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With its Optix MPG27C, MSI has put together a very attractive gaming display that ticks all the right boxes. It’s solidly built, features an attractive, ‘gamer-friendly’ design and offers all the adjustability you could want from a curved monitor. Its image quality is also – mostly – top notch, with great uniformity, colours that really pop, and a truly impressive contrast ratio.
Combined with its 1800R curvature, this really pulls you into entertainment experiences; it’s just a pity that its low out-of-the-box colour accuracy means it will likely need some calibration before it could be used for any kind of graphics work.
The good news continues with a decent amount of inputs, intuitive controls and an OSD that’s both attractive and easy to navigate. Naturally, its 144Hz panel means you’re getting a smooth experience not just in games but even in everyday use, and FreeSync compatibility with a decent range is good news for AMD GPU owners. The backlight strobing system MSI offers does make the MPG27C’s picture a tad dull but it also makes a noticeable positive difference in terms of motion clarity, making this a great all-rounder for demanding gamers.
Unfortunately, the MSI Optix MPG27C’s uniquely brilliant feature is also its greatest negative. The RGB Mystic Light system, which utilises Steelseries’ GameSense technology and software, works a real treat: at the monitor’s rear it looks gorgeous, and both front and rear light zones offer genuinely useful enhancements to your gaming experience by allowing a fully customisable, light-based indication of things like remaining ammo, health level, kill count and so much more.
Where things fall down is in the limited game support, and in how much this feature seems to add to the hardware’s price. Of course new games are likely to be added regularly as time goes on, and the software even allows you to create your own support profiles. However, at around £450 retail, the MPG27C is very expensive for a Full HD gaming monitor.
The best indicator for this is perhaps MSI’s own G27C2, which appears to share all the base features of its fancier MPG27C sibling: a curved, Full HD, 27in VA panel with 1800R; 1ms MPRT response time; 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support; 110% sRGB coverage; and game-oriented OSD. Admittedly its ‘fat-bezeled' design is lacking in elegance, it doesn’t offer any adjustability aside from tilt, and the only lights it features are behind its LCD panel.
Yet this gaming monitor is available for a mere £275, which suggests that with the MPG27C you’re paying £175 for some (really) nice design touches, a flexible stand solution and some (very) fancy lighting. All that said, if you can afford the difference and your favourite games are supported by its RGB light system, it’s definitely worth considering.
The MSI Optix MPG27C is available for £449.99 HERE.
Pros:
- Truly innovative and useful RGB lighting front and back.
- Excellent contrast and colour range.
- Superb uniformity.
- Attractive “bezel-free” design.
- Good build quality.
- Effortless adjustability.
Cons:
- Full HD on 27in panel means visible pixels.
- Quite expensive for a Full HD gaming monitor.
- Currently limited games support for ‘Mystic’ RGB light system.
- Limited brightness with 1ms MPRT activated.
- Ginormous stand footprint.
- No pivot.
KitGuru says: The MSI Optix MPG27C is a great Full HD, 27in, 144Hz curved monitor with all the design touches and features gamers might want. Its performance overall is really good, with colours that pop, great uniformity and truly excellent contrast. And last but not least, MSI’s Mystic Light RGB LED system genuinely adds to the gaming experience – but be prepared to pay handsomely for the privilege.
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