The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED is a high-end 27-inch, 4k QD-OLED gaming monitor. With a 240Hz refresh rate, it competes against other models that use the same fourth-gen QD-OLED panel, like the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, the Dell Alienware AW2725Q, and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF S27FG810S. As a 2025 model, it's an updated version of the popular MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED, with extra features, like DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth, and its smaller screen means that it has higher pixel density. It's also higher-end than the MSI MAG 272UP QD-OLED X24, which uses the same panel but has fewer perks, as it lacks DisplayPort 2.1 inputs and a KVM switch like the 272URX. This monitor also has typical gaming features, like FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC Compatibility, and it has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode to quickly connect a laptop. Besides that, it has some settings to help reduce burn-in, like Pixel Shift and Panel Protect, as well as a custom heatsink. Also, MSI advertises that it comes with a three-year warranty against burn-in.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
Our Verdict
The MSI MPG 272URX is incredible for PC gaming. It has a high 240Hz refresh rate that provides a smooth feel, and its low input lag adds minimal delay to your system's total latency. Motion also looks sharp at any refresh rate thanks to its near-instantaneous response time. Plus, it delivers detailed images with a high 4k resolution, deep blacks in dark rooms, bright highlights, and vivid colors. There are some downsides, though, as it has distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates. The black levels also rise in bright rooms, lowering the contrast ratio and making blacks look purple.
Near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion.
High 240Hz refresh rate with VRR.
Low input lag at any refresh rate.
Deep blacks in dark rooms.
Displays wide range of vivid colors.
High-bandwidth ports.
Black levels rise in bright rooms.
Distracting VRR flicker.
The MSI 272URX is superb for console gaming. It takes full advantage of modern gaming consoles thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, supporting 4k signals up to 120Hz. Fast-moving objects look sharp, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel, too. It's also fantastic for graphically intense games due to its superb picture quality with vivid colors and deep blacks against bright highlights in dark rooms. However, the black levels rise in bright rooms, making them look purple.
Near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion.
Low input lag at any refresh rate.
Deep blacks in dark rooms.
4k resolution for detailed images.
High-bandwidth ports.
Black levels rise in bright rooms.
The MSI 272URX is very good for productivity, with some limitations. Its 4k resolution delivers sharp text, and the 27-inch screen is big enough to put two windows side-by-side. It's also a great choice for sharing your screen with someone next to you, as it has wide viewing angles and comes with a versatile stand. While it doesn't have a ton of distracting reflections coming off the screen, it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare. It also risks burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, which is a problem if you only use the monitor for work.
4k resolution for detailed images.
Wide viewing angles.
Includes productivity features.
Screen coating minimizes glare well.
Not bright enough to fight intense glare.
Risk of burn-in.
The MSI MPG 272URX is fantastic for editing. It comes with an accurate sRGB mode, and you'll only need to calibrate it if you need perfectly accurate colors. Besides that, it displays a wide range of colors in most common color spaces and delivers remarkable picture quality thanks to its high contrast ratio with deep blacks. However, it only displays these perfect blacks in dark rooms, as they look purple in bright rooms. It also risks burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, like if you leave your editing program on-screen all the time.
Deep blacks in dark rooms.
Displays wide range of vivid colors.
4k resolution for detailed images.
Screen coating minimizes glare well.
Accurate before any sort of calibration.
Black levels rise in bright rooms.
Not bright enough to fight intense glare.
Risk of burn-in.
The MSI MPG 272URX has okay brightness. While highlights pop in HDR, it can't maintain this high brightness with larger highlights. It doesn't get bright enough to fight really intense glare either.
Small highlights pop.
Not bright enough to fight intense glare.
The MSI 272URX has a near-instantaneous response time for incredibly sharp motion at any refresh rate.
Near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion.
The MSI MPG 272URX is remarkable for HDR. It displays deep blacks in dark rooms and a wide range of vivid colors. However, the black levels rise in bright rooms, lowering the contrast ratio and making these blacks look purple.
Deep blacks in dark rooms.
Displays wide range of vivid colors.
Black levels rise in bright rooms.
The MSI 272URX has superb SDR picture quality. Blacks are deep and inky in dark rooms, but they look purple in bright rooms. On the plus side, it displays a wide range of colors in SDR.
Deep blacks in dark rooms.
Displays wide range of vivid colors.
Black levels rise in bright rooms.
The MSI MPG 272URX has incredible color accuracy. Its dedicated sRGB mode is extremely accurate before any sort of calibration, but you can still calibrate it for the best accuracy.
