Name: Samsung Smart Monitor M9
Brand: Samsung

Unplug the work laptop and the M9 can still play a show. Samsung builds Tizen, speakers, a camera and a remote around a 32-inch 4K OLED panel. Those additions earn their place in a studio apartment. At a desk already equipped with a dock, speakers and a TV nearby, much of the purchase price goes toward solving a problem you may not have.

Smart TV & Picture Modes

Tizen smart TV
HDR10+
4K QD-OLED

Tom’s Hardware played games from a computer and streamed HDR Netflix directly on the M9. The reviewer had to navigate different picture options when moving between desktop, TV and game modes. Set those up for the sources you actually use. A preset chosen for an evening film may feel quite different on a white document the next morning. ¹

Connectivity

HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort 1.4
USB-C with 90 W power

There is one HDMI input, one DisplayPort input and a USB-C connection with up to 90 W charging. A desktop, a laptop and one console can therefore each have their own path if their outputs match. A powerful gaming notebook may still need its own supply under load. Built-in speakers also leave the room usable when the computer is packed away.

Display & Room Lighting

32-inch matte QD-OLED
3840 × 2160
250 nits typical SDR

A 32-inch 4K screen gives text and a movie room to share the same surface, but they make different demands on it. Samsung’s 250-nit typical SDR rating applies to ordinary desktop use. Tom’s Hardware found that the matte finish controlled ambient reflections without visible grain on its sample. That helps if the screen sits opposite seating where you have less control over the viewing angle than you do in a desk chair. ¹

Motion & Gaming

Up to 165 Hz
FreeSync Premium Pro
0.03 ms rated gray-to-gray

At 165 Hz the monitor can draw a new frame about every six milliseconds. That gives a compatible gaming PC a reason to use the M9 beyond its streaming apps. Variable refresh can follow a changing frame rate, but the graphics card still has to render the game at 4K. Samsung’s 0.03 ms claim describes a pixel transition. It does not include the time a game takes to respond to a controller input.

Design & Video Calls

Integrated 4K camera
Height, tilt and pivot
100 × 100 mm VESA

The built-in camera makes the position of the entire monitor part of your call setup. Raise or lower the stand for a comfortable eye line before tilting the screen to frame your face. If the display is also used for movies, check the picture from the sofa before fixing an arm to the desk. The panel spans about 72 cm and weighs 5.3 kg without the stand, two useful figures when choosing that mounting position.

Alternatives

Samsung’s LCD Smart Monitor M8 retains the idea of independent streaming. A dedicated 240 Hz gaming monitor gives fast PC play a higher refresh ceiling and has less reason to charge for a smart-TV interface.

Verdict

The M9 is most persuasive when one piece of furniture has to do two jobs. Buy it for the independent streaming and laptop connection together. If one of those roles already has a better screen, choose a monitor tailored to the other.

Samsung Smart Monitor M9 review

Pros

Cons