very fuzzy laptop LCD display....help!

[iamme]

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/iamme/display.JPG

i'm not sure if this pic shows it well. i just reinstalled windows xp on my friend's laptop (compaq evo n800c, 15", SXGA+, ATI radeon 7500).

even after i installed the latest drivers (from compaq's site), the display is really fuzzy. not just the text (i've increased the fonts), but the icons and everything is fuzzy.

anyone know where i should start troubleshooting? (laptop is out of warranty, btw)

UPDATE:

here are two pics with cleartype off and at 1400x1050:

display2.jpg

display3.jpg

i just disassembled the LCD housing and checked all the connections. i unplugged and reseated all the connections. nothing

 

[cy7878]

CHeck the setting. SOmetimes if you have the refresh rate too high, the screen will look fuzzy. Default on LCDs are always 60 hz. ALso make sure the resolution setting is correct.


Good luck

 

[blodhi74]

make sure U have the correct native resolution

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: cy7878
CHeck the setting. SOmetimes if you have the refresh rate too high, the screen will look fuzzy. Default on LCDs are always 60 hz. ALso make sure the resolution setting is correct.

Good luck

the refresh rate is at default (60Hz). i've tried higher refresh rate, but that didn't change anything.

Originally posted by: blodhi74
make sure U have the correct native resolution

the native resolution is SXGA+, and it looks the worst at that resolution. it's not just the text (i know that it's a common complaint that at 1450x1050, the text is small), everything is fuzzy.

 

[Gunbuster]

umm SXGA+ is 1400X1050 not 1450X1050

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Gunbuster
umm SXGA+ is 1400X1050 not 1450X1050

ummm, typo, sorry

i meant 1400x1050.

 

[imverygifted]

i had a problem like that once and it was cuz of a weird connection between the monitor and laptop id had to fiddle around w/ the monitor to get it to work but you might need to seek professional assistence in opening up the laptop and checking the connection between the video card and monitor

 

[iamme]

bump for more opinions before i have to take it apart

 

[jvarszegi]

The refresh rate doesn't (can't) have anything to do with it, so no worries there. Try turning off ClearType first, and see if the text looks sharper.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: jvarszegi
The refresh rate doesn't (can't) have anything to do with it, so no worries there. Try turning off ClearType first, and see if the text looks sharper.

i've tried that too.

it's not just the fonts that are blurry. it's the entire screen (icons, pics, etc).

 

[Gunbuster]

Are you sure it didnt look ok at 96DPI font?

Does it look screwed up on external monitor output?

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Gunbuster
Are you sure it didnt look ok at 96DPI font?

Does it look screwed up on external monitor output?

at 96 dpi and 120 dpi (large fonts) it looked bad.

i just tried the monitor out on my desktop's LCD and it looked fine (at any resolution). i'm beginning to think the connection from motherboard to laptop LCD might be screwy.

 

[iamme]

up for the morning crowd

 

[Gunbuster]

Can you get any better pictures? all I see in the one you linked is cleartype on the text

 

[thirdlegstump]

It's possible that you need to install the drivers for the CPU. Without drivers you can have problems.

 

[SeTeS]

Could it be that your display adaptor is not actually putting out the resolution that its stating that it is?

I've had an issue w/ a Fujitsu P2040 in the past where the display settings dialog stated it was running at 1280x768 externally, but it was in fact putting out 1024x768.

Perhaps try measuring the actual screen res by using a utility like Sizer to resize a window to your lcd's native rez, then see how that resized window fits on your display.

 

[Oyeve]

Loose cable in the back of the LCD screen. Seen it hundreds of times. If you can get the lcd casing off and the panel out there is a cable the is probably not seated properly. Just pust it in.

 

[iamme]

here are two pics with cleartype off and at 1400x1050:

display2.jpg

display3.jpg

i just disassembled the LCD housing and checked all the connections. i unplugged and reseated all the connections. nothing (still the same)

 

[iamme]

^^^

 

[jvarszegi]

ttt

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: jvarszegi
ttt

thanks

 

[iamme]

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