Accurate before any sort of calibration.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Nov 10, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1.1. We removed the Vertical Viewing Angle test.
- Updated Sep 05, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Sep 02, 2025: Early access published.
- Updated Aug 20, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 27-inch MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, which is the only size available. The results are only valid for this model, but there are similar QD-OLEDs from MSI, and you can see their differences below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate | DisplayPort Version | USB-C Power | KVM Switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPG 271QRX | 27" | 1440p | 360Hz | 1.4 | 90W | Yes |
| MPG 272URX | 27" | 4k | 240Hz | 2.1 | 90W | Yes |
| MAG 272UP X24 | 27" | 4k | 240Hz | 1.4 | 15W | No |
| MPG 321URX | 32" | 4k | 240Hz | 1.4 | 90W | Yes |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in January 2025 in China. We tested it with firmware FW.018.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED is a premium 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED. With a 27-inch screen size, it's a smaller alternative to the popular MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED, and its higher pixel density means that text looks sharper. This means it's something to consider if you want a QD-OLED but you're worried about visible fringing around letters on the 32-inch models. The 272URX also comes with extra features compared to the older 321URX, like DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth.
Using a fourth-generation QD-OLED panel, it competes against other monitors that have the same panel and size, like the Dell Alienware AW2725Q and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. While it offers more productivity features than the Dell, like a KVM switch and DisplayPort Alt Mode, it's missing the Dolby Vision support to put it in the same tier as the ASUS. That said, if you don't need Dolby Vision and you want to save money compared to the ASUS, this is a fantastic choice as one of the best monitors that have come out in 2025.
Also see our recommendations for the best monitors, the best HDR monitors, and the best OLED monitors.
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED are competing 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED monitors. While they perform similarly for the most part, the ASUS has a few advantages in terms of features. The ASUS supports Dolby Vision, which is useful if you have a source that uses Dolby Vision, like an Xbox. The ASUS also does a better job at minimizing glare and gets brighter, so it's the better choice for a well-lit room.
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED are both QD-OLEDs, but they have some clear differences. The 272URX has a higher resolution for more detailed images, while the higher refresh rate on the 271QRX helps for competitive gaming. The 272URX also has some extra features as it comes with faster USB ports and supports DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth, which the 271QRX doesn't.
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and the Dell Alienware AW2725Q are similar 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED models. The main differences come down to their features. The MSI has a wider selection of ports, with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and a KVM switch that's useful for connecting a laptop. The MSI also supports DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth, which the Dell doesn't. On the other hand, the Dell supports Dolby Vision, which helps if you want to connect a Blu-ray player or an Xbox to your monitor.
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF S27FG810S are both 4k, 27-inch QD-OLED monitors, but there are a few differences. One of the bigger differences is their screen coatings, as the MSI is glossy and the Samsung is matte. This means that images are clearer on the MSI, and the Samsung has less mirror-like reflections, but choosing one over the other comes down to personal preference. That said, the MSI has extra features, like DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth and a USB-C port with a KVM switch that makes it more versatile for connecting different devices.
Test Results
The MSI MPG 272URX has a premium design with a simple look from the front and branding elements on the back. It also features some RGB lighting to complement your gaming setup. It's made out of a mix of matte and glossy plastic.
The build quality is excellent. There aren't any obvious defects, and the materials feel solid. The plastic housing the inputs on the back doesn't flex easily either. The main downside is that it's easy to leave fingerprints on the glossy screen, and they're hard to remove.
The ergonomics are excellent. You can adjust it in a number of ways, and the adjustments on the stand feel fluid. There's also a cutout in the stand for basic cable management.
The stand takes up minimal space, holds the screen well with minimal wobble, and stabilizes quickly.
The bezels include 2 mm of space that's used for the Pixel Shift feature, so the total width of any given bezel depends on where the feature places the image.
There's a joystick and a button to control the on-screen display, as well as a power button.
- HDMI cable
- DP80 Certified DisplayPort cable
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Power cable
- 4x VESA mount standoffs
- User guides
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED has a near-infinite contrast ratio in dark rooms, so it displays deep and inky blacks. However, the black levels rise in bright rooms, so you only get this near-infinite contrast ratio in a dark room.
This monitor doesn't have a backlight, so it doesn't require a local dimming feature. However, with a near-infinite contrast ratio, there isn't any haloing around bright objects, and it's the equivalent of a perfect local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so you can see how the screen performs and compare it with a monitor that has local dimming.
