MSI MAG 321CUP Curved 160Hz 4K UHD VA with HDMI 2.1
As an Amazon Associate and Newegg Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases made using the “Buy” button at the bottom of this post. Where possible, you'll be redirected to your nearest store. Further information on supporting our work.Update: Our video review of this model has been published. News piece below initially published 11th March 2024.
The immersion and contrast offered by ~32″ VA models can be very attractive, particularly when combined with a high pixel density and elevated refresh rate. This is offered by the MSI MAG 321CUP, featuring HDMI 2.1 to enhance its appeal to console gamers and allow a 120HZ ‘4K’ UHD signal for systems such as the Xbox Series X and PS5. The monitor has a simple dark matte plastic design, with ‘penguin foot’ stand base. Dual-stage bezels feature with slim panel border flush with the rest of the screen, plus thin hard plastic outer part. The OSD (On Screen Display) is controlled by a joystick at the rear of the monitor, towards the right side as viewed from the front.
A 31.5″ 3840 x 2160 (‘4K’ UHD) VA panel is adopted, with 1500R (moderate) curve to help draw you into the experience a bit. A 160Hz refresh rate is supported alongside Adaptive-Sync and HDMI 2.1 VRR. This allows VRR technologies such as AMD FreeSync and Nvidia ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ to be used, with 48 – 160Hz VRR range plus LFC. A 3000:1 static contrast is specified alongside 178°/178° viewing angles and 10-bit (8-bit + FRC) colour support. A flicker-free WLED backlight delivers a 350 cd/m² (400 cd/m² HDR peak) typical maximum luminance and 91% DCI-P3 (90% Adobe RGB, 114% sRGB) colour gamut. Low Blue Light (LBL) settings are included to potentially improve viewing comfort.
VESA DisplayHDR 400 support is included, allowing basic HDR10 support. The colour gamut and brightness capability is limited by HDR standards and no local dimming is specified, but 10-bit colour can be used and a different look can be given to content under HDR for a bit of variety. A 1ms MPRT response time is specified (caution advised) using an included strobe backlight setting. The stand provides tilt and height (130mm or 5.12 inches) adjustment. It attaches centrally and can be removed to reveal 100 x 100mm VESA holes for alternative mounting. The ports face downwards and include; 2 HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps) ports, DP 1.4, USB-C (15W, DP Alt Mode), a 3.5mm headphone jack and a DC power input (external ‘power brick’). 2-device PbP and PiP is also supported.
Further details can be found on the manufacturer’s website or in our video review. The monitor is listed for ~$440 USD.
