MSI's MEG X 360Hz QD-OLED Uses On-Device AI To Read In-Game Health Bars
In case you have not noticed, there is a concerted effort to implement artificial intelligence into just about everything, even laser turrets to zap mosquitos and of course gaming monitors. Case in point, MSI's new MEG X comes with a baked-in neural processing unit (NPU), though instead of running large language models (LLMs) like your PC, it's designed to analyze what's happening on-screen.
Its best trick (at least on paper—we have not tested this panel) is something MSI calls AI Gauge. Rather than relying on game-specific integrations, the monitor analyzes the incoming video signal to identify horizontal health or energy bars. It then reproduces the detected bar's color and remaining level on the display's SpectrumBar+, which is an integrated RGB lighting strip along the bottom of the monitor.
What's the point? It's a clever way to keep tabs on your character's health bar. When it detects your health meter has fallen below 30%, the lighting flashes to get your attention. In that regard, RGB lighting serves a purpose beyond the typical gamer bling. No software is needed for this to happen, as it's handled by the display's NPU.
That's not the only AI-powered feature. AI Vision+ adjusts dark areas to improve visibility supposedly without blowing out highlights, while AI Crosshair automatically changes the crosshair's color to maintain contrast against different backgrounds.
Other AI-labeled tricks include AI Super Resolution for sharpening lower-resolution content, AI Scene for selecting display presets based on what's happening on-screen, and AI Audio Scene for automatically adjusting audio equalization.
Beyond the AI magic, the MEG X is a flagship 34-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor based on a 5th-gen QD-OLED panel with Penta Tandem technology, an RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout, and DarkArmor film.
It also features a 3440x1440 resolution, a fast 360Hz refresh rate and negligible 0.03ms response time, and 1,300 nits of peak brightness for HDR content. The latter spec helped it achieve VESA's DisplayHDR True Black certification.
This is an AMD FreeSync Premium Pro model that is also certified as NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, so it's rather GPU-agnostic to combat screen tearing. And for connectivity, it serves up a pair of HDMI 2.1 inputs, a DisplayPort 2.1a input, two USB-A ports (5Gbps), and USB-C (DisplayPort Alt) with 98W power delivery.
The new MEG X looks like a promising flagship, though it will depend on where MSI and its retail partners settle on pricing. MSI's press release also doesn't mention when it will ship. In the meantime, you can find MSI's MAG 341CQP QD-OLED with some similar features on sale for $729.99 at Amazon (9% off).
