Head-to-head · Best 4K TVs

TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch vs TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.1 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about Bright living rooms where OLED dimness becomes a problem, on a budget that cannot stretch to flagship OLED — sports, daytime news, family movie nights with the curtains open. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #5 in Best 4K TVs

TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch

4.1

$299

TCL's 2024 Q-Class is the genuine 43-inch sweet spot — a real QLED panel with quantum-dot color, Dolby Vision support, and Google TV at $300. It is not a gaming TV and the lack of local dimming caps HDR potential, but for a bedroom, office, kitchen, or small living room it is the best budget 4K TV you can buy without compromising the HDR ecosystem.

Strengths

— Real QLED panel with quantum-dot color enhancement at the sub-$300 price tier — uncommon at 43 inches
— HDR PRO+ with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG all supported in a budget TV
— TCL AIPQ processor with deep-learning upscaling makes 1080p Netflix and cable look respectable on the 4K panel

Watch-outs

— Direct-LED backlight without local dimming — HDR has limited dynamic range and dark scenes show backlight uniformity issues
— 60Hz refresh rate only; no ALLM or VRR, gaming-focused buyers should consider a different model
— Only 3 HDMI ports total, one with eARC; none are HDMI 2.1

$299 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best 4K TVs

TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch

4.5

$999

TCL's 2025 mid-range QD-mini-LED is the price-performance king of this guide — measured peak HDR brightness in the same neighborhood as premium mini-LEDs at well under half the price, with a meaningfully upgraded local dimming optical stack and Onkyo-tuned audio that punches above its weight. The trade is VA-panel viewing angles and a Google TV firmware that still has rough edges.

Strengths

— Peak HDR brightness around 2,600 nits on the 65-inch model — within striking distance of premium mini-LEDs costing three times as much
— LD2500 Precise Dimming with the new Halo Control optical stack noticeably reduces blooming compared to the QM7 predecessor
— 144Hz native refresh, ALLM and VRR, Game Accelerator 288 mode — strong gaming feature set at the price

Watch-outs

— Off-axis viewing on the VA panel falls off harder than the IPS-based competition
— Google TV implementation occasionally drops Dolby Vision passthrough until the TV is rebooted
— Only 2 of 4 HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1 — trails the LG OLED G4 and Samsung QN65S90D

$999 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch

Sits in a different category from the other picks — direct-LED, 60Hz, no local dimming. The closest sibling in this guide is the TCL 65QM7K, which adds mini-LED, 144Hz, and Halo Control for triple the price; the gap is enormous. Compared to the Hisense 65U7N this TCL trades all the premium features for a quarter of the price and a 22-inch smaller screen suited to genuinely small rooms.

TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch

Against the Hisense 65U7N at a similar price point the TCL adds the Halo Control optical stack, a higher refresh rate, and anti-reflective coating; the Hisense counters with marginally lower street pricing. Versus the LG OLED G4 the trade is OLED black levels for double the brightness at half the price. Compared to the Samsung QN65S90D the TCL gives up OLED per-pixel contrast for substantially more peak brightness — better for bright rooms.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch	TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch
Screen Size	43 in	65 in
Resolution	4K UHD (3840x2160)	4K UHD (3840x2160)
Panel Type	QLED (Direct LED)	QD-Mini-LED (HVA)
HDR Formats	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG	Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Refresh Rate	60 Hz (Motion Rate 240)	144 Hz (Game Accelerator 288 mode)
HDMI Ports	3 (1 eARC, none HDMI 2.1)	4 (2 with HDMI 2.1)
Smart OS	Google TV	Google TV
Audio	20W 2.0-ch Dolby Atmos	40W 2.1-ch Onkyo Dolby Atmos
Voice Assistant	Google Assistant, Alexa, HomeKit	Google Assistant, Alexa
Warranty	1-year limited	1-year limited

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