Can someone put together a simple guide how to optimise the monitor for the first time?
What are the basics settings we need to enable and calibrate?
For example I found this, is this still accurate?
I don't see him use the windows HDR app in this video.
The exact same settings that applied to the AW3423DW/DWF ()with a couple of differences) would apply here as the settings/calibrations from factory etc follow the same process.
So for me it's:
In OSD:
Creator mode > SRGB > Gamma 2.2.
HDR mode set to HDR Peak 1000 to maximise the HDR brightness range when viewing HDR stuff.
Dolby Vision turned off
Brightness and contrast for SDR is at 42/66.
In Windows:
Windows HDR calibration tool used to create a HDR profile.
Windows HDR mode only enabled when you are about to play a game in HDR or watch HDR content. All other times HDR is off and the monitor is in SDR mode. Windows cannot do proper HDR<>SDR content display and in HDR mode you will see brightness change as larger and smaller white parts of the content in SDR come into view.
No colour profiles in SDR mode in Windows are attached to the monitor, this includes if you installed the Alienware software as it imports a profile which messes with accurate colour rendering. Only the HDR calibration profile exists and this only gets used in HDR mode by Windows.
Don't install anyone else's "calibrated" profiles, these will not work for you as every panel is different. The only time an SDR profile should exist is if you have a calibration device and have manually calibrated to your liking. Such as using a SPyder Pro or Xrite Colormunki etc. I have noticed that this gen QD-OLED has a custom colour mode which the DW/DWF do not have so this means finer control over custom calibrations which I may play with later, though Creator mode as above so far appears to be very accurate anyway and reviews show this too so I'll ;lave be for now.
Enable the 10-bit colour mode in the Nvidia control panel as it's 8-bit by default and check the refresh rate is correct as by default Windows sets to something lower. Gsync is on by default anyway but can also check this in NVCP at the same time. Set your maximum fps to 235 in NVCP so there is no chance of overshoot leading to tearing if you have a game that can go above 240fps.
Don't use Windows Auto HDR, or RTX HDR. They are pseudo HDR modes and can look odd in modern games.
You will now have the most accurate colours when viewing 99% of everything, and have accurate HDR the remaining time when playing a game or watching HDR stuff.