Hi there.
I know storage and space are not cheap things to come by, but I do wonder if having a 500 kB limit before your [U]HD images are brutalised by the forum is not compatible with modern expectations for image quality.
I understand years ago, pre 1080p, that most jpgs could compress easily; but 1440p with a high dynamic range requires slightly excessive compression for gallery. The SubD image I just posted looks not quite as good as I hoped here.
If there is an expense issue, can this be limited to the gallery posts only? Even 800 kB as a limit may make quite the difference. 1 MB would be ideal.