I think its the best hybrid monitor that you can have right now for only $700

madmozg

Hey guys, recently I got MSI MPG321UR-QD for test. I checked on displaymonitor that the display was 8bit+FRC, but I still wanted to check it out and try to force it to use 8bit.

So on first run this monitor was acting interesting on my eyes. I didn't have any problems, but just very slight feelings. I was comparing that feelings with MBA 15' M2/M3 with StillColor enabled. I thought okay, thats it, pixel inversion or dithering. Grabbed my microscope to check how the pixels are dancing 😃 But I was shocked that the pixels were still. Nothing was moving, I tried to check few more times with different shutter speed, FPS and etc, nothing. I was like, okaaaay, very confusing. Went straight to MSI official website, opened documentation for that monitor and it was saying that its true 10 bit! What a discovery, great IPS panel, true 10bit, 144hz, colors are amazing, PPI is great, KVM. True GEM haha.

But there is a small caveat, I tested it with opple LM4 and this monitor have the same slightest PWM on dark areas as the MBA m2/m3, but I decided to fight it and try.

On first day I was working with it for 2-3 hours without any issues, maybe slightest feelings that was gone after 5 mins when I was not looking at monitor or so. After that I decided to connect it to my windows PC to play some games. I think I played about 4-5 hours straight, I was super focused playing fps games, didn't have any issues at all, just regular tiredness after playing too much haha. After that I was like, okay that monitor is not bad at all, I was super happy.

The problem. After testing about 15 monitors within 2 years I realized that the scare of getting out from return window is giving me additional problem. So I said to myself, fck it, I'm going to keep it and it gave me even more confidence. After that this monitor was even better for me. So after 2-3 weeks working with this monitor I found:

I can feel some weird feelings if I'm not getting enough sleep. I'm telling you guys, its always for me like that.
If I drink a coffee, its there. Monitor will give me slight pwm sensations, not very bad, but manageable. (I gave up on coffee for more than 3 month and I'm feeling much much better. I suspected if coffee could give me more eye strain and on practice for me it really does)
Last one - psychosomatic. The moment I think about monitor eye strain, it will come in a minute. So when I'm distracted playing games or focused doing some work i'm totally fine.

Let's summarize: I'm keeping this monitor. I want to have great IPS display, 4K, 144hz. I'm okay if it will give me slightest eye strain in some cases, but after 2 years of all this struggle trying to find perfect monitor its just a gem for me. So if you are totally fine with MBA M2/M3 this monitor will not cause you any problems. If you are slightly fine with MBA, just try it, I can't suggest that this monitor is going to fit to everyone. I was not able to keep MBA, but I think I'm going to give it another try. So thats my experience, hopefully it could help someone 🙂

I bought this monitor for $714 on newegg, USA.

simplex

madmozg pixels were still. Nothing was moving

In text white background, in some gray transients - no pixel movement?

Which color depth settings/resolution you used?

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

madmozg The moment I think about monitor eye strain, it will come in a minute.

what's interesting is that this is actually not true for me and probably a few others here — because if i'm using a truly good screen, like my 2012 lenovo that only has mild PWM (as in detectable scanning top to bottom subtle PWM on grays with slow motion camera) and ditherig.exe actually works:

i can literally think about the topic of screen eye strain or "what if it actually might have dithering" all i want and EVEN THEN the screen still feels great and i stay just as productive

which confirms that in my case i don't seem to be affected by a psychosomatic aspect at all, because if i'm using a screen that truly "passes the threshold" nothing i'm thinking can prevent it from still being just as good

madmozg

simplex

I didn't check pixel flickering around text 🙁

I Tested only on color gradients and also on grayscale picture, no movements at all, solid as rock.

With my macbook I didn't change any color depth and I was not using stillcolor app. Used standard color profile. Resolution was I think native, I also tried zoomed resolution around 2k or so.

With windows PC I think in settings it was 8bit. I didn't change anything, was using it as is.

simplex

madmozg I Tested only on color gradients and also on grayscale picture, no movements at all, solid as rock.

Its interesting for me: in my 24" fullhd 6bit+FRC panel I can see pixel movement in gray transitions, but text stays solid in 6 or 8 bit signal input. Pixels of wallpaper on the screen moving around

But for 27" 2k 8bit + FRC monitor, I notice strange: text dithers left to right on 6 or 8 bit, not solid - to check it, I set monitor to 60hz and record with 60fps camera, then started playback frame-by-frame

jordan

Do you know what panel the monitor uses? I still don't trust companies that say true 10 bit since dell and ViewSonic has lied about it lol. lately I've been looking at panel data sheets to get the correct answer. That's good there's no pixel dancing though!

madmozg

jordan yeah, dude I think I bought 5 monitors with "true 10 bits" haha and all of them were just lies. I think one was okay for 2500$ but its too expensive to keep lmao, and mini-led implementation was terrible so I returned it. Would be interesting to check what panel it is for real, but I don't know how 🙁

AlanSmith

jordan AUO M320QAN02.3 (8bit+FRC)

jordan

madmozg jeez yeah 2500 is a lot! lol. I mean if something was safe to use and 2500 it would be worth it 😅 I just don't think mini led is good.

For MSI I think to enter service menu you gotta do the following

•Hold the joystick button down
•Unplug your monitor power supply - keep holding down
•Plug in your monitor supply - keep holding down
•When msi logo appears - stop holding down
•When monitor displays screen - push joystick button down to show OSD
• Push joystick button down again
Service menu opens "

I copied pasted that. When I opened service menu on my 27q it was another tab that was added to the OSD settings of the monitor

madmozg

jordan I'm currently on vacation, so when I come back I will definitely do that 🙂

madmozg

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs same as with my 8bit asus monitor I don't have any issues with it. I think my case with psychosomatic is just triggering something in my brain, maybe be in the same way as my IBS lol.

jordan

AlanSmith yup 8+2. https://www.scribd.com/document/662533304/M320QAN02-1

Is that the monitor that OP listed ?

madmozg

AlanSmith what is your source ?

madmozg

AlanSmith can I ask you where you find 8bit+FRC in that link? I can see only 10bit. I got the same link from tech MSI support. So i'm trying to understand who lies here this panelook website or AUO manufacturer ?

madmozg

jordan I can confirm now that its a 8bit+FRC. Sorry if I confused anyone.

madmozg

There are 2 models in official specifications. Please be aware of it 🙂

madmozg

madmozg So I tested this monitor again and I figured out that what I saw flickering on microscope is just a very slight pwm of backlight. Pixels itself are still. So it means that this monitor is 10bit. I can compare this pwm to the same as MacBook Air 15 M2/M3.