5 TVs You Should Buy From Micro Center (And 3 You Can Skip)

Micro Center is a great retail platform to get all the latest tech products you have your eye on. From cheap upgrades to turn your PC into a gaming setup, all the way to the best multi-color 3D printers around — there's no shortage of amazing tech products you'll find listed on Micro Center. Even the selection of televisions is nothing to scoff at, and people on the lookout for specific models and good deals can find some great T.V.s after a fair bit of research.

That last point is very important, since the last thing you want to be stuck with after a massive investment is a television that simply isn't up to the mark. Thankfully, most major review outlets have done most of the heavy lifting for you here, testing most of the T.V.s listed on Micro Center and gauging whether they're worth the price or have some serious caveats you should be aware of. Based on the scores given, we've listed out the new T.V. models on this retail site and specified whether they should be bought or avoided by the average customer.

Starting at $1,299.99, the Samsung OLED S90F is easily one of the best budget OLED TVs, according to experts. The discounted price point on Micro Center takes care of the pricing issue in the eyes of many, who considered it to be too expensive despite being a noticeable step down from Samsung's flagship S95F T.V. Now, for a more reasonable price, enjoy the power of the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), HDR10, and HDR10+ formats, and eARC connection capabilities. One of this T.V.'s biggest perks is how it caters to gamers, who will love the S90F's 4K resolution, 144 hertz refresh rate, and both VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode), making it perfect for connecting everything from the latest gaming consoles to your modern gaming PC that is capable of astronomically high FPS metrics.

Image quality is easily one of the S90F's biggest strengths, with its beautiful colors, OLED contrast, and shadow details being notable highlights that make the pictures on your S90F look incredibly vivid and immersive. That being said, keep in mind that brightness is more of a mixed bag here, which is further impacted by a lack of an anti-glare coating. Still, as long as you don't place this T.V. next to a massive window or a powerful light source, this shouldn't be a massive concern. The lack of Dolby Vision is also worth noting, and poor audio quality means you pretty much have to hook it with an external sound system.

Before we get into the reasons why you're better off choosing another T.V. instead of the Samsung U8000F, keep in mind that this is by no means stating that this television is an outright bad purchase. Instead, in comparison to the T.V.s we've wholeheartedly recommended, the Samsung U8000F — and any other T.V. we recommend that you avoid — has comparatively worse reviews.

There are definitely some major positives to this T.V. that are worth noting. The $799.99 price tag is the biggest plus point — especially since it's for the 85-inch model — letting you enjoy 4K resolutions while watching HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG content at a very reasonable rate. Filmmaker and movie modes are also great and let you watch films and T.V. shows as intended, without any unnecessary post-processing effects muddying the frame.

However, there are numerous areas where the U8000F falters. Despite having a competent game mode, this T.V. only supports a refresh rate of up to 60 hertz. It lacks any HDMI 2.1 ports, as well, which is a huge pain point for people who want their consoles and gaming PCs to look halfway decent on this television. Gaming aside, the picture quality of this T.V. isn't anything to write home about, with poor contrast , a dim image, muted HDR colors, and a reflection-prone screen negatively impacting the viewing experience for many.

While the S90F is definitely a competent T.V., it's also part of an earlier lineup. People who want the latest Samsung model should check out the Samsung OLED S90H, which is another excellent OLED TV from this company. The glare-free coating alone is enough to justify paying $500 extra for this upgraded model, taking care of one of the biggest problems plaguing seasoned couch potatoes — no pun intended. The NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor is as capable as ever, allowing for competent 4K AI upscaling that makes this T.V.'s image quality downright breathtaking. It helps that support for HDR+ and HDR10+, Perceptional Color Mapping technology, and Real Depth Enhancer to improve contrast combine to further enhance this T.V.'s visuals.

The litany of features the S90H boasts doesn't stop here. Gamers will love that this T.V. displays refresh rates of 165 hertz with VRR enabled. The inclusion NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, along with four HDMI 2.1 ports, means that your gaming systems will be supported with this incredible OLED TV.

Even the audio issues from the S90F have been rectified considerably with the inclusion of some neat features. Dolby Atmos and Adaptive Sound Pro both do a great job of making this T.V. sound amazing right out of the gate. It also comes with the patented Samsung Q-Symphony feature that connects this T.V. with any compatible external audio systems and ensures that every device's speakers are used to let users enjoy a rich soundscape. Rounding this off is Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite, which tracks on-screen movement and positions from where sound emanates, using a combination of regular and surround sound speakers to create a 3D audio effect.

It's a shame that the bulk of T.V.s you should avoid from Micro Center are marketed as affordable devices. In a bid to reach an attractive price point, the Samsung Q7F cut too many corners. Let's get the positives out of the way first. The Q7F is no stranger to Samsung's amazing design principles, with the slim bezels, flat rear panel, and textured plastic, making this one of the best T.V.s for minimalists – but you should still avoid it. The Q4 AI processor is a bit underpowered and can lead to a bit of lag from time to time.

The rest of the package is middling at best and exceedingly poor at worst. Despite the combination of Game Motion Plus and ALLM reducing input lag considerably, the lack of basic features like VRR and a refresh rate that tops out at 60 hertz will be a dealbreaker for many. Audio quality is also suspect, with its flat sound and lack of bass pretty much forcing you to connect a basic soundbar at the very least if you don't want your favorite movies and T.V. shows to sound underwhelming.

