Buying a white office and gaming monitor is difficult, especially if you need an ultra-wide curved monitor from the mid-price segment. The MSI Modern MD342CQPW is a primary office or secondary gaming monitor on the go. There are only a few suitable options on the market, and it is one of them. It comes in black (Modern MD342CQP) and white (our MSI MD342CQPW review model). You must pay extra for the White model if you care about your personal space.

MSI MD342CQPW Review
Unboxing
The MSI business monitor comes in a 95 × 50 × 24 cm unpainted cardboard package. In addition to the monitor, the box contains a power supply with a cord, a DisplayPort video cable, and a USB cable. Unfortunately, the entire accessories set is black, but MSI is great at making white cables, like the MSI Modern MD2412PW (REVIEW).
The bulky power supply, which measures 180 × 85 × 30 mm, is also worth noting. I have nothing against external power supplies, but this is too much and is unlikely to be hidden somewhere on the table.

MSI Modern MD342CQPW specifications
- Display: 34-inch VA panel, Anti-glare
- Active Display Area: 797.22 (H) x 333.72 (V)
- Aspect Ratio: 21:9
- Curvature: 1500R
- Contrast Ratio: 3500:1
- Resolution: 3440 x 1440 (UWQHD)
- Response Time: 1ms (MPRT) / 4ms (GTG)
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 178°/178°
- Brightness: 300 cd/m²
- Color Support: 1.07B
- Color Bit: 10-bits (8bits + FRC)
- Color Gamut: 92% (Adobe RGB)/ 95% (DCI-P3)/ 119% (sRGB)
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Features: HDR Ready, Adaptive-sync, EyesErgo, KVM, Anti-flicker, Less blue light, PIP/PBP, Eye-Q check, Display Kit, Tool-free design, Power saving mode, Energy star, Kensington lock
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0b (UWQHD@100Hz), 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x Type-C (DP Alt.) w/ 98W PD, 1x USB 5Gbps Type-B, 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1 x Headphone-out
- Stand: Tilt (-5° ~ 20°), Swivel (-30° ~ 30°), Pivot (-5° ~ 5°), Height adj. (110 mm)
- Audio: 2x 3W Speakers
- VESA Mount: 75 x 75 mm
- Dimensions: 808.6 x 424.1 x 250.6 mm
- Weight: 8.05 kg / 17.81 lbs
Design
Our MSI MD342CQPW review model belongs to the Business & Productivity line and is part of the Modern series. The monitor has a strict, laconic design, but thanks to its white color, it looks imposing. The absence of any decorations such as patterns, backlights, or “dragons” is only to its advantage. Lovers of cleanliness will like that dust, scratches, and fingerprints are not visible on the light matte plastic.

Only the screen frame is black (apparently to enhance the frameless effect). Under the display, there is a silver MSI logo.

The MD342CQPW has a good set of ports that should satisfy any owner’s needs. In addition to the standard DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.0b, there is a USB Type-C with charging functions (up to 98 W) and DP Alt video signal transmission. Theoretically, this allows you to connect an ultrabook to the monitor without additional wires. There is also a pair of USB Type-A with a throughput of 5 Gbps. To use them, you need to connect the included USB Type-B cable.

The device’s stand consists of a powerful, heavy leg and a large round base with a “slot” for the smartphone.


There are several rubber pads on the bottom of the base. Here you can also find a special screw that connects the two parts of the stand into a single structure.


A small plastic loop on the back of the leg represents the cable management system. It copes with its functions perfectly.

The stand turned out to be exceptionally ergonomic. It allows you to adjust the height (by 110 mm), tilt (from -5 to +20 degrees), and horizontal rotation angle (30 degrees in each direction). Portrait mode is missing, but minor correction (5 degrees) is possible.
Menu
The monitor has a simple monochrome menu of six items, which even the most inexperienced user can figure out. Navigation uses several physical buttons, each with its icon. The buttons are located on the bottom edge of the case and have a reasonably stiff stroke – each press causes a noticeable shaking of the entire panel.


Now, let’s briefly review the primary tabs. The “Professional” section controls the image mode (Eco, User, sRGB, Anti-Blue, etc.), response speed settings, and adaptive synchronization. The “Image” tab allows you to adjust basic parameters, including brightness, contrast, and color temperature.


“Input Source” helps you manually select the input source, although I mostly use the automatic scanning of active ports. “PIP/PBP” allows you to display a picture in a picture or a picture next to a picture.


