The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099) promises almost everything a hard-core gamer could ask for in a midsize monitor: a 4K resolution, a 240Hz peak refresh rate, and DisplayPort 2.1 technology. What sets the monitor apart from the other OLED monitors in its class, like the Alienware 27 4K QD-OLED (AW2725Q) or the larger, Editors' Choice-winning HP Omen Transcend 32 OLED, is a bevy of additional screen-enhancing features. They're not all useful additions, but the monitor’s excellent color coverage and low input lag more than make up for any of its shortcomings.

Design and Features: Thin Bezels, Energy-Efficient Panel

MSI’s latest might look familiar to those paying attention to the growing selection of premium OLED gaming monitors out there. The 272URX shares the same design as last year’s MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED, from the bezels that frame the OLED screen to the ridges on its metal base. Even the new monitor's measurements—16.6 by 24 by 9.5 inches (HWD)—are exactly the same as the older model. However, the new display has put on some weight, creeping up to 24 pounds, compared with the previous monitor's 18.3 pounds.

The 272URX has also gotten some changes that bring it closer to the current standards for premium gaming monitors. The display's OLED screen doesn’t reach the refresh-rate highs of the 271QRX’s 360Hz. But it hits common targets for its category—240Hz at a 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolution and a rated 0.03ms response time.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The screen specs warrant a closer look. The 272URX receives an OLED panel upgrade courtesy of MSI's EL Gen 3 technology. The company claims that this refinement to its electroluminescence (EL) technology improves efficiency by up to 30% while maintaining peak HDR brightness at 1,000 nits (candelas per square meter). The pixel density also receives a massive upgrade, bumping up to 166ppi. For comparison, last year's 27-inch Alienware OLED AW2725DF only has 111ppi, and the 32-inch Alienware OLED AW3225QF has 140ppi. The Alienware 27 4K QD-OLED (AW2725Q) matches the MSI's 166ppi.

Higher pixel density tends to contribute to sharper images, clearer text, and enhanced detail, all other factors being equal. Content creators and those who work in color-specific programs will enjoy the bump, as well as those upgrading from lower-resolution OLEDs. 

Compatibility and Connectivity: DisplayPort 2.1 Included

Turning to the 272URX’s port hub, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C port that acts as a DisplayPort 2.1 output with 98W of power delivery, two USB-A ports, one USB-B connector, and a headphone jack. The most noteworthy feature here is DisplayPort 2.1, which can handle more than double the bandwidth of DisplayPort 1.4 (80Gbps versus 32.4Gbps). DisplayPort 1.4 uses Display Stream Compression (DSC), an algorithm to compress each frame in real time as it's transmitted from the source to the monitor or TV. It's considered lossless to the eye, but the signal is actually compressed at a 3:1 ratio. The additional bandwidth of DisplayPort 2.1 means you can maintain higher resolutions and refresh rates without that compression that erodes color accuracy. 

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Until recently, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX were the only GPUs to support DisplayPort 2.1, but the latest crop of Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards are finally helping it break into the mainstream.

In addition to new ports and screen tech, MSI has also packed a bit of artificial intelligence into this monitor. While not as complex as the AI upscaling in the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8, the AI Vision feature automatically optimizes brightness and color saturation settings. Another AI feature, AI Crosshair, automatically changes the crosshair's color during gameplay so that it's visible at all times. In testing, I didn't find either AI feature particularly impressive, and they stretch the definition of AI integration.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Of equally dubious value is the Image Enhancement feature. In testing, all it did was over-sharpen the image, blowing it out. It’s a feature that’s best left turned off. Something much more useful is the Gaming Intelligence software utility, a free download that eliminates the need to fiddle with the monitor’s control stick (shown above) when you need to tweak monitor settings. You'll have to connect your monitor to your PC with a USB-B cable to use the app, however.

Performance Testing: All-Around Excellent Color Range

To further understand what the 272URX is capable of, we put it through a series of benchmark tests using Calman monitor calibration software, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also ran the monitor through a gauntlet of games to measure input lag and judge its real-world performance.

