MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR: Premium but Awkward 34" Curved Gaming Monitor
MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR
The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR is a 1000R gaming monitor with a 3440x1440 FreeSync Premium panel that supports 48~165Hz (DisplayPort) 48~120Hz (HDMI) and is VESA HDR Display 400 certified. It is a very premium choice though, and with regular pricing of $799, it faces a lot of competition. Several devices cost half that and will deliver a very similar viewing experience, making it hard to recommend unless you absolutely need to have MSI’s built-in features.
The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR has impressive specs, excellent build quality, and a slew of software and hardware features that make it a great gaming monitor, albeit a very expensive one. The 343CQR is currently one of the curviest monitors you can buy with a 1000R 3440 x 1440 panel.
Its main features include 165 Hz with Adaptive-Sync, USB-C input, and HDR. It can get extremely bright, is color accurate with deep blacks, and has very aggressive styling. If you’re looking for a curved 34" gaming monitor and don’t need more than 165 Hz, then this will not disappoint. That said, when regularly priced at $799, it costs almost twice as much as most similarly specced monitors. If you’re willing to choose a less curved display, there are plenty of other great choices including theMSI Optix MAG342CQR1500R which will save you quite a bit and give you nearly the same visual experience.
343CQR Key Features
With support for AMD FreeSync from 48-165 Hz, although it’s not G-Sync Compatible-certified, we have aneasy-to-follow guide to get it working. While sRGB is not supported, the display has nearly 85% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.
MSI Console Mode
If you’re more of PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch player, the 343CQR can automatically accept 4K signals and supports HDR simultaneously and down-converts them to 3440 x 1440 resolution. This is also the first gaming monitor to offer HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) function. The consoles can be used to wake up the monitor when connected to a PlayStation or Switch.
Aside from its 1000R curve and size, this is probably one of the biggest selling features of the MPG Artymis 343CQR. If you plan on using this monitor primarily with your consoles hooked up, the Artymis might be worth the premium.
Connectivity
For inputs, there are two HDMI 2.0 ports with support for 100 Hz with Adaptive-Sync and HDR, as well as DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C inputs, which support 165 Hz with HDR and Adaptive-Sync. The MPG Artymis 343CQR lacks built-in speakers, but you have a 3.5mm audio out.
Design and Adjustments
The MPG Artymis 343CQR has very aggressive styling, especially with its prominent V-shaped stand and curved display. Bezels are thin on all sides, with a slightly thicker bottom that has the MSI logo in the center and a status LED on the bottom right. OSD and power controls are located on the back, as well as the RGB lighting which can help add some cool effects to the rest of your setup.
The lights can be turned on or off with the OSD controls and have additional customization when downloading and using the optional Gaming OSD app, which will also allow you to sync the rear lights with other compatible MSI products like your motherboard or peripherals.
The MPG Artymis 343CQR is best suited for larger and deeper desk spaces. The metal stand is huge, with about a foot of depth behind the monitor which is already about 6.5" thick. You have lots of possible adjustments with 100mm in height, -5°/20° tilt, and +/- 30° swivel. With the extra weight in its stand, the monitor stays in place as you adjust and securely holds any angle you set it to.
The stand has a hole in the middle that you may feed your cables through to keep things more organized. In addition to the display cable, I fed the keyboard, mouse, and 3.5mm audio cables behind my desk. If you’d prefer to wall mount or use a third-party monitor stand, the MPG is compatible with 100x100mm VESA mounts.
It comes with two removable mouse bungee arms, which can be attached on either side along the bottom panel. There is also a concealed headphone holder on the right side, which can be retracted by pressing and releasing so that the arm extends out.
OSD and Software
All controls are found on the back. There are two buttons, one for toggling the OSD and the other for power, as well as a joystick to make changes in the OSD menu.
If you’d prefer, it’s possible to also use the Gaming OSD App 2.0, which gives you these same controls through the desktop using your keyboard and mouse instead. If installed, the physical OSD button can launch the program when pressed. You’ll find the usual settings for changing and adjusting picture presets, including brightness, contrast, color temperature, sharpness, input source, and aspect ratio, though interestingly, hue/saturation and gamma are unavailable.
There are also several gaming-related enhancements and tools that you can enable, including the common refresh rate counter and crosshair overlays.
MSI also offers Optix Scope which displays a zoom box around the area of your crosshair to help with aiming, as well as a Night Vision mode which helps improve visibility in darker scenes automatically by brightening up dark parts on the screen without over-brightening the rest. Some of these features might be a little controversial, especially for more competitive games, but they’re available if you want them.
