I hate PC monitor names so, so much
“The MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 should not be confused with the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50, although the two are similar.”
I almost spit my morning Diet Pepsi all over my keyboard when I read this in a (frankly excellent) PCWorld review. Of course people will confuse these monitors! The names seem designed to be mixed up and forgotten.
This is not a new problem. Instructor Names suck and they always have.
If anyone should be able to keep track of monitor names, it’s Tim from Monitors Unboxed. But if there was anyone else who could keep track of monitor names, it would be me. Not only do I run PCWorld magazine after analyzing PC technology for over 15 years, but I’m also a degenerate screen freak. Seriously, at one point I didn’t have one or two, but four high-end screens swapped out depending on what game I was playing.
Don’t judge me, but TO DO judge monitor manufacturers for their horrible naming and branding. Even I can’t keep it straight.
I led the charge with my pick for “Best PC Accessory” in our 2025 Full Nerd Awards: a earth-shattering 4K 240Hz beast dubbed the “MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED.” Yes, it’s true. I had to look it up before shooting the podcast. And no, it should not be confused with the MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 or the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50.
MSI is not the only offender. Virtually all monitor manufacturers apparently choose their model names by picking random noodles from an alphabet soup. Check out these unforgettable legendary names among our selection of the best gaming monitors:
- MSI MPG 272URX
- LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B
- Gigabyte GS34WQC
- Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG
- LG UltraGear 27GN950
- Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDPG
- Asus ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG
I can identify the size of each monitor in these, but that’s it. The confusing mix of numbers and letters instantly leaves your brain after reading each name. It’s a mess! And these are the best of the best, monitors that I actively want and would trade a kidney for!
When a friend or reader asks me for purchasing advice, it’s pretty easy to recommend an “RTX 5070” graphics card or a “Ryzen 5” processor depending on the type of performance they’re looking for. Meanwhile, thanks to stupid branding, it’s completely impossible to make recommendations for monitors – and you can’t even use the names to identify general monitor speeds or panel types. Just the size! They are useless.
It doesn’t have to be like that. Monitors like the HP Omen Transcend 32, Asus ProArt Display 5K, and Acer Predator X34 X0 get their point across with names you can actually process and remember. Vendors may be creating a wide range of monitors with different speeds and streams, but branding needs to improve.
With RAM shortages and hardware shortages, industry experts expect 2026 to be a big year for monitor upgrades as people hold on tightly to their old PCs. If a company can create badass monitors And if you give them names that people can identify without a set-top box ringing, it could make a lot of money.
Regardless, this has been a problem for too long. Monitor makers: do better. Because I am always I’m going to confuse the MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 and the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50, if I even remember them to begin with.
