Friday, February 23rd 2024

MSI Confirms Lack of Firmware Updates for Incoming MAG QD-OLED Monitors

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T0@st
 Discuss (44 Comments)
MSI is preparing to launch its new generation of MPG and MAG series QD-OLED gaming monitors—early 2024 promotional activity included a couple of pre-launch initiatives. The company's marketing division is attempting to get into good graces with the gaming community—we have already witnessed the introduction of a 3-year warranty for OLED panel product, and permanent price cuts planned for launch day. It is highly probable that MSI is trying to attract customers away from ASUS ROG—the MPG 321URX ($949.99, formerly $1199) will be going up against the Swift OLED PG32UCDM ($1299).

The "MSI_Darutohne" Reddit account reached out to potential (and well heeled) customers on a popular premium gaming monitor discussion community: "Hello r/OLED_Gaming! Our QD-OLED monitors are finally rolling out, and we'd love to clarify any misconceptions and make sure everyone here is making an informed purchase! Let's get started with the Six NEW QD-OLED monitors. You may find them all listed here." Many members thanked MSI for the comprehensive product rundowns and answering of questions/queries, but one participant—Mars0813—took issue with the MAG 321UPX model's apparent inability to receive software/firmware updates. MSI_Darutohne responded and confirmed: "You are correct. The MAG 321UPX QD-OLED will NOT support software updates." Subsequent repliers stated that they would cancel their pre-orders, or request refunds. Jamartty45 stated: "Appreciate you for clarifying, but I purchased this yesterday and it will be returned as soon as it gets to my door. A $900 monitor that doesn't support software updates is absurd." The more expensive MPG tier appears to be the best route for gamers who enjoy a little bit of future-proofing and bug fixing.

VideoCardz has combed through multiple contained discussion trees and extracted vital points of information: "(The) MSI employee later clarified that there will be no firmware update through MSI OSD or any different application. None of the MAG 27" and 32" monitors will support firmware updates. But there is an exception for the MAG 341CQP QD-OLED monitor. The company will provide no updates for the $900 MAG 32-inch OLED monitor, but for just $50 more (the price of the MPG variant) users will be able to flash new firmware through the USB Type-C connector."
Sources: OLED_Gaming Subreddit, VideoCardz

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44 Comments on MSI Confirms Lack of Firmware Updates for Incoming MAG QD-OLED Monitors

#26
Dr. Dro
trsttteThe issue is we have better interfaces available and a thousand dollar monitor should be using them. I won't say it's a fatal flaw, DSC indeed has almost no drawbacks (there's some weird restrictions when it comes to advanced use cases like daisy chaining and stuff like that) but we shouldn't need it on such an expensive monitor.
The monitor here isn't the question, it's mostly the NVIDIA GPU which lacks the capability (AMD RX 7000 series have DP 2.0 support although I am unsure they support UHBR20). This is an interesting conundrum, however. To get the best of a 4K/240 Hz monitor you most certainly want the RTX 4090's vast performance, but it can't drive this with an uncompressed input, the alternative being a Radeon that's lacking in the performance front and potentially has bugs specific to high-end displays like this (wouldn't be the first time).
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#27
trsttte
Dr. DroThe monitor here isn't the question, it's mostly the NVIDIA GPU which lacks the capability (AMD RX 7000 series have DP 2.0 support although I am unsure they support UHBR20). This is an interesting conundrum, however. To get the best of a 4K/240 Hz monitor you most certainly want the RTX 4090's vast performance, but it can't drive this with an uncompressed input, the alternative being a Radeon that's lacking in the performance front and potentially has bugs specific to high-end displays like this (wouldn't be the first time).
AMD RX 7000 uses UHBR13.5 (UHBR20 is only available on professional cards for some reason) but even UHBR10 would be a massive improvement over DP1.4 and very close in bandwith to HDMI 2.1.

Monitors are supposed to last a long time, it makes no sense an expensive monitor like this has such a flaw, it's not like DP2.1 (small spec revision over 2.0 but hardware is the same) is new, it's not, the standard was released in 2019 for fuck sake. Nvidia as the bigger gpu maker dropped the ball hard with the 4000 series but it's no excuse, it should be common place by now and it's not.

But whatever, I mean nothing we can do really, every monitor (and device) always has to end up with some stupid flaws because someone decided to cut corners at some point. The monitor I'm waiting for is also stupid expensive and has a bunch of those but ticks enough boxes that I'm still going to buy it regardless.
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#28
R-T-B
Dr. DroDSC's supposed to be visually lossless after all. For the very largest majority of monitors including this entire lineup, as well as whatever you can realistically ask of any Ada card 4090 and up included, DP 1.4a HBR3 is simply not a problem IMHO. This chart assumes 8 bpc input:


