55

MSI Optix G27C5 Review

True Score

68
67
1

Experts

94
84

Consumers

Expert Rankings

The MSI Optix G27C5 was praised as a decent entry-level gaming display with excellent contrast and outstanding gaming responsiveness, thanks to a low input lag. Still, reviewers were slightly disappointed with its lack of support for HDR content, poor reflection handling, and narrow viewing angles.

Overview

The MSI Optix G27C5 is an entry-level, curved gaming display that was released in April 2020. It has a decent 165Hz refresh rate, and although this might not rival some of the highest-rated monitors in the market, it is good enough for fluid gaming. The 27-inch monitor has a 1080p screen resolution, and like most top-rated gaming monitors, it also offers native FreeSync Variable Refresh Rate support. It can display deep blacks thanks to a 3676:1 contrast ratio, and with a 97.2% coverage of the sRGB color scale, it has a pretty wide color gamut. Lastly, fast motion sequences remain clear thanks to a decent 13ms response time.

What Is Not on the Box

What the brand doesn’t always tell you…

our Verdict

The MSI Optix G27C5 is a reliable, 27-inch, curved gaming monitor that experts have commended as a decent entry-level pick for casual gaming. Reviewers from Monitor Nerds played a few games on it during testing, and to their delight, they enjoyed ultra-smooth gameplay and did not encounter any screen tearing. They attributed this to the monitor’s 165Hz refresh rate. Additionally, they were pleased that there wasn’t any motion blur during fast action scenes and felt that this resulted from its 13ms response time. Testers from Tom’s Hardware were also very pleased with how well blacks appeared when viewed in a dark setting, and they attributed this to the monitor’s 3676:1 contrast ratio. At 3.4ms, its input lag was also relatively low, leading to faster gaming responsiveness.

However, just like the MSI Optix G27C4, the G27C5 lacks HDR content support and has narrow viewing angles. This means it may not deliver an optimal viewing experience for everyone if used in a group setting.

True Score

68

Reasons to Buy

  • Exceptional contrast
  • Low input lag
  • High 165Hz refresh rate
  • High color accuracy
  • Good response time

Reasons to Avoid

  • No support for HDR content
  • Narrow viewing angles
  • Poor reflection handling

Specifications

Display TypeVA
HDMI Inputs2
HDR Formatn/a
Max Resolution1920 x 1080
Panel TypeVA
Refresh Rate165 Hz
Response Time1 ms
Screen size27"
Sync TechnologySync TechnologyAMD FreeSync

All Specs

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Product Comparison

True Score

68
74
67
70

Ranking

#

55

/

66

#

74

/

124

#

57

/

66

#

97

/

124

Market Context

The MSI Optix G27C5 is an entry-level, curved gaming display that was released in April 2020. It has a decent 165Hz refresh rate, and although…

The MSI Optix G27C5 is an entry-level, curved gaming display that was released in April 2020. It has a decent 165Hz refresh rate, and although this might not rival some of the highest-rated monitors in the market, it is good enough for fluid gaming. The 27-inch monitor has a 1080p screen resolution, and like most top-rated gaming monitors, it also offers native FreeSync Variable Refresh Rate support. It can display deep blacks thanks to a 3676:1 contrast ratio, and with a 97.2% coverage of the sRGB color scale, it has a pretty wide color gamut. Lastly, fast motion sequences remain clear thanks to a decent 13ms response time.

The MSI Optix G27C5 and the MSI Optix G27C4 are two monitors that both have a 165Hz refresh rate, but at 287 nits, the G27C5…

The MSI Optix G27C5 and the MSI Optix G27C4 are two monitors that both have a 165Hz refresh rate, but at 287 nits, the G27C5 is the brighter pick compared to the G27C4, which peaks at 247 nits. The G27C5 also has slightly better color accuracy thanks to a 97.2% sRGB coverage against the G27C4’s 96.8% coverage, however, the G27C4 has a faster response time of 11ms compared to the G27C5’s 13ms.

The MSI Optix G27C5 is pretty similar to the MSI Optix G27C6 since they both have dual HDMI 1.4 ports and a 165Hz refresh rate,…

The MSI Optix G27C5 is pretty similar to the MSI Optix G27C6 since they both have dual HDMI 1.4 ports and a 165Hz refresh rate, but the G27C5 has a faster response time of 13ms compared to the G27C6’s 18.6ms, resulting in motion that is a lot smoother.

Regarding ergonomics and brightness, the MSI Optix G27C5 is outmatched by the ASUS TUF VG27VQ since the Asus monitor has a higher 346 nit peak…

Regarding ergonomics and brightness, the MSI Optix G27C5 is outmatched by the ASUS TUF VG27VQ since the Asus monitor has a higher 346 nit peak brightness setting compared to the G27C5’s 285 nits. However, the G27C5 has higher color accuracy since it covers 97.2% of the sRGB color space compared to the G27C5’s 91.7%.

Display Type

VA

VA

VA

LED

HDMI Inputs

2

2

2

1

HDR Format

n/a

n/a

n/a

Yes

Max Resolution

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1080

1920 x 1080

Panel Type

VA

VA

VA

VA

Refresh Rate

165 Hz

165 Hz

165 Hz

165 Hz

Dig Deeper

Read review →: MSI Optix G27C4 Review Read review →: MSI Optix G27C6 Review Read review →: Asus Tuf VG27VQ Review

All Stores

  • $209.98

    Availability

    Usually ships within 6 to 7 days

    Free Shipping

    No

Score Card

E

Expert Score

67

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

94

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

68

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    A

    Trust Score

    67
    The MSI Optix G27C5 is an okay overall monitor. It performs best as a gaming… read more

    By:

    Samuel Breton
  • Tom’s Hardware
    D

    Trust Score

    NR
    “No bottom line found for this product” read more

    By:

    Niels Broekhuijsen
  • Tech Power Up
    D

    Trust Score

    NR
    “No bottom line found for this product” read more

    By:

    Raevenlord
  • Notebook Check
    F

    Trust Score

    NR
    “No bottom line found for this product” read more

    By:

    Alex Alderson

Customer Score Breakdown

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