Refresh rate, resolution, black level, panel size: pick two This dilemma has been a problem for PC monitor buyers for years. It wasn't until we realized that a higher refresh rate would allow us to play Counter-Strike better that MSI's latest panel, catchily named the Oculux NXG253R (opens in new tab), at least addresses the most common modern gaming panel It aims to address the trade-offs.

While the majority of high refresh rate panels are VA or TN screens with narrow viewing angles and shallow colors, MSI's latest models consist of IPS panels, with all the jet blacks and rich colors that that technology brings. Traditionally, IPS has been slow to join the party due to the cost of producing high refresh rate panels, but clearly, enough people are selling at 120 Hz and above.

In fact, far beyond. this is the first time I have played on a 360Hz monitor, but I must admit to being skeptical about the slight improvement in performance. the conversion from 60Hz to 120Hz is a dramatic change, but 120Hz to 360Hz" gaming performance certainly is not an exponential improvement. We only see 60fps anyway.

After all, the performance improvement may not exist on a linear curve, but 360Hz looks and feels smoother than 120Hz. If you are quite serious about wanting to play online, this is all you need to know.

At the enthusiast level, watching Overwatch or Quake Champions sprint by is pure fun. Anecdotally, the pistol out-of-suit combat in D.Va. becomes a little easier when the frame and refresh rate is increased to 300 (the game's upper limit is 300). A similarly frenetic Quake Champions match made the Ranger's tricky teleport kills a bit easier. (I can attest to this as I witnessed Phil actually doing it in the match. -ed.)

The Assetto Corsa Competizione definitely benefits from the higher Octane numbers, but it's hard to get it to run consistently at 300+ fps even at 1080p. Besides, I was running it on an RTX 3080 as well. Of course, it's not the monitor's fault, but keep in mind that to feel the benefits of 360Hz refresh, you need a GPU that can pull frame rates into the hundreds.

The IPS panel, with its generally darker blacks, looks more vibrant in-game than the better TN screens and maintains color at any viewing angle. There are several preset modes for brightness and color balance, which can be toggled by genre on the OSD: FPS is super bright and saturated, while Racing is slightly more subdued in contrast. The default color and brightness settings are easy on the eyes and well represent the benefits of IPS.

However, these dark blacks are not necessarily useful in a competitive gaming environment; in Mirage, we like the sneaky thugs lurking in the shadows beneath the palace, and in such cases we do not want the monitor to conspire with the thugs. That's why this panel has a G-Sync Esports mode in the OSD that absolutely destroys the color balance. In a good way. When this mode is turned on, the darkest parts of the scene turn a saturated gray, and people hiding in them really come to life. It looks terrible, of course, but that's not the point. Remember to turn it off again before you play something you actually want to enjoy the graphics of.

G-Sync itself is here to stay and will not be a major problem for competitive players due to the negligible latency increase it adds to the signal chain, but $400 (open in new tab) (£499 (open in new tab)) for a 1080p monitor For the rest of us who will be investing, it sweetens the deal. However, slower games like Fallout 4 and Cyberpunks need all the help they can get for smooth gameplay.

Finally, one of the three USB ports on the monitor itself is compatible with Nvidia Reflex. This is a handy way to make sure everything is working as expected and to highlight any delays during gaming. You don't have to have it on all the time to keep your sanity, though.

While the Oculux NXG253R's directive is correct, there are still compromises to this expensive 1080p monitor for optimizing esports performance. Most obvious are the screen size and resolution, at 24.5 inches and 1080p, respectively. Sure, no one gets 360 fps at 4K for any game other than CS:GO or MOBA. But it seems like a serious trade-off to spend so much on a monitor that can't even produce 1440p. No one wants to see individual pixels at 1080p on a 32" screen.

MSI's bezel and stand design also doesn't particularly strive to wow you. It's impressively adjustable and can be made completely vertical if needed, but the plastic finish and slightly archaic "gAm3r" aesthetic don't convey the price point of this product.

Anyone buying a monitor now faces the same dilemma, and the Octux NXG253R only partially addresses it. The magic combination of screen size, resolution, refresh rate, and lighting technology is still out of reach for the masses, but at least with MSI's latest offering, aside from Asus' 500 Hz panel, you can enjoy the benefits of the farthest extreme refresh rate that technology allows.

There is a real performance advantage here, doubling the enjoyment. However, the idea should be to purchase specialist equipment, not all-rounders.