MSI MAG 274QRFW Gaming Monitor Review

The MSI MAG 274QRFW is an affordable white 1440p gaming monitor with solid visual fidelity and a high refresh rate. This display targets 1440p gamers with a lighter-themed setup while coming in at an enticingly low price point compared to similar alternatives on the market. To see if the MAG 274QRFW stands out compared to other competitively priced 1440p displays, we’ve rigorously tested this monitor in a range of benchmarks to assess visual quality and colour accuracy.

This MSI monitor joins a highly competitive market, with the vast majority of well-known brands offering some form of budget-oriented 1440p display. The MAG 274QRFW looks to be a rather unique option; as a white monitor, this is one of the few on the market that doesn’t sacrifice features for a greater aesthetic. However, in this review, we’ll be assessing if the MAG 274QRFW is a worthwhile pickup compared to existing 1440p monitors with an assessment of the specs, design, and features.

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Specification

The MSI MAG 274QRFW is a flat 27-inch monitor that supports a max resolution of 1440p (2560 x 1440 pixels). It’s relatively standard for a monitor at this price point to be 27-inches, and I think monitors of this size sit in a sweet spot when it comes to screen real estate and desk space. The MAG 274QRFW has a rated refresh rate of 180Hz and a response time of 1ms using the grey-to-grey measurement (GtG). Grey-to-grey is highly accurate to hardware-level response times, so it’s great that this monitor prioritises low latency.

Peak brightness sits at 400 nits, typical of an IPS panel. While a stronger peak brightness would be more beneficial for colour-accurate monitors, the rated 400 nits on this display isn’t a deal-breaker for us, as the overall design is primarily geared towards gaming. The same train of thought applies to the contrast ratio, as we feel most gamers won’t prioritise brightness over responsiveness in their favourite titles.

The MSI MAG 274QRFW is a little bit lacklustre on the IO front, offering two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4 port. This display has no additional USB ports; the only extra port available is a 3.5mm headphone jack. While this may be a deal-breaker for some, I imagine MSI has reduced the number of ports to make this monitor more affordable.

It must be noted that the MAG 274QRFW uses a barrel connector as its DC Power In, which is infuriating. MSI provide the power solution for this display, but I don’t understand why the power port couldn’t be a kettle lead, as this is commonly used with most other monitors. This means you’ll also have to find a place for the power brick that comes as part of the cabling.

Regarding VRR technology, this MSI display is restricted to AMD FreeSync, meaning screen tearing and stuttering are GPU-agnostic. It’s great to see more monitors implement FreeSync, primarily because this technology doesn’t require specific hardware, so I commend MSI for implementing FreeSync into this display.

With an MSRP of $249.99, the price of the MAG 274QRFW is pretty impressive compared to the rest of the market. A good IPS 1440p monitor will set you back about $200 as a minimum, so the higher 180Hz refresh rate, solid colour accuracy ratings, and speedy responsiveness make the price of this display quite fair, I’d argue.

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MSI MAG 274QRFW Design

As this is a relatively cheap gaming display, most materials used to construct the MAG 274QRFW are plastic. For this reason, this MSI monitor feels cheaper than other premium options we’ve reviewed. However, one of the more impressive aspects of this display’s design is that the MAG 274QRFW is white, contrasting to the sea of black monitors on the market.

The front casing is white, while the MSI logo is silvery grey. Moving around to the back of this monitor, the white colouring continues, with an entirely white chassis, along with the stand pillar and base. White monitors aren’t as common nowadays, so it’s nice that MSI has decided to do something different. While this monitor is primarily plastic, the white colouring uplifts the aesthetic, resulting in a more sophisticated-looking, light-themed setup.

The stand offers plenty of adjustment, providing several ways to find the right viewing angle. The display has 130mm of height adjustment, 45 degrees of swivel, 90 degrees of pivot, and 20 degrees of tilt.

The stand pillar and base feel extremely strong and more premium than the monitor chassis. The stand itself is metal and provides minimal wobble, even when adjusting the display up and down. The stand pillar also has a small cutout in the centre for cables, simplifying cable management.

It’s worth noting that while this monitor does come with a stand, it is optional. The MAG 274QRFW features a 75 x 75mm VESA mount, which can be used to mount this display to a wall or monitor arm, freeing up desk space.

On the back of the display, you’ll find the OSD (on-screen display) joystick, which doubles as the power button. I prefer the power button and OSD joystick to be separate, making controlling the monitor easier. However, the MAG 274QRFW is easily switched on and off by holding down the joystick, which wasn’t initially clear upon inspecting the manual.

