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Best resolution for 21" mointor? (windows & games)

R

Renegade23216

Senior member
I just got a new 21" monitor with GREAT resolution and refresh rates.

I also have an ATI X800 Pro 256.

I'm wondering... what resolution is "best" in windows? Also, what for gaming? I know it's a matter of preference but which is recommended?
 
1600x1200 @ 85hz is pretty much the best your video card can do. Anything past that will show degraded image quality.
 
I run mine 21" at 1600x1200 @ 85Hz.

If you have terrible eyes then go ahead and bump it down to 1280x960. I can't stand the 1280x1024 spec; whoever designated that as standard should be shot.

And yeah, what's up with the aspect ratio part of your question? The monitor screen is 4:3 so you should run a resolution that is 4:3 unless you like looking at a distorted image.
 
Hmm. I use 1600 x 1200 @ 85hz on my 19" monitor. Oh hail these squinting eyes! :beer:

Out of curiousity, which 21" monitor did you purchase?
 
I usually try to keep the resolution the same as whatever resolution I play games in. That way there are less problems if I need to switch back to the desktop during a gaming session for some reason.
 
I used to run 1600x1200 on 19" monitors, but I sat pretty close. When I got a 21" CRT, I kept it at 1600x1200, but now I can sit back in my chair and easy look around at my side monitors.

A 19" CRT with 18.0" viewable area is 10.8" tall, so 1600x1200 is 111 DPI. Most people probably think that's too small.

A 21-22" CRT with 20.0" viewable area has exactly a 16"x12" screen size, so:
1024x768 = 64 DPI (blind people should be able to read this)
1280x960 = 80 DPI (you should be able to read this from across the room)
1600x1200 = 100 DPI (comfortable and easy to read from about 2 feet away)
1920x1440 = 120 DPI (have to be pretty close)
2048x1536 = 128 DPI (time to squint)

1760x1320 would be a good for people who sit close to a 21" monitor, but you'd have to use PowerStrip to set the resolution.

And if you're worried about aspect ratio, 1280x1024 is the only standard resolution with a bad aspect ratio. It doesn't have square pixels. I have no idea why so many LCD's use this resolution. Your monitor can do 1280x960, though, if you want a square pixel aspect.
 
1600x1200@85Hz over here, with hp p1120 and Radeon 9700 Pro. If your monitor's better you might be able to get higher like 1800x1440 though
 
Originally posted by: Tostada
I used to run 1600x1200 on 19" monitors, but I sat pretty close. When I got a 21" CRT, I kept it at 1600x1200, but now I can sit back in my chair and easy look around at my side monitors.

A 19" CRT with 18.0" viewable area is 10.8" tall, so 1600x1200 is 111 DPI. Most people probably think that's too small.

A 21-22" CRT with 20.0" viewable area has exactly a 16"x12" screen size, so:
1024x768 = 64 DPI (blind people should be able to read this)
1280x960 = 80 DPI (you should be able to read this from across the room)
1600x1200 = 100 DPI (comfortable and easy to read from about 2 feet away)
1920x1440 = 120 DPI (have to be pretty close)
2048x1536 = 128 DPI (time to squint)

1760x1320 would be a good for people who sit close to a 21" monitor, but you'd have to use PowerStrip to set the resolution.

And if you're worried about aspect ratio, 1280x1024 is the only standard resolution with a bad aspect ratio. It doesn't have square pixels. I have no idea why so many LCD's use this resolution. Your monitor can do 1280x960, though, if you want a square pixel aspect.
Click to expand...

LCDs use the resolution because they are shaped differently than CRTs. The pixels of 1280x1024 are square on LCDs.
 
I use mostly 19inch crt's and I find the "sweet spot" is 1600x1200. For a 21inch, you will probably want 1920x1440 or 1600x1200 depending on your eyes. 2048x1536 may be acceptable as long as the ramdac on the vidcard is good.
 
Personally i actually like 1280x1024. Dont ask me why. Honeslty there is m distortion, you just cant push the image to fill the monitor totally. I let my monitor auto adjust and it looks good. and 1.33 and 1.25 are close so the difference is not substantial.
-doug
 
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