The SMART Board GX, MX, and RX series are three distinct tiers of the same education-first interactive whiteboard platform — and choosing between them is not simply a budget decision. Each series is engineered for different classroom workflows, collaboration priorities, and deployment environments. The GX is a reliable entry point; the MX adds Google ecosystem integration, HyPr Touch, and student device connectivity; the RX adds premium audio, environmental sensors, hybrid learning capability, and 490 cd/m² brightness.
This guide is written for Australian school ICT managers, principals, and procurement teams who need to match the right SMART Board series to their specific classroom requirements — before committing to a campus-wide rollout.
What Makes the SMART Board GX, MX, and RX Series Different From Each Other?
The SMART Board range is one of the most established education-focused interactive whiteboard ecosystems available in Australia. Across classrooms, training rooms, and collaborative learning environments, SMART Board displays have built a strong reputation for reliable performance, strong classroom software integration, and multi-user interaction capability. SMART's ecosystem — including SMART Notebook classroom software and collaborative learning tools — remains one of the most teacher-familiar education platforms in Australian classrooms, with lesson resources, annotation workflows, and classroom engagement tools that teachers learn once and build on over years of daily use.
However, the SMART Board range now spans several distinct series — the GX (V3), MX (V5), and RX — each engineered with different capabilities, software ecosystems, and deployment priorities. Choosing between them is not simply a matter of budget. It is a question of which platform best suits the specific teaching workflows, classroom environment, IT infrastructure, and long-term operational goals of the deployment.
This comparison guide explores the key differences between each series to help schools, education departments, and commercial organisations make an informed deployment decision before investing in a rollout.
The practical differences between the GX, MX, and RX series become much clearer when viewed through the classroom environments they were designed to support daily.
Why SMART Board Offers Three Different Series — and Why Choosing the Wrong One Is a Costly Mistake
Understanding why SMART Technologies offers three distinct series helps clarify which platform suits a given deployment — and avoids the common mistake of selecting a display based on price alone.
The GX series is designed as a capable and cost-effective entry point for schools introducing interactive whiteboard technology for the first time. The MX series represents a meaningful step up in connectivity, collaboration capability, and software ecosystem depth. The RX series is SMART's most advanced education platform, adding premium audio, environmental awareness, and more sophisticated collaboration tools suited to high-use and technology-forward environments.
Each series is built on the same core SMART education philosophy — but the engineering investment at each tier is directed at different deployment priorities. Selecting the wrong tier can result in either overspending on capabilities that won't be used, or underinvesting in a platform that creates friction in daily teaching workflows.
Schools planning long-term campus standardisation may also find that the additional investment in MX or RX platforms reduces future upgrade friction and deployment inconsistency — particularly as classroom collaboration requirements evolve over a five to ten year deployment period.
Standard IR touch, capable annotation, cost-effective. Best for first-time deployments where budget is the primary constraint.
HyPr Touch, Google EDLA, Wi-Fi 6e, 40+ student devices. Best for Google Workspace schools and collaborative classrooms.
Premium audio, 8-element mic array, environmental sensors, 490 cd/m². Best for hybrid learning and new build deployments.
How Does the Writing and Annotation Experience Differ Across GX, MX, and RX?
One of the most important and least visible differences between the three SMART Board series is how each platform feels to write and annotate on in daily classroom use. While all three series use infrared touch technology, the refinement of that experience varies meaningfully across the range.
GX Series — Capable Classroom Annotation
The GX series delivers a reliable and capable annotation experience well suited to standard classroom lesson delivery. Standard infrared touch provides up to 40 touch points and handles everyday writing and interaction effectively. For schools where annotation is a supporting tool rather than the central teaching activity, the GX writing experience is entirely adequate for daily use.
MX Series — Smoother, More Refined Collaborative Feel
The MX series introduces HyPr Touch technology — SMART's advanced infrared system — which delivers noticeably improved touch precision and annotation smoothness compared to the standard IR used in the GX. With 50 touch points and a more refined touch processing layer, the MX feels meaningfully more responsive during collaborative annotation sessions where multiple students or users are interacting with the display simultaneously.
