The MSI Optix G27C5 is a basic, budget-friendly gaming monitor. It has a VA panel that displays deep blacks, but that comes at the cost of narrow viewing angles, so images look washed out when looking from the side. It has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and it works with NVIDIA graphics cards. The input lag is incredibly low, and though it has a good response time there are some motion artifacts in dark scenes. It has a max refresh rate of 165Hz, which you can get through a DisplayPort connection. It only comes with an HDMI cable, and you can get a maximum of 144Hz refresh rate with it. It has bad ergonomics, so it might be hard to place in an ideal position, but it can be VESA-mounted. Lastly, it gets bright enough to combat glare in a moderately-lit room, but reflections may be too distracting if it's opposite a window.
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 Optix G27C5 is an okay overall monitor. It performs best as a gaming monitor because it has an incredibly low input lag, FreeSync VRR support, and good response time. It's alright to use in an office, but its 1080p resolution, narrow viewing angles, and bad ergonomics might not be for everyone. However, it has good reflection handling and decent brightness, so it's a good choice for a fairly well-lit environment. Lastly, it has excellent gradient handling and great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.
- Displays deep blacks.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Black uniformity issues.
The MSI Optix G27C5 is alright for office use. The 27 inch screen allows you to open multiple windows at once, but the 1080p resolution may be too limiting for some. It gets bright enough to combat glare in moderately-lit rooms, but it struggles with direct sunlight. Unfortunately, this monitor has narrow viewing angles and bad ergonomics.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
The MSI Optix G27C5 is good for gaming thanks in part to its incredibly low input lag and native FreeSync support. Its response time at its max refresh rate of 165Hz is good, but there's smearing in dark scenes. Sadly, it has bad ergonomics, so it's hard to place in an ideal viewing position. On the upside, it's a great choice for dark-room gaming because it can display deep blacks.
- Displays deep blacks.
- FreeSync support.
- Incredibly low input lag.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Black uniformity issues.
The MSI Optix G27C5 is alright for watching content. It has a large, 27 inch screen, but its 1080p resolution is too low for watching the latest 4k videos online. It has good reflection handling and decent brightness, but it's not a good choice if you have direct sunlight on it. Fortunately, it has a great contrast ratio, so blacks appear as they should when viewed in the dark.
- Displays deep blacks.
- Good reflection handling.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
The MSI Optix G27C5 is okay for media creation. Its 1080p resolution isn't ideal if you need to create content at a high resolution. It also has narrow viewing angles, so the image isn't accurate when viewing from the side. Luckily, it has excellent gradient handling, great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, and good reflection handling if you work in a somewhat bright environment.
- Displays deep blacks.
- Good reflection handling.
- Great coverage of Adobe RGB color space.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Bad ergonomics.
- Black uniformity issues.
The MSI Optix G27C5 doesn't support HDR.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27 inch MSI Optix G27C5, which is the only size available for this monitor.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their G27C5 doesn't correspond to our review, please let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests such as gray uniformity may vary between units.
The unit we reviewed was manufactured in April 2020, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The MSI Optix G27C5 is a simple gaming monitor that won't cost you much. It has all the features most gamers are looking for, such as FreeSync support, a 165Hz refresh rate, and low input lag. However, it's not very versatile for other uses because it has narrow viewing angles, and there are better options in this price range, such as the LG 27GL650F-B. Also see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 1080p monitors, and the best monitors under $500.
The MSI Optix G27C5 is better overall than the Samsung T55. The MSI has a 165Hz refresh rate, it has a much quicker response time, and its input lag is lower. It also has better color accuracy and it has a better contrast ratio. However, the Samsung gets a bit brighter and it displays a wider color gamut.
The MSI Optix MAG273R is much better than the MSI Optix G27C5. The MAG273R has an IPS panel, so it has much wider viewing angles. It also has better ergonomics, it supports HDR, and it has a quicker response time at its max refresh rate. However, the VA panel on the G27C5 displays deeper blacks, it has better color accuracy, and its response time at 60Hz is better.
