Head to head

Samsung Q90C QLED TV vs TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV

They split the 4 rankable specs evenly, so cost decides it: TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV costs $1,000 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel type: Samsung Q90C lists Mini-LED QLED (VA) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); TCL QM7 Mini-LED lists QD-Mini LED (VA panel with full array local dimming) (TCL sheet, 2026-09-02).
Peak brightness (HDR): Samsung Q90C lists ~1,500–2,000 nits HDR (other published figure, not on maker sheet); TCL QM7 Mini-LED lists Up to 2,400 nits peak brightness (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
HDMI 2.1 ports: Samsung Q90C lists 4 (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); TCL QM7 Mini-LED lists 2 (Ports 1 and 2 support 4K 144Hz; port 4 has eARC) (TCL sheet, 2026-09-02).
Native refresh rate: Samsung Q90C lists 120 Hz (up to 144 Hz PC) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02); TCL QM7 Mini-LED lists 120 Hz (up to 144 Hz VRR) (TCL sheet, 2026-09-02).
Contrast: Samsung Q90C lists Very high (local-dimmed LED, not infinite) (our summary); TCL QM7 Mini-LED lists Ultra-high native contrast with localized dimming (our summary).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Samsung Q90C QLED TV

$1,7992 spec wins

Swap

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Hisense U7N Mini-LED TV$799 Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV$1,299 LG B4 OLED TV$1,299 TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV$1,499 Samsung S90D OLED TV$1,599 LG C4 OLED evo TV$1,799 Sony BRAVIA 7 Mini-LED TV$1,799 Samsung QN90D Neo QLED TV$1,899 Sony BRAVIA 8 OLED TV$1,999 LG G3 OLED evo TV$2,199 Samsung S95D QD-OLED TV$2,599 LG G4 OLED evo TV$2,599 Sony BRAVIA 9 Mini-LED TV$3,299 Sony A95L OLED TV$3,499

TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV

$7992 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your tv.

Straight answer

Overall: 2 to 2

Tied overall. TCL QM7 Mini-LED is cheaper.

The 4 rankable overall specs split 2 to 2.
Saves $1,000 at list price.

Check first: the TCL QM7 Mini-LED has only two HDMI 2.1 ports.

2 Samsung Q90C4 rankable of 28 specsTCL QM7 Mini-LED 2

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Only two HDMI 2.1 portsrow
A PS5, an Xbox and a 4K120 PC cannot all connect at full bandwidth, and one port doubles as eARC.
Clear:Samsung Q90C · 4Trips:TCL QM7 Mini-LED · 2 (Ports 1 and 2 support 4K 144Hz; port…

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

3 of 3 differ

Panel type≠

Samsung

Mini-LED QLED (VA)

TCL

QD-Mini LED (VA panel with full array local dimming)

Peak brightness (HDR)

Samsung

~1,500–2,000 nits HDR

TCL

Up to 2,400 nits peak brightness

HDMI 2.1 ports

Samsung

TCL

2 (Ports 1 and 2 support 4K 144Hz; port 4 has eARC)

Living Room Space & Placement Check

Real-world physical measurements for credenza width, soundbar clearance, and wall mounting.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

TV Stand & Table Footprint

Check your media console width before buying wide-foot models.

Samsung

Heavy center pedestal stand (fits narrow 16"–24" media consoles)

TCL

Standard pedestal or dual-foot support

Soundbar Clearance

Low bezel clearance may cause soundbars to block screen bottom or remote sensor.

Samsung

3.0 in clearance above pedestal (fits most soundbars)

TCL

Standard clearance

Wall Mount Profile & Depth

Samsung

1.0 in NeoSlim uniform chassis depth

TCL

Standard VESA wall depth

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Samsung: What to watch for

Software / Apps
Lack of Dolby Vision HDR format support.
Samsung refuses to license Dolby Vision, falling back to standard HDR10 on Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ streams.
Hardware Quirk
Rainbow horizontal flare streaks under intense direct side lighting.
The wide viewing angle anti-reflective optical layer can stretch pinpoint lamp reflections into horizontal rainbow bands across the panel.

TCL: What to watch for

Software / Apps
Smart TV interface runs sponsored ads and banner recommendations.
Like most modern smart TV platforms, the home menu highlights suggested streaming content and sponsored banner placement out of the box.
Ergonomics
Thin integrated TV speakers lack low-end bass punch.
Ultra-thin modern chassis leave minimal acoustic chamber depth, making a dedicated soundbar or audio system virtually mandatory for movie dialogues.