In practical terms, teachers who annotate frequently notice reduced perceived lag between stylus movement and ink appearance, smoother palm rejection that reduces accidental touch inputs during writing, and a more natural annotation fluidity during fast or continuous writing. For teachers who annotate heavily every lesson, this difference is noticeable from the first day of use — and it is one of the most consistent reasons schools choose to step up from GX to MX rather than deploy at entry tier across the whole campus.
RX Series — Premium Responsiveness and Classroom Interaction
The RX series builds on the same HyPr Touch platform as the MX but pairs it with a brighter 490 cd/m² display, premium onboard audio, and a more complete feature ecosystem. The overall classroom interaction experience on the RX feels the most polished and complete in the SMART Board education range — particularly in environments where display visibility, audio quality, and writing fluidity are all operational priorities. For schools investing in a premium, long-term classroom infrastructure, the RX delivers the most refined daily experience.
SMART Board GX Series: What It Does Well and Where It Has Limits
Who It Suits
The GX series is best suited to schools and education departments deploying interactive whiteboards for the first time, or those replacing older projector-based systems on a budget-conscious rollout. It delivers the core interactive whiteboard experience — annotation, content display, web browsing, and screen sharing — without the additional software depth and connectivity of the higher series.
Key Specifications
Embedded Features
- Digital whiteboard
- Web browser
- Screen sharing
- Input select
- File manager
Deployment Strengths and Limitations
- Cost-effective entry point for education deployments
- Reliable core interactive whiteboard functionality
- 40-point multi-touch for multi-student interaction
- Straightforward daily operation with minimal IT complexity
- Well suited to general lesson delivery and classroom annotation
- No Google Play Store access — limits application ecosystem to pre-installed apps
- Standard Wi-Fi — may feel limited in high-density wireless environments
- No two-way annotation or student device collaboration tools
- Less advanced audio — external speakers may be needed in larger rooms
- More limited long-term software upgrade pathway than MX and RX
As a general guideline, the GX series suits environments where the primary requirement is reliable daily annotation and lesson delivery — and where advanced collaboration features, Google ecosystem integration, or student device connectivity are not immediate priorities.
SMART Board MX Series: The Right Step Up for Google Workspace and Collaborative Classrooms
Who It Suits
The MX series is well suited to schools and education departments that want meaningfully deeper collaboration capability — particularly those already using Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft environments, and those wanting to connect student devices directly to the classroom display during lessons.
Key Specifications
Enhanced Embedded Features
- Chrome browser
- Google Play™ Store — access to Android collaboration applications
- Personalised home screen
- Google Drive™ and OneDrive™ access
Collaboration Tools
- Two-way annotation — students can annotate from their own devices
- Polling and voting functionality
- Whole-class collaboration features
Deployment Strengths and Limitations
- HyPr Touch™ delivers noticeably improved touch precision over standard IR
- Wi-Fi 6e supports faster, more stable wireless in high-density classrooms
- Google Play Store significantly expands the available application ecosystem
- Two-way annotation enables genuine multi-device classroom collaboration
- 50-point touch supports larger groups interacting simultaneously
- Well suited to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 education environments
- Same 400 cd/m² brightness as GX — no improvement in display luminance
- No integrated environmental sensors — available on RX series only
- No integrated premium audio — larger rooms may still need external speakers
- No integrated microphone array — hybrid learning requires additional hardware
The MX series represents a significant capability step up from the GX for schools where student engagement, device connectivity, and Google ecosystem integration are teaching priorities. The addition of HyPr Touch technology and Wi-Fi 6e connectivity alone meaningfully improves the daily classroom experience.
The additional investment in the RX series becomes most visible in higher-use classrooms where audio quality, visibility, hybrid learning, and environmental awareness all matter simultaneously.
SMART Board RX Series: Is the Premium Investment Worth It for Your School?
Who It Suits
The RX series is SMART's most advanced education platform and is best suited to schools and institutions investing in a premium, future-ready classroom environment — particularly those prioritising student wellbeing, hybrid learning capability, and the most complete collaboration experience available in the SMART Board education range.
Key Specifications
Unique Environmental Sensors
The RX series includes an integrated suite of classroom environmental sensors — a feature unique to this tier within the SMART Board range. These sensors allow teachers and facility managers to monitor classroom air quality directly from the display — an increasingly important consideration for student wellbeing and learning environment management.
