In this study, we assessed image quality and geometric accuracy as a function of the gradient physical linearity
used for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) on both conventional-bore and wide-bore scanners. The signal to
noise ratio (SNR) was calculated using b = 1000 DWI images for all acquisitions. To evaluate geometric accuracy,
the diameter of a phantom on an image slice was measured in four directions. In comparison with the
enhanced gradient mode, the default and maximum gradient modes showed higher SNRs with both bore sizes.
There were significant differences in SNR among the various gradient modes of the two bore sizes. The geometric
accuracy evaluations showed no statistically significant differences in the measured lengths among the various
gradient modes and both bore sizes. The wide bore using default and maximum gradient mode showed
higher SNR than the conventional bore, and comparable geometric accuracy.