MSI Modern MD272QP Ultramarine Review

Just in for review is the MSI Modern MD272QP. This is a 27-inch WQHD 75 Hz IPS monitor retailing for about ₱16,750 PHP locally.

While the refresh rate might not impress some, the MD272QP comes with features geared towards productivity. It has KVM, a 65 W capable USB Type-C port and a sleek ergonomic design. It is also available in three colorways: Black, White and Ultramarine.

Disclosure: MSI sent the Modern MD272QP for the purpose of this review. The company did not ask me to say anything particular about it.

• Product Page: MSI Modern MD272QP
• Price: $260 USD (Amazon), ₱16,750 PHP (Dynaquest)
• Release Date: Q3 2022

Technical Specifications

Display
Panel Size	27 inches
Panel/Backlight	IPS (W-LED)
Surface Treatment	Anti-Glare
Resolution	2560 x  1440 (16:9)
Pixel Density	108.79
Refresh Rate	75 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate	AMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible
Brightness	N/A
Contrast ‎Ratio	1,000:1 (Typical)
Response Time‎	4 ms
Color Coverage	95% sRGB
Color Depth	8-bit
Connectivity
Display Options‎	HDMI 1.4b, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 (DP + Type-C)
USB	2x USB 2.0 (Type-A)
Audio‎	3.5 mm (Out)
Ergonomics
VESA Mount‎	100 x 100 mm
Pivot	±90°
Swivel	±30°
Tilt	-5°/+20°
Lift	±50 mm/100 mm
Anti-strain	Blue Light Filter
Dimensions
Length	614 mm
Width	200 mm
Height	402 mm
Weight	5.85 kg

Packaging and Accessories

The Modern MD272QP comes packed inside a two part XPS foam packaging.

Scope of delivery are as follows:

• MSI Modern MD272QP Aquamarine
• HDMI cable
• USB 2.0 cable
• Power adapter
• Power cord
• Quick start guide
• 4x VESA stand-off screws
• Quick-release stand
• Base
• Cable management clip

Decent bundle we got here. I guess its up to us to find a USB Type-C cable though.

Design, Build and Connectivity

MSI’s modern series are minimalistic and visually appealing line-up of products and the MD272QP Ultramarine does not differ. It is well thought of from a design stand point with matching panel, stand and base – fit and finish wise.

The back panel is a huge contrast over MSI’s own gaming monitors, continuing the minimalistic yet calming design elements of the Modern series. This would be a great display on any office, both literally and figuratively.

Connectivity options are conveniently hidden at the bottom part of the panel and with proper legends as well. We have an HDMI and DispayPort here along with the USB Type-C port that you could use as a display port or up to 65 W of power delivery for compatible devices. A USB Type-B port is situated next to the 3.5 mm output jack for the extra USB Type-A ports.

Unfortunately (personally speaking), power is supplied via an external power adapter. This design is suitable for an office environment so I can’t blame MSI for such a decision.

OSD and Navigation

Now what I don’t like about the Modern MD272QP is its linear array of navigation buttons. Don’t get me wrong, they are decent enough to use but a joystick would be better for its interface.

Now there are 5 main menus within the OSD and each may contain up to 4 hierarchy of settings. With this in mind, the OSD is definitely geared towards joystick navigation.

Options are more than enough compared to your budget monitor. I was even surprised to see an HDMI CEC support which is a nice complement to its KVM functionality.

Aside from the mismatch between the physical buttons and the OSD menu itself, I have nothing else to complain here.

Ergonomics

The MSI Modern MD272QP comes with a 27-inch display featuring a native resolution of 2560 x 1440, translating to a PPI level of 109.79. It also has an anti-glare coating which is my go-to preference for multi or well-lit workspaces. With its default stand and base, the maximum depth available is measured at 47 cm for a 60 cm desk.

Pivot, swivel, tilt and lift are all available for adjustment. If you need more, the Modern MD272QP also supports VESA mounting as an option.

Test Setup and Methodology

Our test setup relies on the measurements taken from industry standard tools and applications. It is important to note that we are testing the review sample after burn-in, with at least 24-hours of uptime. This is done so to negate the FOTB (fresh out the box) state of the DUT (device under test), yielding better benchmarking consistency.

Test Setup
Colorimeter	DataColor Spyder5 Elite
Response Time Tool	OSRTT Pro
Resolution	Native
Refresh Rate	Native
Color Depth	Native
Luminance	120 cd/m²
White Point	6500 K
Gamma	2.2

Due to a number of factors including the test equipment and its limitations, the measurements obtained here are not meant to be compared from various results you may find online.

OSD Presets

Luminance, contrast and white point are measured in their respected units (SI/non-SI). The test aims to evaluate the OSD presets with DataColor Spyder5 Elite and its built-in Display Analysis.

Settings	Brightness (cd/m²)	Black Levels (%)	Contrast (:)	White Point (K)
Eco	173.4	0.26	670:1	7700
User	199.8	0.30	670:1	7700
sRGB	234.2	0.30	790:1	7700
Anti-Blue	140.0	0.26	530:1	4900
Movie	190.9	0.28	670:1	7700
Office	194.6	0.25	790:1	7700
Black-White	166.0	0.25	670:1	7600

The monitor defaults to Eco mode which is not ideal. If you do not have the means to calibrate the display yourself, sRGB is a fine option. Contrary to the White Point values here, it actually measures well at 6400 K with DisplayCal. Ultimately, we picked User as our settings of choice for precision. OSD settings are as follows:

• Preset = User
• Brightness = 36
• Contrast = 70 (Default)
• Color Temperature = User (100 Red, 44 Green, 41 Blue)
• Gamma = 2.2
• Color Space = N/A (sRGB)

As usual, send me an email if you need the ICC or ICM profile for this particular monitor.

