Looking to spice up your setup with a new monitor – preferably one that won't break the bank? Look no further than the MSI G255F, the epitome of a budget monitor that's rarin' with features, an unassuming look, and more Hz than your budget PC can handle.
-
Design
-
Display
-
Performance
-
Features
-
Value
Once upon a time, gaming monitors were thought of as mythical beings – visible only to those with the necessary funds to acquire them. Budget-conscious gamers were forced to make do with similarly budget monitors and their poor panels, high latency, and low refresh rates. Now, securing a monitor with a decent refresh rate, crucial to success in any competitive game, has become reasonably affordable.
In no monitor is this clearer than the MSI G255F, coming in at R3,500. Despite the relatively low price, the G255F still packs plenty of features that make it an easy recommendation for anyone still struggling with 60Hz.
Looks the part
This being a proper gamer, MSI did its best to inform customers of that fact in the design alone. It’s missing the usual throbbing RGB, but there’s no mistaking that striking frame. All the bits making up the construction come in at strong angles, with the only curve residing on the monitor’s rear where you’ll find an indent rocking – you guessed it – a strong angle
Everything from the rear to the bezels to the jutted stand is made up of a lightweight plastic that’ll rarely be felt aside from the odd LAN party movements and initial setup. We wouldn’t exactly describe it as feeling “premium” but the plastic does nothing to detract from the overall sturdiness on display here. The entire build is devoid of colour, sticking to an all-black look, even missing the splash of red that’s so common in the field.
Even if you’re a die-hard RGB fanatic, a simple black look can only enhance whatever vibe you’re going for with your setup. Our G255F has thus far lived at the office, blending into the crowd of other gaming-centric monitors. That’s not to say it wouldn’t look at home in a more corporate affair but let’s be serious; this isn’t leaving your gaming den, is it?
Looks the Part II
MSI has kept moving parts to a minimum, allowing for nothing more than a simple tilt-adjustable display. There’s no lowering or raising the screen from the neck, meaning anything else is on you. We experienced no problems, ergonomically speaking, but taller folk might want a dedicated stand or monitor arm for added manoeuvrability.
It’s not the most elegant solution, but some basic cable management can be achieved around the back of the G255F. It’s not tucked away out of sight, but a small bit of plastic that fits onto the back of the monitor’s neck funnels your cables just enough to keep them out of view from the front.
Those plugs fit right where you’d expect them to. An overhang sits ’round the back to ensure your cables are facing down, and not poking into the world horizontally. It also works to hide the slew of ports available here, of which there are two HDMI (2.0), power, a single DisplayPort 1.2, and a 3.5mm audio out. Navigation around the monitor’s settings and menus is equally bare, relying solely on the preferred joystick/button on the device’s rear.
Refresh rate gainz
It might not hit the current 27in gold standard, but MSI manages to squeeze everything into the 24.5in rapid IPS panel – let’s go ahead and round that up to 25in, yeah? By “everything”, we’re talking about the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, decent 180Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time. It also packs variable refresh rate (VRR) support with AMD’s FreeSync tech to further reduce tearing.
And by Jove, it worked, and well. Hooked up to a PS5, we threw XDefiant its way (RIP) and even managed a few wins in Rocket League. The PS5 caps out at 120Hz, however, so you’ll need a proper PC, preferably connected to the DisplayPort, to take full advantage of the 180Hz the G255F boasts. We did manage to up that number when connected to our MacBook Pro, but not by much – though looking at spreadsheets in this manner does make it somewhat more interesting.
You can adjust the settings to best suit your gaming needs at a moment’s notice, with presets designed to switch between genres like FPS (first-person shooter), Racing, or RTS (real-time strategy) titles. We didn’t find ourselves using the presets all that often, but it’s handy to have. One feature we didn’t use was the built-in crosshair that makes shooter games easier (i.e. cheating), but it’s there when needed.
We didn’t expect to be blown away by the G255F’s colour accuracy. But what we got wasn’t half-bad for the price. It managed to reproduce colours that are just fine for the online multiplayer space, and does well when it comes to streaming content. You might even get away with some low-stakes design work. Unless you’re after high-end colour accuracy, then you’ll want to look at something else (and be prepared to pay a lot more).
MSI G255F verdict
Stack up MSI’s G255F against the next best budget thing and it immediately becomes an even more attractive option. Even without the more expensive competition making matters clearer, the MSI G255F is a stellar monitor that should be considered by every budget gamer around. Its unassuming look means it won’t steal the spotlight from the rest of your build while its competent feature set, including the 180Hz refresh rate, is a good deal for the asking price.
