MSI Prestige PS341WU Professional 5K Monitor Review

If we trace how the model series of monitors of many famous manufacturers evolved, we can note that the segment of professional solutions for almost every one of them always turned out to be the last in importance. Such models are rarely bought and for a long time, they are chosen carefully and make high demands.

To make really high-quality, provide a wide list of possibilities and correctly configure complex algorithms, surpassing or at least being at the level of time-tested competitors is a difficult task, which many newcomers to the segment have repeatedly proved.

Some of them could not conquer this market, and the models left over from failed attempts serve to a greater extent as a kind of filler for the product line. According to many brands, it should cover all market segments, even if a particular solution is unable to compete with direct competitors on equal terms.

MSI does not seem to be afraid of such a development of events, and therefore, with the already familiar enthusiasm and enthusiasm, it took up the development of its professional solutions. We meet the first of them – an ultra-widescreen 5K monitor from the new Prestige series, model PS341WU.

Specifications

Preliminary information about the MSI Prestige PS341WU came to the press in mid-May 2019, and the official announcement took place at the end of the summer of that year. The appearance of new items on sale was expected in September, however, the model got into retail much later, and reached Russia quite recently. At the moment (early June 2020), it is sold at a price of $1099 to $1299, which is less than the officially indicated $ 1,299 for the US market.

Competitors have only one similar model – this is the LG 34WK95U. The monitor was introduced and put on sale much earlier, it has already gained popularity (in the absence of competitors, it is not so difficult to do this), and its availability and full support for Thunderbolt 3 make LG a very serious rival, which Apple users will pay attention to.

MSI itself does not hide the used Nano-IPS matrix (LM340RW1 – it is so alone) from LG Display, which was mentioned during the announcement of the new product.

The 34-inch panel of 21: 9 format with a resolution of 5120 by 2160 pixels provides pixel density at the level of classic 27-inch 4K solutions – 163 PPI.

Thus, the slightly confusing abbreviation 5 ”tells us not about a higher pixel density than 4K models (as would be the case when comparing with the same LG UltraFine 5K), but only about the number of these pixels across the screen, which, to In a word, it is comparable in height to a 27-inch 16: 9 format monitor and, in fact, is its version extended by a third.

The applied matrix is ​​pseudo-10-bit (8 bits + FRC) and uses the W-LED backlight + KSF Phosphor layer, which together provides more than 1 billion colour shades and 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space.

The company does not say anything about using Flicker-Free-backlighting, but for now, suppose that it is just like that, as buyers of modern monitors require. As a matter of fact, we will check during the tests.

The maximum brightness of 450 nits for the SDR mode and 600+ is declared for the matrix in case of HDR activation in a small part of the screen, thanks to the support of the VESA DisplayHDR 600 standard.

The contrast ratio is increased to 1200: 1 against the standard for IPS 1000: 1, viewing angles are usual – 178 degrees in both planes. Since the monitor is not a gaming monitor, the company limited itself to a scanning frequency of 60 Hz, and the stated GtG response time is 8 ms. None of the adaptive synchronization systems is supported.

The novelty is presented in a “frameless” design, with relatively thin internal frames and the most ergonomic stand. Among the main connection interfaces are two HDMI 2.0 (up to 3840 × 2160 at 60 Hz), one DP 1.4 and USB Type-C with support for DP Alt Mode. The latter is not Thunderbolt 3-compatible, so when connected to Apple laptops, the resolution will be reduced to the level of 3840 × 2160, which should be considered when choosing a similar model.

To work with peripherals, the PS341WU integrates three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (one of which supports fast charging 15 W), an SD card reader, a 3.5 mm audio output, an audio input for a microphone and a combined 4-pin headphone jack and microphone through the appropriate adapter from the delivery.

The convenience of working with the menu is provided by a 5-position joystick and two additional keys, but the built-in speaker system is not represented in the monitor.

Among the advantages noted by the manufacturer PS341WU – accurate factory calibration and support for multi-window modes PbP and PiP, and a special application for setting up Creator OSD with rich features help to make more convenient configuration bypassing the OSD menu.

Options and appearance

The monitor comes in a wide box with high-quality printing. The design is made in light colours, on the sidewalls are several photos of the model, as well as pictograms with captions indicating the key features of the model.

A plastic carrying handle – as is common with MSI – is not provided. It is proposed to use two cutouts at the ends.

On one of the main stickers, the main technical specifications are indicated, the batch number, serial number, model name and other information are presented. The manufacturer of the monitor is MSI itself, without the involvement of third-party contractors (with the exception of the LCD matrix supplier).

The MSI Prestige PS341WU monitor came to us with half the delivery kit, which should include the following items:

• power cable;
• USB Type-C cable;
• USB Type-A cable for connecting to a PC;
• HDMI cable
• DisplayPort cable
• audio cable (4-pin 3.5 mm mini-jack ↔ two 3-pin 3.5 mm plugs);
• stand mount screws and extension legs for VESA mount;
• plastic clamp cable management system;

It is immediately clear that the manufacturer was not greedy and provided a wide selection of connection options, but for some reason did not take into account the color of the cables – white would be much better in harmony with the design of the device itself. Since part of the delivery kit did not reach us, we did not get acquainted with the standard set of waste paper and, sadly, did not see the report on the factory calibration, which was lost.

