If you're a competitive gamer looking for the best gaming performance with deep blacks and high refresh rates, consider the AOC AG456UCZD, especially for its wide viewing angle and speed. However, for mixed use including productivity and regular gaming, the MSI MAG274QRF-QD provides good color accuracy and a more affordable price. If HDR gaming and media consumption are important, the AOC excels, but for digital photo editing and use cases where text clarity is vital, the MSI is the better choice. The AOC's OLED panel might not be as suited for productivity due to potential burn-in risks compared to the MSI's IPS panel. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED)
Best in class for casual gaming
Very good refresh rate
Best in class contrast
Best in class response time
Advantages of the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS)
Good text clarity
Good image clarity
Key differences
Casual Gaming
9.6/10
6.1/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Inf:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1195:1
200 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
Unknown
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
390 nits
98.5 %
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
96.7 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
The AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) is best in class for casual gaming, while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is only fair.
Productivity
3.8/10
6.2/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
83 PPI
PIXELS PER INCH
109 PPI
Yes
ADJUSTABLE STAND
Yes
Matte
COATING
Matte
The MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is only fair for productivity, while the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) is poor.
Cost
$1,400
$436
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) has a price of $1,400 and the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) costs $436.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
Yes
No
The AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) is suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
Digital Photo Editing
Yes
No
The AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) is suitable for digital photo editing while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is not suitable for digital photo editing.
Key similarities
Competitive Gaming
6.0/10
5.8/10
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
0.0 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
9.1 ms
48 - 240 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
20 - 165 Hz
No
STROBING / BFI
Yes
200 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) to be only fair for competitive gaming, while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is poor.
Media Consumption
5.9/10
6.0/10
3440 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Inf:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1195:1
200 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
Unknown
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
390 nits
Matte
COATING
Matte
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) to be only fair for media consumption, while the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) is poor.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
No
No
Both the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) and MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) are not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Print Photo Editing
Yes
Yes
Both the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) and MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) are suitable for print photo editing.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the AOC AG456UCZD (W-OLED) and the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) compare to other monitors
"The MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD has the largest color gamut we’ve ever seen and near-perfect out-of-box accuracy. sRGB content will be oversaturated though, and HDR doesn’t do anything for image quality."
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec monitors team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest monitor information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the monitor team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Monitors Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.