MSI Modern MD271QP business monitor review

Two minute review

With its 27-inch IPS panel with a 2,560 x 1440 resolution, the MSI Modern MD271QP business monitor aims to be your “window to the world.” The monitor has a sleek design with minimal bezels at the top and on either side while its controls and the MSI logo are found at the base of the display along with a pair of built-in, 1W speakers. 

In addition to being quite slim, the Modern MD271QP’s stand can tilt, swivel and pivot while allowing you to raise or lower the height of the monitor. The monitor also has VESA mounting holes in the back in case you’d rather use it with a monitor arm instead of with the stand.

MSI has included a variety of ports including HDMI (1.4), USB Type-C, DisplayPort (1.2) and an audio jack so you can easily connect your laptop or computer to the Modern MD271QP. A 75Hz refresh rate ensures scrolling is smooth while MSI Anti-Flicker and Less Blue Light technologies prevent your eyes from suffering strain or fatigue.

While we wish MSI had included some cable management features, used slightly louder built-in speakers and shipped the monitor with a USB-C cable for connecting it to a laptop, overall we were quite pleased with the design and performance of the Modern MD271QP. If you’re looking for a 27-inch, 1440p monitor that caters to business users as opposed to gamers, it could be the perfect device to improve your work from home setup.

Pricing and availability

The MSI Modern MD271QP is currently available direct from MSI for 259.99 though you’ll have to head to B&H Photo instead if you want to pick up the white version which costs $10 more at 269.99. However, if you like this monitor’s design, don’t mind the downgrade from 1440p to 1080p and aren’t planning on using a DisplayPort connection, you could pick up the MSI ‎Modern MD271P from Amazon for under $200. 

Design

With the Modern MD271QP, MSI has really outdone itself when it comes to the monitor’s design. In fact, this monitor (as well as the MD241) actually won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2021 for having a “clean, understated design characterized by a slim silhouette and curved lines”.   

This 27-inch WQHD monitor has super thin bezels at the top and on either side while the MSI logo and the buttons for the on-screen display are found at the bottom. The two 1W speakers are also housed at the base of the display.

While the front of the monitor is flat, its rear curves in towards the center where the display attaches to the included stand. However, thanks to the inclusion of 75 x 75mm VESA holes at the back of the MSI Modern MD271QP, you can also attach it to a monitor arm. The included stand is circular at the top and attaches to the back of the display without the need for any tools. A black center piece that connects to the stand’s square base holds the monitor up and also allows you to adjust its height.

All of the MSI Modern MD271QP’s ports are located on the back of the monitor in a cutout. Here you’ll find one HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort (1.2), one USB Type-C port that delivers an HDMI 2.0 signal and a headphone jack along with the device’s DC power port.

Setup and hardware

The Modern MD271QP monitor sent to TechRadar Pro for review arrived in a large brown box with a picture of the front and back of the device on it and a carrying handle to make it easy to transport.

Once unpacked, we were left with the monitor itself, the base of the stand, the monitor arm, an instruction booklet, an HDMI cable and the DC power adapter.

While the base of the stand needs to be screwed into the monitor arm using a hand screw, the monitor arm just needs to be aligned and pushed in until it locks into place. 

Overall, the assembly process was quite simple and took only a few minutes. We also appreciated the Modern MD271QP’s tool-free design and clear assembly instructions.

When it comes to the Modern MD271QP’s specs, the monitor has a 27-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (WQHD). Its panel has a 75Hz refresh rate, a 5ms response time, a contrast ratio of 1000:1 (TYP) and can display 16.7m colors at 8 bits. The HDMI, DisplayPort and USB Type-C ports are also all capable of pushing 2560 x 1440 resolution at 75Hz. The Modern MD271QP can display 250 nits of brightness and its anti-glare surface treatment allows you to easily use the monitor in brightly lit rooms.

The two 1W speakers were loud enough for basic video conferencing and watching content online though you may want to hook up external speakers or use the audio jack at the back of the monitor instead if you need the volume turned even higher.

In use and performance

As MSI also sent over the Summit E16 Flip 2-in-1 laptop for review, we first tested out the Modern MD271QP monitor by propping up the device on a laptop stand and connecting the two using a USB-C cable. Setting everything up was quick and effortless but you will need to supply your own USB-C cable as one isn’t included in the box. Still though, image quality was clear and the monitor was able to provide power to the laptop and charge it at the same time.

During our second round of testing, we decided to connect the monitor to a PC over HDMI, though DisplayPort 1.2 is also available. The Modern MD271QP was instantly recognized by Windows and its 1440p resolution provided us with enough screen space to easily use two programs side by side. 

As the Modern MD271QP can tilt, swivel, pivot and its height adjusts, we had no problem ensuring the center of the monitor was lined up with our eyes. This was also true when using it with a raised standing desk which can’t be said of all monitors.

One of things we really liked about the Modern MD271QP was its OSD menu. Not only are all of the buttons on the bottom right of the monitor labeled but the text in the OSD menu is large enough to read and navigating it was also easy. From here you can switch inputs and adjust the contrast, dynamic contrast ratio, color temperature and aspect ratio. MSI also included the ability to have the monitor power off after one minute of inactivity as well as an eco mode so that it uses less energy overall.

The competition

If you’re in the market for a 1440p monitor to use when working from home or perhaps to boost your productivity in the office, the Dell 27 Video Conferencing Monitor (S2722DZ) is another viable, though somewhat more expensive alternative for $399 at the time of writing. It has a similar design to the Modern MD271QP but also features two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and even a pop-up webcam for video calls. The two integrated 5W speakers are louder as well and its stand has a hole in the middle to help you cleanly run cables from the monitor to your PC.

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