Samsung Neo QLED Samsung - 65” Class QN80F Series Neo QLED Mini LED Review

The Samsung QN80F 65-inch mini-LED 4K TV is a great all-around choice for gamers and streamers. It offers excellent brightness, a 120Hz panel with VRR, and Samsung's Tizen smart platform, all for around $1,000. It's a strong value unless you absolutely need the perfect blacks of an OLED.

If you're shopping for a 65-inch 4K TV that can handle gaming and streaming without breaking the bank, the Samsung QN80F is a serious contender. It's a mini-LED TV, which means it uses thousands of tiny LEDs for better contrast and brightness control than a standard LED model. With a native 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium Pro, and Samsung's Tizen smart platform, it's built for modern living rooms. At around $1,000, it sits in that sweet spot between budget TVs and high-end OLEDs.

The QN80F's mini-LED panel is its star. In our database, its display performance lands in the 96th percentile, which means it's brighter and has better contrast than most TVs out there. The HDR support for HDR10+ and HLG is solid, scoring in the 90th percentile. For gaming, it's a beast, hitting the 94th percentile thanks to that 120Hz panel and VRR support. The Motion Xcelerator feature can push the motion rate to 144Hz, making fast-paced games and sports look incredibly smooth. Just know that while the picture is great, its overall picture quality score is in the 45th percentile, which suggests some competitors might offer more refined processing or better black levels.

At $998, the QN80F offers a lot of TV for the money. You're getting mini-LED tech, which was exclusive to much pricier models just a year or two ago, plus full gaming specs. It undercuts similar-sized OLEDs by hundreds of dollars while offering better brightness. The main trade-off is that perfect black level you get with OLED. For the price, though, it's hard to find a more complete package.

The closest competitor is the TCL QM8, which is also a mini-LED TV often priced similarly. The QM8 often tests brighter, but the Samsung has a more polished smart interface and better gaming feature integration. If you're willing to spend more, the LG OLED G5 offers perfect blacks and better viewing angles, but it's significantly more expensive and not as bright. The Hisense U6 Series is a budget alternative, but you'll give up gaming features and peak performance. For most people, the choice comes down to the QN80F for its balanced performance or the TCL QM8 if raw brightness is your top priority.

Skip the QN80F if you watch almost exclusively in a pitch-black home theater and demand perfect, inky blacks—save for an OLED like the LG C3 or G3. Also, if you're on a very tight budget and don't care about 120Hz gaming, a cheaper Hisense or TCL Series 4 model will save you money. And if Dolby Vision support from Netflix and Apple TV+ is a non-negotiable must-have, you'll need to look at models from Sony, LG, or TCL that include it.

So, should you buy the Samsung QN80F? If you want a bright, feature-packed 65-inch TV for gaming and movies, and you have around $1,000 to spend, then absolutely. It's one of the best all-around performers in this price range. The mini-LED panel makes HDR content pop, and the gaming features are top-notch. Just know that if perfect blacks and the absolute best picture quality are your only concerns, you might want to save up for an OLED. For everyone else, the QN80F is a fantastic buy.