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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.

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The short answer

TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.0 vs 4.1). 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.

TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch
Ranked #4 in Best 4K TVs
TCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inch
1 sourceall derived$228as of Jun 8

TCL's 2024 Q-Class hits the genuine 43-inch sweet spot: a real QLED panel with quantum-dot color, Dolby Vision support, and Google TV at $300. Gaming isn't its strength, and the missing local dimming caps HDR potential. For a bedroom, office, kitchen, or small living room, though, no budget 4K TV gets you further 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
$228 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch
Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best 4K TVs
TCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch
3 sources$749.99as of Jul 3

TCL's 2025 mid-range QD-mini-LED is the price-performance king of this guide. Measured peak HDR brightness lands in the same neighborhood as premium mini-LEDs at well under half the price, helped by a meaningfully upgraded local dimming optical stack, and the Onkyo-tuned audio punches above its weight. You give up viewing angles to the VA panel, and the Google TV firmware 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
$749.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

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

SpecTCL 43Q651G Q-Class QLED 43-inchTCL 65QM7K QD-Mini-LED 65-inch
Screen Size43 in65 in
Resolution4K UHD (3840x2160)4K UHD (3840x2160)
Panel TypeQLED (Direct LED)QD-Mini-LED (HVA)
HDR FormatsDolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLGDolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Refresh Rate60 Hz (Motion Rate 240)144 Hz (Game Accelerator 288 mode)
HDMI Ports3 (1 eARC, none HDMI 2.1)4 (2 with HDMI 2.1)
Smart OSGoogle TVGoogle TV
Audio20W 2.0-ch Dolby Atmos40W 2.1-ch Onkyo Dolby Atmos
Voice AssistantGoogle Assistant, Alexa, HomeKitGoogle Assistant, Alexa
Warranty1-year limited1-year limited
Dimensions2.8"D x 37.6"W x 22"H2.2"D x 56.8"W x 34.2"H
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