Monitor Resolution Problem

[Stg-Flame]

I am using a 22" Hanns G Flat Screen routed through my eVGA GTX 260's VGA port. The monitor has HDMI ports, but no cables came with it (not even sure what HDMI is).

Anyways, the maximum resolution I can get on this monitor at the moment is 1680X1050 at 60 Hertz. If I remember correctly, my old 20" ViewSonic CRT could view 1900X1200.

Is this common for this monitor or is there something limiting the resolution and refresh rate? To be honest, 60 Hertz is killing my eyes as I am used to 75 - 80 on my old CRT.

 

[corkyg]

HDMI = High Definition Multimedia Interface.

Your LCD is not actually running at a refresh rate of 60 MHz. LCDs display staring pixels - no scanning - no flicker. Something else is bothering your eyes.

LCDs have a fixed number of pixels, horizontal and vertical. That exact number is called the "native resolution." You can go below it by inerpolation, but you can't go above it except to buy a better quality LCD.

Try using your DVI connection rather than VGA.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Try turning on "ClearType" in the display properties (appearance section, effects) . See if that helps.

1680x1050 is a common max res for 20 and 22" lcds.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Chaoticpenguin666
To be honest, 60 Hertz is killing my eyes as I am used to 75 - 80 on my old CRT.

Refresh rate is not the problem.

I don't know what your particular lcd panel is - I had to go through several lcd monitors before finding one that wouldn't hurt my eyes. I cannot look at an lcd screen that have thick glass (often on NEC & HP screens) for more than ~10 seconds before getting a massive headache. The monitor I have currently, a Gateway, I had to go through the display settings and adjust the brightness / contrast / gamma settings to just kill the brightness of whites.

On nVidia drivers, setting the brightness to 92%, contrast to 97%, and gamma to 1.47 helped me out a lot. You'll see in the curve in the control panel what these settings are doing, if you try them. I think it was a full week of making constant adjustments before I finally got settled into something that worked without headaches - and these settings have actually also helped a friend of mine who had the same problems with his new lcd panel.

And in contrast to the previous post, for me ClearType just makes everything worse, as it takes the black & gray text and transforms it into a rainbow of colors around the edges.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I shall try those suggestions out. Thanks.

 

[robisbell]

from Hanns-G "However, if you want Windows Vista to recognize your monitor as a HannsG monitor, you can download its Windows Vista driver installation program from HannsG support web site at http://usservice.hannsg.net/ and install it."
Based on the manual for that monitor. 1440x900 will allow you to use a refresh of 75Hz, anything above that is either 60Hz or 50Hz.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Originally posted by: robisbell
from Hanns-G "However, if you want Windows Vista to recognize your monitor as a HannsG monitor, you can download its Windows Vista driver installation program from HannsG support web site at http://usservice.hannsg.net/ and install it."
Based on the manual for that monitor. 1440x900 will allow you to use a refresh of 75Hz, anything above that is either 60Hz or 50Hz.

I used the nVidia Control Panel to use a custom resolution of 1680X1050 at 60 Hertz.

I am just disappointed that I am unable to use 1900X1200 with my new monitor. Then again, I guess I need something much larger.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I am finding it increasingly difficult to read text now. Either black text on a white background or vice versa. I tried the aforementioned suggestions, but to no avail.

I miss my old CRT...

 

[corkyg]

Is the monitor connected digitally (DVI) or analog (VGA)? Your initial situation seems to indicate VGA - that will never be as sharp as DVI.

 

[Stg-Flame]

VGA. I just messed with the settings on the monitor itself as opposed to the nVidia Control Panel options and it is much better, I lowered the Brightness to 92, the Contrast to 55, and the Sharpness to 3. I have no clue why (out of 5), the Sharpness was defaulted to 5, but I always left my PC with a massive headache.

It is still a bit off as I just connected my old CRT to my PC and compared the two. My CRT looks completely clear and my LCD looks "cloudy" by comparison. Maybe this is just the way LCDs are compared to CRTs and I am not used to this monitor yet. Going from three years with a 20" CRT to this 22" Widescreen LCD was a rather unsettling change for strain on my eyes.

 

[corkyg]

VGA is a limiting performance problem for a digital monitor.. Use DVI. The GFX-260 has 2 DVI out ports. The Hanns 22" has both DVI and VGA ports. Make sure you have a DVI cable and go DVI to DVI. Try the other DVI port if necessary.

Native resolution of the Hanns G 22" is 1600 x 1050. You can't get better than that unless you get a better LCD monitor.

But, at that res, text should be sharp as a tack.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I don't have a DVI cable (I think) but my monitor supports HDMI as well. I don't have a HDMI cable either and I don't think my 260 has any HDMI ports.

I will see what I can find in my boxes. However, I am being evicted from my apartment in three days (loud roommates annoyed the neighbors too many times) so my monitor isn't really an issue anymore.

Thanks for the help thus far. I will try to find a DVI and an HDMI cable and see if they help.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Chaoticpenguin666
Going from three years with a 20" CRT to this 22" Widescreen LCD was a rather unsettling change for strain on my eyes.

http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/...es/lcd-panel-types.php

I think the monitor you have is a TN panel. You might have an easier time with a different panel type. It takes some trial and error, it sucks, but I've gone through it myself. I cannot look at an S-IPS panel without getting an immediate massive headache. TN panels usually give me a headache after an hour or two. The one I have now is an S-PVA panel and has been great. The panel type can make a huge difference.

Also remember, it is a fluorescent light you are now staring directly at - some people are just more sensitive to that type of light than others.

And, depending on the monitor's viewing angles, it's possible that the colors each of your eyes are seeing can be different enough to also cause discomfort.

Originally posted by: corkyg
Is the monitor connected digitally (DVI) or analog (VGA)? Your initial situation seems to indicate VGA - that will never be as sharp as DVI.

I challenge anyone to notice any difference between vga & dvi when set to the native resolution. Even on a 24" 1920x1200 monitor there is no discernible difference - I have personally seen the comparison.