Black Friday seems to turn up earlier every year, and this time MSI isn’t even waiting for November. Its Black Friday monitor deals kicked off today, Friday 30th October, and run right through to the end of November, covering everything from high refresh rate QD-OLED gaming displays to the PRO MAX series aimed at content creators.
Discounts reach as high as 41%, and that top figure belongs to an office monitor rather than a gaming one, the PRO MP245PDG E14. The largest cash saving, meanwhile, goes to the 49-inch MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED. So if you’ve had your eye on a new screen for the battle station (or the work desk, we don’t judge), there’s no need to wait for the usual late November scramble.
QD-OLED Monitors
Unsurprisingly, MSI has gone hardest on its QD-OLED range, and I’ll admit to a soft spot for this first one. The MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is 20% off, and it’s the ultrawide that earned a 4.6 out of 5 when I reviewed it back in the spring. It’s a 3440 x 1440 panel built on 5th Gen QD-OLED, running at 360Hz with DarkArmor Film and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. At a fifth off? Very tempting indeed.
From Our Full Review
☆☆☆☆☆
4.6/5
Pros and Cons
Pros
- 360Hz refresh rate, a first for ultrawide OLED
- 5th-gen QD-OLED fixes text fringing and ambient black levels
- Outstanding colour accuracy and infinite contrast out of the box
Cons
- Cable management is underwhelming
- High power consumption vs LCD alternatives
- Premium price point
Bottom Line
The MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is the ultrawide gaming monitor enthusiasts have been waiting for. Samsung’s fifth-generation QD-OLED panel does away with text fringing, the DarkArmor coating keeps blacks deep under ambient light, and a 360Hz refresh rate makes it the fastest curved ultrawide OLED yet. Cable management remains the one ongoing frustration and the price is steep, but for anyone who wants the very best 34-inch ultrawide available today, it’s a stellar answer.
Read The Full ReviewWant that same 5th Gen ultrawide panel for less? The MAG 341CQP QD-OLED X28 drops the refresh rate to 280Hz and sits further down the pricing ladder, with around 19% off.
Elsewhere, the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 has the biggest percentage drop in the QD-OLED range at 31%. It’s the 26.5-inch, 1440p, 500Hz panel we flagged during Prime Day, and it’s a touch cheaper this time around. Fancy something a little more… expansive? The 49-inch MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED gets a quarter knocked off, and so do the MPG 272URX QD-OLED and MPG 321URXW QD-OLED.
Further down the list, the MAG 274QP QD-OLED X24 and its Currys-only sibling, the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X24, are both 25% off. The MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 (27%), MPG 321CURX QD-OLED (19%), MAG 272QPW QD-OLED X28 (18%) and MPG 321URX QD-OLED (13%) round out the OLED offers.
Gaming Monitors
Not everyone wants to pay OLED money, and that’s fair enough. The MPG 274URDFW E16M is the one I’d point you towards here, at 27% off. I reviewed it over the summer, and its party trick is Dual Mode, which flips the 27-inch Rapid IPS panel from 4K at 160Hz to 1080p at 320Hz at the press of a button. Behind it sits a 1,152 zone Mini-LED backlight with VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification, so HDR has real punch too.
From Our Full Review
☆☆☆☆☆
3.9/5
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Slick Dual Mode
- Strong backlight with DisplayHDR 1000
- 98W USB-C & KVM
Cons
- USB 2.0 on Hub
- External Power Brick
- Native Contrast
Bottom Line
The MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M pairs a 1,152 zone Mini-LED backlight and Quantum Dot layer with a 27-inch Rapid IPS panel, and Dual Mode swaps it from 4K at 160Hz to 1080p at 320Hz on a single button press. 98W USB Type-C, a KVM switch and a fully adjustable stand make it as comfortable running a docked laptop as it is driving a gaming rig. The USB hub is limited to USB 2.0, power comes from an external brick and IPS black levels can’t match OLED, but as one screen that does everything reasonably well, it’s a smart pick.
Read The Full ReviewThe biggest percentage drop in the gaming range goes to the MAG 274QRFW E20 at 35%, with the MAG 322URDF E16 matching the 274URDFW at 27%. The MAG 275QF X32 is 18% off, and it’s a 2560 x 1440 Rapid IPS panel running at 320Hz with VESA DisplayHDR 400, sitting firmly at the budget end of the line.
Elsewhere, the MAG 274QPF X30MV is 20% off, the MAG 274UPDF E16M is 18% off, and the MPG 346CQRF X24 brings a 3440 x 1440 ultrawide at 240Hz into the mix with around 17% off.
Business and Creator Monitors
The single biggest discount in the whole sale lands on the PRO MP245PDG E14, at 41% off. It’s a 23.8-inch 1080p 144Hz screen built around USB-C, so a laptop can drive the display and charge from a single cable, making it a tidy option for a home office. The 1440p PRO MP273Q E7 gets 17% off, and the 144Hz PRO MP273QW E14 is discounted by around 22%.
Creators get a look-in too. The PRO MAX 271UPXW12G pairs a 4K 4th Gen QD-OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, though its discount is the smallest here at around 8%. The PRO MAX 271QPX14G is the cheaper route into QD-OLED for work, at 1440p and 144Hz with around 14% off. A QD-OLED for the office? Why not, I say.
With the deals running all month, you don’t need to rush. I wouldn’t leave the QD-OLED offers until the last minute either, though.
The Full Deal List
Here’s everything MSI has highlighted for the UK, with discounts worked out from MSI’s own list and promo pricing.
These are MSI’s quoted figures, so it’s worth checking what the retailer is charging before you hit buy, as Black Friday pricing has a habit of moving around once things get busy. You can find all of MSI’s Monitor Black Friday deals at the MSI UK website.