Settings
- Game Mode: User (after calibration)
- Brightness: 100 (max)
- Pixel Shift: Slow
- MSI OLED Care: All other features disabled
The SDR brightness is okay. It maintains its brightness consistently with different content, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare.
Settings
- Game Mode: User
- DisplayHDR: EOTF Boost
- Brightness: Locked to max
- Pixel Shift: Slow
- MSI OLED Care: All other features disabled
The HDR brightness is alright. It makes small highlights pop against the rest of the image, but it can't maintain this high brightness with larger highlights. That said, it still gets bright enough to fight some glare in a well-lit room.
For the most part, it follows the target PQ EOTF well, as it displays most scenes at the intended brightness. However, with a slow roll-off before its peak brightness, it tone maps before your source does, which means highlights don't get as bright as they could.
The 'EOTF Boost' mode is only available as of firmware FW0.18 and newer. The PQ EOTF tracking is nearly the exact same even in the 'True Black 400' and 'Peak 1000 nits' DisplayHDR modes, which you can see below. Besides that, the 'True Black 400' mode has worse color accuracy than the 'Peak 1000 nits' and 'EOTF Boost' DisplayHDR modes.
| Test Window | Peak 1000 nits | True Black 400 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak 2% Window | 1,005 cd/m² | 457 cd/m² |
| Peak 10% Window | 459 cd/m² | 458 cd/m² |
| Peak 25% Window | 366 cd/m² | 368 cd/m² |
| Peak 50% Window | 308 cd/m² | 309 cd/m² |
| Peak 100% Window | 256 cd/m² | 258 cd/m² |
| Sustained 2% Window | 997 cd/m² | 456 cd/m² |
| Sustained 10% Window | 454 cd/m² | 453 cd/m² |
| Sustained 25% Window | 364 cd/m² | 364 cd/m² |
| Sustained 50% Window | 306 cd/m² | 307 cd/m² |
| Sustained 100% Window | 254 cd/m² | 256 cd/m² |
| PQ EOTF | Graph | Graph |
The gray uniformity is excellent. The image remains consistent throughout, but like any OLED, there are thin vertical lines that you can see in really dark scenes, like with a 5% gray test image.
The black uniformity is perfect as it maintains a uniform black level across the screen.
The accuracy before calibration in the 'sRGB' Pro Mode is fantastic. It locks colors well to the sRGB color space, and there are minimal color and white balance inaccuracies, but it isn't perfect either. Gamma tracking is off, too, as most content is brighter than intended.
There are two different settings you can choose for picture modes: the Pro Mode in the Professional tab of the OSD and the Game Mode in the Gaming tab. These picture modes don't work at the same time, and instead, the monitor uses the last selected mode. You'll see which mode it's actively using at the top of the OSD.
Using the 'sRGB' Pro Mode locks a few settings, including Contrast, Color Temperature, and Low Blue Light. You'd have to use another mode with more oversaturated colors if you want access to these settings.
The accuracy after calibration is fantastic. Calibrating it fixes any issues from before calibration and gives you access to settings that are locked out in the sRGB mode.
Leaving the RGB Color Temperature settings to their default of 50-50-50 makes the screen very dim, maxing out at around 85 nits. We had to adjust these to 100-100-100 before fine-tuning during calibration to get a much brighter screen.
The MSI MPG 272URX has a fantastic SDR color gamut. It displays all colors needed in the sRGB color space. It also displays a wide range of colors in the Adobe RGB color space, but you need to use the 'Adobe RGB' Pro Mode to get the best coverage. It's limited to around 70% coverage using the 'User' Game Mode.
The HDR color gamut is remarkable. It displays most colors needed for DCI-P3 content, but white is off. It has more limited coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space, with minimal inaccuracies.
Although there's a 'Display P3' Pro Mode available, you can only use it in SDR, and you can't select it in HDR. The 'EOTF Boost' DisplayHDR mode also has much better color gamut coverage than the 'True Black 400' and 'Peak 1000 nits' modes.
The HDR color volume is excellent. It displays bright and dark colors very well for a vivid and punchy HDR experience.
The 'EOTF Boost' DisplayHDR mode has much better color volume coverage than the 'True Black 400' and 'Peak 1000 nits' modes.
The horizontal viewing angle is superb. Although it technically isn't perfect, you won't see any inconsistencies when viewing from the sides.
The MSI MPG 272URX has fantastic text clarity. Thanks to its high pixel density, text looks sharper than on 4k, 32-inch QD-OLEDs, like the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED. Although there's a bit of fringing around letters, it's hard to see, and text looks as sharp as an LCD monitor with the same pixel density. However, you can still see the fringing at the top and bottom edges of windows, but how much this bothers you changes from person to person.
