Over the past couple of years, I’ve been growing more and more acquainted with Samsung’s continually improving monitor lineup. The first smart offering I tested, the G80SD, blew me away with how sleek the device was, on top of the easy setup. The next option, the OLED G81SF, felt like a step back in a few ways, while providing some of the best visuals on the market.
Samsung must have been taking notes on the shortcomings of these two devices, because the Samsung M9 M90SF 4K OLED 32″ Smart Monitor has combined the best of both worlds and unleashed a true visual multitool beast. The Samsung M9 M90SF does so much, the long product name doesn’t do it as much justice as what’s under the hood. While the Samsung M9 takes a notable frame rate dip and visual quality step back from the G81SF’s nearly blemish-less display, it provides all of the extra optionality and quality of life improvements that make up for it. Like me, after giving the M9 a spin, you’ll prefer a monitor over a TV and never look back.
After cracking open the box, it’s clear Samsung has done its best to impress with visual design once again. The monitor stand has been repurposed from a small pillar to a flattened back stand that absolutely nails the professional aesthetic. Instead of the small velcro strap tethered to the stand post (that Samsung has shown favour for in the past), there’s a discreet hole that provides an exit ramp for wires going to and from the display. The Samsung M9 M90SF 4K OLED 32″ Smart Monitor is a stunning display, and it features angled edges, unlike previous offerings, to give it a sleeker, modern design. Even looks were taken into consideration for M9’s debut.
The M9 provides an HDMI cable, a power cable, the stand, the M9 itself, and thankfully, a remote controller that allows settings adjustment and menu navigation. This small inclusion provides comfort to the user by not forcing the use of manual—and normally hard-to-reach—controls from behind the screen. The remote is a game-changer, and it allows users to navigate menus with precision.
“The Samsung M9 M90SF 4K OLED 32″ Smart Monitor is a stunning display, and it features angled edges, unlike previous offerings, to give it a sleeker, modern design.”
Unlike the G81SF’s reliance on needing manually plugged speakers (it did not have Bluetooth functionality) for sound, this remote allows the user to head over to Bluetooth settings and pair their favourite speaker system wirelessly and without much effort. This goes for nearly any Bluetooth device, including the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro; it can connect to the display seamlessly.
While it’s worth mentioning that the G81SF has a notably sharper display and provides better visuals and gameplay for a gamer who only needs a pristine screen, the Samsung M9 crushes that device in nearly every other aspect. The M9 sports an onboard speaker system that does its job, and better than the usual out-of-tune flute whistle that normally exudes from monitors. For those who enjoy letterbox viewing, this monitor can be rotated 90 degrees to the right in either direction to provide a 9:16 viewing mode that resembles a Galaxy smartphone, but not pocket-sized.
Unfortunately, unlike the other models, the stand fastens to the screen with such rigidity that it’s not possible to swivel the screen in either direction, and moving the stand feels a little clumsy when doing so, considering the display’s top-heavy nature. The Samsung M9 M90SF 4K OLED includes a selection of ports that also do the job, but I would have preferred one extra HDMI port for multitasking and extra monitor/display linking.
The ports include: 2x USB Type-A, 1x HDMI IN, 1x DisplayPort, and a USB Type-C port for use. For the smart monitor’s sky-high price, it’s baffling to see the USB Type-C port not achieve Thunderbolt 4 (and we are on Thunderbolt 5) status for higher speed data transfers (especially with only one HDMI port), making this a monitor that may require one or more extra components to optimize high-speed data streaming content.
It’s a surprising addition to see a webcam straddling the top of the Samsung M9 M90SF smart monitor (much like the M8), and it’s even more surprising to see it in action with crisp visuals. Using the monitor, tag-teamed with a Lenovo 7i Pro laptop, allowed crystal clear Zoom video calls, and allowed Magic: The Gathering SpellTable to run like a dream. But it’s a little baffling to see that the smart monitor itself cannot use video conferencing apps without outside help.
NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW can be accessed straight from the Samsung Gaming Hub. GeForce NOW allows users to deploy top-of-the-line PC hardware from the NVIDIA cloud servers straight to the monitor with a live internet connection. This works so well without a console, it feels almost like cheating. The monitor can handle some of the most load-heavy titles with GeForce, and it requires no installation.
I was able to quit out of Path of Exile 2 on my Steam Deck and head straight over to the M9 smart monitor and pick up right where I left off, without a console or download. As a bonus, this functionality works for basically all GeForce NOW titles, seeing as how App functionality is available on the Steam Deck now. Together, both the Samsung M9 monitor and a Steam Deck work similarly to a PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation Portal handheld, except fans can leave the house with the Steam Deck, and latency issues are nonexistent with Steam and Samsung Gaming Hub functions.
With all of the software functionality, I assumed the Samsung M9 M90SF smart monitor would run hot, but with the onboard Dynamic Cooling System, it remains cooler than the other side of the pillow even during long sessions. This is due to the “Pulsating Heat Pipe” that lives under the display. Samsung boasts it releases a coolant that diffuses heat five times faster than a graphite sheet. While I’m not a graphite expert, I do know this screen stays cool to the touch, and screen burn-in becomes a fallacy with Samsung M9’s component setup.
“The Samsung M9 M90SF Smart Monitor’s 4K QD-OLED panel, complete with 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution, plus anti-glare, blots out the sun better than any other display I’ve tested so far.”
The best feature the M9 carries is the anti-glare screen surface, and it’s not close. My living room is set up to have two big windows, and it’s nearly impossible to stop the sunlight pouring in at any given time. The M9 beats out the sun even during peak hours, and visuals remain as sharp as if playing in complete darkness.
The Samsung M9 M90SF Smart Monitor’s 4K QD-OLED panel, complete with 3840 x 2160 (4K) resolution, plus anti-glare, blots out the sun better than any other display I’ve tested so far. Getting through the stressful Lords of the Fallen Sunless Skein area is still as clear as ever, even with the actual Sun, dialled up to 12 in a light-polluted den. This is actual technology spellcasting. I was able to play or watch anything at any time of day using the smart monitor, and the display never looked unclear once.
The Samsung M9 M90SF 4K OLED 32″ Smart Monitor is one of the most impressive devices I’ve seen. It’s multitool approach leaves users wanting for nearly nothing, with an excellent array of onboard apps for entertainment, and the Samsung Gaming Hub takes the wheel efficiently while displaying some of the freshest visuals on a 4K OLED panel. The multi-use design of the monitor covers almost all user needs, even without using a console or PC hooked up to the device.
This multi-tool approach comes with a downside: the Samsung M9 M90SF Smart Monitor is not a cheap option, coming in at $1599.99 USD. Whereas other devices like the G81SF know their role in your battle station, the Samsung M9 M90SF Smart monitor covers so many areas and includes so much technology, it’s better served for those who want it all in one device rather than a user who needs a crystal-clear display. For those who want it all under one hood, the Samsung M9 M90SF Smart Monitor is a smart option.
