Display specs
How many nits is your Mac?
Apple lists two very different numbers for most Macs: an everyday brightness (SDR) and a much higher HDR peak. Here's every current model, and which ones hide extra brightness you can actually unlock.
Apple's published figures · Verified July 2026
| Mac model | Everyday (SDR) | HDR peak | Can it be boosted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13" (M1) | 400 nits | — | No — standard panel |
| MacBook Air 13"/15" (M2, M3, M4) | 500 nits | — | No — standard panel |
| MacBook Pro 13" (M1, M2) | 500 nits | — | No — standard panel |
| MacBook Pro 14"/16" (M1 Pro/Max → M4) | 500 nits (up to 1000 outdoor on M4) | 1600 nits (HDR) | Yes — XDR headroom |
| iMac 24" (M1, M3, M4) | 500 nits | — | No — standard panel |
| Pro Display XDR | 500 nits reference | 1600 nits (HDR) | Yes — XDR headroom |
| Studio Display (2022) | 600 nits | — | No — standard panel |
| Studio Display XDR (2026) | 1000 nits | 2000 nits (HDR) | Yes — XDR headroom |
Figures are Apple's published specifications and vary by model year. Check your exact model's tech-specs page for the definitive number. “Can it be boosted” means the display reports XDR/EDR headroom a boost app can open; every Mac here can still be dimmed below the macOS minimum.
Why there are two numbers
When Apple says a MacBook Pro hits 1600 nits, that's the HDR peak— reserved for HDR video and small bright highlights. For your everyday desktop (SDR content), macOS caps the same panel near 500 nits and holds the rest of the range back for battery and heat reasons. So the brightness is physically there; the system just doesn't expose it for normal use.
That reserved range is called EDR headroom. A boost app renders through Apple's public Extended Dynamic Range path to make that headroom available to everything on screen — which is how a 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro can go far brighter than its usual ~500 nits for sunlight. Standard panels like the MacBook Air don't keep that reserve, so there's nothing extra to unlock on the bright end.
Dimming is the opposite story and works everywhere: no special hardware is needed to darken a screen below the macOS minimum, so any Mac in this table can go dimmer for a dark room.
More on the cap: Why is my MacBook only ~500 nits? →
Nits, answered
How many nits is a MacBook Air?
The M1 MacBook Air is rated at 400 nits. Every Air since — M2, M3, and M4, in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes — is rated at 500 nits. None of them have the XDR headroom that a boost app needs, so their brightness can't be pushed higher. They can still be dimmed below the macOS minimum.
How many nits is a MacBook Pro?
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro/Max and later) use a Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display: around 500 nits for everyday SDR content (up to 1000 outdoors on the M4), 1000 nits sustained full-screen for HDR, and 1600 nits peak for HDR. The older 13-inch MacBook Pro is a standard 500-nit panel with no XDR headroom.
Why does my Mac look dimmer than its nit rating?
Because those higher numbers are HDR or outdoor figures. For everyday (SDR) content indoors, macOS caps most Macs around 500 nits and reserves the extra headroom for HDR video. That's why a 1600-nit MacBook Pro still tops out near 500 for your desktop — the brightness is there, it's just held back.
Which Macs can be made brighter than their rating?
Only Macs with real XDR/EDR headroom: the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro (Apple silicon), Pro Display XDR, and Studio Display XDR. On those, a boost app like LUMEL opens the reserved HDR headroom for everything on screen. Standard panels (Air, 13-inch Pro, iMac, the non-XDR Studio Display) have nothing extra to unlock on the bright end.
Are these numbers official?
Yes — they come from Apple's published specifications, which can differ by model year and revision. For the exact figure for your machine, check Apple's tech-specs page for that specific model.
Use the nits you paid for.
On a supported XDR Mac, LUMEL opens the reserved headroom for sunlight — and on any Mac, Eclipse dims below the minimum for night. Free to download.