The appearance of the new product is well described on the manufacturer’s website, so we quote it: “The design of the Prestige PS341WU monitor is inspired by the ideas of Western and Eastern painting. The asymmetric circle and the wavy line on the back of the monitor harmoniously combine with the perfectly symmetrical square in front – this is a real work of art! ” Here we, perhaps, will not agree only with the “real work of art”, since the hero of the review does not have any exclusive and difficultly repeatable elements, but the fact that he looks modern, stylish and fresh cannot be taken away from the PS341WU.

The manufacturer used two shades of white in combination with copper color inserts, which can be found even on both sides of the central column. A similar color scheme distinguishes the MSI monitor against the background of many displays on the market, however, it is likely to complicate the life of those who care about the harmony of the appearance of the purchased device and the interior of the apartment.

The monitor case is thick by modern standards, but, given the capabilities of the installed matrix (and the corresponding requirements for its cooling), as well as a wide list of installed interfaces, you understand why it is so.

The stand, if not much imagined, looks more like a metal frame from a window with two additional decorative elements (one of which is a paperweight, in our case, was lost), and the fastening of the central rack is shifted to its edge.

The stand is attached to the monitor through the integrated VESA-compatible mount using the four screws supplied, after which a decorative cover is installed. Unfortunately, the quick-mount system in the monitor is not provided, although we expected to see it for that kind of money.

The cable management system at the monitor consists of a cable clamp in the area with interfaces, an additional decorative cover with a notch, and a plastic holder attached to the central rack. The decision is reasonable and effective.

The ergonomics of the monitor are represented by three degrees of freedom: a height change of 100 mm is available upward, an inclination in the range from -5 to +20 degrees and a rotation of 35 degrees to the right and left. A flip to portrait mode (Pivot) is not provided, but here it is – due to the size of the screen – and nothing.

The base of the stand is entirely made of metal (without plastic pads), like all mounting mechanisms. Seven wide rubber feet are used to grip the work surface. They easily hold the monitor in one position.

The matrix used has a semi-matte surface, which is increasingly preferred by manufacturers in order to reduce the visibility of the crystalline effect, but even in this case, CE strongly depends on its grain size and can be significantly different.

By the sticker on the monitor case, we found out the date of its production (August 2019) and place (China).

The main interfaces are concentrated in the back of the device and directed down. Connecting cables in the absence of the possibility of a Pivot flip is not very convenient, so it remains to be expected that you will only need USB ports all the time.

In this case, two of them, as well as an SD reader and audio jacks are located on an additional block on the left side of the case. There are definitely no problems with the convenience of connecting.

There is no reason to criticize the quality of the painting or the processing of the edges of the elements of the body. MSI Prestige PS341WU does not lend itself to twisting, creaking or crunching with adequate physical impact and a change in position in space. The rigidity of attaching the case to the stand does not raise questions – the screen does not shake from any touch and reliably maintains the position set by the user.

Menu and controls

The maximum brightness was at a level of 494 cd / m ² , and the lower value was 68 cd / m ² . The monitor exceeded the brightness indicated in TX for the SDR operating mode, and the lower value will please most of those who often work at a computer with a low level of ambient light.

The monitor has a slightly deeper black colour than most IPS representatives, which translates into a contrast ratio of almost 1300: 1. When activating the local backlight, it is possible to get the numbers several times higher, but since there are few separately controlled zones, it makes no sense to carry out such measurements, since in real work such a rough control of the backlight will bring more problems than the benefits and pleasure of the picture on the screen.

As for the maximum brightness in HDR mode, the MSI Prestige PS341WU we tested was able to show 665 nits in a small area of ​​the screen, which again exceeded the figure indicated in TX.

Results at standard settings and after calibration

MSI expressly declares the use of Nano-IPS-matrix with extended colour gamut – with 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 space, which has dramatically increased its popularity over the past few years.

When testing a monitor with the manufacturer’s default settings, it is impossible to reproach – the numbers obtained are as close as possible to the declared characteristics and correspond to the level of the used LG Display matrix. After calibration, compliance decreases slightly.

The white point is tuned with a visually noticeable shift to the cold zone, but this did not affect the ideal stability of the grey colour centre shades. When manually configuring and activating a profile with LUT edits, stability is reduced.   

Ideally, the monitor also has gamma curves, and calibration only worsens them. It is felt that the hands of professionals were attached to their factory settings. True, then the question arises: where were they when setting the white point?

The features of the colour gamut of the model did not determine the lowest deviations in the Argyll test when comparing it as a reference with the DCI-P3 space, but ordinary profiling is enough here. After that, the results are immediately transformed – and we get what is required for seamless work with colour.

