Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.
HDR isn’t necessarily a deciding factor when contemplating a 360 Hz monitor. But for the money, we expect the feature to be well-implemented. Thankfully, the NXG253R does it right.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
All six displays are rated for 400 nits brightness and exceed that figure. The Viotek is on top with over 486 nits output, but the NXG253R isn’t far behind at 448 nits. All four 360 Hz screens deliver low black levels, thanks to variable backlight features.
The MSI nearly wins the day and is only a fraction behind the Acer X25. With a contrast ratio of almost 8,000:1, it delivers a lot of pop with HDR games. We used the middle variable backlight setting and enjoyed a great HDR picture.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
In HDR mode, the NXG253R locks out all image controls. We could still change picture modes in the OSD, but there was no effect. Brightness and contrast are unavailable, but you can turn off the variable backlight if you wish. Then, contrast reverts to around 1,000:1. We wondered if that would improve control response, but our tests proved that there was no difference.
The variable backlight does not impact speed in any measurable way. In any case, HDR grayscale tracking is good with just a little blue tint around the 65% tone map transition point. This error is hard to spot in actual content. The EOTF luminance curve tracks slightly dark up to 40%, where it becomes a tad too light. Again, this was hard to spot when playing games. We ran this test using the variable backlight, so some fluctuation is normal.
In the HDR color test, you can see the NXG253R falls short of covering the DCI-P3 gamut. This is no different than any other 360 Hz display. Saturation points are a little over until the monitor runs out of color around 80% red saturation and 80% green saturation. On the other hand, blue, magenta and yellow are fully realized.
