MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED review: gorgeous gaming display for a great price

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The MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED is 1 of nan champion ultra-wide gaming monitors I've ever tested successful position of ocular oculus candy for playing my favourite games, but location are immoderate quality-of-life issues that support it from being best-in-class.

Pros

  • +

    Stunning gaming visuals

  • +

    Speedy performance

  • +

    Great action of ports

  • +

    Decent price

Cons

  • -

    OLED attraction gets annoying very quickly

  • -

    Burn-in risk

  • -

    Non-gaming visuals are iffy

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED: Three-minute review

The MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED is easy 1 of nan best gaming monitors I've ever used, though it's going to struggle against nan best ultrawide monitors for conscionable astir each different tasks different than gaming and watching video content.

A hint arsenic to why it's truthful bully for nan second is successful nan name: OLED. The Samsung QD-OLED sheet connected this show is spectacular to look at, offering a snappy 0.03ms consequence clip and 144Hz refresh astatine a 5120 x 1440p for ultrafast high-end gaming. The 1800R curve of nan sheet is besides nan cleanable lucifer for nan 32:9 facet ratio, truthful you don't suffer item successful your peripheral vision.

What's more, astatine conscionable $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,699, you're going to consciousness for illustration you're getting a overmuch much premium merchandise for your money than its visuals mightiness suggest.

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 ultrawide, for example, offers somewhat amended specs, but comes pinch a value tag that's astir 50% more, making nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED look thing of a bargain.

However, look nether nan hood, though, and you'll spot wherever immoderate compromises person been made.

An MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

For one, OLED panels are notorious for suffering burn-in, truthful if you didn't registry and activate that transcript of Windows you've been using, this show will person you recovered out, moreover if you yet do springiness Microsoft nan money it's due.

What's more, successful bid to forestall burn-in, you'll request to fto nan show tally its OLED Care regular aft astir six hours aliases so. While you mightiness beryllium capable to opt retired erstwhile nan show first notifies you that it's clip to tally nan routine, you'll only beryllium delaying nan inevitable – and, erstwhile you slightest expect it, nan show will spell up and tally nan regular and you can't extremity it (nor should you).

While this will widen nan useful life of your monitor, this unpredictability will beryllium a nightmare for, say, Final Fantasy XIV fans who are successful nan mediate of a leader raid. That's because erstwhile nan regular starts, nan show efficaciously shuts off, and you person to hold anyplace from 5 to 30 minutes for nan regular to complete.

Of course, this could besides beryllium a benefit, since it does unit you to get up and possibly pet your feline aliases tally to nan shop and get successful immoderate exercise; but it will beryllium incredibly frustrating erstwhile it happens successful nan mediate of thing you'd alternatively not interrupt.

This isn't an MSI-exclusive problem, of course. All OLED monitors person to woody pinch specified issues, but considering nan finance here, it's champion that you cognize what you're successful for.

An MSI 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

In position of features, you do get a bully number of ports, pinch nan USB-C tin of 90W powerfulness delivery. There's besides a USB hub built-in pinch a KVM feature, which is useful – though nan USB-A ports are constricted to USB 2.0.

Note that you don't get immoderate speakers pinch this monitor, truthful you'll person to settee for discrete PC speakers aliases a PC gaming headset, which mightiness beryllium a nuisance for those without either.

An MSI 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

With regards to nan surface itself, nan quality of nan pixels successful nan Samsung QD-OLED sheet nan MSI MPG 491CQP uses besides thin to make matter and Windows UI elements a spot wonky astir nan edges. If you're readying to do a batch of non-gaming activity connected this monitor, then, your acquisition mightiness not lucifer nan value you're paying.

However, let's beryllium clear, this is simply a gaming show done and done – and it's present that nan MSI MPG 491CQP really shines. Rated for 0.03ms pixel consequence and 144Hz max refresh, this show will look and consciousness incredibly accelerated compared to moreover nan champion LCD monitors, and because it's an OLED panel, you'll get awesome HDR pinch axenic achromatic colour and nary perceptible surface glow to ruin a scene.

Its colour gamut sum is excellent, too, rated for 98% AdobeRGB, 99% DCI-P3, and 146% sRGB. So, whether you're moving aliases gaming, you'll beryllium connected nan receiving extremity of incredibly vibrant colors.

Of course, it's besides important to admit that a show specified arsenic this will require nan best graphics card to really push framework rates precocious capable to return advantage of what nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED has to offer.

