55

out of

Computer Monitors

True Score Methodology v1.0

MSI Optix G27C5 Review

November 16, 2023

True Score

68

Meh

67

1

Experts

94

84

Consumers

Expert Rankings

(

1

)

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.

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Table of Contents

Overview
What Is Not on the Box
Product Comparison
All Stores
Score Card
Expert Score Breakdown
Customer Score Breakdown
Learn More About Computer Monitors

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 Type	VA
	HDMI Inputs	2
	HDR Format	n/a
	Max Resolution	1920 x 1080
	Panel Type	VA
	Refresh Rate	165 Hz
	Response Time	1 ms
	Screen size	27"
	Sync Technology	AMD FreeSync

All Specs

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Product Comparison

	MSI Optix G27C5 Review	MSI Optix G27C4 Review	MSI Optix G27C6 Review	Asus Tuf VG27VQ Review
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

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Availability
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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

Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight

A
Trust Score
67
The MSI Optix G27C5 is an okay overall monitor. It performs best as a gaming… read more
By:
Samuel Breton
D
Trust Score
NR
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
By:
Niels Broekhuijsen
D
Trust Score
NR
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
By:
Raevenlord
F
Trust Score
NR
“No bottom line found for this product” read more
By:
Alex Alderson