However, the area where the Q7F falters the most is the most important one — picture quality. The problems here are multifold and non-negotiable for people who don't want to compromise on what should be the most important facet of any T.V. Despite the inclusion of both HDR10 and HDR10+, the lack of brightness and poor black levels make any HDR-supported content almost unwatchable. Contrast levels are also disappointing, leading to a washed-out image that is nowhere near acceptable for cinema purists who want their viewing experience to be satisfying.

Yet another T.V. you can buy at Micro Center at a slashed price point of $1,299.99, the Sony BRAVIA 8 has transformed from an expensive product that many people shied away from to a great deal that will elevate your viewing experience considerably. This OLED has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a modern television, including 4K resolutions, Dolby Vision, HDR, and HLG being much-welcome. People who want to connect an advanced audio system to this T.V. will appreciate the inclusion of an eARC connection, even if it's standard practice now for most modern televisions. That being said, the lack of a backlight means that this T.V. isn't as bright as its competition, but the rest of its features more than make up for this.

This T.V. does justice to both Dolby Atmos and DTS audio formats, meaning that you can enjoy a beautiful, cinematic score as your movies and TV shows sound all the more gratifying. This is further enhanced with Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, which uses actuators behind the screen, along with two bass units, to emanate punchy, room-filling audio that does a great job of prioritizing dialogue clarity. This is a great powerhouse of a T.V. for gamers, with 4K at 120 hertz, along with VRR and ALLM. However, keep in mind that this device includes just two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be lacking for some.

It's clear that Micro Center is a great hub to grab mid-range televisions at affordable rates, and the LG C5 is no exception. The 65-inch model is yet another T.V. on this list to be priced at $1,299.99, and its features will justify this cost in the eyes of many. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10, with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits for these formats, means that you won't notice the lack of a backlight.

If you love gaming, then this LG T.V. is easily one of the best gaming T.V.s you can get your hands on. There's a special Dolby Vision game mode that automatically calibrates your gaming system's visuals to make them look better than ever on the LG C5. The HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) feature is also much-welcome, ensuring that the HDR tone mapping in question is carried out directly by the console itself instead of going through a wasteful two-step process where the T.V. tone-maps an image that was already optimized by your gaming system. The feature set is completed with 4K resolutions, four HDMI 2.1 ports, refresh rates up to 144 hertz, VRR, and ALLM — they make the LG C5 one of the best gaming T.V.s on the market by some margin.

Is this T.V. perfect? Of course not — no HDR10+ for visuals and DTS for audio means that both image and sound are somewhat negatively impacted by a lack of these industry-standard features. In fact, even with Dolby Atmos audio, the audio emanating from the LG C5 is average, at best. The lack of a backlight in the remote can also make it somewhat unwieldy, although that's more subjective.

For $799.99, the 65-inch Samsung QN70F Neo QLED is far from the worst T.V. you can get your hands on. Once again, Samsung's gorgeous television design is a huge plus point, with the device's minimal bezels making it look extremely slick. Gamers will also appreciate how feature-rich this T.V. is, boasting 4K resolutions, a 120 hertz refresh rate, and four HDMI 2.1 ports to make this device compatible with your gaming systems. Unlike the other T.V.s we've told you to avoid, the brightness of this T.V. is surprisingly competent, especially in Standard mode.

Unfortunately, as appealing as the Samsung QN70F may look after we've listed out all its positives, a bunch of nagging issues hold it back from being a good Micro Center deal. While HDR10+ is welcome, its brightness peaks at just 625 nits, which is abysmally low and makes every movie and T.V. show with HDR turned on look like "The Long Night" from "Game of Thrones" all over again. The T.V. doesn't do a great job of accurately showing colors either, and it doesn't help that it lacks Dolby Vision. In case you're wondering whether Filmmaker mode can salvage the viewing experience, the lack of brightness will serve as yet another disappointment.

As great as the C5 is, it's only natural that people would want to buy the latest T.V. model to squeeze out as many years as possible for this product before it becomes obsolete. This is why the LG C6 is a valid choice for people who want to stay ahead of this obsolescence curve, with the 42-inch model priced at $1,399.99. The W-OLED panel does a great job of eliminating any distracting reflections. Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG also does a great job of enhancing your viewing experience on the C5. All of these features, along with the 4K resolutions that were present in the earlier model, ensure that the T.V.'s picture quality is bright, colorful, and boasts impressive contrast.

This device is also tailor-made for gaming, boasting all the features mentioned in the previous model. Refresh rates are improved to reach 165 hertz, which works harmoniously with the T.V.'s 4K resolutions, along with VRR, ALLM, HGiG, and Dolby Vision game mode. While most people feel that the improvements over the LG C5 are minor, one area where the C6 is vastly superior is the remote that comes with the device. LG's Magic Remote lets you use motion controls to choose selectable elements on your T.V., making it noticeably faster than the usual clunky button navigation we've become familiar with. Another tangible improvement is the more powerful Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor, which replaces the Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor used in the previous model.

T.V.s listed on Micro Center — and no, we aren't taking refurbished models into account — with scored reviews across multiple trustworthy review outlets have been considered for this feature.

Any T.V. we've recommended for a purchase has a minimum rating of 4 out of 5 or 8 out of 10 across multiple review outlets. Meanwhile, televisions that we've deemed to be avoidable have a poor review (or reviews) that is lower than these scores.