These photos are in Windows 10, and you can also see them in Windows 11 with ClearType on and with ClearType off.
The direct reflection handling is okay. With a glossy coating, light reflects back like a mirror, which can get distracting in a sunny room.
Blacks look purple in bright rooms, mainly due to the fact that it's a QD-OLED that lacks a polarizer. You need to use this monitor in a dark room to get perfect black levels.
The MSI MPG 272URX does a fantastic job at minimizing the total amount of light reflecting off the screen. While it's good for most well-lit rooms, reflections can still be distracting if you place it opposite a sunny window.
The gradient handling is superb. There's almost no banding between shades of similar colors.
Thanks to its full-bandwidth DisplayPort 2.1 inputs, you can reach the max refresh rate without using any sort of compression, as long as you have a compatible graphics card. However, the monitor needs to use Display Stream Compression (DSC) over HDMI. There's a DSC setting that you can disable, but that limits the refresh rate over HDMI.
NVIDIA - G-SYNC Compatibility
Connection
VRR Min
VRR Max
DisplayPort
<20Hz
240Hz
HDMI
<20Hz
240Hz
AMD - FreeSync
Connection
VRR Min
VRR Max
DisplayPort
<20Hz
240Hz
HDMI
<20Hz
240Hz
The MSI 272URX also supports HDMI Forum VRR.
The MSI MPG 272URX has outstanding motion handling across its VRR range. Motion looks consistently sharp, and any blur you see at low refresh rates is persistence blur.
The refresh rate compliance is incredible. Its response time is fast enough to make most full-color transitions before the monitor draws the next frame.
The MSI MPG 272URX doesn't have an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce persistence blur.
The MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED has distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates. It's most noticeable in dark scenes, or dark areas of brighter scenes, and can get pretty distracting.
The backlight isn't technically flicker-free because it has a slight dip in brightness that corresponds to the monitor's refresh rate.
This monitor has low input lag at any refresh rate for a responsive feel. Although these results are with VRR off, they're the same even when using VRR, so you still get a responsive gaming experience.
As the Xbox Series X|S only supports HDR with 4k signals, it isn't a limitation of the monitor that HDR doesn't work in 1080p or 1440p.
The USB-C port allows you to quickly connect a laptop to display an image and charge it with the same cable. Although it's advertised to provide up to 98W of power, we couldn't get more than 90W with different MacBooks.
Tested with: M2 MacBook Pro (Sequoia 15.6) and M4 Max MacBook Pro
| Connection | HDMI 2.1 | USB-C |
|---|---|---|
| Max Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz |
| VRR Range | 48–240Hz | 48–240Hz |
| HDR | Yes | Yes |
The MSI MPG 272URX works well with macOS, with no obvious issues. If you're using a MacBook over USB-C, the 'User' Game Mode and 'Peak 1000 nits' DisplayHDR modes look closest to the MacBook display in terms of accuracy. Over HDMI, 'True Black 400' DisplayHDR looks more accurate to the laptop display, as the other DisplayHDR modes are dimmer.
Whether you're connected over HDMI or DisplayPort, if you're using a MacBook and close the lid without it being plugged into power, the laptop goes to sleep. That said, if you have the laptop plugged into power, you can close the lid and continue using the monitor's screen. When reopening the lid or waking the laptop up from sleep, windows return to their original positions.
The MSI MPG 272URX has a bunch of additional features, including a KVM switch and Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes, along with:
- AI Vision: Changes the contrast and brightness to optimize the picture quality.
- Image Enhancement: Adjusts the image sharpness.
- Low Blue Light: Limits the blue light to help reduce eye strain.
- Optix Scope: Zooms in on a part of the screen.
- Refresh Rate: Shows the frame rate of the source.
- Screen Size: Changes the aspect ratio.
- Smart Crosshair: Offers different crosshairs that your game's anti-cheat tool won't detect.
It also includes MSI OLED Care settings to help reduce the risk of burn-in:
- Pixel Shift: Slowly moves the image by a few pixels at a time. You can't turn it off.
- Panel Protect: Runs a pixel refresh cycle after every four hours of usage when you turn the monitor off or put it on standby. You can change Protect Notice to 'Usage 24 hours' if you want a notification after 24 hours of usage without running a pixel refresh cycle.
- Static Screen Detection: Dims static logos.
- Other settings include Multi Logo Detection, Taskbar Detection, Boundary Detection, and V-Split Detection.
