Does a new video card require re-calibration?

[Redcrown]

I have a NEC 2490 calibrated with Spectraview, connected via an Nvidia GeForce 9500GT. I see no problems with Photoshop CC 2014, but Adobe says my video card is out of date an no longer supported.

If I buy a new video card, do I have to re-calibrate? I know I should and probably will, but I'm just curious if the Spectraview calibration process depends on the card.

[howardm]

it shouldn't.  the profile that Spectraview writes is a dummy, linear profile (no correction or transform) as it puts all the corrections directly into the 2490's brain.

[D Fosse]

I'd still do it.

The Spectraview profile doesn't contain any video card correction tables (video LUT), but it's not strictly correct to call it a dummy or linear profile. The main part of the profile is still a description of the monitor's actual response, which can be very irregular. And the "actual response" does include the whole pipeline, video card included.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I takes only 10 minutes to recalibrate a monitor using SV and it should be done on a regular interval to correct for any drift that might be going on with the system.  I agree with the post above that the video card is part of the whole process and swapping in a new one "might" lead to minor changes in response.

[Schewe]

If I buy a new video card, do I have to re-calibrate? I know I should and probably will, but I'm just curious if the Spectraview calibration process depends on the card.

Well DOHHH...ya think?

Any change to your system requires a calibration and profiling session. You should be doing this on a regular basis anyway...at least 4 time/yr at the minimum because the 4 seasons will cause changes that should/would suggest new profiles...

[deejjjaaaa]

swapping in a new one "might" lead to minor changes in response.

how with a digital interface (digital data feed into a card, digital data sent out from a card - nothing analog in that pipeline) it will affect a display response ? not talking about the need for periodical recalibration ... do you suggest then to recalibrate if you replace the cable between your card and display or if you upgrade a card driver ?

[Redcrown]

Here's why I ask. My experience is very limited, but...

I had owned and calibrated 3 LCD monitors prior to my current Nec Spectraview. I had problems with more frequent re-calibration on them. In the 2nd or 3rd year the calibrations seemed worse. That personal judgement came from comparing the screen with a reference print, and comparing screen grabs under new and older profiles.

Finally, one got really bad and through a long experience involving forum dialogues and emails with the vendor I discovered that the puck is what drifted, not the LCD monitor. In that case, the puck had a small blue filter over the lens. That filter (looked like cheap plastic) had faded and become quite opaque over time. The vendor (Spyder) did not offer replacement parts. Buy a new puck was their solution.

Maybe puck technology has improved over time? I'd be interested in the experience and analysis of other, more experienced folk. How long is a puck good for? How do you test a puck to see if it is still accurate?

[howardm]

I've heard the same thing about the older XRite i1Display2 (the 1/2 egg shaped puck).  Plastic filters that can fade over time.

[Alan Goldhammer]

how with a digital interface (digital data feed into a card, digital data sent out from a card - nothing analog in that pipeline) it will affect a display response ? not talking about the need for periodical recalibration ... do you suggest then to recalibrate if you replace the cable between your card and display or if you upgrade a card driver ?

Different video cards can be quirky as per the SV documentation.  I wouldn't do anything on a cable change.  I would if I upgraded a driver just to make sure things are OK.  As I noted it takes no more than 10 minutes to do a calibration and you don't need to watch the screen or attend to it in any way.  I've built enough computers in my lifetime to realize that things are not always what they seem to be.

[Pictus]

Maybe puck technology has improved over time? I'd be interested in the experience and analysis of other, more experienced folk. How long is a puck good for? How do you test a puck to see if it is still accurate?

The X-rite i1Display Pro is the one to get, way faster and more sensitive, uses non organic filters and should stay fit for a good time.

[deejjjaaaa]

Different video cards can be quirky as per the SV documentation.

  ... quirky, huh... so how exactly ? you allege that with the digital data in, the same ICC profile guiding the digital math done by video card & its firmare + driver, the digital data out and with modern cards you can get a different math inside... I am afraid to use GPUs for raw conversions then   - if they can screw the math guided by ICC profile for digital output to display then can screw the math in raw converter too (well take C1 - there also icc input profiles, the math is not that different, isn't it - so do we recalibrate C1 when moving to a new computer ?)...

[Alan Goldhammer]

... quirky, huh... so how exactly ? you allege that with the digital data in, the same ICC profile guiding the digital math done by video card & its firmare + driver, the digital data out and with modern cards you can get a different math inside... I am afraid to use GPUs for raw conversions then   - if they can screw the math guided by ICC profile for digital output to display then can screw the math in raw converter too (well take C1 - there also icc input profiles, the math is not that different, isn't it - so do we recalibrate C1 when moving to a new computer ?)...

If the video card were just a dumb pass through for the signal you are correct that there is nothing that needs to be done.  Unfortunately a naive user would not recognize that a driver or software control outside of Spectraview could be causing interference.  I don't want to get in a p**sing match about this only that it's worth doing a recalibration upon installation and seeing if there are any issues that the new card's software and/or drivers pose during the calibration.  I have an NVIDIA card and there is a well known issue with it such that you need to delay loading of SV until Windows has fully loaded.  Fortunately this is easy to do by just setting the delay function within the software.

I have nothing more to contribute to this discussion on this point.