MSI Optix AG321CQR Gaming Monitor Review

Best Features

• 32″ VA QHD Panel
• 165Hz Refresh Rate
• 1ms Response Time
• 1500R Curved Design
• Wide Color Gamut
• AMD FreeSync Premium
• Fully Adjustable Stand

The MSI Optix AG321CQR houses a curved VA panel so it is not the best monitor for office use because of its mediocre viewing angles but the screen clarity is good.

This gaming monitor has 165Hz refresh rate and is FreeSync Premium certified for high refresh rate blur-free gaming.

Its large screen makes it a perfect monitor for entertainment, but you should get a 4K or an ultrawide monitor for media creation at this price point.

Office

Gaming

Entertainment

Media Creation

Front

Monitor Type – 1500R Curve
Width – 71cm
Height – 46.56 cm

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has a very sleek design from the front and it comes finished in black color. The bezels are super thin from the front with MSI logo on the bottom bezel of the monitor.

The monitor has spreaded legs and it looks like a proper gaming monitor from the front. It has a good amount of width and height, so you will need a good amount of space on the desk.

Back

Depth – 24.69 cm
VESA Mount – 75x75mm
Ports Position – Down-Facing

The MSI Optix G32CQ4 has a stylish design from the back with a lot of sharp elements. However, it comes finished in only black color at the back also. You get RGB Mystic lights at the back that is customisable.

There is a joystick on the right-back of the monitor that acts as a power button as well as controller for OSD menu controls. It also has VESA mounting holes at the back and they have 75x75mm interface.

Bezels

Thinness – N/A

The bezels on the MSI Optix G32CQ4 are crazy thin making it a perfect gaming monitor for dual setups.

Build Quality

Weight – 14.55 lbs

The build quality of MSI Optix AG321CQR is excellent. It does feel sleek, but the parts are of very good quality and it weighs 14.55 lbs which makes it heavier than its predecessor Optix G32CQ4.

Stand

Removable Stand – Yes
Cable Management – Yes

The MSI Optix AG321CQR gaming monitor has a removable stand so make sure to remove it while mounting. It has tri-shaped leg stand that does not take much space on the desk despite holding a large monitor.

This gaming monitor also has a cable management hole on the stand for routing the cables down the desk.

Ergonomics

Tilt – 20° Backward, 5° Forward
Swivel – 30° Right, 30° Left
Height – 90mm
Pivot – 5° Both Ways

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has good ergonomics because it offers tilt, height, swivel, and pivot functions.

However, the swivel and height range are quite narrow. Also, the pivot function is of no use because the display rotates only 5-degrees and that is of no use.

Panel

Panel Type – VA
Panel Size – 31.5-inch
Aspect Ratio – 16:9
Panel Depth – 8 bits

The MSI Optix AG321CQR features a VA panel with 31.5-inch screen size and that provides excellent dark-room performance with inferior viewing angles to IPS monitors.

This gaming monitor has 1500R curved design and it comes with 16:9 aspect ratio with panel depth of 8 bits so it can display 16.7 million colors which makes it a color-rich panel.

Screen Clarity

Resolution – QHD | 2560x1440p
PPI – 93 PPI

The MSI Optix AG321CQR monitor has QHD screen resolution i.e. 2560×1440 pixels resolution and that results in average 93 PPI on the 32-inch screen size.

The screen clarity is acceptable because of the tight arrangement of pixels, and it is equivalent to clarity on a 24-inch 1080p monitor. The screen real estate is satisfactory, but not as good as 4K monitors and we do not recommend this monitor for media creation.

Brightness

Peak Brightness – 250-nits

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has mediocre 250-nits peak brightness which feels unsatisfactory for a 32-inch monitor.

There is an anti-glare coating on the panel which should eliminate most glares and reflections, still it is not the best choice for lit environments because there are brighter monitors available.

Contrast

Contrast Ratio – 3000:1

According to Display Specs, this monitor’s contrast ratio is 3000:1, which is standard for VA monitors, and the blacks appear deep with utmost clarity in the dark.

Gaming on this monitor in the dark feels excellent because it produces excellent details in the dark.

Viewing Angles

Viewing Angles (H/V) – 178°/178°

MSI claims 178-degrees wide viewing angles which is great, but we think that is not happening here because the viewing angles here are mediocre.

Color Coverage

sRGB – 124%
DCI-P3 – 98%

The color coverage is excellent with the 124% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 on this monitor, which is perfect for viewing SDR and HDR content. It produces vibrant colors bringing the gaming experience true-to-life.

Response Time

Response Time – 1ms MPRT

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has 1ms minimum response time and it excellent for a gaming monitor. It handles motions very well and with the FreeSync Premium certification, the gaming experience stays blur and stutter-free.

Refresh Rate

Refresh Rate – 165Hz

This gaming monitor can reach 165Hz refresh rate at its max. It provides consistent high refresh rate gaming experience and the visuals appear super smooth. Hence, this gaming monitor performs very well in terms of high refresh rate gaming. You can looks at other budget gaming monitors here.

BFI

Black Frame Insertion – N/A

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has black frame insertion technology, but it cannot be used with VRR.

HDR

HDR – N/A

The MSI Optix AG321CQR is not HDR certified, but it does support wide color gamut.

FreeSync Premium

This gaming monitor supports variable refresh rate. It supports FreeSync Premium for consistent and tear-free high refresh rate gaming.

Flicker-Free

It has flicker-free technology to prevent flicker at all brightness levels.

Night Vision

Night Vision tunes the panel to display fine details of dark scenes so that you get better clarity and visibility.

Mystic RGB Lights

This gaming monitor has ambient RGB lights at the back which can be synced with other Mystic Light enabled gaming product. It can be controlled from your smartphone or Mystic Light app on the computer.

Low Blue Light

Blue Light Shift reduces harmful blue light from the display so that your eyes do not strain

5-Way Joystick

This gaming monitor has 5-way joystick that acts as a power button and a joystick for controlling OSD menu.

Video Inputs

2x HDMI 2.0
1x DisplayPort 1.2

The MSI Optix AG321CQR has dual HDMI 2.0 ports which support max 144Hz refresh rate, while the DisplayPort 1.2 supports max 165Hz refresh rate.

USB, Other Ports

1x USB 3.0 (Type-B, Upstream)
1x 3.5mm Audio Out

It offers dedicated audio out port for connecting speakers or headphones, along with a USB Type-B port.