Slowly but surely, OLED monitor prices are creeping downward. I wouldn’t call them “affordable” just yet, but you can find one from a reliable brand for about half the price they were at a year ago.
Take this 27-inch MSI monitor for example: it’s just $530 on Amazon right now. That’s $170 off its regular price.
The MAG 271QPX is on the budget side of things, albeit in the very specific context of a “budget” OLED. But it’s still packed with features that gamers will appreciate. That starts with the 2560×1440 resolution, which is increasingly the “sweet spot” for PC gamers. With a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, you can get ultra-smooth motion for online competitive games and fantastic visuals for single-player games (assuming your PC has the power for it).
This thing can even handle USB-C video, which is sometimes omitted even from newer OLED designs. The bad news is that its power output is only 15 watts, which means it can charge up your phone or tablet but definitely not a high-power laptop. Other input options include DisplayPort and double HDMI, but no extra USB ports.
The monitor’s included stand is pretty robust with support for portrait tilting, or you can mount it to a standard VESA arm if you want. I also dig MSI’s 3-year warranty on OLED panels.
Amazon’s discounted price for this monitor isn’t shown as a limited-time sale or promotion, so it may be around for a while. But it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for a new OLED monitor, and other retailers aren’t matching the price, so hop on it if you’re interested.
Get this 27-inch 1440p OLED monitor for just $530Author: 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.