- Room temperature monitoring
- Humidity monitoring
- Equivalent carbon dioxide (eCO2) levels — elevated CO2 is directly associated with reduced student concentration
- Volatile organic compound (VOC) detection
- Particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality
Deployment Strengths and Limitations
- 490 cd/m² improves visibility in brighter or larger classroom environments
- Environmental sensors support student wellbeing and proactive classroom management
- Integrated soundbar delivers classroom-grade audio without external speakers
- 8-microphone array supports hybrid learning and remote student participation
- Most complete feature set in the SMART Board education range
- Well suited to technology-forward schools, new builds, and premium environments
- Highest price point in the SMART Board education range
- Environmental sensors and premium audio may be beyond standard classroom requirements
- 55" screen size not available — minimum size is 65"
The RX series is the right choice when classroom audio quality, hybrid learning support, environmental monitoring, and brightness performance are genuine deployment priorities. For schools investing in long-term classroom infrastructure, the RX series represents the most future-ready and complete option in the SMART Board education range.
For schools evaluating the RX series across a campus-wide rollout, ambient light sensing enables automatic brightness adjustment — reducing energy consumption in well-lit rooms without manual intervention. Room-awareness features support more intelligent power management across a fleet of displays. For schools with sustainability targets, energy reporting requirements, or infrastructure efficiency goals, these capabilities contribute to a lower long-term operating cost that partially offsets the higher upfront investment over a seven to ten year deployment lifecycle.
SMART Board GX vs MX vs RX: Full Series Comparison for Australian Schools
| Feature | GX Series (V3) | MX Series (V5) | RX Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Sizes | 65", 75", 86" | 55", 65", 75", 86" | 65", 75", 86" |
| Resolution | 4K UHD | 4K UHD | 4K UHD |
| Brightness | 400 cd/m² | 400 cd/m² | 490 cd/m² |
| Touch Technology | Advanced IR | HyPr Touch™ Advanced IR | HyPr Touch™ Advanced IR |
| Touch Points | 40 | 50 | 50 |
| Wi-Fi | Standard Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6e | Wi-Fi 6e |
| Google Play Store | No | Yes | Yes |
| Two-Way Annotation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Student Device Connectivity | Limited | 40+ devices | 40+ devices |
| Environmental Sensors | No | No | Yes — CO2, VOC, PM2.5, Temp, Humidity |
| Integrated Audio | Standard | Standard | 20W soundbar + 15W subwoofer |
| Microphone Array | No | No | 8-microphone array |
| Front-Facing Ports | USB-A | USB-A + USB-C | USB-A + USB-C |
| Writing Experience | Capable classroom annotation | Smoother, more refined collaborative feel | Premium responsiveness and classroom interaction |
| Price Position | Entry | Mid-Range | Premium |
| Best Suited To | Budget classroom deployments, first-time interactive whiteboard rollouts | Google Workspace schools, collaborative classrooms, student device environments | Hybrid learning, premium classrooms, wellbeing-focused and new build deployments |
How to Choose: SMART Board GX vs MX vs RX Decision Guide
Before selecting a series, ask: what must this interactive whiteboard achieve in this classroom on day one, every day, to justify the investment? The series that best serves your non-negotiable daily requirements is the right choice — regardless of which specification sheet looks most impressive.
Choose the GX Series if:
- Budget is the primary constraint and core annotation functionality is sufficient
- The school is deploying interactive whiteboards for the first time
- Google ecosystem integration and student device connectivity are not immediate priorities
- A straightforward, low-complexity deployment is preferred
Choose the MX Series if:
- Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft 365 integration is a teaching priority
- Student device connectivity and two-way annotation are part of the classroom workflow
- Wi-Fi 6e connectivity is important for stable wireless performance in high-density environments
- A meaningfully improved touch experience is required without the full RX investment
- The school is scaling toward a more connected and collaborative classroom environment
Choose the RX Series if:
- Hybrid learning and remote student participation are genuine deployment priorities
- Classroom audio quality is important and external speaker systems are not preferred
- Environmental monitoring and student wellbeing are school priorities
- The school is investing in a premium, future-ready classroom infrastructure
- Brightness performance in well-lit or larger room environments is a consideration
SMART Board MX Pro and QX Pro: When to Consider the Enterprise Series
For organisations requiring even more advanced collaboration capability, SMART Technologies also offers the MX Pro and QX Pro series — designed primarily for enterprise collaboration, boardroom, and professional training environments rather than standard classroom deployments.
