MSI Pro MP252 E2 monitor review: 100 USD at 120 Hz

MSI pleases with monitors in different price categories. We have already reviewed MSI MAG 275CQRF QD E2 and MSI MAG 274QF. However, it’s time to look at an even more affordable model. Today, we’re going to review the MSI Pro MP252 E2 24.5-inch FullHD IPS monitor. At a price close to $100, the monitor stands out for its 120Hz support, modern design with thin bezels, and AMD FreeSync.

Technical specifications of MSI Pro MP252 E2

Diagonal	24.5 in
Panel type	IPS
Viewing angle	178 ° / 178 °
Resolution	1920 x 1080 (FullHD)
Brightness (typical)	300 nits
Contrast	1500 : 1
Color depth	8 bits (6 bits + FRC)
GtG response time	4 ms
Update frequency	120 Hz
HDR support	Yes
Audio system	2 x 2 W
Audio jack	3.5 mm Jack
DisplayPort	1 x DP 1.2 (a)
HDMI	1 x HDMI 1.4 (b)
USB	No
Other	Adaptive-Sync; AMD FreeSync; Eye-Q Check; Flicker-Free, Low Blue; Reticle; Timer
Power supply	Built-in
Energy consumption	20 W
Dimensions	556.89 x 413.91 x 188.2 mm
Weight (with stand)	2.7 kg

 

Completeness and packaging

The monitor comes in a plain cardboard box. On one of the front sides is written «Thank you for saving the planet». So it should appeal to environmentalists. The package includes the monitor, short leg, stand, power cable, HDMI, plastic clip and paper documentation. The power supply is built into the monitor case. And on the one hand, this is good, because there will be no more «rectangle» lying around. On the other hand, the — will be difficult to replace during repairs.

Design, ergonomics of MSI Pro MP252 E2

The stand is made entirely of plastic. It has a place for small items such as pens, pencils, or flash drives. Thanks to the rubber feet, the monitor stands well in one place.

The leg is made of plastic and metal. Metal firmly connects the main display to the leg. Together with the monitor, they connect quite easily and quickly. An average user shouldn’t have any problems assembling the entire monitor.

However, the leg has no height adjustment, which, in my opinion, is a disadvantage. It is impossible to know exactly how a potential user will sit. However, you should consider the budget orientation of the monitor. There is also a VESA 100×100 mount, so you can buy the necessary stand yourself.

The back of the monitor is made of porous plastic with vertical lines. A rather large MSI inscription stands out on it. There is a single joystick on the right side. It is responsible for turning on/off and controlling MSI Pro MP252 E2.

It’s good that the design has moved forward. Previously, budget monitors were produced with large bezels. In the MSI Pro MP252 E2 monitor, they are 5 mm on all sides except the bottom (up to 1 cm). From a distance, you wouldn’t think this is an affordable monitor.

The screen finish is matte with a slight glossy sheen. Only under sunlight can you see this gloss.

Interfaces

The MSI Pro MP252 E2 monitor has basic interfaces: one DisplayPort 1.2(a), one HDMI 1.4(b), as well as a 3.5 mm jack, AC power connector. There are two built-in 2W speakers. They are enough to cover the basic needs of an undemanding user.

Logically, the low pixel density is a consequence of the low resolution and size of the display, so working with small fonts is unlikely to be comfortable at 89 PPI. In this case, a comfortable working distance will be 50-80 cm, which will not be quite suitable for people with myopia.

The monitor supports the HDR Ready standard. However, this is only the most basic implementation of the technology, as the maximum brightness is 300 nits. One interesting thing I found out is that you can’t turn on HDR on the monitor (when it’s plugged in) when it’s running on a laptop battery. Personally, I don’t like HDR because the image is too light.

Given the matte finish, MSI MAG 275QF is pleasant to use both day and night. The brightness margin is quite sufficient to avoid discomfort in a room that is too bright, and its minimum level and Low Blue support allows you to work in the dark without unnecessary strain on your eyes. And you can work without any discomfort even if you sit with your back to the window.

