MSI Optix MAG301CR2 30″ WFHD 2560 x 1080 1ms 200Hz Curved Gaming Monitor
Summary of Customer Reviews
The MSI Optix MAG301CR2 30″ curved gaming monitor has garnered positive reviews across various shopping platforms. Customers appreciate its smooth gaming experience, versatile display features, and the immersive aspect of the ultrawide, curved screen. Many users have praised its high refresh rate of 200Hz and 1ms response time, which significantly enhances their gaming experience. The WFHD resolution offers a decent visual quality, with colors that generally “pop” well on screen. Reviewers have highlighted the easy setup process and the robust build quality of the monitor.
Users have also commended its versatility, noting that it performs well not only for gaming but also for productivity, such as having multiple windows open at once, making it ideal for multitasking. Some customers mentioned using the monitor for trading, coding, and general office work, where the wide aspect ratio is particularly useful for viewing more content without scrolling.
While the monitor has many strengths, a few criticisms have emerged, such as issues with ghosting at times, the lack of built-in speakers, and the 1080p resolution, which some users find suboptimal for a screen of this size. Despite these minor drawbacks, most customers have expressed high satisfaction with the MSI Optix MAG301CR2, considering it a good value for money, especially when on sale.
PROS
- High Refresh Rate and Response Time: Many users mentioned the 200Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time as standout features. These aspects provide an ultra-smooth gaming experience, especially beneficial for fast-paced games. One user said, “The refresh rate is so good on my games. It’s the perfect width for streaming that I need.”
- Immersive Ultrawide Display: The 21:9 aspect ratio of the monitor has received a lot of praise for enhancing the gaming and multitasking experience. Reviewers mentioned that the ultrawide curved screen makes them feel more engaged, both during gaming and for productivity purposes. One reviewer noted, “The curve is just the right size and keeps the wide screen from running away from you.”
- Versatile Setup: Customers appreciate the monitor’s adaptability for different uses. It works well for both productivity and gaming setups. One reviewer highlighted that they use the monitor vertically, which is particularly useful for viewing documents and charts in a work environment.
- Easy to Assemble: Numerous users praised the ease of assembly and setup, highlighting that they encountered no difficulties. The sturdy base also received positive feedback. A reviewer noted, “It was easy to set up, it has a sturdy base for my desk that is adjustable for height and tilting.”
- HDR and Color Quality: The monitor’s HDR support and color performance received positive feedback for delivering vibrant and well-balanced visuals. One user mentioned, “Like the auto HDR, high refresh rate, and the built-in headphone stand on the back! Also has USB C input, great for using with my phone.”
- Great for Multitasking: Several reviewers mentioned that the wide aspect ratio is ideal for multitasking, allowing for multiple windows to be open simultaneously. A customer noted, “It’s perfect for multitasking or playing video games. I can comfortably have two-three windows open side by side without feeling crowded like on a normal monitor.”
CONS
- 1080p Resolution for Large Screen: Some users found the 1080p resolution to be lacking for a monitor of this size, stating that the pixel density is lower compared to other screens, which affects the sharpness of text and fine details. One user remarked, “1080p at this size is not good; I got it because I wanted to see more stuff in racing games and FPS on the sides, but it doesn’t look great in my opinion.”
- Ghosting Issues: A few customers pointed out the ghosting that sometimes occurs, especially in darker scenes or fast-paced games. This was noted as a drawback despite attempts to adjust the monitor’s settings to mitigate the effect. One user said, “The screen has a lot of ghosting issues, and though you can tune some of it away, it still remains.”
- No Built-in Speakers: The monitor does not include built-in speakers, which disappointed some users who expected a complete multimedia solution. One user commented, “No speakers, but that’s okay.”
- Adjustment Mechanism Issues: Some customers found the adjustment mechanism to be overly sensitive, making it challenging to achieve the right viewing angle. One review mentioned, “The monitor is absolutely amazing, but the adjustment mechanism on the back is very meticulous and sometimes difficult to adjust because of how sensitive it is.”
