MSI OPTIX MAG301RF: A 29.5-inch gaming monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, 1 ms response times and a 200 Hz refresh rate that costs US$399

MSI has revealed the OPTIX MAG301RF, its new ultra-wide gaming monitor. The company is yet to publish a product listing for the monitor, but representatives have confirmed that the monitor should launch in about a month. Additionally, the OPTIX MAG301RF will retail for approximately US$399.

The OPTIX MAG301RF has a 29.5-inch panel that resolves at 2,560 x 1,080 pixels (WFHD), denoting that it also has a 21:9 aspect ratio. The so-called 'Rapid IPS' panel has 1 ms (grey to grey) response times and a 200 Hz peak refresh rate, which should make it ideal for gaming. Similarly, HDMI-CEC support should make it simple to power cycle the monitor and a console simultaneously.

However, it is worth noting that 21:9 panels require about a third more GPU power than 16:9 ones do. Hence, you may notice lower framerates when gaming on the OPTIX MAG301RF than on a 16:9 monitor, unless you drop the graphics settings. Alternatively, you could upgrade your GPU, but that is easier said than done, currently.

MSI has also included NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility, a wide colour gamut and RGB lighting effects. Unsurprisingly, the OPTIX MAG301RF supports HDR, blue-light filtering and a flicker-free backlight, too. According to representatives, the OPTIX MAG301RF has a rotatable, tiltable and height-adjustable stand, but it is yet to provide specifics on these features. Likewise, we do not know the monitor's peak brightness or contrast values. All should become clear about the OPTIX MAG301RF within a month or so, though.

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