Ultra-High Resolution & Current Gen LCDs

[telstar1]

So I've got a 19" LCD with a maximum resolution of 1280x1024.
I've been looking at video cards with maximum resolutions WELL beyond that resolution.

My question is this ... What's the point of an ultra-high-resolution capable video card if my LCD can only do up to 1280x1024? Obviously, there's the future-upgradability thing ... but for now, is there any benefit?

telstar

 

[Demo24]

no. just there in case you have a monitor capable and need that res

 

[bytor33]

Your video card wasn't created specifically for your lcd. 21" sony monitors go up to 2048x1536 and with a fast computer older games and even World of warcraft is perfectly capable of running smoothly at that resolution. That said though I still prefer WoW at 1280x1024 on my 19" sony lcd rather than 2048x1536 on my sony g500.

 

[Hikari]

At least you can most likely turn on all the options in any game at that resolution. Or just buy a 20" plus LCD display, as most of those can do 1680x1050, 1600x1200, etc.

 

[Aries64]

So I've got a 19" LCD with a maximum resolution of 1280x1024.I've been looking at video cards with maximum resolutions WELL beyond that resolution.

My question is this ... What's the point of an ultra-high-resolution capable video card if my LCD can only do up to 1280x1024? Obviously, there's the future-upgradability thing ... but for now, is there any benefit?

Actually, there is, even IF you don't have a hi-res monitor. Its' called gaming. Even though my Samsung 172T's native (as well as maximum) resolution is 1,280x1,024 I like my HIS X800 XT PE 256MB-based IceQ II card. With everything turned on (except AA and AF, since it makes no visual difference in Halo) and at "High" I get 84+ FPS in the Halo Timedemo.

Now, you say, "who needs to play at that framerate? The human eye can't register greater than 30 FPS (full-motion video speed), so what good is this card?

Good questions. The answers are that:

When you play games online (multi-player) with all the special effects during heavy firefights YOU WILL NOT GET THOSE SAME FRAMERATES like you do in single-player mode. Your framerates ALWAYS drop.

Also, even though full-motion video is 30 FPS (and your eyes cannot "see" any framerate beyond 30 FPS, single and multi-player gaming IS VERY different. Games may look and play smooth at 30 FPS, but if you play at 30 FPS online you don't stand much of a chance at all, unless you have a higher "ping" than other players. This may save your ass, since someone with a low ping is "seen" by others in "real time" while a person with a high "ping" isn't.

What I mean by this is that a player with a low ping guy really "is" where others "see" him/her, but the high ping player IS NOT where low ping players "see" him/her. This is because of the long period of time it takes the high ping player's positional data to travel to the host server and be relayed back to the other players (low or high ping). Contrary to popular belief, a low ping is not always good. Even a ping only twice yours is sufficient to throw your aim off.

Sorry, back to the topic. It is definitely nice to have a high-end card. Here is a link to Super PC Mart, who has the NON-PE version of my videocard. BTW, there REALLY isn't much performance difference between an X800 XT PE and a non-PE X800 XT card. We are talking 5% or less. Heres' the link:

http://www.superpcmart.com/products/detail.cgi?sku=2121