I just tested MSI’s $749 QD-OLED monitor — and the X50’s 500Hz refresh rate and colorful panel deliver a phenomenal gaming experience

The best gaming monitors can elevate your experience and make your favorite games feel extremely immersive — and the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 does just that. This is one of the finest monitors you can buy today, as it boasts a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time. With wide color coverage and accurate shades to boot, the X50 gives you nearly everything you could ask for.

Almost, because the monitor isn’t perfect. It isn’t the brightest monitor around, and it doesn’t feature enough ports for complex setups. It’s on the expensive side of things, too. On the plus side, though, the monitor sports a minimalist design and it’s a jack of all trades.

To find out if this is the perfect monitor for you, and whether those compromises are worth making, read my full MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review.

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MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Specs

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 500Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Competitive as well as casual gamers who want best-in-class performance
• How much does it cost? It’s not cheap. The MSI X50 retails for $749 / £599
• What do we like? The exceptional gaming performance, great color coverage and accuracy, and sleek and minimalist design
• What don’t we like? The low brightness, lack of ports, and premium price tag

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The ups

From its minimalist design to its 500Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time as well as color coverage and accuracy, the MSI X50 is a superb monitor.

Minimalist, sleek design

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is a sleek and minimalist monitor that can fit right into most setups — whether that’s work-first or a gaming den. It comes in all-black with minimal branding and no loud RGB. The 27-inch panel is perfect for those short on space and to me, it feels like the sweet spot, or Goldilocks, of monitor sizes. Not too big, not too small.

The X50’s panel is held together by a body that measures 24 x 20.9 x 9.5 inches, including the stand. Weighing 17.6lbs, the monitor isn’t too heavy so it can be easily moved around if you’re cleaning or rearranging your setup. The stand itself feels fairly compact, sporting a mostly flat, shield-shaped base, and it doesn’t take up too much space. Its height can be adjusted up to 4.33 inches, and the monitor can swivel horizontally, tilt vertically, and even rotate into a 90° vertical position.

Incredible gaming performance

If you need a mid-range monitor that doesn’t skimp on gaming performance, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the one for you. As you do on many other gaming monitors, the X50 features several picture modes, such as Premium Color, FPS, RTS, RPG, and others. But that’s not even the best part.

The X50 boasts a whopping 500Hz refresh rate for PC gaming and a 0.03ms response time, making it excellent for slow- and fast-paced titles alike. You can plug in a console too, and the X50 supports HDMI VRR and a resolution of up to 1440p at 60Hz or 120Hz — if you’re using a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, that is.

I tested the monitor for PC gaming, and regardless of the title I played, the X50 didn’t let me down. I didn’t experience any choppiness while playing fast-paced games like Forza Horizon 5, as well as first-person titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 where I was comfortably running 480-500fps. No motion blur and no noticeable ghosting made for an extremely enjoyable gaming experience — and that’s thanks to the 0.03ms response time which is on-par with pricier monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949) and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099).

The X50’s QD-OLED panel is nothing short of stunning, too. The screen boasts outstanding color reproduction, so neon-bright lights in Cyberpunk 2077 were well-balanced against the dark, inky shadows, and the game looked incredible. Meanwhile, in Forza Horizon 5, desert scenes appeared warm with the beige tones not appearing too yellow or oversaturated. There was plenty of detail to enjoy in close-up shots of the drivers’ faces in F1 25 too, as I could see the face wrinkles and fine lines in detail.

My lab testing further confirmed the X50’s color coverage across the two most common color gamuts: sRGB and DCI P3. As you can see from the table above, the X50 covered 192.9% of the sRGB space — though you don’t need more than 100%, this goes to show that the X50 boasts great tonal range. DCI P3, a wider color gamut used primarily for cinematic video editing, is easily covered by the X50 too at 136.7% coverage.

The extensive color coverage makes the X50 fantastic for gamers who also partake in creative work, such as photo and video editing. The monitor upstages the Alienware AW2725D ($499), the MSI MPG 272URX, and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, to name a few. The only monitor that outdoes the X50 is the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499), but by a very narrow margin.

Great color accuracy

In addition to superb color coverage, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 features great color accuracy, as proven by my lab testing and real-world use. Color accuracy is measured as a Delta-E score, which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ — and how close the color relayed on screen (the monitor) is to the output from the source (a computer or console). The closer the score to zero, the more accurate the colors.

