Samsung QN80F Review: Mid-Range TV, Premium Performance

QN80F Neo QLED Mini-LED Smart TV 120Hz/144Hz

Intro

For 2025, Samsung continues to showcase its AI tech. Samsung Vision AI delivers AI-powered personalization features and picture and sound optimization.

Samsung’s QN80F sits squarely in the middle of the company’s current Neo QLED 4K lineup, positioned between the entry-level QN70F and the high-end QN90F. Designed to deliver a premium mini-LED experience at a more approachable price, the QN80F combines good performance, solid gaming credentials, and Samsung’s latest AI-driven picture processing. It’s available in 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, and 100-inch sizes, all featuring a native 120Hz panel that can push up to 144Hz for gaming.

Design and Build Quality

Samsung continues its tradition of sleek, minimalist design. The QN80F features thin bezels that nearly disappear during viewing, creating a clean, borderless look. The TV rests on a sturdy, center-mounted pedestal stand—stable and compact enough to fit on most consoles without requiring extra-wide furniture. Around back, the textured plastic panel feels durable and well-constructed, with integrated cable channels that help keep wires organized. Its relatively slim profile also makes it a good candidate for wall-mounting.

Overall, the build quality is impressive for a mid-range model. It feels far from cheap and carries the refined design language we’ve come to expect from Samsung’s higher-tier TVs.

Features and Technology

At the heart of the QN80F is Samsung’s Quantum Matrix Technology Core, which uses densely packed mini-LEDs to deliver precise backlight control and stronger contrast. The result is deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and improved color accuracy compared to traditional LED sets.

Powering all this is the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, which utilizes 20 neural networks to optimize both picture and sound in real-time. Non-4K content benefits from AI Upscaling, making lower-resolution material appear cleaner and sharper. Color Booster Pro adds another layer of enhancement by analyzing each scene and adjusting tones for more realistic hues and vivid imagery.

Samsung also includes Neo Quantum HDR for enhanced dynamic range, deeper blacks, and more vibrant highlights. On the larger 85- and 100-inch versions, a Supersize Picture Enhancer further refines clarity and contrast. For HDR processing, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats are supported—but, notably, Dolby Vision is not.

On the smart TV front, Samsung’s One UI Tizen platform remains one of the most polished in the business. It’s fast, intuitive, and packed with free content, including over 2,700 free streaming channels, including 400+ premium channels through Samsung TV Plus. The interface can also be personalized to suit your viewing habits.

Gaming Features

Gamers will appreciate the QN80F’s robust set of features. Its 144Hz refresh rate, Motion X-celerator, and FreeSync Premium Pro support ensure smooth, tear-free gameplay with minimal input lag. Additional perks include ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), an on-screen Game Bar for quick adjustments, and AI Auto Game Mode, which detects the game genre and automatically tunes settings for the best experience.

Other features of the QN80F include:

• Filmmaker Mode
• Real Depth Enhancer
• Auto HDR Remastering
• PANTONE Validated –
• HDR Brightness Optimizer –
• VA panel
• Wide Viewing Angle
• Q-Symphony
• Object Tracking Sound Lite
• Active Voice Amplifier Pro: for clear dialogue
• Samsung Knox Security
• AI Mode
• Adaptive Sound Pro
• Alexa built-in voice assistant
• Built-in Apple AirPlay 2
• Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
• Gaming Hub

In short, this TV has the specs to satisfy casual and serious gamers alike—especially those who want 4K at high refresh rates without paying QLED prices.

Audio

The QN80F supports Dolby Atmos processing, creating a wider and more immersive soundstage. While the built-in speakers can’t replicate the depth of a full Atmos setup, dialogue is clear, highs are crisp, and volume levels are adequate for everyday use. As expected, bass response is limited—adding a soundbar will improve the experience dramatically.

Connectivity

Connectivity options include four HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC), an optical audio output, two USB-A ports, RF input, Ethernet, and built-in Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3. The included SolarCell remote can be charged via indoor light or via USB-C.

Performance

In real-world performance, the QN80F impresses for its price. Contrast is strong, producing deep black levels in dim viewing conditions, though some mild blooming can appear around bright objects on dark backgrounds. SDR content looks excellent—bright, colorful, and well-balanced. HDR performance is good but not exceptional; highlights are bright but don’t reach the dazzling intensity of Samsung’s higher-end Neo QLED model – the QN90F.

Color reproduction was satisfying. The TV produced punchy and vibrant colors in SDR mode with good accuracy. HDR color rendering was decent, but with less accuracy. The TV’s color volume was good with HDR content, but less impressive with SDR content.

The QN80F produced very good SDR peak brightness output. It can overcome glare from indirect light sources in a well-lit room, so this makes it a good choice for a bright room. On the other hand, HDR peak brightness was only adequate and was capable of producing bright highlights, but it fell short of producing the brightest highlights to their full potential for an optimal HDR experience.

*HDR peak brightness output: 10% window 930 nits
*SDR peak brightness output: 10% window 845 nits

The QN80F also delivered good picture detail and clarity that appeared pristine and lifelike with both 1080p and 4K content.

Motion handling is another strong point. Fast-moving content—sports or action scenes—remains smooth and artifact-free. Nevertheless, if you do experience motion issues, you can use the TV’s motion and judder settings to achieve smoother motion.

Off-angle viewing, however, is less impressive; contrast and color fade noticeably when viewed from the sides, which is typical of VA panels.

The sound quality from the QN80F was typical of what I usually hear from flat-panel TVs. Dialogue was clear and easy to understand. The TV had decent mid and high frequency response output and played fairly loud. However, as expected, the bass response was very lean, with no deep bass output.

The Drawbacks

No TV is perfect, and the QN80F has its caveats. Its biggest omissions are Dolby Vision HDR support and limited wide-angle viewing performance. Blooming can be visible in certain dark scenes, and HDR brightness, while respectable, doesn’t quite deliver the punch of more capable models.

Verdict

The Samsung QN80F is a decent mid-range contender for 2025. The QN80F is ideal for anyone looking for an affordable mid-range 4K TV with good picture quality and solid features, which include full-array mini-LED backlighting with local dimming and Q-led quantum dot technology for vibrant color reproduction, in addition to an intuitive and easy-to-use smart TV platform with numerous entertainment options to choose from.

If gaming is a top priority but you don’t want to spend top dollar on a flagship OLED or a higher-end QLED, the QN80F is positioned perfectly and is a great option. It offers advanced gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 inputs and 4K up to 144-hertz, in addition to very low input lag and more.

I give the Samsung QN80F a solid recommendation. Nevertheless, it won’t deliver the best picture quality for critical home theater viewing when watching movies or your favorite TV shows. However, it’s a great everyday TV that offers commendable performance for its price.

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Check out the YouTube Review of the Samsung QN80F

Image credit Samsung

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