Product: MSI Optix 27-inch curved 165 HZ monitor
Type of product: LCD gaming monitor
My rating: 10/10
Price (MSRP): $269.99
Last year I reviewed the Asus 27-inch display port. Today, I want to describe one of the best high refresh rate 1080p monitors. In researching various monitors, I spent hours reviewing various monitor types and costs. I finally decided on a curved monitor with a higher refresh rate then 60Hz for my own gaming pleasure. I started my efforts by looking at monitors with 144Hz refresh rates and up. Eventually I decided on an MSI Optix 27-inch monitor as the most reasonably priced monitor that would fit my gaming needs. I will start with what is in the box for this monitor, what I like and don’t like about owning it, and whether you should consider purchasing this monitor for high-end gaming.
Let me begin by describing what is in this monitor box. The monitor itself, of course. It would be silly if the monitor wasn’t included, am I right? The monitor comes with a standard power cable, and a power brick to plug into the wall. The monitor also includes a stand with a V-shape so it doesn’t take up as much desk space as other monitor stands. The stand is adjustable for the monitor height, allowing you to raise or lower the monitor. However, you’ll have to turn the stand to rotate the monitor because the monitor sits at a fixed position and angle. The monitor box also includes a display port cable and an HDMI cable in the box. If you’re like me, you already have plenty of those cables laying around, so I didn’t really need the cables that came with this monitor. I kept them just in case the cables I already have didn’t work. Some monitors don’t work unless you use the specific cables the manufacture includes. That wasn’t the case with the MSI Optix 27-inch monitor though.
What is it that I like about this monitor? For starters, I enjoy that this is a curved monitor, and that there is no monitor top edge, because the top of the screen is all screen. I also like that fact the monitor stand is adjustable in height, although I wish it offered a little more height adjustment. I do not really need the 180-degree rotation that some monitors offer, but if that is important to you, perhaps this isn’t the stand to get. I really enjoy the refresh rate on this monitor but be advised, you need to check your video card to make sure it will support this higher refresh rate. Not all video cards do. The monitors LED lights on the back make it easy to see if you left your system on. Most monitors turn the screen off once you walk away for too long. If you are like me and walk away, you can end up forgetting to ever turn off your computer. With the MSI monitor, all you need to do is look at the LED’s on its back, which remain lit so long as the power to the monitor remains on.
Now that I have covered what I like about this monitor, what is it that I don’t like about it. To be honest the first thing that I didn’t like was that the monitor doesn’t use a standard plug for plugging in the monitor. This means, if you lose the power brick for the monitor or it goes bad, you will have to order a new one from MSI. Another thing that I do not like about this monitor is that MSI doesn’t make it very easy to mount your monitor on a wall. To be able to wall mount these specific monitors you’ll have to order m4 stand off screws. Something that they may have mentioned in the manual if I actual read the manual. But who has the time to read manuals, am I right? I contacted MSI support and was informed that I would need the m4 stand-off screws to be able to wall mount my monitors. MSI sells the stand offs for a whopping $8 + $10 shipping which equates to $18 in addition to what you’ll need to spend for wall mounts for your monitor. It turns out you can find the m4 stand off’s much cheaper on either Amazon or your local hardware store. There are a few key takeaways. If you want to mount your monitor on the wall keep in mind you will need the standoff screws because those don’t come in the box. You can height adjust the monitor, but not tilt the monitor. The power brick isn’t a standard power cable like most other monitors. On the plus side, the refresh rate of these monitors is much higher than on your standard 60Hz monitor.
I honestly believe this is a good monitor for the price, if you want a decent, gaming monitor from a reputable brand. Yes, there are quirks that you might not like about this monitor, but I believe the pluses far outweigh the minuses for it. I believe this would be a good investment for you or for your gamer in the family. The refresh rate on this monitor is 165HZ, which is slightly higher than the minimum 144HZ that I considered. This refresh rate isn’t something you will notice when you are doing everyday tasks or playing chess on the monitor. Where you will be able to see the real advantage of a higher refresh rate comes when you’re playing video games with this monitor. This monitor is a go to for me for video games and I’m glad I could find this one inside the price range I was considering for a monitor.
What I have provided are my thoughts on the monitor and if I believe you should purchase this monitor or not by describing what I liked and didn’t like about it. I realize everyone’s monitor use may vary, and some may have different likes and needs for a monitor than I have. I’ve also told you what was in the box for this monitor. I want to thank you for taking the time to read this review and welcome your comments.
Thank you,
Jason
