Home8-bit vs 10-bit color
8-bit vs 10-bit color
10-bit color needs 30 bits per pixel against 24 for 8-bit, so every mode needs 25% more bandwidth. VESA ties 30 bits per pixel to HDR-10 in its DisplayPort 2.0 announcement.
HDMI 2.0 carries 4K 60Hz, 1440p 144Hz at 8-bit but not at 10-bit.
DisplayPort 1.4 carries 4K 120Hz, 1440p 240Hz, 1080p 360Hz at 8-bit but not at 10-bit.
HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps FRL) carries 4K 160Hz, 4K 165Hz, 1440p 360Hz at 8-bit but not at 10-bit.
8-bit and 10-bit, mode by mode
| Mode | HDMI 2.0 | DisplayPort 1.4 | HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps FRL) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-bit | 10-bit | 8-bit | 10-bit | 8-bit | 10-bit | |
| 4K 60Hz | Pass, 12.54 Gbps | Fail, 15.68 Gbps | Pass, 12.54 Gbps | Pass, 15.68 Gbps | Pass, 12.54 Gbps | Pass, 15.68 Gbps |
| 4K 120Hz | Fail, 25.82 Gbps | Fail, 32.27 Gbps | Tight, 25.82 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.3:1 | Pass, 25.82 Gbps | Pass, 32.27 Gbps |
| 4K 144Hz | Fail, 31.35 Gbps | Fail, 39.19 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.3:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.6:1 | Pass, 31.35 Gbps | Pass, 39.19 Gbps |
| 4K 160Hz | Fail, 35.10 Gbps | Fail, 43.88 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.4:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.8:1 | Pass, 35.10 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.1:1 |
| 4K 165Hz | Fail, 36.29 Gbps | Fail, 45.37 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.5:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.8:1 | Pass, 36.29 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.1:1 |
| 4K 240Hz | Fail, 54.84 Gbps | Fail, 68.56 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 2.2:1 | Needs DSC, about 2.8:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.3:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.7:1 |
| 1440p 144Hz | Tight, 14.08 Gbps | Fail, 17.60 Gbps | Pass, 14.08 Gbps | Pass, 17.60 Gbps | Pass, 14.08 Gbps | Pass, 17.60 Gbps |
| 1440p 165Hz | Fail, 16.30 Gbps | Fail, 20.37 Gbps | Pass, 16.30 Gbps | Pass, 20.37 Gbps | Pass, 16.30 Gbps | Pass, 20.37 Gbps |
| 1440p 240Hz | Fail, 24.62 Gbps | Fail, 30.77 Gbps | Pass, 24.62 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.3:1 | Pass, 24.62 Gbps | Pass, 30.77 Gbps |
| 1440p 360Hz | Fail, 39.37 Gbps | Fail, 49.21 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.6:1 | Needs DSC, about 2:1 | Pass, 39.37 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.2:1 |
| 1080p 360Hz | Fail, 22.38 Gbps | Fail, 27.97 Gbps | Pass, 22.38 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 1.2:1 | Pass, 22.38 Gbps | Pass, 27.97 Gbps |
| 8K 60Hz | Fail, 49.65 Gbps | Fail, 62.06 Gbps | Needs DSC, about 2:1 | Needs DSC, about 2.5:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.2:1 | Needs DSC, about 1.5:1 |
| 8K 120Hz | Fail, 102.20 Gbps | Fail, 127.75 Gbps | Fail, even with DSC (needs about 4.1:1) | Fail, even with DSC (needs about 5.1:1) | Needs DSC, about 2.4:1 | Needs DSC, about 3:1 |
Results use PC monitor timings (VESA CVT reduced blanking v2 as the headline), not the TV and console timings in CTA-861, so a TV or console may need more bandwidth than shown. RGB/4:4:4 color. DSC verdicts are at maximum compression (8 bpp), the lowest rate VESA's DSC standard allows for 4:4:4, and show the compression each mode needs.
Sources
- HDMI 2.1 FRL article (Allion Labs), retrieved 27 October 2026
- New HDMI 2.1 Technology, part 1 of 2 (Black Box, 2021), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA publishes DisplayPort Standard Version 1.4 (1 Mar 2016), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA publishes DisplayPort 2.0 video standard (26 Jun 2019), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA rolls out early certification program for HBR3 products (4 Jan 2017), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA readies DisplayPort UHBR device certification and begins certification of UHBR cables, retrieved 27 October 2026
- HDMI Cable and Connector introduction (Granite River Labs, 2019), retrieved 27 October 2026
- Hardent IP portfolio supports new features of HDMI 2.1 (2018 release), retrieved 27 October 2026
- HDMI Forum releases Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification (2013), retrieved 27 October 2026
- Premium HDMI Cable Certification Program (hdmi.org), retrieved 27 October 2026
- Ultra High Speed and Ultra96 HDMI Cables (hdmi.org), retrieved 27 October 2026
- Thunderbolt 5 Technology Brief (Intel, Sept 2023), retrieved 27 October 2026
- HDMI 2.0 spec published (The Register, 4 Sep 2013), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA CVT Standard, Version 2.1, retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA CVT v2.1 Generator Version 1 (spreadsheet; sheets CVTv2.1 and CVTv1.2a), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC) Standard, Version 1.2b (12 Aug 2021), retrieved 27 October 2026
- VESA DSC Source Device Guidelines r1.0, retrieved 27 October 2026
Data verified 27 October 2026 against these sources. See the methodology for how disagreements are resolved.