MSI MAG 244F 24" Metallic Black 2025

The MSI MAG 244F delivers a 200Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time at a budget price, with color coverage that beats monitors costing twice as much. The stand is flimsy and HDR is mostly marketing, but for competitive gaming on a budget, this is one of the best values we've seen. At $100 US it's a steal, though UK buyers should think twice at GBP 211. If you want smooth, responsive gameplay without breaking the bank, this monitor delivers.

The 200Hz refresh rate is the headline here, and it's legitimately one of the best on the market right now. Our database puts this monitor in the 94th percentile for performance, which means it's beating the vast majority of displays we've tracked. The 0.5ms GtG response time is the minimum spec, so real-world performance will vary depending on the overdrive setting, but even at more conservative settings you're looking at a panel that keeps motion blur to a minimum. For fast-paced shooters, that's the difference between seeing an enemy clearly mid-flick and seeing a smeared mess.

The 300 nits brightness is solid for indoor use, though it's not going to blow you away in a sunlit room. The HDR support is more of a checkbox feature than a real selling point. Without local dimming and with a 1000:1 contrast ratio, HDR content will look slightly better than SDR but nowhere near what a proper HDR display can do. The real story here is the color performance. 96% DCI-P3 coverage on a budget gaming monitor is a standout, and the 10-bit color support via 8-bit + FRC means gradients look smooth without banding. If you're doing casual photo editing or content creation on the side, this panel won't embarrass you.

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B is a completely different beast, a 34-inch ultrawide with a VA panel. You'd buy that for immersion and screen real estate, not competitive gaming. The MSI wins on refresh rate and response time, but the ASUS offers a much bigger canvas and better contrast. The Dell S2725QC is a 27-inch 4K monitor aimed at productivity, so it's not really a direct competitor, but if you're splitting time between work and gaming, the Dell's higher resolution and USB-C connectivity might matter more than 200Hz.

The HP OMEN 27qs G2 and Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx are closer competitors. Both are 27-inch 1440p panels, which means you're trading refresh rate for resolution. The MSI's 200Hz at 1080p will feel smoother in fast-paced games, but the 1440p panels offer sharper text and more desktop space for productivity. The Gigabyte M27UP SA is a 4K option, so again, different priorities. If you're purely gaming and want maximum smoothness on a budget, the MSI is the pick. If you want a monitor that does double duty for work, the 1440p options are worth the extra money.

The pricing on this monitor is all over the place depending on where you shop. US listings show it around $100, which is an absolute steal for a 200Hz IPS panel with this color coverage. Canadian buyers are looking at CAD 139, and European pricing lands around EUR 119. But then you've got the UK listing at GBP 211, which is a completely different value proposition. At that price, you're competing with monitors that offer more features and better build quality.

At the lower end of that range, this monitor is hard to beat. You're getting top-tier refresh rate performance and color accuracy that punches well above its weight class. The trade-off is the stand, the limited ports, and the HDR that's more of a suggestion than a feature. If you can find this on sale, especially in the US or Canada, it's one of the best budget gaming monitors we've seen. At full UK retail, you should probably look elsewhere.

The MSI MAG 244F is one of those monitors that makes you wonder why anyone still buys 60Hz panels for gaming. You get a 24-inch 1080p IPS screen running at 200Hz with a 0.5ms response time, and the whole package lands in budget territory. That's a combo that would have cost you serious money a few years ago. Now it's just sitting there on the shelf, waiting for someone who wants smooth gameplay without selling a kidney.

This is a monitor aimed squarely at competitive gamers and console players. The 200Hz refresh rate is overkill for a PS5 or Xbox Series S, which cap out at 120Hz, but it's perfect for a mid-range PC pushing high frame rates in games like Valorant, CS2, or Apex Legends. The FreeSync Premium support means you won't be dealing with screen tearing when your frame rate dips, and the Rapid IPS panel keeps colors looking decent while you're flicking between targets.

What makes this interesting is the price-to-performance ratio. The color coverage is genuinely impressive for a budget gaming panel, with 96% DCI-P3 and 126% sRGB. That's the kind of spec you'd expect from a monitor costing twice as much. MSI clearly decided to spend the budget on the panel and the refresh rate, then cut corners elsewhere. We'll get into where those corners are.

If you're primarily a productivity user who occasionally games, this monitor probably isn't for you. The 1080p resolution on a 24-inch panel is fine for gaming, but text clarity and desktop space suffer compared to a 27-inch 1440p display. You'd be better served by something like the HP OMEN 27qs G2 or Acer Nitro XV272U, which give you more pixels for spreadsheets and documents while still offering high refresh rates for gaming.

HDR enthusiasts should also look elsewhere. The 300 nits brightness and lack of local dimming mean HDR content won't look dramatically different from SDR. If you want real HDR performance, you're looking at monitors in a completely different price bracket. And if you're sensitive to quality control issues, the reports of dead pixels and light bleed on some units might make you nervous. MSI's budget line doesn't have the same QC rigor as their premium offerings, so buying from a retailer with a good return policy is smart if you decide to take the plunge.

For competitive gamers on a budget, the MSI MAG 244F is an easy recommendation. The 200Hz refresh rate and low input lag are exactly what you want for fast-paced shooters, and the color performance means your games will look great while you're fragging. The $100 US price point makes this a no-brainer if you can find it at that level. Console players on PS5 or Xbox Series S will also be happy here, since the 120Hz VRR support works flawlessly and the 1080p resolution is a natural fit for those systems.

If you're a more casual gamer who plays slower-paced titles or splits time between gaming and productivity work, you might want to consider a 1440p option instead. The extra resolution makes a real difference for text clarity and desktop space, and you probably won't miss the jump from 144Hz to 200Hz. The flimsy stand is also worth factoring in. If you don't plan to use a VESA mount, you'll be living with a tilt-only stand that some owners describe as wobbly. That's a solvable problem with a $30 monitor arm, but it's still an extra expense.