MSI Reveals the MEG 342C QD-OLED Display at Computex 2022

[TheLostSwede]

Rather unexpectedly, MSI has become the third company to reveal a QD-OLED based display, after Alienware and Samsung. The MEG 342C QD-OLED as the monitor is called, uses—just like the Alienware—a curved 34-inch QD-OLED panel. However, MSI has gone for FreeSync Premium Pro over G-Sync Ultimate, which should hopefully result in a lower retail price. The resolution is also the same as on the Alienware, 3440x1440 and the two also share the same 175 Hz refresh rate, 1800R curvature, 1000 nits peak HDR brightness and DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. MSI claims the same DCI-P3 colour gamut of 99.3 percent, but the MEG 342C has a lower sRGB colour gamut of 139.1 percent versus 149 percent for the Alienware.

MSI has added a few features that the Alienware lack, such as a USB Type-C input with DisplayPort Alt Mode, KVM functionality and some MSI specific features such as a low blue-light mode and what the company calls "gaming intelligence". MSI also supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture, something that it's unclear if the Alienware supports or not. The MEG 342C is said to ship factory calibrated with a dE <2, which might not matter to most gamers, but should be important to anyone planning to use the display for video or photo editing work. MSI didn't disclose any pricing, nor any availability date.



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[Chomiq]

No price? Bs.

@TheLostSwede "sRGC colour gamut"

 

[ZoneDymo]

great and all but I dont care for ultrawides myself

 

[watzupken]

The Alienware QD OLED monitor have kind of set the bar for the pricing of QD OLED monitors for other brands. It will be difficult for MSI to try to push for a higher MSRP.

 

[Xajel]

The Alienware QD OLED monitor have kind of set the bar for the pricing of QD OLED monitors for other brands. It will be difficult for MSI to try to push for a higher MSRP.

Agreed, the interesting part is we used to have the "Alienware" tax on other products, and MSI usually have lower prices compared to others, yes they do have a high-end tier which is expensive but they also have lower prices in general compared to other players. So it will be interested to see how MSI is pricing this. But the last display that came with that funky wheel in the left side the screen was on the high side of price. Add that to the extra goodies MSI is adding to this (KVM, PiP, PbP & USB-C with DP alt mode).

 

[TheLostSwede]

No price? Bs.

@TheLostSwede "sRGC colour gamut"

Thanks, fixed.

MSI called it an early teaser...

The Alienware QD OLED monitor have kind of set the bar for the pricing of QD OLED monitors for other brands. It will be difficult for MSI to try to push for a higher MSRP.

This should be cheaper, thanks to no G-Sync Ultimate support.

Agreed, the interesting part is we used to have the "Alienware" tax on other products, and MSI usually have lower prices compared to others, yes they do have a high-end tier which is expensive but they also have lower prices in general compared to other players. So it will be interested to see how MSI is pricing this. But the last display that came with that funky wheel in the left side the screen was on the high side of price. Add that to the extra goodies MSI is adding to this (KVM, PiP, PbP & USB-C with DP alt mode).

This seems to have fewer gimmicks and mostly useful additions.

 

[Chomiq]

The Alienware QD OLED monitor have kind of set the bar for the pricing of QD OLED monitors for other brands. It will be difficult for MSI to try to push for a higher MSRP.

It has:
- the alienware tax
- gsync ultimate tax
So this has potential to offer competitive pricing.

Hopefully it will indeed be priced in the range of €1000 (or even lower) and it will have better availability than AW (which currently can only be ordered via DELL website and has unknown delivery date).

 

[Vayra86]

Lets see what different mfgrs can do with this panel. The alienware wasnt quite perfect just yet... And lets see this thing in the wild for a few years of desktop use too.

Looking forward to the results of prolonged static imagery... will the panel have retention or lose brightness, and how fast?

 

[Space Lynx]

I'm still waiting for 27" 2560x1440 high refresh OLED. that will be dream come true for me personally, and hopefully at a nicer price of like $799.

 

[TheLostSwede]

It has:
- the alienware tax
- gsync ultimate tax
So this has potential to offer competitive pricing.

