Capitalizing on the work-from-home era that’s been accelerated by the global pandemic, Samsung’s new Smart Monitors are designed to help you stay entertained and productive — all without requiring the power of a PC or desktop. These monitors can be used as a stand-alone panel for video streaming — similar to a living room television — or serve as companions to smartphones and tablets for wireless casting.
While Samsung’s new M5 and M7 Smart Monitors function like any other desktop monitor by allowing you to connect a compatible PC or laptop via a USB-C or HDMI cable, these panels also come with built-in Wi-Fi, which enables several new tricks to help them stand out. The M5 and M7 come with smart TV apps borrowed from Samsung’s lineup of living room televisions, integrated smart assistant features, and the ability to wirelessly cast to the screen via AirPlay 2 or Samsung DeX.
Watch and stream without a box
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Perfect for small spaces — like dorm rooms and kitchens — the M5 and M7 Samsung Smart Monitors run the company’s Tizen operating system and support popular streaming apps that are available on much larger living room televisions. The M5 and M7 can run the Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and YouTube apps natively on the display without any external devices. This means you don’t need to plug in an Apple TV box or a PC to stream some of your favorite online content, making these monitors the perfect small streaming TV set.
“The Samsung Smart Monitor is the first UHD display to double as a smart TV and offers a full suite of apps and content to take users’ minds off the needs of the day,” the company said in a statement.
Other apps available for the platform include Disney+, HBO Max, and more, which will help the Smart Monitor to “further blur the line between a monitor and a smart TV, making it the perfect way to watch whatever the user wants, where they want it.”
A companion for your smartphone and tablet
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With Wi-Fi built-in, the Samsung Smart Monitors support wireless casting, including Apple AirPlay 2 and Samsung’s own wireless DeX standard. This allows you to cast content from a laptop, desktop, or compatible smartphone or tablet to the monitor without wires or cables to easily share content on demand.
For those within Samsung’s ecosystem, you can use Samsung’s wireless DeX to connect your Samsung smartphone or tablet to the screen wirelessly. With wireless DeX, not only can you cast pictures and videos, but you’ll also get a desktop-like UI — complete with multiple, resizable windows — when your device is connected. This will allow you to be even more productive, with an experience that mimics what you can get on a Chrome OS, MacOS, or Windows 10 device, all from your smartphone. If you want a more simple experience, wireless DeX also allows screen mirroring.
A built-in assistant
With the integrated stereo 5W speakers, the monitors can serve as a hub for your smart assistant. These panels come with access to Samsung’s Bixby 2.0, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant. Samsung also promises SmartThings integration to help access and control your smart home.
The M5 and M7 monitors also come with a full-featured remote that allows users to control the display and access hot keys that will link directly to streaming apps.
Available in two screen sizes with HDR10 support
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Samsung’s Smart Monitors are available in several configurations. The M5 series is available in 27- or 32-inch FHD screens, while the M7 is available in a 27-inch UHD 4K configuration. All configurations reach up to 250 nits of brightness, support HDR10, and can be placed on a stand or mounted to a wall to save space. The 27-inch M5 is available for $229, while the 32-inch version starts at $279. The M7 is available for $399.
Gaming monitors just smashed through an important milestone
The key difference between a normal monitor and a gaming monitor is the refresh rate, and TCL just revealed the fastest gaming monitor we've ever seen. At Display Week, the company demoed a gaming monitor that's capable of a 4K resolution at 1,000Hz, which vastly exceeds the options now available on the market.
Currently, Asus holds the crown for the fastest monitor on the market, with a 1080p resolution and a 540Hz refresh rate. Alienware isn't far behind with its 500Hz gaming monitor, which is also locked to 1080p. The fact that TCL has a display capable of 1,000Hz is impressive enough, but the 4K resolution really stands out.
Rumor has it that Nvidia is working on a system-on-a-chip (SoC) that could power PCs and even future handheld gaming devices. The speculation comes from Dan Nystedt, who says that Nvidia is working with MediaTek to develop an AI processor that could be revealed as soon as June.
Adding further weight to the rumor is XpeaGPU, who also claims Nvidia is working on a handheld SoC. The leaker says that Nvidia thinks the chip has "good market potential." This isn't the first time we've heard about Nvidia looking at the growing market of handheld gaming PCs, either. In March, leaker Moore's Law is Dead claimed that Nvidia is "worried that it's missing the boat here" with handheld gaming PCs.
Air cooling vs. liquid cooling: Which is best for your PC in 2024?
Air cooling and water cooling are the two main temperature control options for your home computer. And if you’re the type of person who enjoys building your PC from the ground up, you’ll know just how many air and liquid cooling accessories you have to choose from. While air cooling is arguably the most straightforward method, there are definitely some advantages to going with a liquid-chilled configuration.
Whether you’re building your very first machine, or are just looking for a little know-how when it comes to PC components, we’ve put together this comparison of air and liquid cooling to help you decide which is best for your wants and needs.
Advantages of air cooling
Air-cooled graphics cards are much more straightforward. Bill Roberson / Digital Trends
