Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive a downlink control message from a base station indicating a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) associated with an uplink transmission, a number of layers associated with the uplink transmission, or both. The UE may determine to adjust (for example, reduce) a first number of bits based on the MCS, the number of layers, or both. The first number of bits may include an effective number of bits (ENOB) supported at a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the UE, a number of bits (NOB) supported at a transmission front end (TxFE) component of the UE, or both. The UE may transmit the uplink transmission to the base station according to the adjusted first number of bits.