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MSI has really blown all expectations out of the water with the G274F gaming monitor. With a 1ms response time and 180Hz refresh rate, this monitor is perfect for any e-sports or pro gamer wanting a huge monitor to dominate the competition. This monitor might not have the highest resolution, capping out at 1080p, but it makes it incredibly easy to run on any PC. This monitor was used with a Dell XPS 15 and a CalDigit SoHo dock for this review. Over the last week, this monitor has been put through the wringer with a myriad of games and used for day-to-day use.
Even though MSI has a smaller reach in North America than companies like Logitech or Corsair, they are proving they deserve to be in the same league with this latest line of gaming peripherals. EvenMSI’s PC casesare an excellent option for any gamer’s next PC build.
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MSI G274F Gaming Monitor
The MSI G274F is a gaming monitor aimed explicitly at the e-sports crowd with a 180Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. With a max resolution of 1920x1080, this IPS panel provides bright and accurate colors, especially with its wide viewing angle of 178°.
Contents of Package and Setup
The MSI G274F comes in a relatively small box considering how large the display is, which is especially nice for apartment dwellers. Lifting it up the stairs is an easy task. The monitor itself only comes in 3 separate parts: the display, the foot of the stand, and the arm for the stand. In the package, there are two screws for those gamers that plan to use the provided stand. The stand slots into the back and then is secured with two screws. After that, the foot of the stand can be screwed into the bottom of the arm with a thumb screw. From receiving the package and opening the box to having the monitor ready to game, the whole setup process took less than 10 minutes.
For the gamers that plan to use this monitor on an arm or as a wall-mounted monitor, MSI provides four screws to help mount it to a VESA plate. These screws are made nicely, and the heads are inset Philips screws that look hard to strip even with multiple mountings and un-mountings.
Besides that, the G274F comes with an HDMI cable (always nice to see), power supply, and a quick start guide. The quick start guide covers the setup process and nothing else, which should be everything users needed to get… started.
Design and Features
Perfect for gamers with smaller desks, this 27" monitor actually fits in quite nicely. With extremely thin bezels all the way around, the G274F can easily fit into any desk space. The foot of the monitor is not overly big but still sturdy enough that the monitor does not shake while gaming. The included monitor stand has a cable routing hole to make it easy to keep everything nice and tidy, even with a laptop dock setup where everything lives on the desk. This stand allows users to change the display’s tilt, but the height and rotation are not adjustable. Overall the design of the G274F is sleek and understated; when first looking at it, the monitor doesn’t scream gamer. For gamers looking for a more humble looking monitor, the MSI G274 is perfect.
Features-wise, the G274F is packed to the gills. Starting with the most significant selling point, the blazing fast 180 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time make the G274F an e-sports gamer’s dream. Even for gamers that aren’t e-sports fans, a fast refresh rate monitor improves any gaming experience and overall use immensely. Thanks to the Anti-glare coating, this monitor has an incredible viewing angle of 178°, so pretty much as long as the gamer is in front of the monitor, there is no noticeable drop-off in color quality. For NVIDIA users, the G274F supports G-sync to smooth out any screen tearing, stuttering, flicker, or artifacts.
Now this monitor has excellent color accuracy and a wide color gamut, and technically the G274F does support HDR, but because of its low brightness of 250 nits, it doesn’t quite meet HDR requirements. So for users who want a true HDR experience, this monitor does not meet the specs needed, but that does not detract from its gamut coverage. Windows does support this monitor for its HDR features, and in-game or just watching HDR content, this monitor definitely outshines most gaming monitors on the market.
Performance
Performance-wise, the G274F is incredible; a large, incredibly fast monitor makes any task or game a joy. Over the last week, this monitor has been used to play multiple games, including twitch shooters likeRoboQuestandDoom, to slower-paced games likeCivilization V.Regardless of the game type, this monitor absolutely excelled and made the gaming experience feel much more immersive.
For any FPS fans out there that haven’t used a high refresh rate monitor before, it is a different experience when jumping from 60Hz to 180Hz. Jumping back and forth from a 60Hz monitor to a 180Hz monitor is like night and day; the games can be running at the same FPS, but the 60Hz feels much more sluggish and less responsive compared to 180Hz.
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In HDR-supported games, the wide color gamut of the G274F shows its true colors. Games likeLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagalook absolutely breathtaking, and inDoom, the HDR sometimes makes it too scary to play for long periods of time.
Outside of gaming, the G274F is still an absolute beast. Whether for day-to-day work or editing videos, this monitor was a huge help regardless of the workflow. For editing videos, the 27" display makes it easy to have everything laid out nicely without any panel feeling cramped. The high refresh rate also helps make cuts quickly, making everything feel more responsive. Color-wise, this monitor is not a studio reference monitor, but for the price, most editors should feel comfortable color-grading or at least color-matching with the G274F.
Is The MSI G274F Right For You?
Although the MSI G274F gaming monitor mainly targets e-sports fans, more people outside that niche should check it out. It is hard to find a decent monitor with a high refresh rate, a wide color gamut, and a slew of other features for under $200. Gamers that primarily use a laptop as their workstation and gaming platform should consider picking this up; combined with a nice USB-C hub that can support high refresh rate monitors, this is a near-perfect desk setup.
On the other hand, gamers looking for 1440p or higher resolutions might be slightly disappointed by the 1080p limit for the G274F. At 27", 1080p is a low resolution; for the first day or so, it does feel like using a grandparent’s phone with its huge font size.
Related Products
For gamers who don’t think the MSI G274F will fit their needs, there are a ton of monitors to choose from. Game Rant has gone through a bunch of searching already and has put together a guide for any monitor that best fits your needs. For example, for gamers that want a higher resolution and are willing to go a bit lower for a refresh rate, theGIGABYTE M32Umight be the way to go.
$309
$189
$240
FAQ
Q: Is 144Hz a gaming monitor?
A 144Hz monitor will help with gaming, especially when it comes to smoothing fast action or screen tearing, but for gamers that want a quicker refresh rate, some monitors support refresh rates up to 360Hz.
Q: Is 24 or 27 better for gaming?
Screen size usually varies from gamer to gamer, but for the most part, there is a pretty large consensus that 27" monitors are more immersive and offer a wider field of view. Of course, for those gamers that don’t have a ton of space on their desk a 24" monitor will probably suit them better.