Anything little than nan Nvidia RTX 4070 Super aliases AMD RX 7900 GRE won't beryllium capable to support up pinch nan texture sizes required for its autochthonal resolution, and moreover entry-level 4K graphics cards specified arsenic nan RTX 4070 Ti Super aliases AMD RX 7900 XT won't beryllium capable to push framework rates into nan hundreds without earnestly scaling backmost nan graphics quality. If you want to get nan astir retired of this show astatine 5120 x 1440p, you'll request an RTX 4080 aliases RX 7900 XTX to get there.

If you're covered connected that beforehand past nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED show is simply a awesome bargain for gamers, truthful agelong arsenic you tin grip nan quirks of utilizing an OLED display. If not, location are plentifulness of IPS and mini-LED displays retired location that will activity for you, but you'll beryllium hard-pressed to find immoderate that look this good.

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED: Price & Availability

An MSI 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED is disposable now successful nan US, UK, and Australia, pinch a unit value of $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,699, respectively.

This is substantially cheaper than nan competing Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, which astatine $1,599.99 successful nan US is astir 45% much expensive.

However, since some monitors person been connected nan marketplace for respective months now, it should beryllium imaginable to find nan models astatine little costs – which makes a nonstop value comparison a spot of a moving target correct now, particularly during awesome income events for illustration Black Friday.

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED: Specs

An MSI 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Swipe to scroll horizontally

MSRP $1,099 / £1,098.95 / AU$1,699
Panel Size 49 ins
Panel Type Samsung QD-OLED
Ranel Resolution 5120 x 1440p
Aspect Ratio 32:9
Curvature 1800R
Brightness 250 nits (Typ.) / 1000 nits (Peak)
Contrast Ratio 1,500,000:1 (Typ.)
HDR DisplayHDR 400 True Black
Ports 1 x DisplayPort (1.4a) | 2 x HDMI 2.1 | 1 x Type-c (DP alt.) w/PD 90W | 2 x USB 2.0 Type A | 1 x USB 2.0 Type B | 1 x Audio out
Color Gamut 146% sRGB / 99% DCI-P3 | 98% AdobeRGB
Display Colors Row 11 - Cell 1 1.07 billion
Warranty 3 years

Should you bargain nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED?

An MSI 491CQP QD-OLED connected a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Swipe to scroll horizontally

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED ScorecardHeader Cell - Column 0 NotesRating
ValueFor a 49-inch 32:9 ultrawide gaming monitor, nan MSI 491CQP is simply a good-value proposition.4.5 / 5
DesignThere isn't immoderate RGB connected this monitor, but it's still gorgeous to look at, and its ample ports make it a winner.4.5 / 5
FeaturesThe characteristic group sees immoderate compromises, but there's capable present to connection a awesome acquisition while gaming.3.5 / 5
PerformanceThe gaming capacity connected this show is spectacular, and that's wherever it really counts.5 / 5
Final ScoreWhile it isn't without immoderate drawbacks, nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED is simply a phenomenal gaming show for OLED fans astatine a awesome price.4.38 / 5

Buy nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED if...

You want gorgeous 32:9 gaming visuals:

The MSI MPG 491CQP looks stunning pinch crisp contrast, speedy performance, and vivid colors.

You want thing much affordable than an Samsung Odyssey:

While this show isn't cheap, for what you get, it's a bargain that offers premium capacity astatine a much affordable price.

Don't bargain it if...

You don't want to put up pinch OLED Care shenanigans:

If you're utilized to playing PC games connected your time disconnected for respective hours aliases more, beryllium prepared to person nan nosy interrupted by nan very basal OLED Care feature.

You want a fund monitor:

This show is simply a awesome worth for its class, but this is still a premium item.

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED: besides consider

How I tested nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED

I utilized nan MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED for a fewer months, playing games, moving connected photograph and video content, arsenic good arsenic productivity work.

Since this is simply a gaming show first and foremost, I made judge to play a assortment of games, from competitory shooters specified arsenic Call of Duty: Warzone arsenic good arsenic much laid-back titles specified arsenic Satisfactory. I person a very high-end PC, truthful I was capable to consistently push nan monitor's afloat solution astatine 144fps to really situation nan display's performance.

I've been reviewing machine hardware for astir 5 years now pinch TechRadar, including dozens of monitors, truthful I cognize what makes for a awesome gaming show and what will apt disappoint astir gamers. I do my champion to leverage that knowledge to present nan champion appraisal of immoderate products I review.

  • First reviewed October 2024
John Loeffler

John (He/Him) is nan Components Editor present astatine TechRadar and he is besides a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum presently surviving successful Brooklyn, NY. 

Named by nan CTA arsenic a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his subject and exertion reporting, John specializes successful each areas of machine science, including manufacture news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, arsenic good arsenic wide subject penning and nan societal effect of nan tech industry.

You tin find him online connected Threads @johnloeffler.

Currently playing: Baldur's Gate 3 (just for illustration everyone else).

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