The LG 27GL650F-B is much better than the MSI Optix G27C5, but they have different panel types. The LG has an IPS panel, providing wide viewing angles. It also gets much brighter, supports HDR, has a much quicker response time, and better ergonomics. However, the MSI has a VA panel with a much better contrast ratio, higher refresh rate, and lower input lag.
The ASUS TUF VG27VQ and the MSI Optix G27C5 are two similar monitors with a 165Hz refresh rate, FreeSync support, and a curved screen. The ASUS has much better ergonomics, it's better-built, it gets brighter, and it has much better out-of-the-box color accuracy. On the other hand, the MSI displays a wider color gamut, it has a much quicker response time, and has a slightly lower input lag.
The MSI Optix G27C4 and the MSI Optix G27C5 are two very similar monitors. They have a similar design, except the G27C5 has a stand that sits flat against the table and it's better-built overall. The G27C5 also gets brighter and it has better color accuracy. However, the G27C4 has better reflection handling and quicker response time.
The Dell S2721HGF and the MSI Optix G27C5 are both 27 inch VA panel gaming monitors with a 1080p resolution. The MSI has a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate compared to the Dell's 144Hz; however, the Dell has a much better response time, especially in dark scenes. The Dell has better viewing angles, one of the best among VA panel monitors, and it gets brighter to combat glare. If you care about color accuracy or want to use it for content creation, the Dell has better accuracy out of the box, but the MSI has a better SDR color gamut.
The MSI Optix G27C6 and the MSI Optix G27C5 are similar monitors with a 1080p resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and a VA panel. There's little difference between each, but the G27C5 has a much quicker response time, resulting in smoother motion. They're built similarly, but our unit of the G27C6 has wobbly feet, although this could be an issue with our unit alone.
Test Results
The MSI Optix G27C5 has a simple design with thin bezels on three sides. It has a gamer-friendly look but it won't stand out much in an office environment, either.
This monitor has a V-shaped stand that supports the monitor well. Although the overall footprint is large, the design leaves lots of room to place small objects in front of it.
Update 07/02/2021: We incorrectly listed the Height Adjustment as 'N/A' as opposed to '0'. The review has been updated to reflect this change, as the Ergonomics score has dropped slightly.
Unfortunately, the MSI Optix G27C5 has bad ergonomics, so it may be difficult to place it in an ideal viewing position.
The back of the monitor is sleek, with a simple design. There's no quick release for the stand, but it can be VESA-mounted, which is good given the bad ergonomics of its stand.
Very thin borders on three sides, making this a good choice for a multi-monitor setup.
Due to the curvature of the screen, the MSI Optix G27C5 is a bit thicker than similar flat monitors.
The MSI Optix G27C5 has a decent build quality. While it's better than the MSI Optix G27C4, with no obvious gaps or loose panels, it's not as good as the MAG series, like the MSI Optix MAG273R.
Like most VA monitors, the MSI Optix G27C5 has great contrast, so blacks appear as they should in a dark room. MSI advertises a 3000:1 contrast ratio, so ours is a bit higher, but this can vary between units.
Note: We normally measure contrast after calibration, but in this case, calibrating the monitor lowered the contrast. After calibration, we measured a contrast ratio of 2925:1, which is much closer to MSI's advertised contrast.
This monitor doesn't support local dimming. The video above is provided for reference only.
Decent peak brightness. The MSI Optix G27C5 gets bright enough to combat glare in moderately-lit environments, but it may struggle with direct sunlight on it. Luckily, its brightness remains consistent across various content.
We measured the SDR peak brightness before calibration on the 'User' Picture Mode, with Color Temperature set to 'Normal'. We normally measure SDR brightness after calibration, but in this case, calibrating the monitor made the screen significantly dimmer. After calibration, it reached 219 cd/m² and had a 'Real Scene' brightness of 230 cd/m².
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
Like most VA panels, the MSI G27C5 has a poor horizontal viewing angle. It's not ideal if you need to share your screen with others. If you want a similar monitor with better viewing angles, check out the Acer Nitro RG241Y.
