M2 vs M3 SDR screen brightness

[Phazer]

Hello everyone, I tried searching the forum to see if this topic has been discussed before, but came up empty-handed.
I have a 16" MacBook Pro with M2 Max and I'm very happy with the machine.
When the M3 came out, the only upgrade that got me slightly interested was the increased peak brightness in SDR.
I always work in very well-lit environments, often facing a window, and the only negative comment I can make about my current machine is that the display doesn't quite get bright enough.
I tried an M3 MacBook Pro at the Apple Store, but under those lighting conditions it's quite hard to tell the difference, so I was wondering whether any of you have made the switch, and what are your impression after using it in the real world.
Is there a noticeable difference, or not really?

 

[brerlappin]

try https://www.getvivid.app/

 

[casperes1996]

Brightintosh is free and achieves the same thing as Vivid. And IMO honestly does it better too in a UX sense. - Unlocks HDR brightness in SDR mode - Mind you it may affect SDR color accuracy - And increase power consumption a lot

BrightIntosh - Maximize Your MacBook Pro Display Brightness

BrightIntosh enables MacBook Pro to use the displays full brightness capabilities. It's a lightweight and open-source alternative to Vivid and Lunar.

brightintosh.de

 

[brerlappin]

I never heard of BrightIntosh before, and will definitely check it out.

Thanks!

 

[Phazer]

Thanks! I will take a look at these.
This might sound like a silly question, but is it safe for the display to be pushed this way?

 

[casperes1996]

Thanks! I will take a look at these.
This might sound like a silly question, but is it safe for the display to be pushed this way?

Yes - It only pushes the display to its rated *sustained* limit, not its peak limit. Brightintosh is also available both in the App Store and website download so there's some implied acknowledgement of the feature from Apple's side.

Main reason it's not just permitted by default in macOS I imagine is the reduced color accuracy for SDR content (mildly so) and probably even more so, the impact on battery life.
The newer Macs have more efficient panels that can sustain 600nits at the same battery cost as the older ones do 500 nits