- Color Calibration: A few reviewers noted that the monitor isn’t calibrated out of the box, leading to some initial setup requirements for optimal image quality. One user shared, “The monitor isn’t calibrated out of the box, and smearing does occur with greys and blacks.”
- Not Ideal for Certain Games: Users mentioned that for some games, the ultrawide resolution isn’t always ideal. One customer stated, “Some games may not cover the whole screen, like Valorant, but that doesn’t bother me much.”
Who Should Buy?
The MSI Optix MAG301CR2 is an excellent choice for gamers looking for an immersive experience thanks to its 200Hz refresh rate, ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio, and 1ms response time. It is also well-suited for professionals who need to multitask effectively, as the wide screen allows for multiple applications to be displayed side-by-side. However, if you are seeking the highest resolution for detailed work or have limited space for a large monitor, this might not be the perfect fit. Overall, it’s ideal for users who value smooth gaming performance, vibrant colors, and an expansive display for both work and play.
Do Users Recommend This Product?
Most users highly recommend the MSI Optix MAG301CR2, particularly for its gaming performance and versatility. Customers who use it for both gaming and productivity have found it to be a great all-around monitor. A user mentioned, “I love this monitor so much! I highly recommend this monitor… great for playing your favorite video games!” The curved display and high refresh rate are significant highlights for gamers, while its adaptability for productivity tasks makes it a good option for multitasking. However, some users who prioritize ultra-high resolution or dislike dealing with ghosting effects might be less satisfied. Overall, the majority agree that it’s a worthwhile investment, especially considering its performance and price.
Great for the price - HOWEVER...
tl;dr Monitor is pretty great considering it’s curved, 30 inches, 2560×1080 resolution, 200hz, AMD Freesync, anti-glare, HDR, like daaaaaamn. All those things together make for a really great gaming and viewing experience.
HOWEVER
There is a ghosting problem, I read many other talk about it too, but THERE IS A SOLUTION. Make sure you’re running on 200hz, which requires use of the Display port. I’d also recommend a better quality Displayport cable than the one this monitor comes with. With the little nipple thing on the back, of the monitor, navigate to the response time setting and set it to fastest, and also turn on AMD Freesync in the same menu. If you have an Nvidia GPU, make sure to find the G-SYNC setting (which is just another word for AMD Freesync) and enable it to both Fullscreen and Borderless Fullscreen games. Boom, ghosting problem resolved.
- 19
- 0
Pretty Good Monitor
Firstly, the monitor can hit 200hz. The monitor comes with three cables, an hdmi cable, a display port cable, and a usb-type b. The hdmi hits a limit of 180hz, while the display port hits 200hz. I almost exclusively use the display port cable and get great results.
There are some pretty good color options and the osd works well, though it doesn’t have many modular options for those who are most technical and picky about their setup. The size of the monitor is great. The curve is just the right size and keeps the wide screen from running away from you. I use the monitor for work and games and I’m very happy as it handles both well in terms of functionality (having many pages open and visible at once) and performance (with my games).
No shipping issues and the package arrived early. Putting it together was super easy and I had everything I needed. So far I’ve not had a bad experience with this monitor. If I had to gripe about anything, I would wish the monitor came with some sort of cleaning solution, as I like to try to keep new things looking new, but this is a nitpick and not really a fault of the monitor. Overall really happy with it.
- 14
- 0
Just terrible quality
I should have checked online first before buying this monitor. I figured it would be solid quality being MSI. I set it up next to my older Acer and even after messing with all the settings it didn’t come close to how nice the old monitors picture was….. last MSI I’ll ever waste money on.