It's good for 4K/120 and 5K/60 uncompressed, all the while HDMI 2.1 (which Ada fully supports) can do 10 bpc 4K/120 and 4K/144 with variable refresh just fine as well, so it's another valid option.
If you are running 8bpc on a HDR-capable monitor like an OLED, you are doing it wrong.
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#29
Dr. Dro
R-T-BIf you are running 8bpc on a HDR-capable monitor like an OLED, you are doing it wrong.
It depends on whether games support a 10-bit swapchain, thankfully tools like Special K exist. What I can say for sure though is that 10 bpc SDR is a no man's land, Nvidia doesn't even support MPOs in this mode.
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#30
R-T-B
Dr. DroIt depends on whether games support a 10-bit swapchain, thankfully tools like Special K exist. What I can say for sure though is that 10 bpc SDR is a no man's land, Nvidia doesn't even support MPOs in this mode.
I dunno, like you said with SpecialK and AutoHDR there are literally zero games I run in non-HDR mode.
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#31
Zubasa
Dr. DroIt depends on whether games support a 10-bit swapchain, thankfully tools like Special K exist. What I can say for sure though is that 10 bpc SDR is a no man's land, Nvidia doesn't even support MPOs in this mode.
Not sure about MPO, but AMD GPUs defaults to 10-bit color depth even in SDR mode.
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#32
Dr. Dro
ZubasaNot sure about MPO, but AMD GPUs defaults to 10-bit color depth even in SDR mode.
Default color settings are full-range RGB 8 bpc SDR on NVIDIA. AMD's MPO support is better than NV's, as far as I'm concerned. It's one of the few things that they do completely right.
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#33
Chomiq
Space Lynx4k 240hz (that have a physical button that changes it to 480hz 1080p) or 34" 3440 240hz variants are not WOLED yet or at least not on the market yet where I am

the new models fix text issues, etc. just a waiting game now.
They are WOLED, you're confusing the subpixels layout for technology used in them.
Next gen panels are RGWB and not RWGB but both use white subpixels to boost brightness so they're both WOLED.
True RGB panels are at least two years away for LG.
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#34
FoulOnWhite
My monitor has HDR but i never really use it
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#35
R-T-B
FoulOnWhiteMy monitor has HDR but i never really use it
It all depends on how good it is if its worthwhile. A lot of lcd monitors add it but its not worth using. OLED is always worth it.
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#36
FoulOnWhite
R-T-BIt all depends on how good it is if its worthwhile. A lot of lcd monitors add it but its not worth using. OLED is always worth it.
It does make white look whiter, it's a bit grey without it, but is probably pretty bad.
Posted on Reply
#37
Keivz
Not an issue if it reviews well out of the box. Do your research before buying these things. They will be reviewed to hell and back.
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#38
Chomiq
FoulOnWhiteIt does make white look whiter, it's a bit grey without it, but is probably pretty bad.
Unless you have multiple dimming zones it probably just adjusts brightness depending on the image displayed. If it's a white text it boosts it to max if it's 100% black it lowers it to minimum and then everything in between that.

Proper HDR mode can only be achieved with 500+ zone minileds or OLED monitors which allow for dimming individual pixels.

On topic:
If MSI gets everything right the lack of firmware updates shouldn't be an issue, however as we've seen over the years from various manufacturers this really isn't the situation when it comes to miniled or oled displays. Manufacturers often rush those displays to market and end up fixing some of the issues with firmware updates. Sometimes the issues don't even get resolved (CoolerMaster I'm looking at you). Even this generation already has Dell 32" model that doesn't support Dolby Vision out of the box but Dell says that future firmware update will enable it.
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#39
FoulOnWhite
ChomiqUnless you have multiple dimming zones it probably just adjusts brightness depending on the image displayed. If it's a white text it boosts it to max if it's 100% black it lowers it to minimum and then everything in between that.

Proper HDR mode can only be achieved with 500+ zone minileds or OLED monitors which allow for dimming individual pixels.

On topic:
If MSI gets everything right the lack of firmware updates shouldn't be an issue, however as we've seen over the years from various manufacturers this really isn't the situation when it comes to miniled or oled displays. Manufacturers often rush those displays to market and end up fixing some of the issues with firmware updates. Sometimes the issues don't even get resolved (CoolerMaster I'm looking at you). Even this generation already has Dell 32" model that doesn't support Dolby Vision out of the box but Dell says that future firmware update will enable it.
I know low end HDR is a useful as a chocolate teaspoon, and is only viable on OLED or if it is multi zone HDR1000+ IPS
Posted on Reply
#40
FrostWolf
ScrizzThis is one reason I buy Dell monitors.
Dell’s handling of warranty issues with a monitor is also head and shoulders above most vendors. That’s a second big reason.
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#41
trsttte
ChomiqProper HDR mode can only be achieved with 500+ zone minileds or OLED monitors which allow for dimming individual pixels.
It's not only about the number of zones, the Sony Inzone M9 is probably the best mini led HDR monitor with only 96 zones, though Sony is very much an exception there
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#42
Keivz
trsttteIt's not only about the number of zones, the Sony Inzone M9 is probably the best mini led HDR monitor with only 96 zones, though Sony is very much an exception there
Lol, the Inzone M9 is far from being the best mini led monitor these days. It’s honestly the not even in the top 10 anymore.
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#43
Zubasa
KeivzNot an issue if it reviews well out of the box. Do your research before buying these things. They will be reviewed to hell and back.
New products sold in 2024 with half baked software, who would have thought? /s
Posted on Reply
#44
Chomiq
trsttteIt's not only about the number of zones, the Sony Inzone M9 is probably the best mini led HDR monitor with only 96 zones, though Sony is very much an exception there
That's what Sony likes to say whenever they push their TV with lower number of zones. And then they release their flagship that has much greater number of zones and looks better.
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