- Available sizes: 55", 65", 75", 86"
- EDLA Licensed by Google
- Best digital ink performance in the SMART range
- Multiple users can write, erase, and interact simultaneously
- Direct writing in PDFs and Microsoft Office files
- Native video conferencing support
- Available sizes: 65", 75", 86"
- True pen-on-paper feel with pressure-sensitive stylus
- Pressure-sensitive pens with built-in colour select
- Fine erasers with palm rejection technology
- Integrated SMART Camera UHD 120 with 120° field of view
- Direct hosting of business meetings across multiple platforms
The MX Pro and QX Pro series are generally better suited to enterprise meeting rooms, training environments, and boardroom collaboration spaces — where premium writing experience, advanced conferencing integration, and professional-grade annotation are the primary priorities.
Official SMART Board Specification Comparison
SMART Technologies provides a detailed official comparison resource covering all current education series — including downloadable PDFs and a visual comparison table.
Official SMART Board comparison: smarttech.com/en-au/education/products/compare-all-products
Kickstart Computers recommends consulting the official SMART resource alongside this guide to verify current specifications before finalising any procurement decision.
Get Expert SMART Board Series Advice from an Australian Education Specialist
Kickstart Computers has supplied SMART Board interactive displays across Australian education, corporate, and government environments since 2007. Whether you are deploying a single classroom display or rolling out across an entire school campus, we can help recommend the right SMART Board series based on classroom workflows, collaboration priorities, IT infrastructure, and long-term deployment planning.
Frequently Asked Questions — SMART Board GX vs MX vs RX Series
The SMART Board GX, MX, and RX series are designed for different classroom requirements and budget levels. The GX Series focuses on core interactive whiteboard functionality at a lower price point, the MX Series adds improved touch performance and collaboration features, while the RX Series is SMART’s premium education platform with advanced audio, environmental sensors, and higher-end classroom collaboration capability. Schools should also ensure they are comparing the latest versions — such as GX V3 or MX V5 — to ensure current hardware, software, and security support. Kickstart Computers can help verify current-generation models before procurement to avoid confusion between older and newer SMART Board releases.
Yes — for many standard classrooms, the GX Series is more than sufficient. It delivers the core interactive whiteboard experience, touchscreen collaboration, annotation capability, and classroom presentation functionality at a considerably lower price point than the MX or RX ranges. Schools with lighter daily usage or tighter budgets often find the GX Series provides excellent value without unnecessary complexity.
HyPr Touch is SMART’s higher-end touch and writing technology used in the MX and RX series. It improves touch precision, reduces perceived writing lag, and creates a more natural annotation experience during daily teaching. Teachers who frequently write or annotate directly on the display often notice the difference immediately compared with entry-level interactive whiteboard platforms.
For higher-use classrooms, hybrid learning environments, and schools prioritising audio quality, visibility, and classroom wellbeing features, the RX Series can absolutely justify its higher price point. The RX includes upgraded speakers, environmental sensors, advanced collaboration tools, and premium classroom usability refinements that become increasingly valuable in heavily used teaching spaces. Features such as CO2, humidity, and air quality monitoring also support classroom wellbeing initiatives increasingly linked to student concentration and alertness.
ot necessarily. All modern SMART Board series include integrated Android-based operating systems that support whiteboarding, cloud access, web browsing, and classroom collaboration without requiring a dedicated PC. SMART’s native collaboration platforms — including Lumio and SMART Notebook workflows — can operate directly from the display environment. However, some schools still deploy OPS modules or connected Windows devices where full desktop SMART Notebook functionality, Windows-based curriculum software, or existing Windows workflows are required.
The RX Series is generally the strongest fit for hybrid and blended learning environments because of its premium audio system, collaboration features, visibility improvements, and higher-end classroom engagement capabilities. The MX Series also performs well in many hybrid classrooms, while the GX Series is typically better suited to standard in-room teaching environments where hybrid participation is not a primary daily requirement.
The most common mistake is comparing specifications without considering how heavily the display will actually be used every day. In practice, schools achieve better long-term outcomes when they match the platform to the classroom environment, teaching style, hybrid learning requirements, and teacher workflow expectations rather than simply choosing the cheapest or highest-spec option available.