The OSD of this display is relatively easy to navigate but is somewhat underwhelming when it comes to features. Again, this is likely to ensure this display remains affordable, but this does mean there are fewer customisation options.

The “Gaming” and “Professional” tabs provide brightness presets for different activities, such as FPS games or watching movies. In the “Gaming” tab, you’ll also find “Night Vision”, which enhances shadows when the imagery on the display is particularly dark.

Alternatively, on the “Professional” tab, you’ll also find the “BlueLight” mode, which reduces blue light when switched on, reducing eye fatigue over long periods.

Features We Like

Before delving into the image quality and colour accuracy of this display, it’s worth assessing some of the great features of the MSI MAG 274QRFW to see what’s on offer compared to other monitors on the market.

Incredibly Smooth Gameplay

The 1ms response time and 180Hz refresh rate contribute to a smooth gaming experience. While testing the MSI MAG 274QRFW, I encountered no stuttering or tearing, which is down to this monitor’s FreeSync VRR technology. Viewing angles are also solid. Thanks to the IPS panel, there are no blindspots on this display; the MAG 274QRFW remains bright regardless of the angle you’re sitting at.

Built-in KVM

The MAG 274QRFW offers a PIP (picture-in-picture) and PBP (picture-by-picture) mode, allowing you to control multiple devices simultaneously. This is particularly useful for those with workstation setups, as you can jump between multiple PCs doing different things; for example, one PC could stream a game, and the other could play the game.

Features We Don’t Like

No Additional USB Ports

While the IO of the MAG 274QRFW has a decent selection of display outputs, there are no additional ports or USBs to utilise. This is a shame, primarily because extra USB ports on a monitor are a convenient alternative to the IO at the front of your PC case. While we understand that this may have been to reduce the monitor’s price, it would have been nice to see a couple of extra USB ports.

Colour Accuracy & Image Quality

We’ve tested the MSI MAG 274QRFW over a number of days, and we’ve found the visual fidelity to be pretty solid overall. For a 1440p IPS monitor, I was particularly impressed with the brightness. Games and HDR content look incredibly vibrant, and this monitor makes no sacrifices on responsiveness, in which fast-paced imagery feels exceptionally smooth and fluid.

Additionally, MSI boasts that the MAG 274QRFW offers a wide colour gamut, providing excellent coverage across the sRGB, AdobeRGB, and DCI-P3 colour spaces. We’ve tested the MAG 274QRFW by running a colour calibration benchmark with the Datacolor Spyder X Pro to determine if MSI’s advertised ratings are accurate. This assesses colour coverage across various gamuts, allowing us to compare results.

It’s common for modern monitors to cover 100% of the sRGB colour space, as this is the standard for displaying digital media. For this reason, it’s unsurprising that the MAG 274QRFW can offer 100% coverage, which matches the advertised rating on MSI’s website.

For DCI-P3, the MSI MAG 274QRFW covered 91% of this gamut, which aligns pretty closely with the 93% rating that MSI provides on their specs page for this display. The 91% is close to MSI’s rating, so we can attribute this to testing conditions and accuracy. Regardless, the MAG 274QRFW offers decent colour accuracy, which makes it worth considering if you’re looking for a more affordable productivity display.

Conclusion

MSI MAG 274QRFW

Product Name: MAG 274QRFW

Brand: MSI

• Features
• Design
• Performance
• Value For Money

4.1

Summary

The MSI MAG 274QRFW is a highly responsive gaming monitor that offers excellent visual fidelity at a highly affordable price. It provides a white aesthetic that blends in well with a lighter-themed setup and has some handy productivity qualities that make this display a decent choice for those with workstation setups. From a features standpoint, the MAG 274QRFW isn’t particularly mindblowing; there’s no additional IO beyond display inputs and a headphone jack, the OSD offers some basic customisation for a gaming display, which includes a blue light filter and some brightness presets, and the colour accuracy ratings provide some versatility for those creating high fidelity content.

However, despite the lacklustre set of features, I think the price of this display is what makes it such a solid option. At $249.99, the MSI MAG 274QRFW is one of the most competitively priced gaming displays, making it a worthwhile option for those on a budget. Furthermore, this is one of the few white gaming monitors that has popped up recently, making it a rather unique display compared to market alternatives. If you’re looking for a great value white 1440p gaming monitor, the MAG 274QRFW is the go-to choice.

Pros

✅ Competitively priced

✅ Sophisticated white design

✅ Highly responsive

Cons

❌ Not many interesting features

❌ No Delta E rating

❌ Lacks USB ports