NVIDIA users - How to improve in-game colours

Just a quick note to add, do not forget if you have recently purchased a 4K monitor to set the bit colour depth on the Nvidia card for the monitor to 10bpc as it defaults to 8 bpc, gives you lots more colour pixels millions in fact. = so much more colourful and sharper image.


Might try this tip Cmdr, is this done via the Nvidia control panel?
 
Any disadvantages to doing this?

Yes, if the device you've connected to over HDMI is configured to expect the standard range of signal (so that 'black' and 'white' are 16 and 235) then you've just crushed a load of detail out of your shadows and highlights. As a few others have suggested, the important thing is to ensure that both the output and display are calibrated to matching settings; either regular REC 709 or full-range. If you're not using HDMI cables then this almost certainly isn't a problem for you, but even if it is, then if you're seeing an improvement from the change then it's an indication you've not calibrated your screen.
 
I don't think going to HDMI from DVI will improve anything, more likely it will cause you to need checking out if your GPU & display agree with each other about the colour range.
So DVI->HDMI is affected by this setting, but I want to be clear Dynamic Range does not change colour range, changing it from 8 bit to 12 bit colour range, does.
Dynamic range changes the steps between dark and bright.

'limited' dynamic range has steps from 16-235
Full Dynamic range has 0-255

This will make it able to generate a more nuanced difference between the intensity of the colours but does not change the colour range itself, each colour is still defined with 8 bit, 0-255 value, where changing it to 12 bit colour gives you a 0-4095 scale
Which means the colours if your display supports what is called 'deep colours' will themselves be much more nuanced, which will in turn reduce such things as banding. where for example the corona of a star can look to have 'steps' between the colours.
 
Actually it isn't hogwash a lot of the 4K monitors support 10bit, suggest you check facts before dissing posts.
It doesn't affect DVI but it on 4K makes a big difference to display port as the default is set at 8 bit and so the NVidia gpu will naturally restrict what it puts out to the display port, you need to enable the output to 10 bits to take advantage of what the 4K monitor can display.

Just curious, I play on a 4k tv via hdmi 2.0. I see no option in the nvidia control panel for 10 bit. There is 8 bit (which it defaults to) and 12 bit? Which should I choose? Tried both and can't see any difference tbh.

As for changing the driver limited colours to full range, I did this some time ago thanks to another forum post, just remember that updating drivers will probably reset it to limited.
 
So DVI->HDMI is affected by this setting, but I want to be clear Dynamic Range does not change colour range, changing it from 8 bit to 12 bit colour range, does.
Dynamic range changes the steps between dark and bright.

'limited' dynamic range has steps from 16-235
Full Dynamic range has 0-255

This will make it able to generate a more nuanced difference between the intensity of the colours but does not change the colour range itself, each colour is still defined with 8 bit, 0-255 value, where changing it to 12 bit colour gives you a 0-4095 scale
Which means the colours if your display supports what is called 'deep colours' will themselves be much more nuanced, which will in turn reduce such things as banding. where for example the corona of a star can look to have 'steps' between the colours.
Nvidia drivers are claiming the program has to support 12 bit for you to see an improvement. Does ED support 12 bit?

8 bpc.jpg
 
Fundamentally the process is the same as for every other connector, even VGA - make sure that your screen is calibrated to the same setting as your output, so 'black' is black, but 'an exceedingly dark grey' isn't.
 
Not sure if I'll notice the difference but thanks. According to the tooltip "The Limited setting is commonly used by many telivisions." So why the hell is it the default setting?!
 
I have just discovered something which improves the colours in Elite and all games.

I'm probably late to the party as usual and all you nvidia users already know this but...

..apparently, by default nvidia drivers output a limited RGB range from 16 to 235 which gives a washed-out effect.

To resolve this issue go to the nvida control panel and select Change Resolution.

In the bottom right is the option Output dynamic range - in the drop down menu select FULL and voila! - deeper blacks and more vivid, rich colours bringing new life to my TN monitor

I hope you find this helpful

As Fluffa points out below, this only applies to HDMI

Ok so I ran across this post a few days ago and decided to try it out. Sure enough the new setting made everything deeper and richer color wise. +1 rep for this!

But then later on I was goofing around with G-Force Experience and it told me that I was not optimized for Elite (the only game I play. Yeah, I'm old and lame). In the past it had said that I was which I found odd but I decided to let GFE re-optimize. Boy am I glad I did!

It turned off the Anti-aliasing, shifted a couple of Highs-Mediums-Ultras and changed the resolution to 1920x1080 from 1200something and BAM! It's like I have a whole new graphics card! Things are WAAAAAYYYYYYYY crisper, tighter and more detailed than ever before. It even looks like there is woodgrain stuff on the dash of my Python. Who knew?

I have been half- looking at upgrading my GPU but I think for now I will stick with my lowly GTX 750. It is serving me better than ever before.
 
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