I’ve reviewed quite a few monitors in my time ranging from entry level to super expensive 4K monitors, but none have been quite in the sweet spot that MSI’s new MAG 323UPF 32-inch gaming monitor is. It has all the high-end features that you’d want out of a monitor whilst sticking around that $1,000 price point.
The design of the MSI MAG 323UPF is fairly understated and I actually really like that. I’m a little over the style of super over the top gaming monitors with a heap of RGBs that you never get to see. It has a sleek black design and whilst its stand is a little on the bulky side it has some of the best adjustability that I’ve experienced with a monitor. The height has some good adjustment and it swivels/tilts both horizontally and vertically so that it can be placed almost anywhere on the desk.
One of my favourite things about the monitor is its port selection. It has 2 x full bandwith 48GBPS HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort (1.4a), as well as a USB Type-C port that can not only deliver video but also provide 90 watts of power to a MacBook or other portable laptop and also extend the use of three USB-A ports. To get video, a really decent charge and 3 USB ports over just one cord is a game-changer for having a clean desk and ease of use when paired with a laptop. I’d have loved one more USB-C port, but it’s nothing a Thunderbolt 4 hub can’t fix.
Something that can make or break monitors is its controller and on screen display, and it’s a tick tick for MSI in this category. The controller is seperate to the power button and super ease to use, especially when paired with the on screen display that provides a heap of information including showing you exactly the display information you need and quickly allowing you to set shortcuts to the controller.
The MSI MAG 323UPF has a 32-inch 4K display that has a refresh rate of 160hz with a 1MS response time. In terms of brightness and vibrancy, the image quality really popped whilst web browsing, watching videos or gaming. The colour accuracy was also great which is super important to me as I spend a lot of time in Photoshop and video editing programs, so the wide colour gamut covering 95% of the DCI-P3 spectrum was really appreciated.
The monitor is rated for HDR 600 with a peak brightness of a touch over 600 nits, and it was okay, but about what you’d expect given there’s only basic local dimming and it doesn’t use Mini LED or OLED technology. Similarly, when you’re watching darker scenes, given this isn’t an OLED, the contrast ratio wasn’t incredible, but that was only in very specific scenarios.
The monitor features compatibility for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro as well as NVIDIA’s G-Sync, so you shouldn’t see any tearing whilst gaming, and when coupled with the right GPU, you can really take advantage of those 160hz refresh rates.
Really though, if you want a 32-inch 4K display that has decent brightness, as well as premium features such as USB-C PD and don’t want to break the bank, I can’t think of a better monitor on the market at the moment. The MSI MAG 323UPF has been super reliable for me and just looks absolutely stunning sitting on my desk.