27-inch monitor? Sure. 1440p resolution? Sounds good. 180Hz refresh rate? Even better. IPS panel? Buddy, take my money! And not a lot of it because right now Amazon is selling this MSI gaming monitor for just $160, a nice $30 discount off its regular $190 price.
The MSI MAG 275QF is a budget model, but I respect any gaming monitor that steps it up with an IPS LCD panel. That means it has much better color accuracy than the usual VA panels in this price range, good enough for my Photoshop work when I’m not gaming. That 2560×1440 resolution is pretty sharp, too. And 180Hz of refresh with a 0.5ms response time is fast enough for even competitive games.
Otherwise, the monitor is fairly basic, with DisplayPort and double HDMI inputs plus a headphone jack. The included stand has tilt adjustment, but for anything more complex you’ll want a dedicated monitor arm, made easy by the VESA mount.
Oh, and this is the first budget monitor I’ve seen in a while that doesn’t include those horrible cheap speakers. That’s a plus in my book.
Amazon is showing this as a special price but not a sale, so I don’t know how long the discount will last. It’s shipping in three weeks at the earliest, so it seems like lots of people are buying. Grab it while you can! (If you miss it, Best Buy is selling the same model for $172 with shipping or pickup options coming in a little faster.)
Get a fast 27-inch IPS gaming monitor for $160Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.