MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: totally immerse yourself in the action

To sum up this MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review in a few words: if you want a curved monitor to make you feel totally immersed in a game, then this could be the one for you. It easily takes a spot as one of the best gaming monitors you can buy. 

The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR has some serious specs under its belt - it’s a 34-inch UWQHD High-Resolution monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. As you might have guessed, this gaming monitor doesn’t come cheap so you’ll want to carefully weigh it up against the competition. In this MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review, I’ll give you a rundown on everything you need to know.

This is one seriously impressive gaming monitor, but it may not be ideal for every gamer, while to others it could be the perfect panel. That's why it's important to find out exactly what it delivers before pulling the trigger.

Looking to completely overhaul your gaming set up? It’ll be worth taking a look at T3’s guides to the best gaming mouse, best gaming headset, best gaming keyboard and the best gaming chair.

MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: price and features

You can buy the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR gaming monitor now for $799.99 in the US, $899 in the UK and AU$1,599 in Australia. The widgets on this page will give you up-to-date pricing and retailers. 

The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR has a 1000R curvature, 2K resolution, True Color Sync, Rapid Boost (165Hz + 1ms) and is HDR400 certified. It has AMD FreeSync Premium technology and Smart Gaming AI software as well. To adjust the settings, you can use MSI’s Gaming OSD App, and this monitor can be used to project your mobile phone screen onto the side of the display. 

MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: design and setup

Weighing 7.5kg and measuring 79.53 x 42.25 x 31.56cm, this is a pretty substantial monitor. It has a 34inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a tight 1000R curvature. The black three-sided frameless design of the display makes it look smart, while on the bottom of the screen there's a slightly thicker bezel with the MSI logo integrated into it. On the back, RGB lighting sits behind the MSI logo and in a line arching over the top of the stand, giving colourful personalisation to your gaming setup. MSI hasn't overcomplicated this gaming monitor's design, keeping it simple and sleek.

Holding it all up, the monitor comes with a slim v-shaped stand, with a hole for cable management. If you prefer, it also supports VESA wall mounts. To keep your gaming space neat and tidy, the monitor has a headphone hook as well. 

Getting the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR out of the box, you immediately notice the solid, sturdy build quality. Attaching the stand was as easy as securing it to the back of the display with the four included screws, then clipping in the base and fastening it using the thumb turn screw. Once in place on the desk, it felt incredibly robust. You can adjust the stand by height and you’ll be able to both tilt and swivel it as well, the stand gives you plenty of leeway to change its positioning depending on your needs. Naturally, given the size of the screen, you won’t be able to pivot it. 

To connect your devices to it, there are plenty of options including one DisplayPort, one USB Type C and two HDMIs. That means the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR is compatible with PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Mobile and Notebooks. The ports are neatly tucked away in a nook on the back of the monitor.

On the back towards the right, you'll find the power button, the Macro Key to launch the OSD app and a red joystick that is big enough to accurately navigate through the settings menus. There’s also a Kensington lock for extra security if you need it.

MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: picture and performance

Using a VA panel, the 32-inch MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR gaming monitor has a resolution of 3440 x 1440 (UWQHD), 3,000:1 contrast ratio, a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, 1ms response time and 550nits peak brightness. The monitor gives an overall smooth, blur-free gaming experience although it is worth noting that you can only access the full 165Hz refresh rate using a DisplayPort or USB-C cable, the HDMI ports only support up to 100Hz. AMD FreeSync can also be enabled with the DP cable plugged in, but not through HDMI either. There’s no Nvidia G Sync support here. 

When it comes to colour, the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR has 92.7% DCI-P3 and 117.8% sRGB. Although it is possible to find monitors in this price range with more accurate colours, hues still looked well balanced and much richer than less expensive options. This won’t be a monitor to use for content creation though as colours aren’t as reliable as you’d need for that type of work. Despite that, I would still say this is a clear, crisp monitor and the image enhancement does a great job at sharpening up the on-screen content.  

The OSD menus are really easy to navigate and there’s also the Gaming OSD app for Windows which makes it even simpler. You can adjust everything from the brightness and contrast to the colour temperature and image enhancement. There are a number of different screen modes covering everything from FPS style games, racing, RTS and RPG games, as well as a Standard RGB mode. On top of that, there’s a separate mode for office work, it brightens up the screen and sharpens the image enough to carry out day to day word processing or spreadsheet management. MSI makes monitors built for gaming, yet if you do need to use this one for other tasks, the picture modes have you covered.

The 1000R curvature is supposed to fit the natural curve of the human eye so that you can see the entire screen without any fatigue. It certainly works and has a tight enough curve to stop you from needing to move your head from left to right during use. It really makes you feel completely immersed in the action.

To help prevent eye strain, the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR has Eye Care technology which lowers the amount of blue light in the panel. I found that the monitor was easily useable for a full day without developing a screen headache. If that doesn’t work well enough for you, there’s also an anti-blue mode, to suck the blues out of the display almost entirely. 

Elsewhere, the anti-glare coating on the display did a good job to prevent bright sunlight from disrupting the on-screen content. Plus having a 178-degree viewing angle makes the display look consistent from almost every angle.

Another useful feature here is Smart Gaming, including Console Mode to accept a 4K signal to a QHD display with HDR support, which means you can still get the best experience from your consoles without needing a 4K display. It also has HDMI CEC Profile Sync which will adjust the display mode based on the type of device you are using.

MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: verdict

The MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR is a sleek 34inch gaming monitor that will look great in any setup, as long as you have the desk space for it as it is very wide. Bear in mind that to make the most of the monitor, you’ll need a powerful graphics card as well. 

Anyone craving realistic big-screen gameplay will love this 1000R curved monitor - it immerses you into the game and it’s kind on the eyes as well. If you have the right kit for it, the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR will provide you with exceptional image quality, and will deliver a fantastically smooth gaming experience overall.

MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review: also consider

MSI Optix MPG341CQR vs Samsung CRG9 - two curved large-screened gaming monitors, both of which are worth considering if you want visually impressive gameplay. Or, if you aren’t fussed about curvature, then check out the AOC AGON AG273QZ, a monitor made for FPS gamers and sim racers.

But if you’re on a tighter budget the Dell Curved Gaming Monitor S2721HGF will give you immersive gaming for less than $230 / £200 / AU$280. 

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