MSI Optix MEG381CQR Plus Monitor Review

How Much Does it Cost?

A lot, it’s £1999.99, but hey, at least you have a penny to toss in the wishing well. You’re paying a lot, but really that’s hardly surprising given this is one of the most high-end flagship monitors on the market right now. Super high level of features, and a high resolution, high refresh rate and a rather massive panel.

Overview

I absolutely love this monitor, it’s actually one of the best I’ve ever used. Actually, it may even be my personal all-time favourite monitor I’ve ever used. I’m using it right now, I’ll be using it later, and I’ll be trying to use it when MSI come to pluck it out of my mighty grip… I may lay some traps. But I want to stress the most important factor of this review. I would not buy this monitor. It’s a little too good, which is a fine and dandy way of saying I can’t realistically afford it. I put down £1000 on a TV a few years ago, and still can’t afford to upgrade that, so double on a monitor would leave my children going hungry for a while. This is very much the plaything of the professional market or the well-funded enthusiast PC gamers out there. It’s a fine example of if you have the money and want the best, then this is it!

The panel performance is stunning, and while 175Hz isn’t the fastest out there, it’s plenty for high-end gaming. Keeping in mind the resolution is 4K2K, so that’s a LOT of pixels to drive at high refresh rates. Basically, unless you play older games, you’re going to need a very potent graphics card to get the most out of it. The addition of Nvidia G-Sync, HDR600, the 175Hz refresh rate, overdrive, overclocking and more all ensure that when you do get around to some gaming, it’s going to be amazing.

However, if you’re working on this monitor, you get plenty of benefits too. The ultrawide design makes it very comfortable to have three windows side by side. Using video editing suits allows you an extended view of the editing timeline, and stuff life photoshop just benefits from the stunning colour reproduction, brightness and resolution.

There’s some nice quality of life features too. The dual clip-on mouse/cable bungees are really neat and a welcome addition. The mount for a camera at the top is a universal mount, so you can mount a microphone, camera, light or any number of things on that. There’s a built-in webcam and microphone on the front of the monitor too, not ideal for pro streaming, but enough for a zoom call from time to time. Plus, there’s that big dial on the side for quickly changing various settings, which does come in handy. Oh and RGB, it has that too, but that’s subjective.

The overall quality is as good as I’ve ever seen. It’s a very well made product. The stand is really heavy, but it’s all heavy-duty metal and even the paint looks like it’s been given a few more coats than usual. It’s all just better than usual, albeit that’s reflected in the price tag.

You’ve tried the rest, now try the best. One of the finest monitors on the market today. 4K2K resolution, high refresh rate, ultrawide design and a massive panel. If you’re willing to make the investment, you’ll quickly fall in love with this monitor. I know I have.