Monitor Data Rate Calculator

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Monitor Data Rate Calculator .mdr-calc-container { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px; background: #f9fafb; border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 8px; } .mdr-calc-header { text-align: center; margin-bottom: 30px; } .mdr-calc-header h2 { color: #1f2937; margin: 0; font-size: 24px; } .mdr-calc-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 20px; } @media (max-width: 600px) { .mdr-calc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } } .mdr-input-group { margin-bottom: 15px; } .mdr-input-group label { display: block; font-weight: 600; color: #374151; margin-bottom: 5px; font-size: 14px; } .mdr-input-group input, .mdr-input-group select { width: 100%; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #d1d5db; border-radius: 6px; font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; } .mdr-input-group input:focus, .mdr-input-group select:focus { outline: none; border-color: #3b82f6; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.1); } .mdr-presets { grid-column: 1 / -1; display: flex; gap: 10px; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-bottom: 15px; } .mdr-preset-btn { background: #e5e7eb; border: none; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 4px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 12px; color: #374151; transition: background 0.2s; } .mdr-preset-btn:hover { background: #d1d5db; } .mdr-calc-btn { grid-column: 1 / -1; background: #2563eb; color: white; border: none; padding: 15px; border-radius: 6px; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; cursor: pointer; transition: background 0.2s; margin-top: 10px; width: 100%; } .mdr-calc-btn:hover { background: #1d4ed8; } .mdr-results { grid-column: 1 / -1; background: #ffffff; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; margin-top: 20px; border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; display: none; } .mdr-result-item { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center; padding: 10px 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #f3f4f6; } .mdr-result-item:last-child { border-bottom: none; } .mdr-result-label { color: #4b5563; font-size: 14px; } .mdr-result-value { font-weight: 700; color: #111827; font-size: 18px; } .mdr-badge { display: inline-block; padding: 4px 8px; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 600; margin-left: 5px; } .mdr-badge-success { background: #dcfce7; color: #166534; } .mdr-badge-warning { background: #fef9c3; color: #854d0e; } .mdr-badge-danger { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; } .article-content { max-width: 800px; margin: 40px auto; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; color: #374151; } .article-content h2 { color: #111827; margin-top: 30px; } .article-content h3 { color: #1f2937; margin-top: 25px; } .article-content p { margin-bottom: 15px; } .article-content ul { margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; } .article-content li { margin-bottom: 8px; } .tech-table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 14px; } .tech-table th, .tech-table td { border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; padding: 10px; text-align: left; } .tech-table th { background: #f9fafb; font-weight: 600; } function setPreset(w, h) { document.getElementById('resWidth').value = w; document.getElementById('resHeight').value = h; } function calculateDataRate() { var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById('resWidth').value); var height = parseFloat(document.getElementById('resHeight').value); var refresh = parseFloat(document.getElementById('refreshRate').value); var depth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('colorDepth').value); var chroma = document.getElementById('chromaSubsampling').value; if (isNaN(width) || isNaN(height) || isNaN(refresh)) { alert("Please enter valid numbers for Resolution and Refresh Rate."); return; } // 1. Calculate Bits Per Pixel (bpp) based on Chroma Subsampling // RGB/4:4:4 = 3 channels full resolution // 4:2:2 = 2/3 bandwidth of 4:4:4 // 4:2:0 = 1/2 bandwidth of 4:4:4 var baseBpp = depth * 3; // For RGB/4:4:4 var bppFactor = 1; if (chroma === "422") { bppFactor = 2/3; } else if (chroma === "420") { bppFactor = 0.5; } var effectiveBpp = baseBpp * bppFactor; // 2. Calculate Active Data Rate (Raw pixels only) // Rate = Width * Height * Refresh * EffectiveBpp var activePixelsPerSecond = width * height * refresh; var rawBitsPerSecond = activePixelsPerSecond * effectiveBpp; var rawGbps = rawBitsPerSecond / 1000000000; // 3. Calculate Total Bandwidth (Including Blanking Overhead) // Standards like CVT-RB (Reduced Blanking) typically add ~3-5% overhead // Standard CTA-861 timings can add ~15-20% overhead // We will use a safe estimation multiplier of 1.15 (15%) to account for generic blanking // This helps in cable selection estimates. var overheadMultiplier = 1.15; // Estimating 15% overhead for blanking var totalGbps = rawGbps * overheadMultiplier; // 4. Determine Interface Requirements var interfaceRec = ""; var interfaceClass = "mdr-badge-success"; // Bandwidth capacities (approximate max payload) // HDMI 1.4: 8.16 Gbps // HDMI 2.0: 14.4 Gbps // HDMI 2.1: 42.6 Gbps (48Gbps link) // DP 1.2: 17.28 Gbps // DP 1.4: 25.92 Gbps // DP 2.0 (UHBR 10): 38.6 Gbps if (totalGbps <= 8.16) { interfaceRec = "HDMI 1.4 / DP 1.1"; } else if (totalGbps <= 14.4) { interfaceRec = "HDMI 2.0 / DP 1.2"; } else if (totalGbps <= 17.28) { interfaceRec = "HDMI 2.0 (Tight) / DP 1.2"; } else if (totalGbps <= 25.92) { interfaceRec = "DP 1.4 / HDMI 2.1"; } else if (totalGbps <= 42.6) { interfaceRec = "HDMI 2.1 / DP 2.0"; } else if (totalGbps <= 77.37) { interfaceRec = "DisplayPort 2.0 (UHBR 20)"; } else { interfaceRec = "DSC (Compression) Required"; interfaceClass = "mdr-badge-warning"; } // Display Results document.getElementById('resultRaw').innerHTML = rawGbps.toFixed(2) + " Gbps"; document.getElementById('resultTotal').innerHTML = totalGbps.toFixed(2) + " Gbps"; document.getElementById('resultInterface').innerHTML = interfaceRec; document.getElementById('resultInterface').className = "mdr-badge " + interfaceClass; var totalPixels = (width * height) / 1000000; document.getElementById('resultPixels').innerHTML = totalPixels.toFixed(2) + " MP"; document.getElementById('resultsSection').style.display = 'block'; }