Poor vertical viewing angle, which is expected from a VA panel. The edges of the screen may appear darker if you sit too close.
The MSI G27C5 has outstanding gray uniformity. Only the edges of the screen are slightly darker, but this shouldn't be an issue with most content. The uniformity is almost perfect in near-dark scenes.
Note: Gray uniformity may vary between units.
The MSI Optix G27C5's black uniformity is unremarkable. There's backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges, which may be distracting in dark scenes.
Note: Black uniformity may vary between units.
Okay out-of-the-box color accuracy. Most colors are inaccurate and the color temperature is warm, giving the image a red-yellow tint. The white balance is off, which affects shades of gray. Also, gamma seems to follow a target of 2.0 instead of the sRGB curve, so most scenes are brighter than they should be.
Note: Color accuracy may vary between units.
After calibration, the MSI G27C5 has fantastic color accuracy. Any remaining color inaccuracies can't be spotted without the aid of a colorimeter, and the color temperature is closer to the 6500K target. Gamma is also much closer to the target curve, so most scenes are displayed at their correct brightness.
During calibration, leaving the Contrast setting at its default value of 70 resulted in more inaccurate colors than if it wasn't calibrated at all. By lowering Contrast to 55, we were able to get more accurate colors and better white balance, but that affected the monitor's brightness and contrast ratio.
You can download our ICC profile calibration here. This is provided for reference only and shouldn't be used, as the calibration values vary per individual unit even for the same model, due to manufacturing tolerances.
Excellent SDR color gamut. The MSI Optix G27C5 covers almost all of the sRGB color space used in most content, and it has great coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.
Outstanding color volume. Due to the monitor's great contrast ratio, it can display dark, saturated colors well.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
This monitor doesn't support HDR.
There are no signs of temporary image retention, but this may vary between units.
Excellent gradient handling. Banding can be seen, especially in darker shades, but this shouldn't be an issue with regular content.
The MSI Optix G27C5 has good reflection handling, but it's not as good as the MSI Optix G27C4. It performs well in moderately-lit rooms, but the reflections are too distracting in extremely bright rooms.
Text clarity is decent, though it can be improved by enabling ClearType (top photo), as it improves the appearance of diagonal lines, as seen in the letters R and N.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
The MSI G27C5 has a good response time at its max refresh rate, but it's not as good as the MSI Optix G27C4. There's very little overshoot in most transitions with the 'Fastest' overdrive setting. Unfortunately, like most VA monitors, dark transitions are significantly slower, causing noticeable motion smearing behind darker areas of the scene, as can be seen here behind our moving logo. If you want a similar monitor with better response times, check out the LG 27GN650-B.
| Overdrive Setting | Response Time Chart | Response Time Tables | Motion Blur Photo |
| Normal | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fast | Chart | Table | Photo |
| Fastest | Chart | Table | Photo |
Decent response time at 60Hz. The average total response time at 60Hz is only slightly slower than at the max refresh rate, which is great. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of noticeable motion smearing in darker areas, as seen in the moving logo photo.
The backlight is completely flicker-free, which can help to reduce eye strain.
The MSI Optix G27C5 has a mediocre Black Frame Insertion feature. It's only available within a limited refresh rate range, and the timing is off, causing noticeable duplication in motion. Like most monitors, BFI isn't available if FreeSync is enabled.
Outstanding refresh rate. It has native FreeSync support with a wide VRR range. It's G-SYNC compatible, but it only works over a DisplayPort connection. The max refresh rate over an HDMI connection is limited to 144Hz.
The MSI Optix G27C5 has an incredibly low input lag. It stays low with VRR enabled, which is great.
The 27 inch screen of the MSI G27C5 is great for productivity, but the 1080p resolution may be too limiting for some. If you want a monitor with a 1440p resolution, look into the MSI Optix G273QF.
The MSI Optix G27C5 has a few extra features to improve the user experience.
- Crosshair: Puts a virtual crosshair on the screen for FPS games.
- Timer: Puts a timer on the screen.
- Blue Light Mode: Removes blue light, which helps reduce eye strain.
