LG QNED evo Mini LED - 84B series 65QNED84BUA 65"

The LG QNED evo 65QNED84BUA is a 65-inch 4K Mini-LED TV that excels at gaming with its 120Hz panel, FreeSync Premium, and VRR support. Display quality is strong for the price, but HDR is limited to HDR10 and HLG with no Dolby Vision. It's a great buy under $650, but at $830 you should consider the TCL QM8K or Hisense U8 instead.

The 65QNED84BUA runs on LG's α8 AI Processor 4K Gen3, which handles upscaling and picture processing. In our database, the display quality lands in the 85th percentile, which is genuinely impressive for a TV in this price bracket. The Mini-LED backlight helps with contrast and brightness, and while it's not going to match a high-end OLED or a premium Mini-LED with hundreds of dimming zones, it's a solid step up from edge-lit LED TVs.

Gaming performance is where this TV really earns its keep. The 120Hz native refresh rate combined with FreeSync Premium and VRR support means fast-paced games stay smooth without tearing or stuttering. Our gaming score puts it in the 79th percentile, which is well above average. The Game Optimizer and Game Dashboard make it easy to tweak settings on the fly, and ALLM means the TV automatically switches to low-latency mode when you fire up a console. Input lag isn't something we have a hard number for here, but the feature set suggests LG took gaming seriously with this panel.

HDR support is a bit of a mixed bag. You get HDR10 and HLG, but there's no Dolby Vision, which is a notable omission at this price point. The HDR score sits in the 64th percentile, so it's fine but not exceptional. Bright scenes look good thanks to the Mini-LED backlight, but dark scenes won't have the same depth you'd get from a TV with better local dimming.

Stacked against the competition, the 65QNED84BUA holds its own in some areas and falls behind in others. The TCL QM8K Series is probably the biggest threat here. TCL's Mini-LED implementation tends to offer more dimming zones and better HDR brightness, and the QM8K specifically has been getting strong reviews for its contrast and black levels. If picture quality is your top priority, the TCL is likely the better buy.

The Hisense U8 Series is another strong alternative. Hisense has been aggressive with Mini-LED pricing, and the U8 typically offers Dolby Vision, which the LG lacks. That's a meaningful difference if you watch a lot of HDR content on Netflix or Disney+. The Sony BRAVIA 5 K65XR50 is a different beast entirely. Sony's processing is generally considered best-in-class, and while you'll pay more, you're getting better motion handling and upscaling. The Samsung Neo QLED QN70F is also worth a look if you want better HDR performance and don't mind Samsung's Tizen OS instead of webOS.

Where the LG wins is gaming. The combination of 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, and ALLM at this price point is hard to beat. The Game Optimizer is genuinely useful, and the low input lag makes it a great choice for console gamers. If you're buying primarily for gaming and can find this TV under $650, it's a compelling option.

Value is where things get interesting. The 65QNED84BUA is listed anywhere from $529 to $830 across US retailers, which is a $301 spread. That's a huge range for the same TV. If you can snag it at the lower end, you're getting a 65-inch Mini-LED with 120Hz gaming features for a genuinely good price. At $830, it starts to bump up against better options. The Best Buy listing appears to be the most competitive at the lower end of that range, so that's where we'd start looking. For context, the Hisense U8 Series and TCL QM8K both offer stronger HDR performance and more dimming zones, often at similar or slightly higher prices. If you're patient and catch this LG on sale, it's a solid deal. At full retail, you might want to think twice.

The LG QNED evo 65QNED84BUA is a 65-inch 4K Mini-LED TV that sits in that interesting middle ground where you're getting some genuinely premium tech without jumping into OLED money. It's part of LG's 84B series, which means you get the α8 AI Processor 4K Gen3, a 120Hz native panel, and Mini-LED backlighting with Dynamic QNED Color Pro. The price is a bit all over the place right now, ranging from $529 to $830 depending on where you look, so it pays to shop around.

If you're searching for a TV that handles gaming well without breaking the bank, this one checks a lot of boxes. You get AMD FreeSync Premium, ALLM, VRR, and HDMI 2.1 support, which means your PS5 or Xbox Series X will feel right at home. The 120Hz refresh rate is the real deal here, not some marketing gimmick with motion interpolation tricks.

But here's the thing. This isn't a top-tier Mini-LED like LG's higher-end QNED models or Samsung's Neo QLED lineup. It's more of a budget-friendly entry into Mini-LED territory. That means you get some of the benefits, like better brightness and contrast than standard LED TVs, but it won't blow your socks off the way a flagship panel would.

If you're a home theater enthusiast who cares about HDR performance and deep blacks, this isn't your TV. The lack of Dolby Vision and the mediocre picture quality score mean you'll be happier with the TCL QM8K, Hisense U8, or a Sony BRAVIA 5. If you don't game at all and just want a TV for streaming and casual viewing, you can save money with a standard LED TV and won't miss the 120Hz panel or FreeSync support. And if you're planning to mount this in a bright room with lots of windows, the outdoor score of 44.5 suggests it won't handle glare as well as some competitors with higher peak brightness.

Should you buy the LG 65QNED84BUA? If you're a gamer looking for a 65-inch TV with 120Hz, VRR, and FreeSync Premium without spending OLED money, yes, this is a strong choice. The Mini-LED backlight gives you better contrast than a standard LED, and the α8 processor does a good job with upscaling. The display quality is genuinely impressive for the price, especially if you catch it at the lower end of that $529 to $830 range.

But if you're buying primarily for movies and HDR content, there are better options. The lack of Dolby Vision is a real drawback, and the picture quality score in the 36th percentile tells you this isn't a home theater enthusiast's dream. The TCL QM8K or Hisense U8 will give you better HDR performance for similar money. This LG is a gaming-first TV that happens to be decent at everything else, not the other way around.