In our first test, we benchmarked the brightness with the monitor's default gaming profile over an SDR signal. Under these conditions, we saw an average brightness of 234 nits. That’s just under the 250-nit ceiling listed on the monitor’s spec page. Recently reviewed OLED monitors like the HP Omen Transcend 32 OLED (264 nits) and Alienware AW2725Q (275 nits) did glow slightly brighter, but they're in the same ballpark.

OLED monitors don’t have to get very bright because they can maintain contrast at lower brightness levels, so the picture will always look vibrant in low-light settings, even if the measured brightness seems low. In comparison, IPS panels can often reach 500 nits or more, but the lower contrast ratios of IPS panels can lead to blacks appearing washed out, affecting the perceived brightness. 

Moving to HDR, we measured 371 nits of sustained brightness, slightly under the monitor's VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. Switching to peak HDR brightness, we measured 1,056 nits at a 2% sample size, slightly exceeding the monitor's 1,000-nit rating. (We measure sustained HDR brightness at a 10% window size, but to measure peak brightness, we drop the test size down to 2%. OLED displays become brighter as the test patch size gets smaller.) 

(Credit: Portrait Displays)

Color gamut performance is up next. In our tests, the 272URX spanned 93.7% of Adobe RGB color gamut (see the chart above), 151.9% of the sRGB gamut (see the chart below), and 98.5% of DCI-P3. These numbers are nearly identical to what we saw from the Alienware AW2725Q, probably thanks to their similar panel technologies.

(Credit: Portrait Displays)

The display is rated for a peak contrast ratio of 1,500,000:1. (Contrast ratio indicates the difference in luminance between the brightest white and the darkest black that a monitor can produce.) A ratio this high is expected for OLED panels, but it's not all that meaningful when compared with the far lower contrast ratios you get with other panel technologies. What’s important to note about sky-high OLED contrast ratios is that they signify an OLED display's ability to produce perfectly deep blacks alongside bright whites, resulting in improved image quality in both light and dark scenes. In contrast, IPS panels typically feature contrast ratios of 1,000:1 to 3,000:1, so as you can imagine, they don’t really offer the same amount of range. (That said, you shouldn't expect from OLED the 500x-to-1,500x apparent improvement in visual contrast that the numbers would suggest.)

Real-World Use: Gaming With Low Input Lag

The MSI 272URX delivers excellent color range, on par with many of its contemporaries. But it’s a gaming monitor, after all—so how’s the gaming performance? To measure the monitor’s input lag, we deployed the Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester; we also played a handful of games from our library to check for any noticeable blemishes, like screen tearing.

We recorded an excellent 6 milliseconds (ms) of input lag at 1080p/240Hz using the Bodnar device. At 1080p/120Hz, we recorded 9.9ms of input lag, and 13.3ms at 1440p/120Hz. Finally, we recorded 17.9ms of input lag at 4K/60Hz and 17.7ms at 1080p/60Hz. 

We consider input lag of 16ms or less to be more than playable, at least for casual play at 60Hz. The 60Hz reading of 17.7ms is likely imperceptible to most casual players, though hard-core gamers might feel the subtle delay. Six milliseconds of delay is great for an OLED monitor at 240Hz, though the LG 27 UltraGear OLED (27GX790A) clocks in at 2.5ms at 1080p/240Hz. However, the LG 27GX790A is designed for esports play, while the MSI 272URX is not.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The monitor is Nvidia G-Sync Compatible. Though MSI doesn't mention AMD FreeSync compatibility, it was patched into the 271QRX after we tested it, so there’s a chance that the same will happen here. The monitor is also VESA ClearMR 13000 certified. According to VESA, each ClearMR tier represents a range of blur performance based on the ratio of clear versus blurry pixels. ClearMR 13000 is defined as showing 125 to 135 times more clear pixels than blurry pixels. In short, you should be able to enjoy gaming visuals without blur.

Ad-hoc testing included playing Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel Rivals, and Returnal, as well as watching some 4K videos. The games on the monitor looked great, especially ones packed with neon lights like Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal. If you have the latest GPU powering your rig, a 4K OLED monitor like this one is how you make the most of your graphics horsepower.