The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is a mid-range 27-inch gaming monitor. It uses Mini LED backlighting with 1,152 zones, and it has a native 4k resolution and 160Hz refresh rate. You can use its Dual Mode feature to boost the refresh rate to 320Hz with a lower 1080p resolution. It competes directly with other 4k, 160Hz Mini LED models that have a 1080p, 320Hz dual mode, like the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, and the lower-end MSI MAG 274UPDF E16M. Besides its gaming perks that include HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, FreeSync Premium, and G-SYNC Compatibility, it has some productivity features, like a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and up to 98W of power delivery.
Our Verdict
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is good for PC gaming. You can use it at its native 4k resolution and 160Hz refresh rate or with its dual-mode 1080p resolution and 320Hz refresh rate, so it's versatile for playing different types of games. It has consistent motion handling across any refresh rate, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. It also supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. The downside of getting this for gaming is that it doesn't have the best picture quality. Its local dimming feature overbrightens content in SDR, while crushing blacks and causing haloing in HDR. On the plus side, it makes highlights pop in HDR and gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms.
4k, 160Hz and 1080p, 320Hz modes.
Supports all common VRR formats.
Consistent motion handling across VRR.
Low input lag at any refresh rate.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Local dimming in SDR results in an overbrightened image.
Black crush and haloing with local dimming in HDR.
Low native contrast ratio.
Some blur behind fast-moving objects.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is excellent for console gaming. It supports almost any signal from a PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S, but it doesn't support Dolby Vision with an Xbox. It has low input lag for a responsive feel, and motion looks good for the most part, but there's still some blur behind fast-moving objects. While it displays a wide range of colors and makes highlights pop, it fails to deliver an impactful HDR gaming experience. Its local dimming feature crushes blacks and has some haloing around bright objects, and blacks look gray if you don't use the local dimming feature.
Consistent motion handling across VRR.
Low input lag at any refresh rate.
Supports almost any signal from consoles.
Sharp text and image clarity in 4k mode.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Local dimming in SDR results in an overbrightened image.
Black crush and haloing with local dimming in HDR.
Low native contrast ratio.
Some blur behind fast-moving objects.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is excellent for office use. It has sharp text clarity in its 4k mode, and its 27-inch screen is big enough to view two windows side by side. It also comes with some useful productivity features, like an ergonomic stand that makes it easy to adjust, a small USB hub, and a KVM switch that you can use to change sources and use the same devices on both. It also gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, but reflections are distracting if you have it in a sunny environment.
Sharp text and image clarity in 4k mode.
Has an ergonomic stand.
Includes a USB-C port and a KVM switch.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Distracting reflections in sunny rooms.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M is good for content creation. It delivers detailed images thanks to its 4k resolution, but you may find that its 27-inch screen is too small if you work with long video timelines. Although it comes with a dedicated sRGB mode, you need to calibrate it if you want proper color temperature and white balance. It also has some issues with its picture quality, as its local dimming feature causes an inaccurate image in SDR, depending on the setting you use, and it crushes details in HDR. If you choose not to use the local dimming feature, then blacks look gray, and highlights don't pop as much.
Sharp text and image clarity in 4k mode.
Has an ergonomic stand.
Includes a USB-C port and a KVM switch.
sRGB mode has good gamma tracking.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
Black crush and haloing with local dimming in HDR.
Low native contrast ratio.
Needs full calibration to fix white balance and color temperature issues.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M has excellent brightness. It makes highlights pop in HDR, and it fights glare in most well-lit rooms.
Bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M has a good response time. Its response time is consistently quick at any refresh rate, but there's still blur behind fast-moving objects.
Consistent motion handling across VRR.
Some blur behind fast-moving objects.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M has okay HDR picture quality. Using the local dimming feature improves the black levels and makes highlights stand out, but it does this by crushing blacks. Plus, there's haloing around bright objects.
Displays wide range of colors.
Black crush and haloing with local dimming in HDR.
Low native contrast ratio.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M has alright SDR picture quality. If you don't use its local dimming feature, blacks look gray. While local dimming in SDR can help improve black levels, it overbrightens content, so the image looks inaccurate, depending on the local dimming setting you use.
Displays wide range of colors.
Local dimming in SDR results in an overbrightened image.
Low native contrast ratio.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M has great accuracy. Its dedicated sRGB mode locks colors well to the sRGB color space and has fantastic gamma tracking. However, it has color temperature and white balance issues that you would need to fix with a full calibration.
sRGB mode has good gamma tracking.
Needs full calibration to fix white balance and color temperature issues.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Dec 18, 2025:
We added extra photos with local dimming in SDR and HDR to better represent how it performs.
- Updated Dec 15, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Dec 10, 2025: Early access published.
- Updated Dec 01, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 27-inch MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M, which is the only size available, and the results are only valid for this model. Even though MSI has the similar MAG 274UPDF available, it's a different monitor, as you can see below.
| Model | Resolution & Refresh Rate | USB-C Power |
Body Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPG 274URDFW | Native: 4k, 160Hz | 90W | White |
| Dual Mode: 1080p, 320Hz | |||
| MAG 274UPDF | Native: 4k, 160Hz | 15W | Black |
| Dual Mode: 1080p, 320Hz |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in August 2025 in China. We tested it with firmware FW.026.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The MSI MPG 274URDFW is a mid-range gaming monitor with Mini LED backlighting. Featuring a native 4k resolution and 160Hz refresh rate with a 1080p, 320Hz dual mode, it competes against other models with the dual-mode specs, like the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. It has what you'd expect in a gaming monitor, like sharp motion, low input lag, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it's versatile for playing different types of games. However, its local dimming feature is disappointing for a Mini LED display with 1,152 zones, as it has black crush and haloing in HDR, and certain settings overbrighten content in SDR. While the local dimming in HDR performs similarly to other Mini LED options, like the Acer, you may be better off going for these other models if you can find them available. Otherwise, the MSI is still a solid choice, with some trade-offs when it comes to local dimming.
Also see our recommendations for the best Mini LED monitors, the best 4k 144Hz monitors, and the best 4k gaming monitors.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M and the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx are competing Mini LED monitors. They share many of the same specs, including 4k, 160Hz and 1080p, 320Hz dual modes, USB-C ports with DisplayPort Alt Mode, and KVM switches. As they both have 1,152 dimming zones, their local dimming features perform similarly, with black crush and haloing around bright objects. However, you can't use local dimming in SDR on the Acer, but certain local dimming settings on the MSI cause an overbrightened image in SDR, so you may prefer not using it anyways. Besides that, the MSI has better motion handling across its VRR range, but they're very similar otherwise.
The INNOCN 27M2V and the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M are both 4k Mini LED gaming monitors. While they each have a native 160Hz refresh rate, the MSI has a dual-mode feature to boost the refresh rate to 320Hz with a lower 1080p resolution, which the INNOCN doesn't have. They also both have 1,152 dimming zones, but the local dimming feature on the INNOCN results in much better picture quality with less black crush and haloing. The MSI has a few advantages for gaming, though, as it has lower input lag at 60Hz, leading to a more responsive feel with lower-frame-rate sources, like consoles.
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M and the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx are both 4k Mini LED displays. One main difference is that the MSI has a dual mode to boost its 160Hz refresh rate to 320Hz with a lower 1080p resolution, which the Acer doesn't have. However, the Acer has a few advantages in picture quality because its local dimming feature is more effective at improving picture quality, and it's a lot more accurate before calibration. The Acer even has superior reflection handling, so it's better to use in a well-lit room.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without 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, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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