Gamut

Coverage level is measured in percentage (%). The test aims to evaluate the gamut with DataColor Spyder5 Elite and its built-in Display Analysis.

sRGB (%)	AdobeRGB (%)	DCI-P3 (%)	NTSC (%)
99	82	83	77

While sRGB coverage is great, AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 are a bit lagging behind. Not an issue at all since the color space this monitor support is just sRGB.

Tone Response

Response curve is measured in gamma (γ). The test aims to evaluate the tone response with DataColor Spyder5 Elite and its built-in Display Analysis.

1.8 (γ)	2.0 (γ)	2.2 (γ)	2.4 (γ)	2.6 (γ)
N/A	N/A	2.2	N/A	N/A

The Modern MD272QP does not support tone control but we are happy to report that it is on point at 2.2 gamma level when calibrated. For your reference, the sRGB profile reports at 2.3 gamma level.

Brightness and Contrast

Luminance is measured in candela per square meter (cd/m²) while contrast is measured in ratio (:). The test aims to evaluate the brightness and contrast.

Settings	Brightness (cd/m²)	Black Levels (cd/m²)	Contrast (:)	White Point (K)
0%	6.5	0.00	6480:1	6300
25%	36.4	0.14	250:1	6300
50%	102.8	0.23	450:1	6300
75%	207.4	0.31	680:1	6400
100%	262.7	0.33	810:1	7500

Peak SDR brightness is measured at 262.7 cd/m². Contrast ratio could be better though, since it peaked at around 400:1 using our preferred brightness level. Even at 100% settings, it struggled to reach 1000:1 which is the ideal contrast ratio to start with. Rather weak brightness and contrast results here. Acceptable for its intended application though.

Screen Uniformity

Color difference is measured in Delta-E (∆E) while luminance difference is measured in percentage (%). The test aims to evaluate the screen uniformity with DataColor Spyder5 Elite and its built-in Display Analysis.

Color uniformity is acceptable with a maximum Delta-E of 3.1 at the top left quadrant of the panel. Luminance hot spots are not the best though with four areas of the panel featuring double-digit differences. Worst offender here is the lower left area.

Color Accuracy

Color difference is measured in Delta-E (∆E). The test aims to evaluate the color accuracy with DataColor Spyder5 Elite and its built-in Display Analysis.

Color accuracy has a Delta-E average of 0.99. This is excellent, with the only outlier being the CIELab (47.12, -32.52, -28.75) patch registering at 5.36 ∆E.

Response Time

Perceived response time, RGB overshoot and visual response rating are measured in their respective units (SI/non-SI). The test aims to evaluate the response time with OSRTT Pro.

With overdrive at normal, OSRTT Pro measured an average perceived response time of  14.96 ms. RGB overshoot error averages at 0.13 which is good. Visual response is rated at 48.05 on average.

Overdrive set at fast gave us an average perceived response time of 12.49 ms while average RGB overshoot error jumps to 5.47. This still nets us a higher average visual response rating at 49.65.

With overdrive set to its fastest, the MSI Modern MD272QP nets a lower average visual response rating of 46.72. This is due to a slower perceived response time along with a higher amount of RGB overshoot. Stick to either normal or fast if you wish to play games with this display but even then, I would not recommend it for that purpose.

Input Lag

Input latency is measured in milliseconds (ms). The test aims to evaluate the input lag with OSRTT Pro.

The MSI Modern MD272QP comes with a total input lag of 9 ms on average. Certainly not the best we’ve seen but it is good enough for its intended use.

Power Consumption

Power is measured in watts (W). The test aims to evaluate the power consumption with Electric Energy Meter.

Power consumption at 120 cd/m² hoovers around 15.5 W. Not bad for a 27-inch WQHD IPS panel.

Features

KVM functionality is the MSI Modern MD272QP’s main feature. It doesn’t work like the usual KVM switch though since you are only going to get the functionality via to the monitor’s USB Type-C when it is connected to a compatible device. For it work, you also need to install the MSI Productivity Intelligence app. Learn more from MSI’s own video below.

The monitor also comes with an onboard stereo speaker yet I just find it okay. I didn’t even bother measuring its frequency response and maximum SPL. Maybe I will when manufacturers decided to step it up. It is decent enough for casual media consumption though.

Final Thoughts

With everything said and done, the MSI Modern MD272QP is actually a surprisingly nice monitor to use – in spite of its 75 Hz refresh rate. Perhaps that’s due to the addition of its KVM functionality, its ergo-centric design and quite possibly, how aesthetically pleasing it is.

Its one of those psychological aspects of owning something that is technically not that impressive (it has an impressive color coverage and accuracy, mind you) yet has been elevated further by its physical appearance. Like a functional decoration – but we know it is more than that. For the record, I do not own this – it is a sample. I hope I get that straight.

Now technically speaking, what you have to watch out for are its middling contrast ratio, luminance uniformity and its perceived response time. Brightness also peaks at 262.7 cd/m² so if you are hoping to use this next to a window, it might very well be a limiting factor.

Taking everything into account, I would still recommend the MSI Modern MD272QP for what it could offer in certain environments or use case scenarios.