Monitor gamma

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bunkin

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Feb 26, 2023
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I enjoy maxing it out can someone explain what gamma does and if it's too high will it hurt eyes?
 
I'm sure others can give you a more expert answer, but gamma basically plays with the balance of light and dark in an image. The nVidia Control Panel isn't the only place you'll find it - it's also likely a setting in your monitor as well.

Gamma a person likes depends on preferences. The nVidia slider works by making the dark details brighter, but the "cost" is that it can wash out contrastier images if it's too high. Personally, I'd try to adjust it on the monitor and leave the nVidia settings alone at default, but technically either works.

When you calibrate a display, you usually target a specific gamma, though those values differ from what you're seeing in that control panel. A lot of content/precalibrations on TVs (and I'm assuming this extends to monitors) nowadays targets 2.4 gamma, which is pretty contrasty and punchy (darks are really dark), which some people like. I should note this value differs from what you see in nVidia control panel as for the number I'm giving here, going *down* brightens things up. When I calibrated my TV and also monitor, I targeted 2.2 gamma, which is a touch brighter on shadow detail and allows me to see a bit better in the darker parts of contrastier content (whether games or videos), but doesn't wash things out too much for my preferences. Some monitors have these targets in the settings and others use something more akin to the nVidia control panel.

I don't think you'll hurt your eyes. If you raise it too much, you'll know because content will start looking too washed out, and at that point you'll want to lower it.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/picture-quality/color-accuracy
If you scroll down here (or search for "gamma"), there's a pretty good discussion of gamma that might help. =)
 
sgupta said:
I'm sure others can give you a more expert answer, but gamma basically plays with the balance of light and dark in an image. The nVidia Control Panel isn't the only place you'll find it - it's also likely a setting in your monitor as well.

Gamma a person likes depends on preferences. The nVidia slider works by making the dark details brighter, but the "cost" is that it can wash out contrastier images if it's too high. Personally, I'd try to adjust it on the monitor and leave the nVidia settings alone at default, but technically either works.

When you calibrate a display, you usually target a specific gamma, though those values differ from what you're seeing in that control panel. A lot of content/precalibrations on TVs (and I'm assuming this extends to monitors) nowadays targets 2.4 gamma, which is pretty contrasty and punchy (darks are really dark), which some people like. I should note this value differs from what you see in nVidia control panel as for the number I'm giving here, going *down* brightens things up. When I calibrated my TV and also monitor, I targeted 2.2 gamma, which is a touch brighter on shadow detail and allows me to see a bit better in the darker parts of contrastier content (whether games or videos), but doesn't wash things out too much for my preferences. Some monitors have these targets in the settings and others use something more akin to the nVidia control panel.

I don't think you'll hurt your eyes. If you raise it too much, you'll know because content will start looking too washed out, and at that point you'll want to lower it.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/picture-quality/color-accuracy
If you scroll down here (or search for "gamma"), there's a pretty good discussion of gamma that might help. =)
Click to expand...
Appreciate the reply I'm just a little confused because when I raise the GAMMA it looks brighter and easier to see player models in counter strike

Individual default is 1.0 anything less than that looks like c*** so I'm leaning towards 2.0 to 2.4 do you have any Recommendations
 
bunkin said:
Appreciate the reply I'm just a little confused because when I raise the GAMMA it looks brighter and easier to see player models in counter strike

Individual default is 1.0 anything less than that looks like c*** so I'm leaning towards 2.0 to 2.4 do you have any Recommendations
Click to expand...

Raising gamma will definitely make everything easier to see, including player models for sure, so if you're competitive in CounterStrike, it could definitely give an advantage. Like I said, the downside is it's going to make darker areas look washed out with less contrast, which isn't desirable for immersion or image accuracy, but if that doesn't bother you, there's not necessarily a *right* answer.

The nVidia control panel values don't correspond to the scale I mentioned unfortunately, which is confusing. If it were me, I'd set it to 1.0 under nVidia for now and see what options you have in the hardware monitor controls and raise it that way if possible. That will depend highly on what monitor you're using. Some list different gamma values (2.0, 2.2, 2.4 for example) and others just have a few options that don't really tell you the value (don't ask me why they do this). IF you have choices, I'd try it at gamma 2.2 first, and then 2.0 if you still want things a bit brighter (you might even have 1.8 as an option - some do). If you don't have monitor controls or don't want to use them and have to use the nVidia panel to adjust it instead of the monitor, you might just have to eyeball it to what looks good to you.

Maybe some others here will have other suggestions.
 
sgupta said:
Raising gamma will definitely make everything easier to see, including player models for sure, so if you're competitive in CounterStrike, it could definitely give an advantage. Like I said, the downside is it's going to make darker areas look washed out with less contrast, which isn't desirable for immersion or image accuracy, but if that doesn't bother you, there's not necessarily a *right* answer.

The nVidia control panel values don't correspond to the scale I mentioned unfortunately, which is confusing. If it were me, I'd set it to 1.0 under nVidia for now and see what options you have in the hardware monitor controls and raise it that way if possible. That will depend highly on what monitor you're using. Some list different gamma values (2.0, 2.2, 2.4 for example) and others just have a few options that don't really tell you the value (don't ask me why they do this). IF you have choices, I'd try it at gamma 2.2 first, and then 2.0 if you still want things a bit brighter (you might even have 1.8 as an option - some do). If you don't have monitor controls or don't want to use them and have to use the nVidia panel to adjust it instead of the monitor, you might just have to eyeball it to what looks good to you.

Maybe some others here will have other suggestions.
Click to expand...
I checked my monitor there's no such option I'm on an Alienware 240 Hz

If you had to estimate with the Invidia control panel default set to 1.0 Max is 2.8 what do you think would be good if I really do like it
 
It's impossible for someone to estimate that on your monitor as there are too many variables. We have no idea how your monitor is set, etc.

I would check out this pattern:
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/black.php

This shows shades of black - the top row (1-5), when a monitor is calibrated properly, is very dark and hard to see, with 1 being the darkest and each square slightly raising black level. If it were me and I wanted to raise it for competitive games, I'd probably raise it just enough so that top row is easy enough to see to distinguish all the squares easily at a quick glance. (I shoot for accuracy, so this isn't something I've actually done, but I'm just going by what I'd do if I were you with the goal you mentioned.)
 
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Increasing gamma in Nvidia control panel lowers overall display gamma. Standard for sRGB is gamma 2.2 so if you change gamma in Nvidia panel to 2.2 you basically end up with linear (1.0) display gamma.
No, this won't hurt your eyes because it does not increase display luminance. Full white and full black will be unaffected by this setting.

As to you liking it - is it only in CS or do you like watching movies/videos/photos, etc. with such ridiculous colors too? 🤔
 
XoR_ said:
Increasing gamma in Nvidia control panel lowers overall display gamma. Standard for sRGB is gamma 2.2 so if you change gamma in Nvidia panel to 2.2 you basically end up with linear (1.0) display gamma.
No, this won't hurt your eyes because it does not increase display luminance. Full white and full black will be unaffected by this setting.

As to you liking it - is it only in CS or do you like watching movies/videos/photos, etc. with such ridiculous colors too? 🤔
Click to expand...
Only tried it for csgo have it at 2.3
 
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