Our Verdict
The MSI Optix G27C4 is a decent monitor for most uses. It can deliver a good picture quality, but its 1080p resolution is a bit low for a 27 inch screen, which is less ideal for multitasking. It's a great gaming monitor, though, as it has a 165Hz refresh rate, excellent response time, and a low input lag to provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience. Additionally, it supports FreeSync variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Outstanding gray uniformity.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Poor viewing angles.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is an okay monitor for office use. It has a large 27 inch screen to let you work comfortably, but text may not look as sharp due to its 1080p resolution. Viewing angles are rather poor, and the monitor's bad ergonomics make it hard to adjust to your optimal viewing position. The monitor has good reflection handling, but its low peak brightness may be an issue if you're in a bright room with direct sunlight.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is a great gaming monitor. It has a high refresh rate and a low response time to provide a smooth gaming experience. Input lag is exceptional and there's support for FreeSync variable refresh rate, but unfortunately, its 1080p resolution may be a bit disappointing for fans of RPGs and atmospheric games.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is an okay monitor for media consumption. Its 1080p resolution is a bit low, but its 27 inch screen lets you see comfortably without having to sit up close. Viewing angles may be a problem if you want to share content with others, and even though it has great reflection handling, viewing the screen in a bright room can be difficult due to the monitor's low peak brightness.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is an acceptable monitor for media creation. Its 27 inch screen provides plenty of screen real estate to work comfortably, but the 1080p resolution may be too low for content creators. The monitor has bad ergonomics, making it difficult to adjust to your optimal position, and the VA panel's viewing angles are poor, causing colors to appear washed out when viewed from the side.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is a sub-par monitor for HDR gaming. Although it has a high refresh rate, low response time, and low input lag, this monitor doesn't support any HDR format. In addition, its low peak brightness can't bring out any highlights. Its high contrast ratio is great for dark room gaming, though, as blacks look deep and inky.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 04, 2022: There was a mistake in the 60Hz input lag results. We remeasured the input lag at 60Hz, and it's 0.5ms higher than our original results.
- Updated Feb 07, 2022: Retested the weight, thickness, reflections, and image retention.
- Updated Jan 20, 2021: For consistency, we've changed the height adjustment from N/A to 'No'. The score has been adjusted accordingly.
- Updated Feb 21, 2020: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the MSI Optix G27C4, but there are three other variants with different screen sizes, resolutions, and refresh rates, which you can see in the table below.
| Model | Size | Resolution | Refresh Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Optix G24C4 | 23.6" | 1080p | 144Hz |
| MSI Optix G27C4 | 27" | 1080p | 165Hz |
| MSI Optix G27CQ4 | 27" | 1440p | 165Hz |
| MSI Optix G32C4 | 31.5" | 1440p | 165Hz |
If someone comes across a different type of panel, or if their MSI Optix G27C4 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as the gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Our unit of the MSI Optix G27C4 was manufactured in August 2019 and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The MSI Optix G27C4 is very similar to the MSI Optix G27C, with an updated design and a more aggressive screen curve. Its performance should be good enough for most gamers, but its ergonomics are very disappointing when compared to a monitor such as the ASUS VG279Q, and it doesn't have as many features as the Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q.
For other options, you can see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1080p monitors, and the best 144Hz monitors.
The MSI Optix G27C4 is better than the MSI Optix G27C. The G27C4 is a somewhat updated version of the G27C with an updated design and some performance improvements. The G27C4 has a much better black uniformity, a higher refresh rate, and a faster response time. However, its peak brightness is lower, and its horizontal viewing angles are worse than the G27C. Gray uniformity is much better on the G27C4, as well as its out of the box color accuracy.
The Acer Nitro XF252Q Xbmiiprzx is better than the MSI Optix G27C4 for most uses. The XF252Q has a higher refresh rate of 240Hz and its ergonomics are significantly better. The XF252Q also has a faster response time, much better peak brightness, and it supports HDR. However, the G27C4 has a much better contrast ratio for dark room gaming, and its gray uniformity is also much better, with no visible dirty screen effect.
The LG 27GL650F-B is much better than the MSI Optix G27C4. Although the 27GL650F-B doesn't have as high a refresh rate as the G27C4, its IPS panel has much better viewing angles, significantly better peak brightness, and better color accuracy. The 27GL650F-B also supports HDR and has better ergonomics, but its contrast ratio is much worse than the G27C4, and it has a slightly higher input lag.
The ASUS VG279Q is significantly better than the MSI Optix G27C4 in most uses. The IPS panel on the VG279Q provides much better viewing angles, has much better color accuracy, and it can get brighter to combat glare. The VG279Q's ergonomics are also much better, but on the other hand, the G27C4 has a higher contrast ratio due to its VA panel, and it has a slightly higher refresh rate of 165Hz.
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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