For improved productivity, the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR also supports several Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes and a unique Mobile Projector that lets you cast your phone’s display in either a 16:9 or 5:9 view.
While I wouldn’t expect the Mobile Projector to be very popular, the Picture in Picture(PIP) and Picture by Picture (PBP) help you create different layouts tailored to maximize your workflow or gaming setup. You can use MSI’s monitor control app to split up to 5 panes quickly and provide up to 10 split modes for different multitasking situations.
Too Curvy?
At 1000R, the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR is one of the curviest gaming monitors you can buy in 2022/2023. MSI claims that 1000R is “the perfect curvature closer to the viewing angle of the human eye and reduces the eye fatigue caused by long-term use of the screen. At the same time, it enhances the sense of coverage and immersion, bringing a higher level of gaming experience to you.”
The curve certainly helps with immersion and reduces the need to shift your eyes as much as a flat panel, though your results will vary.
If you tilt the monitor too much, its distortion can become noticeable, especially with text and certain images on the screen. Ideally, you want your eyes to be level with the display’s center to minimize distortion.
I really enjoyed gaming with the MPG and played several hours of Overwatch 2 and Batman Arkham Knight. Achieving 160 FPS+ gives you a buttery experience that, combined with the display’s saturated colors and deep blacks, is incredible. That said, do I think 1000R is worth having and paying a premium for over 1500R or 1800R? At 34",the benefits of a curvier display are more significant than smaller displays like a 24", however, it’s still not as beneficial or meaningful when compared to a gigantic 49" ultra-wide, where it’s more necessary than a luxury.
For smaller desks, the extra depth required to support the 1000R display could be a significant setback for many. My LG 34" WL600 is far less flashy. However, it only needs about 8" of desk depth to fit. When working on the go, this is my monitor of choice, as I know I can reliably add it to any desk without issue. For most games and applications, unless you plan on using the MPG Artymis 343CQR as part of a dual or triple monitor setup, I don’t really see the benefits in the extra curve it offers. At this point, it might be more for bragging rights than anything else.
Display and Image Quality
The MSI 343CQR is a 34" 21:9 ultra-wide, great for multitasking, playing games, and watching videos. The 3440×1440 UQWHD resolution has a high pixel density of 110 PPI (pixels per inch). Compared to a 27" 16:9 display, 34" ultra-wides are about as tall, but offer 34.37% extra display area. This is a great size and aspect ratio for having two windows open side by side. With movies filmed at 21:9, you won’t see any black borders; however, remember that not all games support this aspect ratio.
While many newer ones do, several competitive games like Overwatch 2 are still limited to 16:9. Instead of playing these games in full screen with black borders, I usually play them in windowed mode and have a Chrome browser or media player opened next to them in the one-third of empty space so that I can still make the most of the larger ultra-wide display.
With a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 400-nit peak brightness, the MSI 343CQR has deep blacks and can still be very useable in brighter rooms with minimal glare. It supports HDR and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified. HDR content has a peak brightness of 550 nits, though full-array local dimming is missing. HDR content will have much more pop and vibrancy compared to SDR, yet the MPG cannot display the full potential of HDR. 10-bit color is also supported via Frame Rate Conversion, which has its limitations. The monitor is best used for gaming, content consumption, and some content creation. However, VA panels tend to suffer from shifts in gamma and saturation, which can be a deal-breaker for professional color-related work.
Competing Monitors
The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR can currently be purchased for $699 when on sale or $799 usually. This puts the MPG in a very awkward position as although it provides a very premium experience, there are several competing options with similar key specs, albeit not as curvy, that can be purchased for significantly less.
If you’re in the market for a similar 34" 3440×1440 VA panel gaming monitor, theSamsung 34" Odyssey G5also features a 1000R Curved Screen, 165Hz, 1ms response time, and FreeSync Premium — but costs just $449. You can save even more by stepping down to a 1800R, 144hz display with theDell S3422DWG, which can be picked up for less than $380.
Wait for a Sale
The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR delivers an immersive viewing experience with its 1000R 165hz display and acceptable HDR performance. For $799 you can easily find larger, faster, and even more color-accurate monitors. With several options costing half that of the Artymis 343CQR, it’s very difficult to recommend this, especially for those on a budget. Some of its built-in hardware features like its mouse wire organizer and headphone holder, as well as its software and lighting features, may make it worth paying the premium. Yet, for most users, you can get nearly the same display experience for significantly less.
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