Bandwidth Calculator
Set your resolution, refresh rate, color depth, and chroma subsampling, and the bandwidth calculator shows the required bandwidth in Gbps along with a cable compatibility check for every HDMI and DisplayPort version -- so you can tell at a glance if your cable can handle the signal.
Display Settings
Bandwidth Required
Cable Compatibility
Cable Standards Comparison
| Standard | Max Bandwidth | Max Resolution | HDR Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI 1.4 | 10.2 Gbps | 4K@30Hz, 1080p@120Hz | No |
| HDMI 2.0 | 18 Gbps | 4K@60Hz, 1440p@144Hz | HDR10 |
| HDMI 2.1 | 48 Gbps | 4K@120Hz, 8K@60Hz | HDR10+, Dolby Vision |
| DisplayPort 1.2 | 17.28 Gbps | 4K@60Hz, 1080p@240Hz | No |
| DisplayPort 1.4 | 25.92 Gbps | 4K@120Hz, 8K@30Hz | HDR10 |
| DisplayPort 2.0 | 77.37 Gbps | 8K@60Hz, 4K@240Hz | HDR10+ |
Understanding Video Bandwidth and Display Signal Requirements
Video bandwidth measures the data rate required to transmit display signals from your graphics card to your monitor. Expressed in Gbps (Gigabits per second), it determines whether your cable and port can support a specific resolution and refresh rate combination. Our bandwidth calculator helps you verify compatibility before purchasing monitors or cables — use it in conjunction with the refresh rate tester to confirm your connection can actually deliver the Hz your panel is rated for.
Higher resolutions and refresh rates demand more bandwidth. A 4K display at 60Hz requires approximately 12.5 Gbps, while the same resolution at 144Hz needs nearly 32 Gbps. Understanding these requirements ensures you select appropriate cables and verify your GPU's output capabilities. If you're troubleshooting display issues, it's worth running a backlight bleed test to rule out panel-level problems before assuming bandwidth is the cause, and once your connection is confirmed, check your panel's pixel switching speed with a response time test.
HDMI and DisplayPort Bandwidth Capabilities
HDMI Versions
HDMI 2.0 provides 18 Gbps bandwidth, supporting 4K at 60Hz or 1440p at 144Hz. HDMI 2.1 dramatically increases bandwidth to 48 Gbps, enabling 4K at 120Hz, 8K at 60Hz, and support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology.
DisplayPort Versions
DisplayPort 1.4 offers 32.4 Gbps bandwidth with Display Stream Compression (DSC), supporting 4K at 120Hz or 8K at 30Hz. DisplayPort 2.0 provides up to 80 Gbps, enabling 4K at 240Hz or dual 4K displays at 144Hz through daisy-chaining.
USB-C and Thunderbolt
USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode supports DisplayPort 1.4 bandwidth through compatible ports. Thunderbolt 4 guarantees DisplayPort 1.4 output and can drive multiple 4K displays or a single 8K display.
How Video Bandwidth is Calculated
Raw video bandwidth is calculated by multiplying total pixels × refresh rate × color depth. For 4K (3840×2160) at 60Hz with 8-bit color: 3840 × 2160 × 60 × 24 bits = 11.94 Gbps. Additional overhead for encoding and blanking intervals increases the actual requirement.
Display Stream Compression (DSC) reduces bandwidth requirements by up to 3:1 with visually lossless compression. This enables high refresh rate 4K signals over connections that wouldn't otherwise have sufficient bandwidth, such as single-cable USB-C to 4K 144Hz monitors.