"To score the gradient, we run a batch file that divides the photo that we took into smaller sections. These sections are then presented to two testers, one at a time, who then determine whether there's banding or not. Three points are awarded if there's no banding, two points if unsure, and one point if there's banding. These points are then tallied and translated into a score out of ten. If the testers' scores differ, a third tester is brought in to perform the test again. We deduct a point for an 8-bit panel, which means the highest score for an 8-bit monitor is 9.0. That said, an 8-bit monitor can still score higher than a 10-bit one, as some 10-bit monitors don't handle gradients well, and some 8-bit ones are very good at it. We don't make any distinction between 8-bit+FRC and native 10-bit since score according to how smooth the gradients look."