Technologies
How CNET Tests Monitors
The method behind our monitor-review madness.
Monitor testing and evaluation consists of formal and subjective quality tests and hands-on assessment of the display’s design and features — connection selection and location, menus and options and overall behavior. As part of the process we use the monitor for tasks specific to its mission, such as everyday productivity, video streaming, image and video editing or different types of gaming (such as FPS or RPG). Note that we only report a fraction of our results, usually what’s necessary to adequately convey a monitor’s strengths and weaknesses for particular uses.
The process begins with unboxing and setup; it’s connected to our Windows-based desktop testbed (or a relatively high-end Mac in cases that require it) equipped with a current-generation Intel Core i9 and high-end Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Both the computer and monitor are plugged directly into a wall outlet to prevent any power issues that might impact performance.
We generally prefer to use our cables rather than the manufacturer-supplied ones since they’re a known quantity and tend to be higher quality; if we run into any issues, we double check using the manufacturer’s cables. DisplayPort is our primary connection for testing. If the monitor specifies any console-specific capabilities, we connect it to the relevant console(s), Xbox Series X and/or PS5 via HDMI.
Before any testing begins, we photograph the default settings and all menu options for reference and to determine the complete set of tests we’ll need to run on that particular monitor given its specific capabilities; how extensively we test depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the screen and backlight technology used, and the judgment of the reviewer. We disable power-saving measures where relevant, which can affect brightness and related measures (the option is mandatory per California law). We use a subset of these tests to evaluation laptop displays and run them both plugged into a wall outlet and on battery using the default profile but with screen timeouts disabled.
We also record any relevant information about the panel — manufacturer specs for resolution, color gamut and profiles, refresh rates and so on — that may impact our evaluation against manufacturer’s claims. While we review a display with the company’s publicly expressed target market in mind, we also consider the monitor’s suitability for other uses that might apply.Wherever possible, we download drivers and color profiles specific to the monitor.
What we measure
All measurements are performed using the most recent version of Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software using an X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus (rebranded as Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus) and a variety of included patch sets, with additional HDR testing using a Murideo Six-G pattern generator and or the Client3 HDR patterns within Calman. We periodically spot check the colorimeter’s accuracy against the Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer used for our TV testing.
Our test lab is equipped with blackout curtains to fully block ambient light, though complete darkness isn’t essential since the colorimeter sits directly on the screen and isn’t affected by dim lighting. The room has natural light and various artificial sources for normal usage evaluation.
Color accuracy results are reported in units of Delta E 2000. We perform most of the tests (where we know results vary) at both 100% and default hardware brightness levels.
Core tests — those we run on every display, regardless of intent or price — include:
- White point, brightness (peak and minimum), contrast and gamma for sRGB and the native color space measured across 21 gray patches (0-100%), reported rounded down to the nearest 50K as long as there are no big variations. A variation of plus or minus 200K around the target color temperature is considered acceptable for all but the most color-critical displays.
- Color gamut coverage and accuracy for sRGB and the native color space using Calman’s standard Pantone patch set plus grayscale and skin tone patches.
- We add Blur Busters‘ motion tests for gaming monitors to judge motion artifacts (such as ghosting) or refresh rate-related problems.
If a monitor has menu options beyond the basics, we run the same core tests for the following settings when available:
- All color presets
- All gaming presets (such as FPS). We also test brightness for pixel overdrive and motion-blur reduction modes (which tend to lower brightness considerably).
- Gamma for at least 1.8, 2.2 and 2.6
- Color temperatures for at least 5000K, 6300K, 6500K and 9300K
For HDR, we add testing for HDR-specific presets (such as Game HDR or Cinema HDR) and brightness for window sizes of 1%, 5%, 10% and 100% of the screen.
Finally, there are tests we only run when needed to understand the measurements we’ve gotten or to confirm that artifacts we’re seeing — notably nonuniformity — aren’t imaginary.
Technologies
Anthropic warns investors of AI’s ‘existential risk to humanity’ in IPO prospectus, reports say
Anthropic’s IPO filing dedicates 80 pages to the risks of AI, nearly double the 48 pages it spends discussing its business plans, according to Reuters.
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Technologies
U.S., Iran hold separate mediator talks as Mideast oil exports hit war-time high
Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire, as Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded to war-time high.
Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire.
Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February.
An outright export ban by Washington on diesel would keep roughly 1.2 million barrels a day at home, and risks overwhelming Gulf Coast storage, according to Kpler.
The building of the destroyed Shajareh Tayebeh primary school is pictured surrounded by rubble in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province on August 10, 2026. Six months on, a team of AFP journalists obtained rare access to the school which has remained largely in ruins, its collapsed walls and twisted steel now surrounded by portraits of the children killed as Iranian flags flutter above the rubble. Iran says the attack on the school involved two separate US Tomahawk missiles but neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the strike. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. and Iranian officials have reportedly held separate indirect talks with mediators on Monday, reviving efforts to end seven months of war as Tehran presses for a response to a revised ceasefire framework and Middle East crude exports climb to their highest level since the conflict began.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the United Nations General Assembly, and reportedly said he expects Washington’s reply by Tuesday. “We talked about ideas and how to find solutions to fulfil Iran’s conditions,” Araghchi said, adding that he planned to return to Tehran once a response arrives. “Whenever the Qataris have a response, they know how to get it to us.”
Iran’s proposal, first presented on the sidelines of last week’s General Assembly, calls for a four- to five-day U.S. timeline to release frozen Iranian funds, lift sanctions on Iranian oil and end the naval blockade of Iranian ports, with nuclear talks beginning within seven days. Tehran has tied any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to those steps.
President Donald Trump had on Sunday called the plan “unacceptable” and rejected it, telling reporters Iran wants a swift deal because of the economic pressure it is under. Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump said U.S. officials had spoken separately with mediators but gave no further details, adding: “We’re going to win. It’s going to go pretty quickly.”
The diplomatic push comes as physical supply data shows the war’s toll on the oil market easing. Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, Kpler data showed. “Middle East crude exports at just under 80% of pre-conflict levels,” the tracking firm said in a note on Monday.
The Strait of Hormuz itself remains far from normal. Kpler’s real-time tracking showed total clearance through the strait at 10,591 kilobarrels a day on Saturday, against a pre-war baseline of 17,133.
Technologies
Oil prices fall as crude exports recover at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports
Saudi Arabia has restored flows through the pipeline to around 3.5 million barrels per day, according to media reports.
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We will also use other Cookies that are essential or related to our services, including for security and fraud prevention. To learn more about some of our vendors, see the IAB and Google Vendors under each purpose. Visit our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy to learn more.
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Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
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– Create profiles to personalise content 261 partners can use this purpose Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
– Use profiles to select personalised content 234 partners can use this purpose Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
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– Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 579 partners can use this purpose Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
– Develop and improve services 688 partners can use this purpose Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
– Use limited data to select content 180 partners can use this purpose Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
These Cookies and SDKs are used to collect data about your browsing habits, use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising content, both on our Services and on third party sites. Third-party sites and services also use Targeting Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services. If you reject these Cookies or SDKs, you will see less relevant advertising.
Data collected under this category through Cookies and SDKs can also be used to select and deliver personalized content, such as news articles and videos.
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