- 9
- 28
Incredible Gaming Monitor
Picked this up at my Best Buy store in VA Beach yesterday. Comes packed with multiple cables and other things including a booklet and wall mount screws. My Series X Xbox detected 4k UHD for the resolution setting which surprised me. Also detected the HDR and 10 bit color. Was blown away how sharp and crisp everything rendered on screen was. Looked as crisp as my 4k 16×9 monitor but even better with the ultrawide effect. Using the Racing setting for the picture as the colors are so vivid. The screen is super bright and clear. 200 hz and 1 ms response are the icing on the cake. Overall I am very happy with this beast monitor. $315 sale price made it even better. My brother, who lives in VA Beach, is picking his up today for his gaming room and Xbox Series X. If your on the fence about this monitor get it. You will not be disappointed. Nothing beats Ultrawide. Period.
- 8
- 0
Great display for all your needs!
I have a gaming computer rental shop, I have used many monitors of companies: Samsung, AOC, Philip, Dell, ViewSonic …. This is the first MSI product I used, middle color Real, good viewing angles, curved screen for movie experience with great depth, clear text mode without jaggery.Perfect ergonomics, tilt, rotate left-right, height, portrait mode . With the right price, I would recommend this product to everyone!
- 6
- 0
***UPDATE*** Easy to set up and huge screen size
When I initially tried to enter the serial number and 3-character CHK number, I could not register my monitor. I reached out to the manufacturer and was walked through the registration process.
I was not sure if this screen would be wide enough for my professional use. I’m a textbook author and need to have pages display side by side on a monitor. This one is plenty wide enough for that, it was easy to set up, it has a sturdy base for my desk that is adjustable for height and tilting. The sturdy base is important for me because reviews about other monitors describe flimsy bases.
- 5
- 0
Budget Ultrawide
I got this monitor for $300 with tax and shipping however I think it shouldn’t be listed for more than that. It is a decent monitor but it’s 1080p and a VA panel. Since it’s “in my opinion” a budget UW there will be a bit of trade offs. The monitor isn’t calibrated out of the box and smearing does occur with greys and blacks. The response time is pretty good from 100-200hz but I don’t recommend playing lower than that. There is some screen flickering in certain situations so be mindful of that as well. If you’re like me and expecting to play at 1080p high refresh for quite a while I do recommend this monitor if you want an UW experience, if not then look at IPS panels. You can get a 16:9 IPS that doesn’t have these trade offs from image quality for performance.
- 5
- 0
Catch it on sale, worth the investment
I’m not going to say I’m a specialist or that I can detect huge differences with this or other competitors. If you’re an “average” person with a desire or need to have a wide screen with good screen quaility, this is a winner. My only detraction is the back of it seems to always have a rainbow light active (likely can be disabled, just haven’t found it). I enjoy that it has multiple input types and can be positioned as needed.
- 4
- 0
Love it so much
I was so skeptical about buying this monitor because of the reviews. I will honestly say, I am so BEYOND happy with it. I bought this for both work and play, and it works perfectly for both. It has different screen modes based on what I am doing. When I work I keep it in reading mode, when I play I put it in whatever game mode I choose. its big enough for me to multi task on and small enough that it doesn’t take up my whole desk. It is a very nice monitor. The only two downsides I will say about it are, the stand is quite annoying. It sticks out far from the monitor and it does not come with audio built in however, it still works perfectly and I love it.
- 4
- 0
Good monitor but not 200hz
The statements for this montor should be:
MSI Full HD Non-Glare 1ms 2560 x 1080 Ultra Wide 180Hz Refresh Rate HDR Ready USB/DP/HDMI Smart Headset Hanger FreeSync 30”Gaming Curved Monitor (Optix MAG301CR2) – Black
While this is a good monitor, the most it will put out is 180hz. At first I thought maybe it was my graphics card limiting the hz but since receiving my RTX 3090, it is the same 180hz result.
Wasn’t worth returning since the size of the monitor is what I was looking for. Works great for gaming, work, and anything else you may need the monitor size for.
- 4
- 0