If you're inclined towards competitive gaming and have a higher budget, the Gigabyte M32Q with its larger screen size and slightly higher refresh rate could be a solid choice. However, for general productivity and media consumption, the MSI MAG274QRF-QD offers better text quality and image clarity, which might make it more appealing, especially considering it typically costs less. The MSI monitor also has a better color gamut coverage, making it more suitable for digital photo editing, including print photo editing. If HDR gaming and media consumption aren't a priority, and you're looking for a good balance between performance and price, the MSI could be the way to go. 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 Gigabyte M32Q (IPS)
Very good response time
Advantages of the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS)
Good text clarity
Good image clarity
Key differences
Competitive Gaming
4.7/10
5.8/10
170Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
6.1 ms
TOTAL RESPONSE TIME
9.1 ms
20 - 170 Hz
VARIABLE REFRESH RATE
20 - 165 Hz
Yes
STROBING / BFI
Yes
333 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
The MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) and Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) are both poor for competitive gaming, though the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is somewhat better.
Productivity
5.0/10
6.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
93 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 Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) is poor.
Media Consumption
5.5/10
6.0/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
1195:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1195:1
333 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
460 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
390 nits
Matte
COATING
Matte
The MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is only fair for media consumption, while the Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) is poor.
Cost
$455
$565
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) has a price of $455 and the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) costs $565.
Digital Photo Editing
Yes
No
The Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) is suitable for digital photo editing while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is not suitable for digital photo editing.
Print Photo Editing
No
Yes
The Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) is not suitable for print photo editing while the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) is suitable for print photo editing.
Key similarities
Casual Gaming
5.8/10
6.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
170Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
1195:1
NATIVE CONTRAST
1195:1
333 nits
SDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
372 nits
460 nits
HDR PEAK BRIGHTNESS
390 nits
87.5 %
DCI-P3 COLOR GAMUT
96.7 %
Matte
COATING
Matte
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) to be only fair for casual gaming, while the Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) is poor.
HDR Gaming and Media Consumption
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) and MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) are not suitable for HDR gaming and media consumption.
HDR Video Editing and Color Grading
No
No
Both the Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) and MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) are not suitable for HDR video editing and color grading.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte M32Q (IPS) and the MSI MAG274QRF-QD (IPS) compare to other monitors
"Thanks to its IPS panel with a wide color gamut and fast pixel response time speed, the Gigabyte M32Q offers both an immersive and responsive gaming experience. Additionally, it has an ergonomic stand, plenty of connectivity options, and a lot of useful features – all at a reasonable price."
"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.
By the numbers
210
Monitors evaluated
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14,115
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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.