Samsung Q90C$1,7992 wins

TCL QM7 Mini-LED$7992 wins

Picture Processing Gaming Audio Smart TV Design Ownership

24 of 28 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Picture

leads 1-0

Picture specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
Panel type	Mini-LED QLED (VA)	QD-Mini LED (VA panel with full array local dimming)
Screen size	65 inches	65 inches
Resolution	3840 × 2160 (4K)	3840 × 2160 (4K)
Native refresh rate	120 Hz (up to 144 Hz PC)	120 Hz (up to 144 Hz VRR)
Peak brightness (HDR)Not on the official sheet	~1,500–2,000 nits HDR	Up to 2,400 nits peak brightness (wins this row: higher)
ContrastOur summary	Very high (local-dimmed LED, not infinite)	Ultra-high native contrast with localized dimming
Local dimming	Quantum Mini LED full-array	High-zone QD-Mini LED (up to 1,500+ zones)
Viewing angleOur summary	Wide (Ultra Viewing Angle layer)	Narrow to moderate (VA panel)
Screen finish	Matte anti-glare	Anti-glare screen coating
HDR formats	HDR10, HDR10+, HLG (no Dolby Vision)	Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, IMAX Enhanced

Processing

3 differences

Processing specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
Processor	Neural Quantum Processor 4K	AIPQ PRO Processor
Motion handlingOur summary	Strong; LED pixel response slower than OLED	Motion Rate 480 with MEMC
Upscaling	AI 4K upscaling	AIPQ Super Resolution upscaling

Gaming

5 differences

Gaming specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
HDMI 2.1 ports	4 (wins this row: higher)	2 (Ports 1 and 2 support 4K 144Hz; port 4 has eARC)
4K 120Hz	Yes	Yes (up to 4K 144Hz)
VRR	Yes (FreeSync Premium Pro)	Yes (AMD FreeSync Premium Pro)
Auto low latency (ALLM)	Yes	Yes
Input lag (4K 120, game mode)Not on the official sheet	~10 ms	~6 ms at 120Hz / ~12 ms at 60Hz (wins this row: lower)
G-Sync / FreeSync	FreeSync Premium Pro	AMD FreeSync Premium Pro

Audio

3 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
Speakers	Object Tracking Sound+, 60W	2.1 channel speaker system with built-in subwoofer, 40W
Dolby Atmos	Yes (passthrough / object tracking)	Yes (Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X)
eARC	Yes	Yes (dedicated eARC on HDMI 4)

Smart TV

2 differences

Smart TV specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
Operating system	Tizen	Google TV
Voice assistants	Bixby, Alexa, Google Assistant	Google Assistant built-in, Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2

Design

leads 1-0

Design specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
ThicknessNot on the official sheet	~26 mm (wins this row: lower)	~68 mm
Wall mount	Standard VESA	VESA 400 × 400 mm

Ownership

1 differences

Ownership specifications. Middle column is Samsung Q90C QLED TV, right column is TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV.
Burn-in riskOur summary	None (LED)	None (LED)
Warranty	1 year	1 year limited warranty

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Samsung Q90C QLED TV source TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Samsung Q90C QLED TV

Premium 65-inch Mini-LED QLED TV with Quantum Matrix backlighting and Object Tracking Sound.

Excellent HDR brightness for mixed lighting
Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports
Strong anti-glare finish for bright rooms

What you give up

No Dolby Vision
VA-style contrast still trails OLED in dark rooms

Full Samsung Q90C QLED TV specs →

Pick this one if

TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV

65-inch QD-Mini LED 4K TV with up to 1,500+ local dimming zones, 2,400 nits peak brightness, and 144Hz Game Accelerator.

Outstanding brightness and local dimming for under $1,000
Up to 144Hz native refresh rate with FreeSync Premium Pro
Wide HDR support including Dolby Vision and HDR10+

What you give up

Only two HDMI 2.1 ports
Audio is basic and benefits from a soundbar

Full TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV specs →

Best for each use

Gaming

Console or PC play: low input lag, 120 Hz, enough HDMI 2.1 ports for every box

Tied on gaming. TCL QM7 Mini-LED is cheaper.

The 2 rankable gaming specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $1,000 at list price.

Movies

Dark-room films and HDR streaming: black levels, HDR formats, motion and upscaling

Too close to call on movies from the spec sheets. Only peak brightness (hdr) is rankable here.

Contrast: Very high vs Ultra-high native contrast with localized…
Panel type: Mini-LED QLED vs QD-Mini LED

Bright rooms

Daytime TV and sports in a sunny room: brightness, glare handling, wide seating

Too close to call on bright rooms from the spec sheets. Only peak brightness (hdr) is rankable here.

Screen finish: Matte anti-glare vs Anti-glare screen coating
Viewing angle: Wide vs Narrow to moderate

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Samsung Q90C QLED TV spec sheet TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Samsung Q90C QLED TV ↗ · TCL QM7 Mini-LED TV ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Samsung Q90C or the TCL QM7 Mini-LED?

TCL QM7 Mini-LED costs $1,000 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Samsung Q90C or TCL QM7 Mini-LED?

TCL QM7 Mini-LED has this deal-breaker: only two HDMI 2.1 ports. A PS5, an Xbox and a 4K120 PC cannot all connect at full bandwidth, and one port doubles as eARC.

Which is better for gaming, the Samsung Q90C or the TCL QM7 Mini-LED?

Tied on gaming. TCL QM7 Mini-LED is cheaper. The 2 rankable gaming specs split 1 to 1. Saves $1,000 at list price.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 28 specs tracked here, 24 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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