HDR Brightness Tier Checker

The HDR that looked worse than SDR

"I enabled HDR and my games look washed out." This is the most common HDR complaint, and the cause is almost always the same: the monitor is not bright enough or cannot dim locally, so enabling HDR flattens the image instead of enhancing it. "HDR400" certification requires only 400 nits and no local dimming — nowhere near real HDR. Enabling HDR on such a panel makes things worse, not better.

The HDR Brightness Tier Checker checks whether your monitor's peak brightness and dimming type meet real HDR tiers. Diagnose washed-out HDR, decide whether to leave HDR on or off, and pick the right panel if you are buying. Runs locally, no signup.

How the tool works

The checker cross-references three things:

• Peak brightness (nits) — DisplayHDR tiers: 400 (entry, often not real HDR), 600 (practical floor), 1000 (good), 1400+ (excellent). Below 600 nits, HDR often looks worse than SDR.
• Dimming type — edge-lit (no local dimming, poor HDR), zone-lit (FALD with N zones, decent HDR), mini-LED (hundreds/thousands of zones, good HDR), OLED (per-pixel dimming, perfect HDR contrast).
• Tier verdict — Real HDR (600+ nits with local dimming), Marginal HDR (400–600 nits or edge-lit, often worse than SDR), or Not HDR (sub-400 nits).

The tool also recommends whether to leave HDR on or off for your panel, and flags the common "HDR400 looks worse than SDR" trap.

Step-by-step usage

1. Enter your monitor's peak brightness (from the spec sheet or reviews, not marketing).
2. Enter your dimming type — edge-lit, FALD, mini-LED, OLED.
3. Enter the number of dimming zones if known (FALD/mini-LED).
4. Read the tier verdict. Real HDR = enable it for HDR content; Marginal = leave off; Not HDR = do not enable.
5. Verify color gamut too using the Color Gamut Converter — HDR needs wide gamut plus brightness.

Common hardware problems this tool solves

• "HDR looks worse than SDR on my monitor" — most HDR400 monitors lack the brightness and local dimming for true HDR, so enabling it washes out the image. Use SDR instead, or buy DisplayHDR 1000+.
• "HDR is too dark on my desktop" — desktop and SDR apps often look worse in HDR mode. Enable HDR only for HDR games and video; let the OS auto-switch if supported.
• "My OLED HDR looks great but dim" — OLED has perfect per-pixel dimming (infinite contrast) but lower peak brightness than mini-LED. Both do real HDR well; pick by preference.
• "Do I need a new monitor for HDR?" — if yours is HDR400 edge-lit, yes. Real HDR needs 600+ nits and local dimming.

For deeper monitor context, browse the monitor fix hub.

Pro tips for HDR buyers

• DisplayHDR 600 is the practical floor. Below that, HDR often looks worse than SDR. DisplayHDR 1000+ is ideal.
• Local dimming matters as much as brightness. Edge-lit monitors cannot dim locally, so blacks are gray regardless of peak nits. Look for FALD, mini-LED, or OLED.
• OLED vs mini-LED for HDR? OLED has perfect per-pixel dimming (infinite contrast) but lower peak brightness. Mini-LED has high brightness with many dimming zones. Both do real HDR well — pick by whether you value contrast or brightness.
• Leave HDR off for desktop and SDR apps. Enable it only for HDR games and video. Let the OS auto-switch if supported.
• HDR needs wide gamut too. A bright SDR-gamut panel cannot show HDR colors. Check both — see the Color Gamut Converter.

Real HDR is a tier, not a sticker. The checker exists so you do not enable HDR on a panel that cannot deliver it, and you do not pay for "HDR400" expecting magic.