Software

The MSI Pro MP252 E2 has built-in software to control the monitor. To turn it on, you need to press the joystick on the right rear of the monitor. The settings menu is quite fast, there is no Ukrainian language.

The user can choose standard profiles for different genres of video games, as well as non-game scenarios. Brightness, contrast, color temperature, sharpness, etc. can be manually adjusted. There is also an additional «chit» in the form of a reticle in the middle of the display, which is not shown in screenshots or videos.

Energy consumption

The manufacturer’s claimed consumption of MSI Pro MP252 E2 is an average of 20 watts. According to the test results, the power consumption at 120 Hz was:

Brightness level	Energy consumption
25%	8.6 W
50%	11 W
75%	14.1 W
100%	20.1 W

Experience of use

MSI Pro MP252 E2 gives you exactly the emotions that a monitor in the budget category should leave. Its main task is to display images at 120 Hz. It copes with this.

Yes, someone will say that due to the FullHD resolution (1920×1080), the value of 89 ppi is low for 25 inches. I also noticed this. However, no one is stopping you from putting it a little further on your computer desk. Or sit a little further away from the monitor.

After a few days of use, I noticed that the blue color is a bit dull. There were no problems with other colors. But this is not a big deal because you can customize the color space yourself. However, to do this, you need to enable User mode instead of sRGB. Photographers and professionals in this field need much better monitors. I’m not one of them, so I used it to process photos for the previous and this review.

As for the connection to Macs, I can only say one thing — you can live with it. Of course, the image is far from the level of Retina displays. They require at least 4K resolution for regular desktop monitors. However, it will definitely do for the first time. The console command can help a little: defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 1. This command helps to smooth fonts. The default value is 0 (off), and values 1-3 — light, medium, or heavy antialiasing.

Another unpleasant surprise was that the Safari browser does not support 120 Hz. This was suggested to me by a website from «flying saucer». I didn’t bother to look at how to turn it off and just launched Google Chrome. It immediately showed the required 120 Hz on the site. Although now I wondered if Safari on the MacBook Pro works the same way with 120 Hz or not.

To test the monitor’s gaming capabilities, I connected it to an Xbox Series X. To activate the mode on the Xbox, you need to go to the settings and turn it on manually (as shown in the screenshot). What can I say? Even if the console (or PC) is running at 60 fps, the smoothness at 120 Hz will be greater than at 60 Hz. I didn’t notice any problems in New Indiana. But in Vampire Survivors, the matrix response time is still slow — you can see traces of coins flying towards the character (screenshot).

Competitors of MSI Pro MP252 E2

The price of the MSI Pro MP252 E2 monitor is 4199 UAH. This is a fairly adequate price for a 120Hz IPS. And it’s one of two monitors that you can buy with 120 Hz at a price of up to 4500 UAH.

 

Competitors from MSI itself are the Pro MP252 (from 3899 UAH) — the same model (without the E2 index), but with a frequency of 100 Hz. For those who think that 89 ppi is not enough for the hero of the review, they can choose the 22-inch MSI Pro MP225 model (from 3199 UAH). However, it has 100 Hz, no speakers, and no DisplayPort. If you want a white monitor, then pay attention to MSI Pro MP243XW. Unlike other monitors, it allows you to adjust the height of the monitor.

Few competitors in this range have 120 Hz. Only the Acer R242YGymix (from 4199 UAH), but without DisplayPort. Acer Nitro QG241YEbii monitor (3799 UAH) has not only 100 Hz and a strange name, but instead of DisplayPort, it has a VGA port.

Philips offers the Philips 24E1N1100A (for UAH 3569) — 100 Hz, one HDMI, one VGA, and speakers. Asus is generally bad with monitors if we consider this price niche. Unless the Asus VA24EHF is better than the UAH 3999 Almost nothing: no speakers, no 3.5 mm jack, only one HDMI. Only 100 Hz saves the day.