Display P 3 Results

As one of the additional modes, the PS341WU has a Display P3 preset.

In it, the manufacturer curtailed the ability to reproduce purple and red halftones, which did not have the best effect on the correspondence to the DCI-P3 space. The result decreased by more than 5%.

With the white point in the studied mode, the problems are exactly the same as with the default settings. But at the same time, there is also no problem with the stability of gray shades. 

Again, we have perfectly set gamma curves corresponding to gamma 2.2.

The change in color gamut positively affected deviations in many shades, but gave a sharp increase in red. As a result, this led to a slight increase in the average result and a much more significant increase in the maximum deviation. There can only be one conclusion here – profiling is necessary in both cases, but in Display P3 it is more important.

Results mode AdobeRGB

In the absence of full support for the AdobeRGB space, the manufacturer for some reason nevertheless added the emulation mode of this colour space to the list of available Prestige PS341WU modes.

The colour gamut in this preset is narrowed relative to Display P3, but there is no question of adding opportunities in the field of green and turquoise halftones – the matrix illumination system and the colour filters used are not capable of this.

At the same time, we continue to observe the white point at a level of about 7500 K and the same ideal colour temperature stability of shades of grey.

Once again, we are met by ideal gamma curves and the corresponding colour balance and contrast of the image on the screen.

It is not surprising that with such changes in the color gamut during emulation and the inability to conquer the AdobeRGB space at the physical level, the MSI monitor showed even lower results than in the other two studied modes. In this regard, we have only one question: for whom or why is this mode needed for the PS341WU?

SRGB Results

The most useful and, most likely, potentially most frequently used mode of the new product from MSI will be sRGB Mode – a classic for many years.

Results Mode EyeCare

In addition, we decided to check one of the three modes of reducing eye strain, which this time was EyeCare (it is also activated by turning on the “Blue Light Filter” function), which affects the blue channel to a greater extent. The brightness, in this case, is automatically lowered only to 245 cd / m ², which is certainly a lot, but there are no difficulties with the installation of the required value.

On the grey gamma curve, there are no pronounced differences from the previously obtained results – the devil is hiding on the RGB curves. Here we have a blue S-shaped curve to increase contrast. True, it did not lead to anything other than a minimal effect on the contrast of the picture and a much stronger colour imbalance.    

We did not get better shadows, reduced contrast (for less eye strain in low light conditions), and also a little brightness at the default settings – all this is not there, but there is a white point at 4800 K and average stability of grey shades. Whether such a change in the additional mode is worthwhile under the conditions of being able to adjust RGB yourself or choose a colour temperature mode of 5000 K is a big question.

Backlight uniformity

The uniformity of backlight dimming tested after the central point of the monitor to a level of 100 cd / m ² and the colour temperature in Kelvin ~ 6500. The backlight unevenness compensation system is not used in the model under study, however, looking at the screenshots of the Creator OSD application on the manufacturer’s website, we hoped that the MSI Prestige PS341WU would be equipped with a similar function.   

The picture above shows a photograph of a white field with a certain exposure compensation during shooting and after program processing for a more visual representation of the uniformity of illumination.

On a white field, the uniformity of the backlight is below average, but given the diagonal and format of the screen, this situation can be attributed to normal, albeit with a stretch.

After the transition to shades of grey, the situation worsens significantly – all the problems of field unevenness become visible, including the colour temperature (albeit non-global), as well as the highlighted strip of a couple of millimetres thick at the bottom of the screen, noticeable in the test for gradient uniformity (presented in the next testing section). 

The average deviation from the central point was 12.7%, the maximum – 31.4%. The result is very low in numbers, especially for a professional monitor. The brightness to the edges of the screen drops by almost a third, and the drop from above is much more noticeable than from below. I would like to remind you that even some 34-inch IPS gaming solutions and LG Display matrices in our tests showed half as many deviations! There is something to think about …

With colour temperature, things are much better. The average deviation from the central point is 2.3%, and the maximum is 8.5%. The difference between the measured minimum and maximum is slightly more than 600 K, which is a good result for a large 21: 9 format monitor. Colour temperature changes with smooth transitions. If you look at the monitor in a working environment, you should not have any particular complaints, which cannot be said about the uniformity in brightness level.

Now let’s look at the uniformity of the backlight and the various color effects in the case of the black field. We will evaluate them from two photographs taken at different distances from the screen (~ 70 and 150 cm).

In the first case, we have a typical result – the same noticeable Glow effect at the corners and edges of the screen (left and right) with various stray shades. The lower the brightness of the backlight, the less they manifest themselves, but getting rid of this effect will not work completely under any normal operating conditions.

If you move away from the monitor, then Glow disappears completely, the picture of the depth of the black field changes dramatically. In the case of our copy, you can only find fault with the highlighted strip in the lower part of the screen, which remained in the black field. If not for it, then the real uniformity of the backlight of the PS341WU could be called ideal.   

Gradient quality and response speed