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Does HDMI 2.0 support 4K 60Hz? Bandwidth and HDR limitations

14.3 Gbps fits HDMI 2.0 only for basic 4K 60 SDR. For HDR, higher refresh, or full chroma, HDMI 2.1 is required. This is why "4K-capable" cables advertised as HDMI 2.0 always have caveats.

4K at 60 Hz with 8-bit 4:4:4 SDR color needs 14.3 Gbps, tight inside HDMI 2.0's 14.4 Gbps effective ceiling, with only about 0.1 Gbps of headroom. It fits, but pushing to 10-bit HDR (17.8 Gbps) doesn't, which is why HDMI 2.0 HDR modes commonly fall back to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 chroma.

By TechCompare · Updated

Required bandwidth
14.3 Gbps
Uncompressed
With DSC
4.8 Gbps
Visually lossless 3:1
Mode
3840×2160 @ 60 Hz
8-bit 4:4:4, CTA-861

Interface Bandwidth Analysis

See how much uncompressed and compressed bandwidth this resolution and refresh rate mode demands, compared to HDMI and DisplayPort connections.

Uncompressed Signal14.3 Gbps
Display Connection Reference
HDMI 2.0
14.4 Gbps
✓ Native support
HDMI 2.1 48G
42.6 Gbps
✓ Native support
HDMI 2.2 96G
85.3 Gbps
✓ Native support
DP 1.4
25.9 Gbps
✓ Native support
DP 2.1b UHBR 20
77.4 Gbps
✓ Native support
Other connections

Assumes display traffic only and four DisplayPort lanes for USB-C. USB4 and Thunderbolt figures are for one DisplayPort stream.

USB-C DP 1.4
25.9 Gbps
✓ Native support
Thunderbolt 5
77.4 Gbps
✓ Native support
USB4 v2 80G / 120G
77.4 Gbps
✓ Native support
Display Mode: 3840 × 2160 @ 60 Hz
Color depth: 8-bit 4:4:4

Cables for your display settings

HDMI and DisplayPort cable options for these settings. Choose the connectors your devices support.

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Both device ports must support the required display mode. A cable won't upgrade a port. Options marked DSC require compression support on both devices.

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Calculator

Display Bandwidth Calculator

Required Bandwidth

Uncompressed

14.26 Gbps

With DSC (Display Stream Compression)

4.75 Gbps

Interface Compatibility

HDMI
HDMI 1.4✗ Incompatible
HDMI 2.0✓ Native
HDMI 2.1 (48G)✓ Native
HDMI 2.2 (96G)✓ Native
DisplayPort
DisplayPort 1.2✓ Native
DisplayPort 1.4✓ Native
DisplayPort 2.1b (UHBR 10)✓ Native
DisplayPort 2.1b (UHBR 13.5)✓ Native
DisplayPort 2.1b (UHBR 20)✓ Native
Other connections

Assumes one display with no USB or PCIe data sharing. USB-C uses all four DisplayPort lanes. USB4 and Thunderbolt use the DisplayPort profile listed. The 120 Gbps modes add bandwidth for multiple streams, while one DP 2.1 UHBR 20 stream stays at 77.37 Gbps. Compare checks each display separately.

USB-C
USB-C (DP 1.2)✓ Native
USB-C (DP 1.4)✓ Native
USB-C (DP 2.1b UHBR 10)✓ Native
USB-C (DP 2.1b UHBR 13.5)✓ Native
USB-C (DP 2.1b UHBR 20)✓ Native
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 3 (40G, DP 1.2)✓ Native
Thunderbolt 3 (40G, DP 1.4)✓ Native
Thunderbolt 4 (40G, DP 1.4)✓ Native
Thunderbolt 5 (80G / 120G Boost)✓ Native
USB4
USB4 20G (DP 1.4, HBR2)✓ Native
USB4 40G (DP 1.4)✓ Native
USB4 v2 (80G / 120G, DP 2.1)✓ Native
This exact 3840×2160 @ 60 Hz signal, pre-loaded. Swap the resolution, refresh, or chroma, or compare two modes.
Edit in the full tool

How this is calculated

10-bit 4:2:2 chroma at 4K 60 Hz comes in at 11.9 Gbps, comfortably inside HDMI 2.0 and visually nearly identical to 4:4:4 for photo and video content. Text on a desktop suffers slightly at 4:2:2 because the color-difference resolution is halved horizontally. This is the core limitation that pushed HDMI 2.1 into existence: HDMI 2.0 simply can't carry 4K 60 HDR at desktop-quality chroma without compression.

Verdict

14.3 Gbps lands about 0.1 Gbps under HDMI 2.0's 14.4 Gbps effective ceiling, which is enough for basic 8-bit 4:4:4 SDR but not for 10-bit HDR (17.8 Gbps) or higher refresh. The chroma trade is the standard fallback: 10-bit 4:2:2 at 4K 60 Hz comes in at 11.9 Gbps, comfortably inside HDMI 2.0 and visually close to 4:4:4 for photo and video content, but slightly softens desktop text because the color-difference resolution is halved horizontally. That limitation is exactly what pushed HDMI 2.1 into existence, which is why cables advertised as HDMI 2.0 always carry the HDR / higher refresh caveat, and the honest cable spec for any panel that might run HDR or 4K 120 Hz is HDMI 2.1 regardless of what the 4K 60 SDR baseline needs.

More HDMI 2.0 scenarios

HDMI 2.1 - 4K 60 Hz
4K at 60 Hz with 8-bit 4:4:4 color needs 14.3 Gbps of uncompressed bandwidth.
View details ➜
HDMI 2.1 - 4K 120 Hz HDR
4K 120 Hz with 10-bit 4:4:4 color HDR needs 35.6 Gbps, the benchmark mode HDMI 2.1 was designed to support without compression.
View details ➜
HDMI 2.1 - 4K 144 Hz HDR
4K 144 Hz with 10-bit 4:4:4 HDR needs 39.2 Gbps, within 8% of the calculator's effective 42.6 Gbps HDMI 2.1 model.
View details ➜

Related guides

55" 16:9 TV screen size
The TV size most likely still on HDMI 2.0 cabling.
View guide ➜
55" 4K TV PPI
PPI of the 4K 60 Hz TV HDMI 2.0 still serves.
View guide ➜

Frequently asked questions

Can I get 10-bit HDR at 4K 60Hz over HDMI 2.0?
Only if you compromise on color depth or subsampling (e.g., dropping to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 chroma), as full 4:4:4 HDR exceeds HDMI 2.0's bandwidth limit.
Does HDMI 2.0 support 4:4:4 chroma at 4K 60 Hz?
Yes, at 8-bit color (14.3 Gbps total). At 10-bit the same mode needs 17.8 Gbps, which exceeds HDMI 2.0's 14.4 Gbps ceiling. For full HDR at 10-bit 4:4:4 you need HDMI 2.1. HDMI 2.0 supports HDR by dropping chroma to 4:2:0 or 4:2:2, which is fine for video but softens text edges.
Will HDMI 2.0 cables work with HDMI 2.1 ports?
Yes, physically, but you'll be limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. HDMI 2.1 ports accept HDMI 2.0 cables and devices at their maximum rate, but you won't get 4K 120 Hz or higher. To use full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth (4K 144 Hz HDR native, 4K 120 Hz), you need a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cable.

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