msiQHD Rapid-IPS Gaming Non-Glare Super Narrow Bezel 1ms 2560 x 1440 165Hz Refresh Rate Adjustable Arm G-Sync Compatible 27” Gaming Monitor (Optix MAG274QRF), Black

I'm coming from the MSI Optix G271 (FHD, 144hz, 1ms response time, IPS panel), and this is a major upgrade. The colors are vibrant, the high refresh rate is extremely smooth, and 1440p really is the sweet spot at 27 inches. Some users complain about colors being oversaturated before calibration, but they look just fine to me with no calibration. It looks great out of the box and the several built in game mode settings offer plenty of variation for me. I use the "user" setting when I plug in my laptop and use it as an external display for school/work and I use the "racing" setting for gaming because I think the color balance looks the best. I turned down the brightness in both settings by about half or more because I think the monitor is pretty bright as it is. I play mostly COD MW and Rocket League on Xbox Series S. Both look amazing on this monitor in terms of colors and smoothness of gameplay. Xbox Series S can handle 1440p, 120hz, HDR, and VRR at the same with this monitor, but I believe you do need an HDMI 2.1 cable. The monitor has 2.0 inputs, but the Xbox has a 2.1 output. This monitor can read the Xbox output as a 4K signal, then downscale it to 1440p, allowing you play at 120hz with HDR on as well. Downscaled 1080p at 120hz with HDR on also looks great.The build quality is above average, but nothing special. The base and supporting arm are very sturdy and all the adjustments to raise/lower, tilt, or swivel the monitor feel sturdy and supportive as well. The base takes up minimal space on the desk and the vertical support has a cutout near the base for better cable management. In researching this monitor, I read a lot of user complaints about IPS glow, backlight bleed, dead pixels, etc. You may have to play a little monitor lottery in some cases it seems. However, at least in my case maybe I got lucky, this one came with basically no IPS glow that I can tell, backlight bleed is hardly noticeable or there at all, and no dead pixels to the best of my eyes. As far as I can tell, no issues whatsoever with this monitor. Do keep in mind, if you're coming to an IPS monitor from a different panel type, you will likely need to give it some time for your eyes to adjust. My last monitor was my first IPS monitor, and my eyes hurt a little at first use and it gave me mild headaches for a few days, but that all went away as I got used to the monitor and tweaked the image and brightness settings for my preferences.If you're looking at monitors with similar specs in the same price range, I highly recommend this monitor. I will update this review if anything changes.

It really is a 4.5/5 monitor.It also works great with the PS5 with the out @ 4k.The picture is good, but not overly bright. I am upgrading from a Samsung quantum dot VA 3440 X 1440 34" 100Hz panel. The Samsung was much brighter, and needed to be reduced to 30% to match the same 70% brightness of this unit. Samsung's brightness would make using office almost painful. The Samsung's picture quality was nicer, but this is still close. I got lucky with both, and have had very good white uniformity. They both look great next to an IPS panel. The contrast with VA panels is absolutely wonderful, and not having the IPS bleed, even if it is only a little is a good thing, even if it is not as noticeable when gaming.This is not a content creation/photo editing monitor. It does still look very good.Gaming is much more fluid even from going from 100Hz to 144Hz. The input lag is also immensely noticeable for fast paced twitch games. Colors are vibrant enough, and the any blurring is minimal at most as this does come along with VA panels. Not really noticeable unless you are specifically looking for it.HDR is not a thing for this monitor. Things do look worse.I did get a dud of a firmware with it. It could not handle 144Hz. The screen would freak out. I opened a ticket with MSI, and have not heard back yet. I contacted the Tech support from Amazon that came with this monitor. Juan was actually pretty great. He mad sure that I had the latest drivers, switching DP cords, and he even took the time to reach out to MSI. The unfortunate part of updating the firmware with this monitor, is that it makes it sound like you need to go with the USB cable that is provided. My PC would not see the monitor properly. I did update the firmware via the download from MSI's sight and installed via a USB drive, as I have done in the past. This resolved the issue in literally a few seconds. I had 144Hz on this baby, and 60Hz on the Asus IPS. If only MSI had taken the time to actually update the firmware so that it was in properly working condition right away, I would have had more time to enjoy their great product.The input lag was also a feature I was interested in. The Samsung had about a 20+ms input lag which makes things pretty tough. This monitor felt much more responsive. I don't like firing bullets only for them to end up just behind a moving target. With this monitor, where you aimed was where the bullets went. The lack of delay is amazing. Both monitors are VA and both have 4ms response time. Playing with both felt very different. Samsung makes great screens, but the hardware behind that screen was a little lacking. They were going for good overall. Gaming was more of a hindsight.This is not an overly bright VA. The Samsung had to be brought down a lot. It was literally blinding at above 40% brightness. Color accuracy is good.VA panels can't reach 1ms response time, but you will not notice this. This may refer to the back light strobing.The lighting is nice, but not overly useful. I have it off, as it is a little distracting.Speakers? There are some, but if you are buying a monitor like this, you probably won't be using ones on a monitor.The bonus bungie for your mouse is a nice bonus.The attachment for the camera is a nice bonus as well.This was an expensive upgrade for an additional 44Hz over the other ultra wide, but it has been worth it. Make sure you have the graphics card, or adjust your settings to get the best results.I was deciding whether to get this or the LG nano IPS at 144Hz. Both had good reviews, but there seemed to be a bit of an issue with the LG screens getting lines in them due to firmware updates, or just randomly occurring. The top of the line LG and Acer monitors are a bit price at $2500. At $800, it is a great investment for today, and the years to come.Pros:144HzWorks with G-Sync (not supported, but works well)Low input lagFast response timeGood color out of the boxEasy monitor mountingBonus items + RGB stripAdditional 3 month warranty when registered.Amazon supportNo dead pixelsGood uniformity across the screen.MSI software is nice and easy to use.Cons:Firmware that arrived (was an easy fix in the end).HDR 400 is just not good on any monitor.Stand takes up a lot of real estate. Pushes the monitor much more forward on a desk.This is a heavier monitor. I had tighten my desk mount, otherwise it would not stay level, stay at the same height, or it would start to lean forward.Not the brightest VA panel, but still good. It won't blind you.144Hz monitor in a dual screen set up, does create more of a workload on the GPU compared to 100Hz.I am very happy I got this monitor. It is an investment, but good monitors these days are getting very pricey. Ultrawide monitors are something to really enjoy. Once you get used to the field of view and real estate on the screen to utilize, you will not want to go back.I will update this review if with any useful information.