I tried MSI’s new Pro Max QD-OLED monitor and it fixes my biggest gripes with the Apple Studio Display

I’ve been using the Apple Studio Display for over a year now with the Mac mini M4, and while it’s a fantastic monitor, it’s not without its issues. That includes the standard glossy screen and the fact that you can only connect one device at a time.

MSI always shows up in full force at CES with new laptops, graphics cards and gaming PCs, but this year, I was completely surprised when the company unveiled its new Pro Max 271UPXW12G monitor.

This all-white QD-OLED display isn’t just another gaming or business monitor. Instead, it’s designed to work perfectly with your Mac; it features M-Color Mode for seamless color synchronization and even allows you to adjust brightness and volume directly from your MacBook shortcut keys.

Here’s everything you need to know about MSI’s new Pro Max QD-OLED monitor and why you might want to consider picking it up over an Apple Studio Display, especially if you’re a power user with multiple devices.

Clear as can be

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a 27-inch QD-OLED monitor with quite a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, thanks to its PureBlack QD-OLED panel, it delivers deep blacks and accurate colors even in a brightly lit room like the one I saw it set up in at CES.

What surprised me most, though — and what immediately made me think of my Apple Studio Display back home — was that there wasn’t any glare whatsoever.

According to MSI, this is because the monitor has an Anti-Glare Low Reflection (AGLR) surface treatment. Likewise, it also comes equipped with upgraded 3H hardness to provide extra scratch resistance.

Since the Pro Max 271UPXW12G sports a QD-OLED display, it has an AI Care Sensor tucked into the "chin" underneath the MSI logo. Just like with the MSI MPG 321URXW I reviewed last year, this sensor allows the monitor to detect whether or not you’re currently at your desk.

When you step away, it dims the display or enables power-saving mode to protect its QD-OLED panel from burn-in as part of MSI’s OLED Care 3.0 tech. At the same time, it also adjusts the monitor’s brightness to match the ambient lighting in your room to maintain uniform luminance.

If you’ve ever tried hooking up one of the best MacBooks to a 4K monitor, then you’re likely familiar with text fringing, where text will often look fuzzy or blurry due to how macOS handles pixel density. In fact, this is one of the reasons Mac users will often pay more for the Studio Display, since it has a 5K resolution with 218 pixels per inch (PPI) and allows for perfect 2x scaling.

MSI took this into consideration when developing the Pro Max 271UPXW12G. It features a pixel density of 166 PPI, which is slightly higher than what you’ll find on standard 27-inch 4K monitors. In my brief time with the display, text looked quite crisp, though it was hooked up to a Windows laptop simultaneously—something you simply can't do on a Studio Display without unplugging cables.

For your Mac (and so much more)

On the back of the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, there are plenty of ports and a whole lot more than you’ll find on the Studio Display. First off, you get two USB-C ports that both support up to 98W Power Delivery. So instead of reaching for your charger, you can just plug your MacBook right into the display using a single cable.

Since you might also want to plug in one of the best gaming PCs, you also get an HDMI 2.1 port and a DisplayPort 1.4a, which supports 4K at 120Hz.

What really ties everything together is the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s built-in KVM switch. By plugging a keyboard and mouse directly into the monitor, you can then use them across up to three devices connected to it. Because this monitor features two USB-C ports, you can even connect two different laptops without needing an extra data cable; if you’re using the HDMI 2.1 port or the DisplayPort 1.4a to connect a desktop, then you will just need to connect the included USB-B cable.

While I love using the downstream USB-C ports on my Studio Display for connecting peripherals, I almost gasped the first time I realized it only had one input port. With the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G, not only can you connect multiple devices, but you can also seamlessly switch between them without having to use a different keyboard and mouse.

It even features M-Color Mode for color synchronization and supports MacBook shortcut keys, so you can adjust the monitor's brightness and volume directly from your keyboard just like you would on an Apple display.

MSI hasn’t released pricing info for the Pro Max 271UPXW12G yet, but given what other 4K QD-OLED monitors are going for right now, I’d say it will definitely be under $1,000 — which makes it significantly cheaper than the Apple Studio Display, which starts at $1,599.

When you add in the fact that you’re getting a glare-free display without having to pay extra for Apple’s Nano-texture glass, and it comes with a built-in KVM switch, the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G could be the perfect alternative for Mac users who also have a Windows laptop or a gaming PC.

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