MSI Modern MD271CPW Monitor Review

A Closer Look

This is one gorgeous looking monitor, and while it is a little on the expensive side for a Full HD panel, it’s clear that your money goes towards a quality product. It may only be a minor thing, but a nice looking monitor can just generally make your work environment feel a little more special, and I do think that’s pretty important.

It looks great in white too, and I certainly don’t see many white monitors coming in for review. The bezel on the top and sides is nice and slim too, making it an ideal option for multiple monitor setups.

Obviously, the lower bezel is a little larger, but really, it’s still pretty slim here. There are physical buttons for the UI too, which I certainly prefer over any form of touch-panel controls.

A small but stylish MSI logo can be found in the centre.

The stand looks amazing, with a nice white finish and a square design that doesn’t take up too much space. Plus, it has a free-spinning mount allowing you to turn the monitor without moving the base.

There’s a slick mount at the top too, recessed into the display and allows for easy tilting of the display. You can also move the monitor up and down very easily.

Between the tilt, height adjustment and the easy rotation, you should always be able to find the optimal viewing position.

However, I could have sworn I saw this monitor had a portrait mode, but unfortunately, it does not. At least there’s a good range of movement to the stand.

Tucked into the bottom, you’ll find there’s both HDMI and Type-C display inputs, as well as the audio-out jack, and a power connector.

The IPS panel looks fantastic, and there’s a good quality anti-glare finish on the panel that makes it easy to read, even in a bright room.

The IPS panel also has the benefit of 178-degree viewing angles, so even if you’re out of the range of the great ergonomics, you can still see things clearly.

The colours and Full HD panel make a nice combo, while this is a work monitor, watching some Netflix or Youtube, etc, is a pleasant experience.

Plus, there are some built-in speakers that are perfect for a Zoom meeting or listening to occasional videos on social media. They’re alright for watching a bit of TV or some light gaming too, but you’ll likely want dedicated speakers if you plan to consume a lot of media anyway. Overall though, they have a better sound to them than most monitor speakers, even if they are still a little lacking.

At 75 Hz the refresh rate is nicely boosted from the usual 60 Hz. It’s not a huge difference, but it does feel noticeably smoother, and I certainly won’t complain about that. This will, of course, also benefit games should you get around to any… I know I did!

27″ provides a decent workspace and while Full HD isn’t going to excite too much, it’s certainly sufficient. However, if you’re doing a lot of large spreadsheets, perhaps stepping up to a 1440p monitor would be useful.