Hopefully it will indeed be priced in the range of €1000 (or even lower) and it will have better availability than AW (which currently can only be ordered via DELL website and has unknown delivery date).

The Alienware is already around that, so this might end a couple of hundred cheaper.

I'm still waiting for 27" 2560x1440 high refresh OLED. that will be dream come true for me personally, and hopefully at a nicer price of like $799.

Expect premium products like this for another couple of years, they got to recuperate the development cost before they can make cheaper products.

 

[R-T-B]

sRGC

Red Green and... Cobalt?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Red Green and... Cobalt?

Cerulean, obviously.

 

[Chomiq]

The Alienware is already around that, so this might end a couple of hundred cheaper.

Without tax, with tax it's at €1299 in Germoney:

 

[Crackong]

Do a 32 inch flat one and I am happy to pre-order

 

[TheLostSwede]

Without tax, with tax it's at €1299 in Germoney:
View attachment 248879

Dell has already had hefty discounts on it though in some European countries.
It was being sold for the equivalent of €1,030 in Sweden shortly after it launched, with the use of a discount code, all orders where honoured afaik.
Sweden has 25% VAT at that.

 

[Chomiq]

Dell has already had hefty discounts on it though in some European countries.
It was being sold for the equivalent of €1,030 in Sweden shortly after it launched, with the use of a discount code, all orders where honoured afaik.
Sweden has 25% VAT at that.

Dell Poland had it listed for €1360 after "discount" from €1470. Now they no longer have it listed at all on their site (site has 7 listing for 34" monitors but only 5 are shown).

Still, don't want AW due to the fan issue.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Still, don't want AW due to the fan issue.

Well, it also looks horrible imho.

 

[Space Lynx]

Still, don't want AW due to the fan issue.

Agreed, a monitor with a fan in it... is a big no no for me... fans don't tend to last very long (years wise) especially if used a lot... a fan is only needed because companies are too cheap to do proper metal passive cooling solutions and pay the extra shipping that would cause as well. I'd gladly have a heavier and thicker monitor for peace of mind over a fan.

 

[thunderingroar]

Wait, no gsync module but does that mean it will have proper HDMI 2.1 port? Currently with the AW monitor using DP 1.4 with DSC you have to choose either 175Hz or 10bit color cuz of the limited bandwith, does MSI monitor fix this issue?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Wait, no gsync module but does that mean it will have proper HDMI 2.1 port? Currently with the AW monitor using DP 1.4 with DSC you have to choose either 175Hz or 10bit color cuz of the limited bandwith, does MSI monitor fix this issue?

MSI didn't reveal any of those kind of specifics.

 

[Makaveli]

Lets see what different mfgrs can do with this panel. The alienware wasnt quite perfect just yet... And lets see this thing in the wild for a few years of desktop use too.

Looking forward to the results of prolonged static imagery... will the panel have retention or lose brightness, and how fast?

Since this is the same panel as the alienware it will come with the same text fringing issue(for some its not a problem). But I do expect lower pricing.

 

[Chomiq]

Wait, no gsync module but does that mean it will have proper HDMI 2.1 port? Currently with the AW monitor using DP 1.4 with DSC you have to choose either 175Hz or 10bit color cuz of the limited bandwith, does MSI monitor fix this issue?

What's the point of having full HDMI 2.1 port if it's not 4K resolution?

 

[Tomorrow]

Cerulean, obviously.

Cerulean Blue. Like a gentle breeze.

 

[Space Lynx]

@TheLostSwede I am willing to wait! I am still getting a LG 42" OLED this Fall when they switch the newer panel, I don't want one of the older panels. So I will have that to hold me over until the 27" dreams come true. Also, the 42" is more meant for my PS5/movies/shows/some games but not all... 27" OLED will still have its uses for many of my games.

I am just hoping World War 3 doesn't happen until I have my LG 42" OLED in my bedroom and solar panels/generator/battery backup on my house. Then if the world wants to shit itself, by all means it can...

 

[mouacyk]

Gonna be copy-pasta for a while, until any innovations show up.