The X50 achieved a Delta-E score of 0.11 in my lab tests, which is exemplary, especially compared to its competitors. In the table above, the X50 performed better than the five other monitors I pitted it against. I can also confirm that the colors I saw on the monitor appeared extremely accurate to me.

As I mentioned earlier, the X50 is a competent monitor for photo and video editing too, and the great color accuracy further bolsters that aspect. Color modes like sRGB and Display P3 are available for color grading and correction in post-production, and the X50 even features an Adobe RGB mode.

Adobe RGB is a color space that covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers, and is essential for photographers who print. Editing in this mode ensures color accuracy for creating prints. What’s surprising is that the X50, a gaming-first monitor, features an Adobe RGB mode when creativity-oriented monitors, like the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199), don’t. The X50 isn’t just a one-trick pony.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The downs

The MSI X50 is fantastic but it isn’t without its shortcomings. It isn’t the brightest and it doesn’t feature a ton of ports. Oh, and it’s a little expensive too.

Not the brightest

If you’re looking for the perfect brightness stats and specs on paper, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 might not be for you. While the monitor looks fairly bright in real-world usage, my lab testing showed that it doesn’t get very bright. This isn’t the X50’s fault; OLED and QD-OLED monitors just aren’t very bright, especially compared to IPS panels.

Have a look at the table above. I measured the X50’s brightness in both SDR and HDR (10%, 40% and 100% window sizes). It achieved a peak SDR brightness of 289.6 nits, and though that doesn’t sound especially bright, the X50 outclasses its competition.

HDR is another story, and it doesn’t have a happy ending for the X50. Measured in a 10% window, the monitor reached only 284 nits. The only other monitor it upstages here is the HP Omen Transcend 32 and its 241 nits. Every other monitor, however, blows the X50 out of the water.

Don’t let the X50’s poor on-paper results put you off. In real-world situations, it’s plenty bright. Having used it extensively, I haven’t had any issues seeing or reading the monitor, even when it’s been sunny and a lot of sunlight has made its way into the room. Low brightness, on paper at least, is just a limitation of OLED panels, sadly.

Could use more ports

One of my biggest gripes with the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the lack of ports. Located around the back, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4 ports. There’s also a USB-C port with 15W of power delivery, and it enables you to charge your handheld console or laptop while keeping it connected to the monitor — thereby negating the need for a separate charger. You got a 3.5mm audio out port too to plug in your headset.

These sound fine, but I’m surprised that there isn’t a USB hub as found on many other monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 or the HP Omen Transcend 32. The existing array proves limiting if you need to hook up more devices for complex workflows. I suppose MSI had to reserve something for its pricier X36, eh? And hey, at least you get a 3.5mm audio out jack — something that’s missing from the Alienware AW2725D.

A little expensive

There’s no denying that the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is an excellent monitor in almost every regard — and it carries a premium price tag, too. The X50 retails for $749 / £599 at Amazon, though you can sometimes find it for up to 20% off during sales events. For instance, at the time of writing, it’s down to $649 / £498, so it’s worth keeping an eye out during Black Friday and the like.

This retail price makes the X50 pricier than a lot of its competition, like the Alienware AW2725D ($499) and the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499). It’s a lot cheaper than the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099), though, and features a much higher refresh rate. If you find yourself with another $200 to spare, you could even get the ultra-wide curved MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949).

Of course, this isn’t to say that the X50 is unjustly overpriced. It packs plenty of performance and best-in-class features that make it worth the premium. Think of this as less of a drawback and more of a pre-purchase consideration.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Verdict

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 doesn’t skimp on features or performance. For gamers, it packs a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time, which combine to produce incredibly smooth, responsive gameplay with virtually no motion blur or ghosting. The 27-inch QD-OLED panel delivers stunning image quality with best-in-class color coverage and accuracy.

The X50 doubles as a capable creative-work display too, thanks to its dedicated color modes. Additionally, sporting a minimalist, low-key design, the monitor fits right into most existing setups. But the monitor isn’t perfect. HDR brightness is underwhelming compared to its rivals, and the limited port selection may frustrate users with more complex workflows. It also costs noticeably more than several strong alternatives from HP and Alienware.

At the end of the day, though, if it’s sheer speed and beautiful visuals you’re after, the X50 is still a more-than-capable monitor. For the 500Hz refresh rate alone, the X50 almost justifies its premium asking price.