A Next Gen QD OLED Gaming Monitor
The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 is a 34 inch ultrawide gaming monitor built around Samsung’s latest generation QD OLED panel technology. It aims to fix the biggest issues of earlier QD OLED screens while cranking up HDR performance and speed for serious PC gamers.
This is a 3440 by 1440 resolution display with a 21 by 9 aspect ratio, delivering an immersive field of view that works especially well in racing games, RPGs and cinematic single player titles. It is not trying to be a productivity king or a 4K sharpness champion. Instead it focuses on fluid motion, deep contrast and eye popping HDR for gaming.
On paper the specs are stacked:
- 34 inch 3440 by 1440 QD OLED panel
- 360 Hz refresh rate with adaptive sync
- 0.03 ms pixel response time
- DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification
- 300 nit full screen brightness and up to 1300 nits HDR peak
- HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1a and USB C with 98 W power delivery
The price reflects that high end focus. Expect around 1099 dollars or roughly 1000 pounds at launch.
Panel Improvements That Matter For PC Gamers
Previous QD OLED monitors offered incredible contrast and speed but came with a few quirks. The MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 tackles several of those issues head on.
First, Samsung has moved from the odd triangular subpixel layout used on earlier QD OLED panels to a more conventional vertical RGB stripe. The blue subpixel is still smaller, but overall the subpixel arrangement now looks much closer to a normal LCD monitor.
That matters for PC users because Windows font rendering and many desktop elements rely on predictable subpixels for sharp edges. Earlier QD OLED ultrawides at 3440 by 1440 often showed noticeable color fringing on text. With this RGB stripe layout, text clarity is clearly improved. It still is not razor sharp like a 27 inch or 32 inch 4K monitor but it looks cleaner and less distracting day to day.
The second big upgrade is brightness and light handling. This new panel delivers:
- 300 nits full screen brightness, up from about 250 nits on older QD OLED monitors
- 1300 nit peak HDR brightness, up from around 1000 nits
- VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification, an upgrade from older DisplayHDR 400 models
Full screen brightness still does not match the brightest OLED TVs, but for PC gaming it is more than enough for most players in normal rooms. More importantly, Samsung has improved light absorption. Older QD OLED panels tended to pick up a purple grey sheen in bright ambient light, which hurt perceived contrast. This new generation reduces that issue significantly. It is not quite as resistant to reflections as the best LG WOLED panels, but the gap is now small enough that it is no longer a major deciding factor unless you game in extremely bright environments.
The panel uses a glossy coating, which helps keep blacks deep and colors punchy while giving you that glassy premium look many OLED fans prefer.
Performance, HDR And Everyday Use
Where this monitor really shines is speed and HDR performance. The 0.03 ms response time combined with a 360 Hz refresh rate delivers seriously sharp motion. For fast paced shooters or racing games, the clarity is on another level compared to even high end LCDs. Smearing and ghosting are essentially gone and camera pans stay crisp.
While the 34 inch ultrawide format is not the competitive esports standard the monitor is quick enough that it could still be used for high level play. If you prefer a standard 16 by 9 view for shooters you can run 2560 by 1440 with black bars on the sides. Thanks to true OLED blacks, those bars basically disappear instead of glowing grey.
MSI also puts real effort into HDR tuning. The monitor offers DisplayHDR 500 and HDR 1300 style modes plus customisable EOTF options. EOTF describes how incoming HDR brightness data is mapped to actual light output. Getting this right is crucial if you want both bright highlights and good shadow detail.
In practice, the default DisplayHDR 500 mode works extremely well for mixed use. It lets you leave HDR enabled on the Windows desktop without making everything look blown out or dim. SDR content still appears correct but with an extra sense of punch and depth, especially if you run apps in dark mode where OLED contrast really stands out.
In games, HDR is where this monitor pulls away from most of the pack. The combination of deep blacks, 1300 nit highlights and smart EOTF handling means both dark and bright scenes look fantastic. Bright desert landscapes in games like Cyberpunk 2077 finally have real impact instead of looking flat, while neon filled night scenes still explode with color and highlight detail. The reviewer describes it as the best HDR experience they have seen on a PC monitor so far.
For connectivity and ergonomics, MSI hits most of the right notes. You get HDMI and DisplayPort for your gaming PC and consoles. The USB C port allows single cable connection to a laptop with up to 98 W power delivery plus a small USB A hub for peripherals. The stand offers height, tilt and some rotation adjustment, though the panel does not rotate fully into portrait, which is understandable for a 34 inch ultrawide.
The one ongoing compromise is pixel density. At 3440 by 1440 on 34 inches, you are looking at around 110 pixels per inch. That is fine for gaming and good enough for general use, but if you are used to a sharp 4K monitor you will notice that text and UI elements are softer. If you do a lot of productivity work or value ultra crisp text above all else this may be a trade off.
For pure PC gaming though, the resolution is a sweet spot. It is significantly less demanding than 4K so you can actually hit high frame rates with current GPUs, especially if you want to approach that 360 Hz ceiling in competitive titles. At the same time, the ultrawide 21 by 9 aspect gives you more immersion and screen space in supported games.
Summed up, the MSI MPG 341CQR QD OLED X36 is arguably the best example yet of a 34 inch 1440p ultrawide gaming monitor. It delivers next gen QD OLED improvements, blistering speed and genuinely impressive HDR. If ultrawide 1440p is your preferred format and you can live with the modest pixel density for desktop work, this is an outstanding choice for a high end gaming rig.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/gaming-monitors/msi-mpg-341cqr-qd-oled-x36-review/
