1. What is Monitor Bandwidth?

Monitor bandwidth refers to the amount of data that needs to be transmitted per second to drive a display at a given resolution, refresh rate, and color depth. It's a crucial factor in display performance and cable requirements.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the bandwidth equation:

Where:

• \( resolution \) — Total number of pixels (width × height)
• \( Hz \) — Refresh rate in Hertz
• \( bits\_per\_pixel \) — Color depth per pixel in bits

Explanation: The equation calculates the raw data rate needed to refresh every pixel on the screen at the specified rate and color depth.

3. Importance of Bandwidth Calculation

Details: Knowing the required bandwidth helps in selecting appropriate display cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) and ensuring your graphics hardware can support the desired display configuration.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total resolution (width × height), refresh rate in Hz, and bits per pixel (typically 24 for 8-bit color, 30 for 10-bit, etc.). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a typical bandwidth for 4K 60Hz?
A: For 3840×2160 at 60Hz with 24 bits/pixel: ~12 Gbps (not accounting for blanking intervals).

Q2: How does this relate to interface bandwidth?
A: Display interfaces need additional bandwidth for blanking intervals and protocol overhead, so actual required interface bandwidth is higher.

Q3: What about HDR?
A: HDR typically uses 10-bit color (30 bits/pixel), increasing bandwidth requirements by 25% compared to 8-bit.

Q4: Does this account for compression?
A: No, this is raw bandwidth. Technologies like Display Stream Compression can reduce actual bandwidth needs.

Q5: How to calculate resolution for common formats?
A: Multiply horizontal by vertical pixels (e.g., 1920×1080 = 2,073,600 pixels).