color shades | 1.07 billion |
| Adaptive screen refresh technology | AMD FreeSync |
| Viewing angle (vertical, horizontal) | 178 °, 178 ° |
| Horizontal scan | 65.4 ... 166.6 kHz |
| Vertical scan | 30 ... 144 Hz |
| Video outputs | 2 x HDMI 2.0b;
1 x DisplayPort 1.2a; 1 x DisplayPort USB-C. |
| Audio connectors | 1 x jack 3.5 mm (audio is transmitted via HDMI) |
| USB Hub | Yes, 2хUSB 3.0 |
| Ergonomics | Height adjustment, landscape-portrait rotation |
| Tilt angle | -5 ... 20 ° |
| Wall Mount | There are 100x100 mm (thread extensions included) |
| Energy consumption | 28 W |
| dimensions | 614.9 × 532.7 × 206.7 mm |
| The weight | 6.5 kg |
| Price | $350 |
MSI Optix MAG274R review: first acquaintance
The big box in which the monitor came to us just mesmerized. We got the impression that we bought not one, but two MSI Optix MAG274R devices. The oversized package was light enough to carry in front of you.
Upon opening, it was found that most of the box was taken away by a foam box. This is a very correct approach on the part of the manufacturer. After all, the box can be thrown, dropped, beaten upon delivery. Maybe that's why, on the official website of the brand it is written that this series of monitors does not have dead pixels. But the check was still carried out. No dead pixels or highlights were detected.
Opening the box revealed many interesting artifacts. For example, incomprehensible recesses in which there is nothing. Can stiffening ribs for foam. Or maybe the assemblers at the factory didn't bother to put the components in their places. But not the point, the main thing is that the monitor is fully functional.
In addition to the monitor, the kit contains:
- One-piece foot for mounting the monitor on a table. There are rubberized feet on the bottom.
- Stand for attaching the MSI Optix MAG274R to the leg.
- External power supply unit with cable (separate).
- HDMI cable - 1 pc.
- USB cable - 1 pc.
- Screws for attaching the monitor to the stand - 4 pcs (although 2 are used in fact).
- Extension screws for VESA wall mount 100 mm x 4
- Waste paper - instructions, warranty, advertising posters.
External review of the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor
Don't be afraid of size when it comes to 27-inch monitors with narrow bezels on the sides. In comparison with TVs of the same diagonal, the monitor looks very compact. In addition to technical characteristics, the priority was the ability to adjust the screen in height and rotate by 90 degrees. Everything is implemented in the best possible way. Even steeper than expected - the rack can still rotate 270 degrees on its axis.
The assembly is good, there are no extraneous squeaks during physical manipulations with the screen. With its appearance, the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor hints at gaming qualities. When turned on, there is even a red backlight on the back of the device. There are no questions about ergonomics - for any work this is an excellent and inexpensive solution.
The MSI Optix MAG274R monitor has excellent interface equipment. But there are questions about the location of the ports. Getting to the connectors is problematic, so it's best to set them up once and use extension cables.
There is a question for the manufacturer, which on its website eloquently describes the advantages of connecting to a PC via DisplayPort. And only HDMI cable is included. There was such an unpleasant feeling that somewhere we were deceived. But these are little things in life, since OEM cables still have to be changed over time to branded ones.
Benefits of the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor
When buying, the primary task was to get the highest quality picture for working with graphics and video. That is, the original white color and the correspondence of the halftones displayed on the screen were important. Initially, it was planned to purchase a monitor with a diagonal of 24 inches. But it turned out that all monitors with this size have a weak color gamut. The maximum number of colors in 1 billion devices are able to produce only on screens of 27 inches and above.
IPS matrix and Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080). Many will say - it is better to buy a 4K monitor and will be wrong. This is just a marketing ploy. Even at 40 inches, the user will not be able to distinguish the quality of the picture transmitted in FullHD and 4K. And there is no point in throwing 4 times more money behind a XNUMXK monitor.
Another feature that I really liked about the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor is the ability to select a signal source. All those HDMI, DisplayPort and DisplayPort USB-C are not for graphics card compatibility. You can connect a server, home theater, laptop to the monitor and switch freely between devices.
And there is also one interesting trick about which there is no information on the official website. Her name is "Wireless Display". Yes, this is the same function capable of transmitting images from mobile equipment to TVs. And it works. A bunch of MSI Optix MAG274R and Samsung UE55NU7172 worked quickly and efficiently. This is a very cool thing.
Disadvantages of the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor
The customizable Gaming OSD menu is great. But the interface and functionality itself is implemented at a low level. There are many unnecessary elements, the purpose of which cannot even be explained by the instruction. But there is no required functionality. For example, the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor constantly tries to become a sound card for the system when the PC is turned on. And in the Gaming OSD menu there is no such function - to turn off the sound transmission. To end this mess, I had to cut off the MSI sound at the driver level.
And then there is the issue with the vertical frequency. The settings indicate that the monitor should operate at a maximum frequency of 144 Hz. And, if any application requires you to reduce the frequency, perform this action. Reduce - reduces, but does not return 144 Hz back. After the game, when the FPS dropped to 60, the monitor generally started working at 59 Hz. You need to go into the menu and install it manually. The problem was solved after setting 120 Hz. But the money was paid for the 144 Hz monitor.
And also, in the photo of the rear panel of the monitor there is a 4-way joystick. It is used for shortcut menu access and is configured in the Gaming OSD software. The idea is great, but the implementation is poor. The problem is the limited functionality - only 8 options for customization. Are MSI technologists not testing their inventions on children and adults? A little more features and everyone is happy. After all, the program itself sees all applications and suggests grouping them somehow. Give the joystick access to these applications and everything will be beautiful and in demand.
Conclusions on the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor
Overall, the device brought more positive emotions. Especially as a workhorse for graphics applications and video editors. Excellent color rendering is pleasing to the eye. And rotating the screen to portrait mode greatly simplifies the graphics workflow. In general, there are no complaints about the picture quality.
If we talk about graphics in games, then there are no questions. Even HDR works perfectly, although it is declared 12 Bit in performance (8bits + FRC). With the AMD RX580 graphics card, your favorite toys are even more realistic. But after exiting the game in normal mode, the frequency of the MSI Optix MAG274R monitor does not want to be set to the maximum value - 144 Hz. This BUG is a programming error. Perhaps updating the application will fix the error. Or maybe not - a lottery.
The price of the monitor at 350 US dollars favors the purchase. MSI Optix MAG274R is worth the money. And even more - it is perfect for any household tasks. The device has an excellent margin of brightness and contrast (when you first turn it on, it is better to reduce it to 60%). The official 36-month warranty hints that the monitor is aimed at trouble-free operation. If you want to buy a cool gaming monitor with honest HDR 10 bit - look aside Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ.