DisplayTuneMonitor gamma: what it is and how to set it
Gamma is the most underrated screen setting. It decides whether you see detail in shadows and how "deep" the picture feels. And people keep confusing it with brightness.
What gamma is
Gamma describes how signal values turn into light on screen. The relationship is non-linear: at gamma 2.2 a mid-grey signal produces roughly a fifth of maximum light. That matches how the eye perceives brightness, which is why 2.2 is the standard for PCs and sRGB.
Why the driver says 1.0, not 2.2
The monitor menu shows absolute gamma (1.8 / 2.0 / 2.2 / 2.4). The driver panel and DisplayTune show a correction to the current one: 1.0 means no change, above 1.0 brightens shadows, below darkens them.
| Correction | Effect | For |
|---|---|---|
| 0.9–0.95 | Deeper shadows | Movies, snow and bright scenes |
| 1.0 | No change | Work, most games |
| 1.1–1.3 | Shadow detail | Shooters, forests, interiors |
| 1.5–1.8 | Much brighter | Night, caves, underground |
| 2.0+ | Flat, highlights blow out | Very dark scenes only |
Setting it for work
- Pick gamma 2.2 in the monitor menu (if it has the option).
- Leave 1.0 in the driver.
- Check with a gamma test pattern: stripes and background should blend at 2.2 — try our online monitor test.
Setting it for games
Raise gamma in 0.1 steps in a dark spot in the game. Stop when you see shadow detail but the sky and lights are not white yet. Save it as a separate profile so your desktop is not too bright. Full guide — how to make a dark game brighter.
Saturation up to 350%, brightness, contrast, gamma and temperature, per-game profiles that switch on automatically, and hotkeys. Works on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. First day free.
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Frequently asked questions
What gamma should my monitor use?
2.2 in the monitor menu and 1.0 (no change) in the GPU panel.
How is gamma different from brightness?
Brightness lifts the whole image, black included. Gamma mostly brightens dark and mid tones, leaving black and white in place.
Is playing with high gamma all the time bad?
Not for your eyes, but the picture gets flat. Keep high gamma in a game profile only.