MSI MP341CQ 34" Matte Black 2023

The MSI Pro MP341CQ is a 34-inch ultrawide with a 100Hz refresh rate and a VA panel. It's great for office work and casual gaming, but the 250 nits brightness is dim and the ergonomics are basic. If you can find it for under USD 300, it's worth it.

The 100Hz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT response time are the headline numbers here, and they're fine for a business monitor. FreeSync keeps things smooth if you're doing some light gaming on the side. The VA panel gives you a 3000:1 static contrast ratio, which means blacks look decent, but the 250 nits brightness is a bit dim for a bright room. The 116.2% sRGB coverage is solid for office work, but the 8-bit+FRC color depth means it's not a true 10-bit panel. In our database, the display quality ranks in the 80th percentile, which is good, but the overall performance sits at 68th, so it's not a speed demon.

Compared to the Samsung Odyssey G60SD or the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMG, the MSI is not in the same league for gaming. Those are OLED panels with much higher refresh rates and better HDR. But they also cost a lot more. The LG UltraGear 32GX850A-B is a closer competitor in terms of size and resolution, but it's also more expensive. The BenQ MA Series MA270U is a 27-inch 4K monitor, so it's sharper but smaller. If you want an ultrawide for work and don't need blazing speed, the MSI is a solid budget pick.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, we've seen it listed anywhere from USD 200 to USD 560, which is a massive spread. If you can snag it near the low end, it's a steal. At the high end, you're paying way too much for what you get. The best deal we've seen is from Newegg, which tends to have the lowest US listing. In Canada, prices range from CAD 372 to CAD 566, so the same advice applies: shop around and don't pay full price.

The MSI Pro MP341CQ is a 34-inch ultrawide that wants to be your office workhorse. It's a VA panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution and a 100Hz refresh rate, which is a nice step up from the 60Hz panels most people are stuck with. The curve is gentle at 1500R, so it wraps around your desk without feeling like a funhouse mirror.

For the price, you're getting a lot of screen. It's not going to blow anyone away with brightness or color accuracy, but it's a solid, no-nonsense ultrawide for productivity and casual gaming. Just don't expect it to be a portable monitor, because at over 9kg, it's basically a piece of furniture.

Skip this if you need accurate color for professional photo or video editing, because the 8-bit+FRC panel and 250 nits brightness won't cut it. Also skip it if you want a portable monitor, because at over 9kg, it's not going anywhere. And if you need height adjustment or swivel, look elsewhere, because this only tilts.

This monitor is for people who want a big, curved ultrawide for office work, spreadsheets, and maybe some light gaming. It's not for serious gamers or anyone who needs accurate color for professional photo or video work. If you can find it for under USD 300, it's a great deal. If you're paying more than that, you should look at other options.