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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The S3222HG is in the “not super bright but bright enough” category. It’s rated for 350 nits, and that’s what it achieves with a little room to spare. There is plenty of light available, and one should consider that a large panel like this won’t benefit from greater output, especially when HDR isn’t part of the feature list.
The 0.0981-nit black level is the principal reason to buy this monitor. It’s an excellent example of VA technology, the only LCD panel type that can achieve true blacks without shutting off its backlight. The resulting 3,591.3:1 contrast ratio means you’ll see a picture that pops with a wide dynamic range and saturated color.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration resulted in a small gain in contrast which is a rare and good thing. Now, the S3222HG is sporting 3,685.1:1 which makes a small but visible difference in picture depth. Calibration is certainly worth performing here, which results in this excellent performance.
The S3222HG slips one spot in the ANSI test, but 3,298.2:1 is excellent. Though my sample showed a gamma anomaly that hurt performance slightly, it delivered a satisfying picture with realistically saturated color and three-dimensional qualities. I’ll talk about the gamma results on the next page.
