If you're on a budget and primarily interested in competitive gaming with a fast refresh rate and low response time, the Dell S2522HG will serve you well. However, it has a lower resolution and less vibrant colors, which might not be ideal for media consumption or high-end photo editing. On the other hand, the MSI MAG 321UPX, while more expensive, offers a significant upgrade in image quality with a higher resolution and superior color performance, making it great for HDR gaming, media consumption, and professional photo and video editing tasks. If those aspects are important to you and you're willing to invest, the MSI would be the better option. 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 Dell S2522HG (IPS)
Good for competitive gaming
Advantages of the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED)
Best in class for casual gaming
Good for productivity
Best in class for media consumption
Good image clarity
Best in class contrast
Best in class brightness
Best in class color volume
Best in class response time
Key differences
Casual Gaming
5.8/10
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
1000:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
Inf:1
400 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
1000 nits
N/A
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
Unknown
N/A
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
99.0 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
The MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is best in class for casual gaming, while the Dell S2522HG (IPS) is poor.
Productivity
4.6/10
7.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
89 PPI
PIXELS PER INCH
139 PPI
Yes
ADJUSTABLE STAND
Yes
Matte
COATING
Matte
The MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is good for productivity, while the Dell S2522HG (IPS) is poor.
Media Consumption
5.3/10
10.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
1000:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
Inf:1
400 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
1000 nits
N/A
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
Unknown
Matte
COATING
Matte
The MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is best in class for media consumption, while the Dell S2522HG (IPS) is poor.
Cost
$293
$800
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Dell S2522HG (IPS) has a price of $293 and the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) costs $800.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
No
Yes
The Dell S2522HG (IPS) is not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption while the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
Digital Photo Editing
No
Yes
The Dell S2522HG (IPS) is not suitable for digital photo editing while the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is suitable for digital photo editing.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
No
Yes
The Dell S2522HG (IPS) is not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading while the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Print Photo Editing
No
Yes
The Dell S2522HG (IPS) is not suitable for print photo editing while the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is suitable for print photo editing.
Key similarities
Competitive Gaming
7.0/10
6.8/10
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
6.0 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
0.0 ms
48 - 240 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
48 - 240 Hz
No
STROBING / BFI
No
400 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
1000 nits
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell S2522HG (IPS) to be good for competitive gaming, while the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) is only fair.
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How the Dell S2522HG (IPS) and the MSI MAG 321UPX (QD-OLED) compare to other monitors
"The Dell S2522HG changes the game. This 24.5-inch 1080p gaming monitor has a 240Hz refresh rate, yet it’s commonly sold for $249.99. That’s just tens of dollars more than an average 1080p 144Hz gaming monitor. The S2522HG cuts a few corners in its pursuit of pricing, but it’s a great choice for competitive gamers on a budget."
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.
By the numbers
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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.