MSI MEG 342C 34-inch ultrawide monitor that is designed for mixed purposes. Though the monitor supports gaming, you can mold it and use it based on your preferences, such as to accomplish office work. It comes with a 175 Hz refresh rate and also has a variable refresh rate When it comes to gaming consoles, you get HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. You also get a high-end graphics card with a strip of RGB light at the bottom bezel.
The monitor is designed to give you an extra advantage for your everyday work. However, users have reported about the risk of burn-in. So, let’s get a closer view of the specifications, features, pros and cons, and prices of the MSI MEG 342C.
Whenever you are choosing a monitor, you must consider factors such as design, features, connectivity, and other personal preferences.
What is the Specification of MSI MEG 342C?
- Brand: MSI
- Weight: 30.1 pounds
- Height: adjustable
- Product Dimensions: 32 x 11.5 x 15 inches
- Screen Size: 34-inch
- Screen Curvature: 1800R
- Max Screen Resolution: 3440×1440 (UWQHD)
- Panel Type: QD-OLED
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9 (UltraWide)
- Refresh Rate: 175Hz
- HDMI: 2.1 VRR
- Ports: DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.1,
- Ports: USB-C, Headphone Jack, 4x USB 3.0, Microphone Jack, Combined Audio Jack
- HDR: DisplayHDR 400 True Black
- Contrast ratio: 1000000:1
- VESA Mounting: 100 x 100 mm
Image Quality
MSI MEG 342C has a self-emissive OLED panel technology. Thus, you get an infinite contrast ratio. There is no backlight bleeding, visual artifacts, or blooming effect and IPS/VA glow. Thus, when you are in a dark room, you get incredibly immersive SDR and HDR visuals.
The brightness level is also satisfactory, and you get 250 nits without ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter) in SDR. Thus, there are no brightness fluctuations, and the screen is equipped to get enough bright light even if the lighting conditions are normal. While in HDR, you get to see 250 nits for a full screen with white windows. Now, for a 10% white window, it can go up to 550 nits, and for <3%, it can go for 1000 nits. The overall experience is a vivid HDR image quality.
Brightness
You will be provided with two HDR modes: True Black 400 and Peak 1000 nits, and it is always recommended to go for the Peak 1000 nits mode. You also get vibrant colors owing to the 99.3% DCI-P3 gamut coverage. With true 10-bit color depth, you get a flawless viewing angle. The richer and saturated colors help to increase the perceived brightness. MSI MEG 342C also has dedicated sRGGB and Adobe gamut clamp nodes, along with DCI-P3. It is factory-calibrated at Delta E ≤ 2.
Resolution
The monitor comes with a 3440×1440 resolution, and you would love everything about the 34 inches screen size. With a high pixel density of about 110 PPI (pixels per inch), you get to enjoy sharp details without the necessity of scaling. you also get an ultrawide format that can fit all your favorite content.
Performance
MSI MEG 342C comes with the risk of image burn-in, and you might also face minor green or red fringing due to a triangular RGB subpixel layout. These errors are mostly seen in small texts and fine detailing. However, if you are using the monitor to play games or stream videos, then the text fringing won’t be noticeable much.
While working on projects that require text clarity, such as office-related work, text fringing will be noticed. So, it is completely up to you how you are going to use the monitor. You can also take advantage of the OLED Care features of the MSI.
The best part is that you won’t be facing the ghosting or overshoot issue while fast-moving objects appear on the screen, owing to its instantaneous pixel response time speed. The variable refresh rate is 175 Hz during tear-free gameplay, and thus, you get to enjoy a smooth gaming experience, irrespective of the refresh rate.
Let us warn you that you might also notice gamma shift and VRR flickers while you are trying to play scenes with dark scenes. But, other than this, you would definitely enjoy the pixel shift, panel protection, and static screen detection feature.
Features
MSI MEG 342C comes with a directional joystick to help you navigate quickly and easily. This is located at the backside of the monitor, and you get to operate it through the OSD (on-screen Display menu). Right next to this feature, you will find a power button and a macro key; using this, you get to access the Gaming Intelligence desktop application.
Also, using the keyboard and mouse, you can make necessary changes in the OSD and adjust the settings. The MSI MEG 342C also has many recommendable features, such as crosshair overlays, night vision, optix scope, and on-screen timers. You also get various picture presets and gaming features that are bound to enhance your user experience.
Now, based on the ambient lighting, you can also adjust the screen brightness. Also, you get an integrated light sensor and a sound tune feature for active noise cancellation. The monitor also comes with a KVM switch and PiP/PbP support.
Design
MSI MEG 342C has a sturdy structure and has a height of 100mm. You can tilt the TV by -5°/20°, and it also comes with 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility. To experience an additional immersion, the monitor comes with 1800R screen curvature and a glossy finish. You will also find no graininess and experience a more vivid image.
However, the screen can get reflective due to the glossy finish, and the black levels can also rise if you focus the light directly on the screen. The monitor also comes with a cooling fan that works in silence. But, the fan varies in its working patterns from one monitor unit to another.
Connectivity
When it comes to connectivity, the monitor comes with DP 1.4 with DSC and 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, and these ports support 48 Gbps bandwidth. The monitor also has a UDS C port with DP Alt Mode and 65 W power. You also get the facility of a quad-USB 3.0 hub and a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and a combo jack.
Supporting Features
When it comes to supporting features, the DP 1.4 supports 3440×1440 175Hz with 10-bit color. On the other hand, the HDMI 2.1 inputs support 3440×1440 175Hz, which has a 12-bit color. you can grab all this information when you go to the OSD menu and select the PC Mode.
For consoles with HDR, the monitor also supports 4K 120 Hz downscaling. But, you need to adjust with the black bars present at the side of the screen as consoles do not come with ultrawide resolution support.
What are the pros and cons of MSI MEG 342C?
Here are the pros and cons of MSI MEG 342C that you must consider before you spend money on buying this monitor.
Pros
- Low input lag and instant response time
- Infinite contrast ratio and high peak brightness
- Adjustable stand and multiple connectivity
- Gradient handling is remarkable
- Display a wide range of colors
Cons:
- Design is bulky
- An issue with text clarity
- Users report burn-in risk
- PQ EOTF tracking is quite bright
What is the Price of MSI MEG 342C?
The MSI MEG 342C is priced at $1100, and it is shipped for $1172 (Approx). However, the price, as well as the warranty, tends to vary based on region and location. In the US, the MSI MEG 342C monitor has been reported to face burn-in issues, and so, here the monitor gets a 3 year warranty.
