Our Monitor Picture Quality Tests: Gradient (2024)

What it is: How finely levels of color can be displayed.

When it matters: Details in shadows, sky, and skin tones. Matters more for HDR content.

Score components: Subjectively assigned

Score distribution

Gradient handling is an important part of picture quality.It helps deliver better details in the shadows and minimizes banding, especially if you want to game in HDR, view HDR content, or create content. Understanding color depth can help you make a better buying decision or even help you save some money. This article discusses why it matters, the differences between 8-bit and 10-bit color depth, and how we score gradient handling in our monitor reviews.

When It Matters

Gradient handling is important when viewing scenes with different shades of the same color, such as a blue, sunny sky, where the blue would become lighter the closer it is to the light source. Bad gradient handling makes the transition from one shade to the other more visible. This happens when two shades that are supposed to be similar look very different, or when two shades that are supposed to be different end up looking the same, resulting in banding. Below, you can see clear banding on the LG 32GK650F-B, while the Dell U2718Q is almost entirely smooth.

Visible banding on 8-bit panel (LG 32GK650F-B)

Good gradient handling at10-bit (8-bit+FRC) (Dell U2718Q)

Our Tests

Setup

For our test, we only use a Nikon D750 camera and a PC connected to the monitor being tested. We ensure that the monitor is in SDR mode with local dimming off (if applicable), and we set up the camera with an F4.0 aperture lens, a 1/15 sec. shutter time, and an ISO of 200.

Tests

1 - The first step is to determine whether a monitor has an 8-bit or 10-bit panel. We do so by verifying in the NVIDIA Control Panel whether the color depth can be set to anything other than 8-bit. If the control panel allows us to set it to 10-bit,we consider it10-bit, even if it's 8-bit+FRC.

2 - The second step is to take a photo of the screen in a dark room displaying our gradient image. The image is displayed through the NVIDIA 'High Dynamic Range Display SDK' program. For 8-bit monitors, wedisplay the image at 8-bit without any other process. However,for 10-bit panels, we first open the gradient image, then change theTonemap Modeto 'Linear', which is essentially a passthrough mode. Before taking the photo,weadjust the brightnesssothe brightest part of the image is at100 cd/m² (on the right side of the second row). After taking the photo, it'suploaded into Adobe Lightroom, where we apply a custom presetand crop the image to a 16:9 format.

Scoring

To score the gradient, we run a batch file that divides the photo that we tookinto smaller sections. These sections are then presented to two testers, one at a time, who then determine whether there's banding or not. Three points are awarded if there's no banding, two points if unsure, and one point if there's banding. These points are then tallied and translated into a score out of ten. If the testers' scores differ, a third tester is brought in to perform the test again. We deduct a point for an 8-bit panel, which meansthe highest score for an 8-bit monitor is 9.0. That said, an 8-bit monitor can still score higher than a 10-bit one, as some 10-bit monitors don't handle gradients well, and some 8-bit ones are very good at it. We don't make any distinction between 8-bit+FRC and native 10-bit since score according to how smooth the gradients look.

Additional Information

8-bit vs 8-bit+FRC vs 10-bit

The main difference between an 8-bit and 10-bit panel is the number of colors they can produce; an 8-bit panel can display 16.7 million colors, while a 10-bit panel can display 1.07 billion. However, many modern 8-bit displays use a technique called 'dithering', allowing them to produce as many colors as a native 10-bit panel. 'Temporal Dithering' (also known as Frame Rate Control or FRC) produces certain colors by cycling between the adjacent shades. This type of flickering isn't visible most of the time, but when it is, it's usually in the darker shades. The other technique is called 'Spatial Dithering', which places the two adjacent shades very close to each other to trick the eyes to see an intermediate shade, but it isn't used as often as FRC. As you can see below, there's less banding on the Dell U2718Q than the LG 48 CX OLED, even though the Dellhas an 8-bit+FRC panel while the LG istrue 10-bit.

8-bit+FRC (Dell U2718Q)

10-bit (LG 48 CX OLED)

Conclusion

While gradient handling is an important part of picture quality, you don't need to have a 10-bit monitorif you're only using it for general productivity, web surfing, or viewing videos onlinesincemost content is still in 8-bit. However, if you're a content creator, sensitive to the flickering on an 8-bit+FRC panel, or want a better HDR experience,it might be worth getting a true 10-bit monitor.

Our Monitor Picture Quality Tests: Gradient (2024)

FAQs

What is the best picture setting for a monitor? ›

A good rule of thumb is to adjust to around 2.2 and then tweak it to your preference. Higher than 2.2 can look too dark and oversaturated, while lower values really start to lose contrast in darker scenes.

What is a good color gamut for a monitor? ›

sRGB is the most commonly found color standard around. From cameras to monitors and televisions, it is guaranteed that you have encountered sRGB at some point in the past. That said, sRGB is popular for a reason. Its input and output experience very little lag time and/or discrepancies.

How do I know if my monitor is calibrated correctly? ›

On a perfectly calibrated monitor, you'd be able to distinguish (if only just barely) the difference between the white central row and the block labeled 254. More typically, a "good" monitor would let you see the boundary between the center row and the 250 or 251 block.

How can I improve the quality of a picture on my monitor? ›

Change the screen resolution

Stay in, or open, Display settings. Scroll to Scale and layout. Find Display resolution, and then choose an option. It's usually best to stick with the one that's marked (Recommended).

How do I tell if my monitor is 1080p or 720p? ›

Windows: Right-click the desktop and select "Display Settings." Find the screen resolution below or next to "Display resolution." Mac: Open "System Settings" and click "Display." Hover your mouse cursor over the icon highlighted in blue.

What is the best color resolution for a monitor? ›

4K resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels, while 8K resolution is 7680 x 4320 pixels. This means that 8K has four times more pixels than 4K, resulting in a much sharper and more detailed image. However, to fully enjoy the benefits of 8K, you need a larger screen and high-quality content that is produced in 8K.

What is the best monitor color configuration? ›

For a screen situated in a bright room, like an office, the recommended display setting is 2.2. This is the standard setting for Mac and Windows machines. For screens in dark rooms like home theaters, the recommended setting is 2.4, because in a darker room contrast is easier to see.

Which monitor color is best for eyes? ›

The consensus is that the "non-colours", white and black, and the colours yellow, green, and orange are generally most acceptable. These colours (yellow, green, orange) are in the middle of the visible spectrum (the range of colours that our eyes can detect) and are the easiest for the eye to see.

What is one way to test for a bad monitor? ›

Check power and cable connections. Turn monitor's brightness and contrast settings completely up. Connect different working monitor. If it doesn't, check for issues like disconnected or faulty video card.

How do I check my monitor resolution? ›

Type Display Settings in the search bar from the Start Menu in the lower-left corner of your screen. Click to open. Scroll down to the Scale and Layout section and look for the resolution drop-down box. Make note of the resolution listed.

How do I check my image resolution? ›

On your computer, right-click on the image and then select “Properties.” A window will appear with the image's details. Go to the “Details” tab to see the image's dimensions and resolution. Resolution should be at least 300 PPI or 300 DPI to be considered hi-res.

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