MSI’s QD-OLED monitors have been the best value for money on the market for sometime now, and the MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 is no different, with a bunch of more subtle improvements that come together to position itself once again as the best QD-OLED monitor for most people with its 4K/240hz display that is extremely high-end and future proof.
The big difference this time around is the DarkArmor Film that is said to boost black levels by 40% but also improves teh hardness of the screen offering 2.5x better scratch resistance. This is also designed to reduce the purple/reddish tint that you can often get with QD-OLED monitor sand it does a great job of making those blacks feels even deeper and improving the contrast on the monitor as well which improves the overall viewing experience. I can’t say I had a huge issue with the last model and how it displayed blacks, but it’s really great to see MSI improving on this and not resting on its laurels.
Similarly, the 4th-gen QD-OLED technology uses new Penta Tandem technology which utilises a 5-layer light-emitting structure to boost light efficiency by up to 30%. If you’re coming from the last model, it won’t be a huge, noticeable difference, but again if this is your first QD-OLED monitor you’re going to be even more blown away. You get 1,000 nits of peak brightness, DisplayHDR Tru Black 500 certification (an improvement over last year’s model) and 99% DCI-P3 coverage as well.
The reality is that QD-OLED technology is reaching levels that are going to be hard to be topped year on year, because the contrast on offer from monitors like this one coupled with the brightness and colour vividness just take gaming or watching movies to the next level. It makes colourful scenes pop, it makes those darker scenes with highlights hit harder and every time I use this monitor (or my QD-OLED TV) for gaming, it absolutely just blows my mind in terms of how good it looks.
GRAB IT FOR: $1,799 AUD FROM MSI
You’re going to get exceptionality image quality no matter which angle you’re viewing from and with a huge, huge amount of protective measures now in play for burn-in including pixel shift and panel protect, you’re just not going to have to find yourself worrying about burn-in anymore, which means you get full enjoyment of the QD-OLED display with none of the downside.
As far as inputs go, it’s fairly similar to last year with 2 x HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C port that is capable of providing video and 98W power delivery which is great for laptops, handhelds and I personally use it with my Macbook flawlessly, 2 USB-A ports but the big difference this year is the addition of a DisplayPort 2.1a (UHBR20) port and an included cord as well. This improves the data able to be transmitted hugely at a full lossless 4K at 240hz which means that you can take full advantage of the display over DisplayPort.
It’s a minor thing for some people, but I continue to really love the simplicity of the design of the monitor and MSI’s stand too that allows for full height, swivel and tilt adjustment and it feels like they haven’t overdone RGB either, just having one understated strip at the back, which is saving on the cost and putting those dollars into the features that actually make a difference. Something that does slightly annoy me (and not an MSI issue by any stretch) is how the power cord hangs in a way that basically makes it impossible to cable manage out of sight. On the flipside, the MSI OSD and four-way joystick continue to be a joy to use and make it super easy to navigate the menus.
MSI also continues to use AI in a useful way with its AI Care Sensor functionality. Real Human Detection uses an AI chip with an integrated NPU to wake on approach or lock as you walk away which can be done either at a monitor level or a system level if you’re using Windows 11 and it can also use that same sensor to take advantage of dim the display to save on power and prevent burn-in and also set auto brightness and colour temperature control as well.
