degen Interesting post, thanks for sharing! Another blog post about DWM / DirectX is linked:

Advanced Color capabilities were first introduced for HDR displays with Windows 10, version 1709 (Fall Creators Update), and for specially provisioned SDR displays with the Windows 11, version 22H2 (10.0; Build 22621) release.

@ensete you might find it interesting.

    degen Custom Resolution Utility

    Is this a Windows app or something you downloaded (if so, a link could be helpful 🙂 )

      JTL Enabling Advanced Color causes me eyestrain so I leave it disabled. But I have it enabled for this screenshot:

      The Advanced Color option is "Automatically manage color for apps", which only becomes available with the above registry tweak and only on SDR displays or HDR displays with HDR disabled using Custom Resolution Utility (@ryans)

      Note also how it now says 8-bit with dithering with the Advanced Color option enabled. It just says 8-bit normally.

      @ryans here is the instructions for the Custom Resolution Utility to get Advanced Color on HDR display:

      Taken from Still can’t see “Automatically manage color for apps” in the setting #5

      Thanks to the Github user aufkrawall who provided the solution:

      Edit your monitor's EDID with CRU by un-ticking colorspaces checkboxes in CTA-861 extension block -> Colorimetry:
      https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU

      Then HDR should become unavailable, which makes the clamp toggle appear.

      EDIT: for clarity

          degen Ahh, the fact internal Windows utilities are seemingly exposing the existence of dithering in the output pipeline could be considered a double-edged sword to some.

            degen This is awesome news. I am currently using my laptop for work and it also has integrated Intel graphics so this gives me hope and I will try the Intel A770 and let you know how it goes. I don't generally like getting the first gen of any product but if it will help Intel make more of these I am all in.

            To my knowledge I don't have issues with the version of Windows I am using but it looks like it's something I need to look into. I have Chronic Migraines and perhaps the OS is part of the issue there. I might even go back to Windows 7 or 8 for a bit to see what happens.

            Thanks!

                Congrats, Degen!

                I tested an A750 with Windows 11/Linux and I am pretty sure both scenarios gave me eye strain. Perhaps the A770 is different or dithering is not the cause.

                  emmet It is an interesting experiment to try old Windows, just to see if modern Windows is a hidden cause for you. As a solution it is not very practical now for a number of reasons, for example now Chromium dropped support for 7/8. Windows 10 version 1507 is the baseline now to have Chromium browser updates, and along with 1511, is the final “safe” version of Windows (although some find Windows 7 with DWM disabled fills that role). Still many modern applications with not run, and forget about it with new hardware. I am trying to move on myself and use modern Windows 10/11, and that is going OK for me. I guess I always bring it up because I don’t want OS-related strain as a subject of discussion to be forgotten.

                  Good luck with the Arc card. I am looking forward to your report.

                  karut My Intel Arc A770 LE gave me eyestrain on Linux, but not on Windows. Sorry to hear it did not work out for you.

                      degen

                      To clarify: which setting is the default one? "Automatically optimize colors" on?

                      Did you customize Win 11 in any way with regards to eye strain?

                      I didn't change any settings when using the A750, perhaps dithering was turned on?

                          karut The option to “Automatically manage colors for apps” can only be made visible with a registry key, and its default is Off.

                          According to Microsoft:

                          ACM brings Advanced Color to select qualifying and specially provisioned SDR displays, starting with Surface Studio 2+ and Surface Pro 9.

                          Those are the only devices (for the moment) I imagine Microsoft could default this to On for.

                              degen

                              Thanks! Is there anything else you changed about your setup? Any to mitigate OS-level when you are not gaming?

                                  karut I haven't found any changes to mitigate OS-level eyestrain when not gaming, although some people have reported success with audit mode. I am tolerating modern Windows 10/11 better these days though, perhaps because of the treatment I've received and talked about here.

                                    a year later

                                    degen is that GPU still good for you? What Windows version are you running today?

                                      I sent my Arc 750 back because it seemed like Intel wasnt going to support it well going forward. i.e. no VR, certain functions only supported in HDMI, but HDMI cables register as DP.. only linux option was Ubuntu, no DirectX 9… It did seem promising though visually

                                      I bought an arc a770 LE yesterday but probably won't test it for awhile.. gonna test some other hardware/OS first. I need a safe PC and I don't have that yet. Will update whenever I test the arc!

                                        Going to first be testing the z490 dark 10900kf/rtx 5000 on win7. Hoping that'll be super safe as it's safe for someone else here!

                                        15 days later

                                        There is a nvidia rtx 5000? How much does it cost?

                                          smilem yeah it's a Quadro RTX 5000. There's also a rtx 4000 too. I paid 300 for my 5000 but they usually are 500ish I think.

                                          Still haven't tested it yet. Going to test soon though. The monitor I was planning to use (up2715k dell) ended up having high modulation so didn't end up trying it. Highest 100% brightness it's low but too bright for me. Gonna test a few different monitors.

                                            degen what exact win build are you running with the a770 arc? Is it completely safe even non gaming ? I have this GPU just don't know which windows to load for testing on this GPU

                                              How much watts does these use IDLE? The Quadro 6000, not RTX. uses alllot and heats too when ide 65C or so.

                                              The Quadro card drivers does not work with gaming cards from Nvidia, why how that is even possible? The devs are idiots perhaps, hardly. Are they paid to do this? any hacks to install Quadro and RTX 3090 etc. ?

                                              Then there is incompatibility with nvidia driver versions, when cards are from different era like RTX 3090 and Quadro 6000 or Quadro 2000, one driver overwrites the other. Any workarounds?

                                                dev