Monitor Data Rate Calculator

Estimate bandwidth requirements for DisplayPort and HDMI

Presets:
8-bit (Standard) 10-bit (HDR) 12-bit (Pro)
RGB / 4:4:4 (Full Quality) YCbCr 4:2:2 (Reduced) YCbCr 4:2:0 (Compressed)
Raw Pixel Rate 0.00 Gbps
Total Bandwidth (est. w/ overhead) 0.00 Gbps
Frame Resolution 0.00 MP
Required Interface –

Understanding Monitor Data Rates and Bandwidth

When setting up a high-performance workstation or gaming rig, calculating the required video data rate is crucial for ensuring your cables and graphics card ports can handle your display's capabilities. This Monitor Data Rate Calculator helps you determine the bandwidth required (in Gigabits per second, or Gbps) based on resolution, refresh rate, and color settings.

Why Monitor Bandwidth Matters

Every pixel on your screen requires data. As you increase resolution (e.g., from 1080p to 4K) or refresh rate (e.g., from 60Hz to 144Hz), the amount of data sent through your cable increases exponentially. If the data rate exceeds the maximum bandwidth of your interface (HDMI or DisplayPort), you may experience:

  • Black screens or flickering signals.
  • Forced reduction in refresh rate (e.g., dropping to 30Hz).
  • Chroma subsampling automatically applied (text looks blurry).
  • Inability to enable HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Key Factors in Calculation

The calculation relies on four main variables:

  1. Resolution: The total number of pixels. A 4K screen (3840×2160) has 4 times as many pixels as 1080p, requiring roughly 4 times the bandwidth.
  2. Refresh Rate (Hz): How many times per second the screen updates. A 144Hz monitor requires 2.4x the bandwidth of a 60Hz monitor.
  3. Color Depth: Measured in bits. Standard monitors use 8-bit color (16.7 million colors). HDR monitors typically use 10-bit color (1.07 billion colors), increasing bandwidth data by 25%.
  4. Chroma Subsampling: A compression technique. RGB (4:4:4) sends full color data for every pixel. 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 reduce color data to save bandwidth, which is fine for video but can make small text look fuzzy.

Interface Bandwidth Comparison

Use the table below to match your calculated "Total Bandwidth" with the correct cable standard:

Interface Standard Max Transmission Rate Max Effective Data Rate
HDMI 1.4 10.2 Gbps 8.16 Gbps
HDMI 2.0 18.0 Gbps 14.4 Gbps
HDMI 2.1 48.0 Gbps 42.6 Gbps
DisplayPort 1.2 21.6 Gbps 17.28 Gbps
DisplayPort 1.4 32.4 Gbps 25.92 Gbps
DisplayPort 2.0 (UHBR 10) 40.0 Gbps 38.69 Gbps

What is Blanking Overhead?

You might notice the calculator provides a "Raw Pixel Rate" and a "Total Bandwidth." Video signals require extra data called "blanking intervals" for synchronization timing. While modern reduced blanking (CVT-RB) minimizes this, older standards require significant overhead. This calculator adds a standard overhead estimate (~15%) to ensure the recommended interface can comfortably handle the signal without instability.

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