Samsung OLED TV: A Cyber Monday Gaming Deal

This article highlights an exceptional Cyber Monday offer for the Samsung S84F OLED TV, presenting a substantial price reduction that makes high-end gaming more accessible. It explores the superior visual quality provided by OLED technology, characterized by its deep contrast and vivid color reproduction, which significantly enhances the gaming and viewing experience. Furthermore, the piece details how Samsung's integration of features such as a 120Hz refresh rate and Auto Low Latency Mode positions this television as a prime choice for enthusiasts seeking minimal input lag and smooth gameplay.

For five years, the author has been dedicated to curating the best deals during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping events for PC Gamer. This commitment often leaves little personal time for shopping. However, a notable exception was made a few years prior for a new Samsung OLED TV, motivated by the consistent and attractive TV deals available during this period.

This year, the trend continues with Best Buy offering a newer iteration of the author's personal television at a remarkable markdown. The 2025 model of the Samsung S84F OLED is currently priced at $900, reflecting an impressive saving of $1,100 from its original retail price. While the author expresses skepticism regarding the legitimacy of the $2,000 MSRP, considering Samsung's own store lists the TV for $1,200, the current $900 price point remains a compelling incentive.

The decision to invest in an OLED display was driven by the consistently outstanding picture quality observed in various gaming monitors utilizing the technology. Unlike traditional LCD TVs that rely on backlights, OLED screens feature self-emissive pixels. This fundamental difference allows for unparalleled deep blacks, incredibly vibrant colors, and superior contrast, collectively contributing to an exceptional visual fidelity. High Dynamic Range (HDR) content particularly shines on OLED displays, although Windows' HDR implementation still has room for improvement. A common drawback of OLEDs has been their relatively lower brightness compared to backlit screens; however, this aspect is continually being enhanced with each new generation, and the author reports no significant issues with their current model.

Another key advantage of this Samsung OLED series for gamers is its dedicated gaming mode. This mode supports refresh rates up to 120 Hz and incorporates Auto Low Latency Mode, significantly reducing response times. While dedicated gaming monitors might offer even quicker responses, the author finds the TV's latency to be remarkably low, especially crucial for rhythm games like Clone Hero and YARG, where precise timing is essential. Although adjustments are needed for soundbar lag, the visual latency is minimal when using headphones.

The Samsung OLED also features FreeSync Premium, a technology designed to prevent screen tearing, which is particularly beneficial for devices that may struggle to maintain 4K/120 frames per second. The author, using a Mini-ITX build with an RTX 4060, frequently benefits from this feature.

The television operates on Samsung's Tizen OS. While earlier versions of Tizen were criticized for sluggish performance and a somewhat clunky interface, recent updates have significantly improved its responsiveness. Despite some remaining minor annoyances, such as Samsung's use of ads (which can be partially disabled), the overall user experience is now much smoother. Additionally, Tizen offers native integration with Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service, enabling users to stream PC games directly to their TV with just a controller, even without a dedicated gaming PC.

The author expresses satisfaction with their current setup and suggests that the Samsung S84F OLED represents the most affordable high-end OLED option available today. In comparison, LG's equivalent C5 model is still priced at $1,400 during the Cyber Monday sales, further highlighting the value of the Samsung deal.