The CRG5 doesn’t need calibration, but you will need to change the default HDMI Black Level setting if using a PC source for that input. Consoles will likely work fine with no changes. And if you use DisplayPort, it’s already set to the correct black and white thresholds.
Grayscale and Gamma Tracking
We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.
The first chart represents the CRG5’s Normal color temp preset in the Custom picture mode before calibration. Only 100% brightness shows an error, a slight red tint. The gamma is quite skewed when using a PC signal through the HDMI input. Changing the HDMI Black Level to Normal will fix that.
The second chart shows results after tweaking the RGB sliders and changing the gamma preset from 1 to 3. This brought everything in line. The grayscale error became very low, and gamma rides slightly above the ideal 2.2 line. This is acceptable in a high-contrast VA panel: slightly dark mid-tones add to perceived contrast, and our sample looked really good after its grayscale calibration and gamma adjustment.
Comparisons
With a default grayscale error averaging just 1.44 Delta E (dE), you don’t need to change anything in the color temp menu. The Normal and Custom presets produce the same result. A few small adjustments take the error even lower, to 0.54dE. You can see that all the monitors here calibrate to a high standard.
Gamma tracked reasonably well without adjustment, but changing the preset from 1 to 3 better fit the panel’s high contrast. Once combined with our RGB adjustments, the range of values was just 0.21 with a 2.72% deviation from 2.2. The measured average value is 2.26, an excellent result.
Color Gamut Accuracy
For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.
Comparisons
Not many gaming monitors are as color-accurate as the 27-inch CRG5. An average error of 1.23dE is professional display territory. Though it would be nice to have HDR and DCI-P3 color, this monitor is ideally suited for games created in the sRGB gamut, which is most of them. The VA panel’s high contrast enhances perceived saturation beyond what an IPS or TN panel can muster.
If you look closely at the CIE color charts, you’ll see that the red and green primaries are slightly elevated in hue. That’s the reason for the extra 3.61% of sRGB gamut volume. If you’re a color purist, the Samsung, HP, Acer and Aorus screens are all a good bet for sRGB accuracy. If you want more color and are less concerned about accuracy, the MSI and Razer displays run in DCI-P3 mode for all content.
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