The MSI G274QPX looks like a top pick with its high-level specifications and budget-friendly pricing that you can’t normally get anywhere. The gaming monitor offers a 240Hz IPS panel with a 1440p resolution at a price usually reserved for 1080p offerings. Let’s look closer to see if that massive price cut added some penalties to this attractive E-Sports option.
MSI G274QPX Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 240 Hz
- Response Time: 1ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 400 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: None
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot– Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (75 x 75)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB-C PD65W x 1, 3.5mm Jack x 1
- Dimensions With Stand (WxHxD): 24.25″ x 15.83″ x 7.74″
- Weight: 13.11 lbs
Design and Features
The MSI G274QPX has a simpler aesthetic than the brand’s other offerings, so it looks more discrete. The matte black finish and its lack of RGB lighting make it suited for most setups, including those meant for business use. The display has thinner bezels, but it still has inner borders like most modern displays out there.
It is not gigantic by today’s standards, but you’d know that MSI tried to reduce its footprint by looking at the dimensions. It only needs 7.74 inches of depth, unlike the older models, indicating that MSI used fewer materials to build it. The device only weighs 13.11 pounds, so it’s portable enough for LAN parties or gaming conventions.
Its build quality is quite solid, even if it’s not the most premium option in the brand’s lineup. The plastic panels are durable enough to prevent cracking and flexing, plus there were no cosmetic defects on them like gaps or uneven seams. The stand is stable enough to prevent wobbling, but it can still do that if it is nudged hard enough.
The MSI G274QPX has an OSD joystick at the back for easy access to its features and settings. It’s located at the back near the right side of the display, so you can easily reach it. Other premium models often include remotes or software-based tweaking, but these are unnecessary for the most part since adding them will affect the price.
The stand included with the monitor offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for your comfort and convenience. It is rare to see ergonomic options like this on budget models, so it sweetens the deal further. You can use VESA mounts, but the extra spending for it is unnecessary unless you need the space or have other monitors on deck.
Its connectivity layout doesn’t give you a ton of options for cable management, but it does have more than the usual video inputs. You get DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 slots, and a 65-watt USB-C slot with DP Alt Mode. Only the DP and type-C slots are capable of 240Hz, but it is still a huge deal that you can use laptops like MacBooks with this budget model.
But on the other hand, USB ports and speakers were omitted from its features to help with the pricing. We’re fine with that since it’s better to use headsets for gaming anyway, while USB ports can almost always be found on PCs and laptops. You aren’t losing a lot of functionality here, although you have few options for cable management.
Display and Performance
The MSI G274QPX sports a 27-inch IPS panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. Its backlight has a 400 cd/m2 peak, while its contrast ratio is listed at 1000:1, like most IPS models. This model is HDR 400-compliant, but we all know how limited that is when it comes to discernable performance.
27-inch 1440p monitors strike the perfect balance between sharpness and legibility for most computing uses. It is easy to read and type on it, and it has more room to maneuver compared with the 1080p variants. It is sharper than 1080p for games and movies, but its GPU requirements don’t skyrocket like it does with 4K screens.
The MSI G274QPX covers 100% of the sRGB gamut and 98% of DCI-P3 for outstanding richness in full-color scenes. Its default accuracy has a deltaE average of 3.13, so it’s not the most accurate display out there. However, this is expected from a budget monitor with a wide-gamut display since many of them do not get factory calibration.
Using a colorimeter for it improved its dE average to 1.41 for balanced hues and a more neutral appearance. However, you will need a colorimeter for this kind of performance, so it is not going to be worth it for its primary audience. We can only recommend the purchase for professionals, but they are not practical beyond that.
The MSI G274QPX’s backlight reached 455 cd/m2 at 100% brightness, allowing you more adjustments for that perfect indoor setting. Its contrast reached 1133:1 at 30% brightness, so it is capable of slightly better black luminance than other IPS screens. It won’t be able to match VA and OLED panels nor create fantastic HDR effects with these numbers, but they are decent by today’s standards.
Panel uniformity for the test sample did not have any major issues like clouding since there were no considerable backlight leaks. There is some variation in the backlight’s spread towards each quadrant, but it was only noticeable in select instances. Note that this can change with every unit made due to tolerances, so there are worse units out there.
The MSI G274QPX has excellent pixel response time thanks to its high refresh rate. You can use its overdrive’s fast mode to clear up the minor persistence, but most will be fine with the Normal setting. The Fastest level is unusable in our opinion, since it adds noticeable overshoot, which is worse than what the feature is trying to solve.
The MSI G274QPX is compatible with both FreeSync and G-Sync for tear and stutter-free gaming. Its convenient to have dual compatibility since it allows you to switch between the GPU brands without having to worry about losing VRR. Input lag sits at 3ms at 240Hz, making this one of the fastest monitors in its price bracket.
Thoughts on the MSI G274QPX
The MSI G274QPX is a fantastic choice for E-Sports gaming and overall mixed-use. It is compatible with the latest and greatest hardware thanks to its video input layout, so you are getting more than your money’s worth. It is not the most accurate out there, but it’s vibrant, and its motion handling is excellent.
There are a few limitations, but the performance it offers makes up for them. Its lack of USB ports is minor compared to the superb gaming performance you can get for the money. It is an excellent buy, and it’s going to be very difficult to find a comparable option for the same price.
Pros:
- Excellent Price
- Fast and Responsive
- USB-C Connectivity
- Wide Gamut Coverage
Cons:
- Poor Color Accuracy
- Limited HDR
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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