“NaviKey” offers to reassign some buttons. I recommend assigning them to brightness, response speed, and speaker volume, after which you will hardly have to look at the menu. The “Settings” tab allows you to change the language, adjust transparency, enable fast charging, and perform a general reset.
MSI MD342CQPW review test
Viewing angles, Colors, and More
It is based on a 34-inch pseudo-ten-bit (8-bit + FRC) matrix with a resolution of UWQHD (3440 × 1440 pixels). For those who would like to dig deeper, I will tell you about the panel marking SN340FU02 3.

Like all VA monitors, the Modern MD342CQPW received poor viewing angles, and the 1500R curvature only worsened the situation. The image loses saturation even at a minimal deviation; therefore, watching a movie with a large company will be problematic.

At the same time, the MSI MD342CQPW review sample demonstrates minimal glare on a black background.

And the glow effect can only be seen from the wildest angle.

For the white background, the device showed deviations reaching almost 20% in some places. However, visually, everything is not bad. I did not observe any signs of tint.

The device measured brightness, contrast, and white points in the basic User mode. Brightness was higher than promised, about 360 nits at 100%. Contrast reached only 2330:1, and the white point went to a fabulous 7000 K.

The graph shows a slight excess of the blue component, which explains the rather cold white. The sRGB triangle has gone beyond the reference.


By the way, Anti-Blue is implemented well here. It does not make the light much yellow (5500 K), so this mode can be used in the dark, especially when doing office work or surfing text sites.


Let’s check the software emulation of the sRGB color space that is out of interest. It works! The triangle fits into the standard quite accurately.

The indicators for the three leading color gamuts are shown below.

I also provide measurements of color rendering in User mode. The result is not ideal, but it is acceptable for a regular home office monitor. You can calibrate the monitor if you wish.


Panel Speed
Honestly, fans of rich, saturated pictures will not appreciate the MD342CQPW. This model is a good office solution with entirely different priorities. It offers excellent resolution and a large working area, allowing you to open several documents or windows simultaneously. Also, nothing prevents you from watching a movie or video from the Internet on the monitor.
Please note: the display defaults to Eco mode. I recommend changing it to User or sRGB.
The monitor also has some gaming features. First, we are talking about the maximum refresh rate, 120 Hz. At the same time, the manufacturer warns that to fully realize the capabilities, the device must be connected via DisplayPort 1.4a, especially since a suitable cable is included in the delivery set.

Since the panel is based on a VA matrix, it is unsurprising that its response time is a typical 4 ms according to the GtG method and 1 ms according to MPRT. The manufacturer has prepared three speeds: Normal, Fast, and Fastest. I liked the second option the most. Ghosting and Black Smearing (blurring of light elements on a dark background in dynamics) are visible in Normal, and Fastest is guilty of overshooting (light blue halos of overclocking). Fans of competitive shooters should pay attention to faster OLED or IPS. Fortunately, the same MSI has many suitable options at various prices.
Other Features
AMD Radeon Software confirms that the adaptive synchronization system is the universal Adaptive-Sync. Just remember to enable it in the monitor settings.
The HDR support column modestly notes that it is HDR Ready. The display can work with an extended dynamic range, but you shouldn’t expect miracles. However, with a brightness of 350 nits and the absence of multi-zone backlighting, the implementation of real HDR is unlikely.
The monitor is comfortable to work on in the dark and bright. According to the developers, a unique Anti-Glare film is applied to the screen, preventing glare. The crystalline effect is almost invisible. To protect vision, a range of Eye Care technologies are responsible for low levels of blue radiation (Less Blue Light) and no flickering (Anti-Flicker), as confirmed by TÜV Rheinland certificates.
The audio system consists of a pair of 3-watt speakers. They will not satisfy connoisseurs of good sound. These users will have to connect speakers or headphones in any case. However, such speakers can help in emergencies and allow you to listen to the desired audio file. More is not required from it.
Finally, the built-in KVM module allows you to control several computers using one set of peripherals. It may be helpful to someone.
Final line
Modern MD342CQPW from MSI can be a real salvation for a bright workplace where classic black monitors are unsuitable. It will also be an excellent alternative to unpretentious office solutions, which generally have very modest characteristics. A convenient stand will help adjust the screen’s position, and the increased hertz will allow you to spend your free time playing your favorite game.
Also see: MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 Review
The MSI Modern MD342CQPW is priced at $309.99 / £267 on Amazon, while the black version of this 2K ultrawide QHD monitor is available for $299.99.
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