MSI Ushers In Brand New Optix Gaming Monitors
A Pair Of Portable Monitors And A Curved FreeSync Family
MSI are offering more details on several new Optix monitors they showed off at CES, including pricing and availability on many of the models. The first, the MAG161V is a rather unique beast as you can see below it resembles a tablet but is actually much more. It is a portable gaming monitor with a protective case which also functions as a stand to make it easy to bring along with you when you are on the road. It weighs a mere 2lbs and is 5.1mm thick, but still offers a great 1080p 15.6″ IPS experience with a variety of ways to connect it to whichever device you brought with you and the built in speakers ensure better audio than you might expect.
The other member of this family, the MAG161 offers the same physical design but improves your experience by offering up to a 240Hz refresh rate. The V model is available on Amazon for $249.99, but for the moment there is no sign of the FreeSync model.
The Optix MAG272 Series, which includes the MAG272CRX at $350, MAG272CQR at $400 and MAG272CR at $280 are somewhat more traditional monitors, built to sit on a desk as opposed to travelling with you. While they share many traits in common, there are some distinguishing features to each which let you choose the model that most appeals to your desires. They are all 27″ 1500R curved panels with a wide 178 degree viewing angle and 1ms response rate and they feature Night Vision, software that amplifies details in dark areas of the screen to bring out the finer details which helps on an HDR display.
All but the MAG272CQR are 1080p displays, that particular model offers a resolution 1440p which does limit it’s peak FreeSync refresh rate to the same 165Hz as the MAG272CR, if you want a 240Hz display you should choose the MAG272CRX. All three models feature MSI’s Gaming OSD APP 2.0 and MSI’s Commander Unit (for MCU fans) that helps ensure you get a smooth connection to your GPU.
