The Samsung 43 QN90B QLED is a 43-inch TV that's popular to use as a PC gaming monitor. Unlike past years, Samsung has started to include gaming features on the smaller models of the Q90/QN90 series models, and it has a few extra features aimed at PC gamers, like a 144Hz refresh rate that's only available on the 43 and 50-inch models. It uses quantum dot technology to display a wide range of colors, and it has Mini LED backlighting that offers greater control over its local dimming. It also has features most monitors don't have, like a built-in smart system and motion processing. However, it lacks other features found on monitors like a DisplayPort input and an adjustable stand if you need to share your screen with someone else.
Note: We tested the 65-inch model as a TV, which you can read about here. However, the results of the two reviews aren't comparable because of the different ways we score TVs and monitors. We also test them using different picture settings.
Our Verdict
The Samsung 43QN90B is a good TV for most uses as a PC monitor. It performs best for gaming as it has a 144Hz refresh rate, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, making it fully compatible with the current-gen gaming consoles. It's also great for consuming multimedia, especially in HDR, as it displays deep blacks, has a decent local dimming feature, and gets bright enough to make highlights pop. It's alright for the office and content creation thanks to its high peak brightness, but it has narrow viewing angles, and its text clarity is just decent.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Fantastic reflection handling.
- Large screen for multitasking.
- High contrast and good local dimming.
- Highlights pop in HDR.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Stand isn't adjustable.
- Some motion blur.
- Text issues with 144Hz signals.
The Samsung 43QN90B is alright for office use. It performs very well in bright offices as it has fantastic reflection handling and easily gets bright enough to fight glare. Full-screen webpages also look great as it has good gray uniformity. It has decent text clarity, but some programs don't support its BGR subpixel layout, negatively impacting text clarity. Also, it has narrow viewing angles that make the edges of the screen look washed out if you sit too close. You also can't adjust the stand.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Fantastic reflection handling.
- Large screen for multitasking.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Stand isn't adjustable.
- Not all programs support BGR subpixel layout.
The Samsung 43QN90B is great for gaming. It's one of the first TVs with a 144Hz refresh rate and has VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming feel, but its response time is a bit slow, leading to some motion blur. It's great for console gaming as it has a 4k resolution with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for high-frame-rate gaming from the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It's great for dark room gaming, thanks to its high native contrast ratio, and it has a good local dimming feature that improves the contrast.
- 144Hz max refresh rate in PC mode.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support.
- Low input lag.
- High contrast and good local dimming.
- Some motion blur.
- Text issues with 144Hz signals.
The Samsung 43QN90B is great for consuming multimedia. It performs well in dark and bright rooms as it displays deep blacks with a good local dimming feature, and it also gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room. It has a built-in smart system if you want to stream your favorite content, and it has decent image clarity with its 4k resolution. Unfortunately, its stand doesn't offer any ergonomics, and this model has terrible viewing angles, so it isn't a good choice for watching with someone else.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Fantastic reflection handling.
- High contrast and good local dimming.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Stand isn't adjustable.
The Samsung 43QN90B is alright for content creation. Its 43-inch, 4k screen is great for multitasking as you can open multiple windows at once, but the text clarity is only decent, and not all programs support its BGR subpixel layout. While it displays a wide range of colors, they look inaccurate out of the box, so you'll need to calibrate it if you're a professional content creator. It's great for well-lit rooms as it gets bright, but it isn't ideal for sharing your screen with someone else due to its narrow viewing angles.
- Bright enough to fight glare.
- Fantastic reflection handling.
- Large screen for multitasking.
- Narrow viewing angles.
- Stand isn't adjustable.
- Not all programs support BGR subpixel layout.
- Colors are inaccurate out of the box.
The Samsung 43QN90B is excellent for HDR. It has a high native contrast ratio that displays deep blacks in dark rooms, and its Mini LED local dimming feature helps improve the picture quality in dark scenes. Highlights pop thanks to its high peak brightness, and it displays a wide range of colors that look vivid too. It also has a built-in smart system that makes it easy to stream your favorite HDR movies.
- High contrast and good local dimming.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- Highlights pop in HDR.
- Tone mapping is off.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 09, 2023: Checked again and confirmed that you can select 120Hz and 100Hz as options in the NVIDIA Control Panel with Variable Refresh Rate enabled.
- Updated Jun 14, 2023: Confirmed that VRR at 120Hz still doesn't work with NVIDIA graphics cards, even after updating to firmware 1448.
- Updated Jun 09, 2023: Added that the recently-tested Samsung Odyssey Ark S55BG970 has a traditional monitor stand and curved screen in the Style section.
- Updated Apr 14, 2023: Confirmed that 1440p works on this monitor with the PS5.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 43-inch Samsung QN90B, and for the most part, the review is also valid for the 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch models. However, as you can see in the table below, there are a few differences with the 55-inch and larger sizes, as they have a lower refresh rate, a wider viewing angle, and a different screen coating, so some results differ. You can read more about how those sizes perform in the review of the 65-inch TV here.
These results aren't valid for the European QN90B, as the QN90B released in Europe is a different model from the one released in the U.S. The closest European equivalent to this model is known as the Samsung QN94B QLED. Keep in mind that the last four letters of the model code vary between different retailers, even in the same region.
| Size | US Model | Refresh Rate | Ultra Viewing Angle Layer | Anti-Reflective Coating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | QN43QN90BAFXZA | 144Hz | No | No |
| 50" | QN50QN90BAFXZA | 144Hz | No | No |
| 55" | QN55QN90BAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 65" | QN65QN90BAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 75" | QN75QN90BAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 85" | QN85QN90BAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
If you come across a Samsung QN90B with a different panel type, or if it doesn't correspond to our review, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Our unit was manufactured in March 2022, and you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The Samsung 43QN90B is a small TV that's different from other monitors because it has better picture quality and a bigger screen, but it's also expensive, and you can find 4k @ 144Hz monitors for cheaper. Although it's one of the better small gaming TVs available, it doesn't present anything unique in the gaming monitor market.
See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best 4k 144Hz monitors, and the best 4k HDR monitors.
The Samsung 43 QN90B QLED and the Gigabyte AORUS FV43U are both great 43-inch monitors. If you play HDR games, the Samsung is the better choice as its local dimming feature is better for deeper blacks, but the Gigabyte gets a bit brighter in HDR with some scenes. However, if you want a typical monitor with a DisplayPort input, the Gigabyte is the better choice and has better motion handling.
The Samsung Smart Monitor M7 S43BM70 and the Samsung 43 QN90B QLED are different types of 43-inch displays. The QN90B is a TV that's better if you want to use it for PC gaming as it has a higher refresh rate, VRR support, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. It also has better overall picture quality with its Mini LED interface, but if you need a simple monitor with a built-in smart interface, the S43BM70 is the better choice.
The Samsung 43 QN90B QLED and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 are both great gaming monitors with a few differences. The Neo G7 is a typical monitor with a smaller 32-inch screen that's the better choice if you find the 43-inch screen of the QN90B too big. However, if you care about picture quality, the QN90B is the better choice as it has a better local dimming feature and gets brighter in HDR.
The LG C2 42 OLED and the Samsung 43 QN90B QLED are both TVs we tested as monitors. They're both great for PC gaming, but the main difference is that the Samsung model has a slightly higher 144Hz refresh rate. They also have a few differences in picture quality as the LG is the better choice for dark room gaming thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, but the Samsung is better for well-lit rooms as it gets brighter.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
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