A New Take on QD OLED for PC Gaming
The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 might have a clunky name, but it is one of the most interesting gaming monitors to arrive in a while. It is a 34 inch ultrawide display that uses Samsung’s latest fifth generation QD OLED panel and has already picked up an editor’s choice award with a score of 92 percent.
This monitor runs at a 3440 by 1440 native resolution, which gives it a pixel density of around 110 pixels per inch. On paper that is not especially high, and previous QD OLED panels at this size and resolution have had a serious problem for everyday desktop use: ugly text.
Earlier QD OLED monitors used a triangular subpixel layout which caused noticeable font fringing. Games looked fine, but the moment you tabbed out to read text in Windows, everything could look slightly fuzzy or fringed with color at the edges. That made those displays hard to recommend as all round PC monitors, no matter how good they were for gaming.
The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 is the first monitor to really fix this issue on a PC focused QD OLED panel, making it far more viable as both a gaming screen and a daily driver.
How the New QD OLED Panel Fixes Old Problems
The key change is in the subpixel structure. Instead of the odd triangular layout used in previous generations, the new Samsung fifth gen QD OLED panel in this MSI uses a standard RGB stripe. In simple terms, that means the red, green and blue subpixels are lined up from left to right, just like on most traditional LCD monitors.
This might sound like a small technical detail but it solves most of the font clarity issues that plagued earlier QD OLED screens at lower resolutions. Text now looks much more like what PC users are used to, without the distracting color fringing around the edges. At this 34 inch 3440 by 1440 size, the problem is described as all but entirely removed.
The reviewer even suggests that if this RGB stripe layout is used on a 27 inch 4K panel, the text clarity issue should be completely gone. That is promising for the future of QD OLED monitors in more sizes and resolutions that suit both gamers and productivity users.
Right now, this particular subpixel layout is only available in this 34 inch 3440 by 1440 Samsung panel, but more configurations are expected to roll out over the coming year. That means we are probably at the start of a new generation of QD OLED gaming monitors that finally work well for everything, not just games.
HDR, Brightness and Everyday Use
Panel coating and reflections are also a big deal for OLED monitors, especially on a PC where you might have lights, windows and other sources of glare in your setup. MSI uses a semi glossy coating paired with a panel layer that improves light absorption compared with previous QD OLED generations.
When you put this new QD OLED panel next to an LG WOLED display and shine a light on both, older QD OLED and LG OLED panels often show a visible purple tint as they reflect light. With MSI’s implementation and Samsung’s PureBlack layer, that purple sheen is far less noticeable. The issue is not completely gone, and with a strong enough light you can still see a difference between QD OLED and WOLED, but it is significantly improved.
Brightness is one area where OLED monitors in general are still catching up. The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 offers a fullscreen average brightness of around 300 candelas per square meter. That is a step up from the older QD OLED generations which were typically in the 250 to 275 range, but still shy of the roughly 400 level that many would consider ideal for making OLED brightness a solved problem for desktop use in bright rooms.
Where this monitor really shines is HDR gaming. Thanks to smart tuning from MSI and the improved panel characteristics, the HDR experience is described as the best yet on a PC OLED gaming monitor. Dark scenes look truly deep and inky, while highlights like bright lights, explosions or reflections pop with sharp detail. At the same time, bright outdoor scenes also hold up well, which has not always been a strength of OLED PC monitors.
That balance between deep blacks, bright highlights and usable overall brightness is crucial for immersive gaming, and this monitor appears to deliver that better than any previous PC focused OLED display.
Who Is This Monitor For and Is It Worth It
The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 is aimed squarely at PC gamers who want an ultrawide, high end OLED experience without having to compromise too much on daily usability. If you love fast paced games, cinematic single player titles or anything that really benefits from HDR, this kind of panel makes a huge difference compared to a traditional LCD.
Because the text clarity issues have been largely fixed thanks to the new RGB stripe subpixel layout, you can now more realistically use this as your main PC monitor for both gaming and regular desktop work. You no longer have to dread reading text in your browser or working in Windows after a gaming session.
The main drawback is price. The monitor is expected to launch at around 1,100 dollars. MSI has a reputation for being aggressive with panel pricing, so there is a good chance the street price will drop over time, but early adopters will still be paying a premium for this new generation of QD OLED technology.
There is also the usual caveat that you need strong GPU hardware to drive a 3440 by 1440 ultrawide display at high frame rates in modern games, especially if you want to take full advantage of its HDR capabilities and high refresh rates. As with most high end gaming displays, the monitor might end up outpacing many people’s graphics cards.
Even so, the MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 stands out as one of the first QD OLED gaming monitors that finally feels ready for both gaming and everyday PC use. If you have been holding off on OLED monitors because of font fringing or reflection issues, this new panel generation might be the one that changes your mind.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/gaming-monitors/msis-brilliant-new-qd-oled-screen-fixes-one-of-the-biggest-issues-with-oled-gaming-monitors/
