MSI Optix G24C4: Specs, Pros, Cons – This Budget Monitor Can Excel in both Gaming and Design Work, Here’s How
MSI looked to “Redefine the Esports Monitor” with the Optix G24C4, but we’re here to disagree and say that this is more than a gaming monitor. With our Display Profiles, which you can purchase in this article, the Optix can become a beastly Creator monitor, offering great color coverage, stretching close to the DCI-P3 color gamut, while being very accurate with a dE value of 1.4 once our profiles kick into gear – almost 3X better accuracy!
As for its other characteristics, we get a pretty standard setup for gaming – a Full HD VA panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, which is enough for many gamers. There’s also FreeSync support, for smoother and tear-free gameplay. As you read on, you’ll find out just how good this Optix monitor is for its price, which you can check out on Amazon.
You can check the current price of the MSI Optix G24C4 here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Contents
Specs sheet, Assembly, Drivers, Design, Connectivity
Screen size | 23.6 inch (59.94 cm) |
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Refresh rate | 144Hz |
Response time | 1ms |
Panel type | VA |
Backlight type | LED |
Screen finish | Matte |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) |
Technologies |
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I/O |
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Assembly
Drivers
You can find the driver package for the MSI Optix G24C4 on the Support page of the monitor. Usually, companies offer other software utilities, but this time, it’s just the drivers. This means that when it comes time to adjust monitor settings, you have no choice but to comply with the pesky red button on the back.
OSD Menu
Design and Connectivity
The monitor is entirely black in color, with the only red that you’ll see is the button for the OSD menu, which is brighter than your future. You need to know that this monitor is curved, however, at 24 inches, the curve is less pronounced, measuring at 1000R. In terms of mobility and adjustability, the stand only has a Tilt mechanism, which can help you adjust viewing angles depending on your height. Maintaining proper posture is vital if you’re spending long hours at a desk in front of a PC, so do yourself a favor and put some focus on ergonomics.
In terms of ports, the Optix brings two HDMI 1.4b ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2a port, and an audio jack.
Display quality, Buy our profiles, Verdict
The VA panel of the MSI Optix G24C4 shows surprisingly deep color coverage, which is great for your Creator endeavors. As for gaming, the 144Hz refresh rate and the 1ms response time, as well as the FreeSync support are enough for both esports titles, where MSI believes this monitor can shine, as well as Triple-A single-player titles, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and story. The curved panel can certainly help with the immersion aspect. Let’s start with making you familiar with color gamuts and what each gamut represents.
The correlated color temperature on a white screen after a Factory Reset in sRGB mode is 6620K (Luminance 150 cd/m2 at 20% Brightness). The average gamma value is 2.01.
Color coverage
Here’s an illustration (Fig. 1). The whole “sail-shaped” map below consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of MSI Optix G24C4 can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
MSI Optix G24C4: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display. In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 98% of the sRGB color gamut, as well as 89% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) MSI Optix G24C4 covers 99% of the Web colors (sRGB)
This means that if the MSI Optix G24C4 tries to show any color outside of its triangle, it will show the closest color to it that’s inside the triangle.
Color accuracy
Now let’s see how big is the difference between the real colors and the one you’ll see on the MSI Optix G24C4. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the bigger the number, the more different they look.
For the next illustration, we’ve chosen 24 common colors like dark and light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Values below 2.0 are considered suitable for color-sensitive work. Before our calibration of the MSI Optix G24C4, the Average color accuracy was 3.5 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Web Design and Office Work profile, it lowered to 1.4 dE (Fig. 3). This is still a massive increase in accuracy of 2.5x, so the content will look more lifelike than before, however, you should probably stay away from any professional color work and focus on another monitor for that specific reason.
Comparison in the Display P3 color space (primaries and D65 white point specified in ITU-R BT.709, sRGB encoding curve).
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom-tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate (they may seem strange at first but after a few minutes our brain will start recognizing them as accurate ones – that’s how Health-Guard differs from alternatives like f.lux).
Pro Tip: As the Health-Guard profile simulates paper and has as accurate as possible colors, it could be a great tool for prepress designers!
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Health-Guard Profile
Gaming and Movies
We also have a third Gaming and Movies profile, which regulates the black colors, making dark areas in games and movies appear more visible, thus giving you a better viewing experience. Shooting at your opponent first can be a make-or-break moment, so make sure you’re best prepared with our profile.
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
BUY OUR DISPLAY PROFILES
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for the MSI Optix G24C4.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
Here’s how to prepare thе monitor for our profiles:
1. Open the OSD menu (On-Screen Display)
2. Reset: Choose the ‘Reset’ option.
3. Eco Mode: After resetting, turn the Eco Mode OFF for accurate color representation.
4. Brightness: Navigate to Image ➡️ Brightness and set it to 55% for optimal viewing.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Verdict
The MSI Optix G24C4 can become a very safe choice for gamers and content creators. Not only does it have plenty of Gaming DNA inside, with a high refresh rate, low response times, and Adaptive Sync, as well as AMD’s branded version of it called FreeSync. Now, getting to the more interesting part, the color coverage and accuracy of this monitor are very impressive, offering pretty much full (98% coverage of the sRGB gamut and stretching well into the DCI-P3 gamut, with 89%).
The accuracy needs to be talked about too, as our Web Design and Office Work profile manages to do some serious work, giving the Optix a dE value of 1.4, which is well below the 2.0 threshold that is widely recognized as the entry point for a monitor to be considered accurate. The rest of our profiles deserve a mention too.
With the Gaming and Movies one, you can enjoy the best visuals in games and movies (duh), as we believe you need a slightly different visual experience for entertainment. While accurate colors are necessary for when you’re working, things are different when you’re watching content, where you need things to be tuned up a bit. For example, dark scenes can become a nightmare to look at, as you lose detail. With our profile, the black colors are regulated, so you see more detail.
Finally, the Health Guard might be the most important of the bunch, keeping blue light exposure as low as possible, as well as removing any flickering that there might be.
You can check the current price of the MSI Optix G24C4: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Pros
- Well Priced
- Low-key design
- The curved panel ensures great immersion
- High color coverage – 98% sRGB; 89% DCI-P3
- Studio-level color accuracy thanks to our Display Profiles
Cons
- Some people might prefer a larger panel (Check out the Optix G27C4)