What is the difference between all the different laptop displays?

MigAce312

Senior member
Jul 17, 2001
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I want to get a laptop on which images look really crisp and games play well. Can someone please explain the different types of displays? Which are best for games?
 

bgeh

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 2001
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Originally posted by: m1ke101
bump cuz i want to know too...i dunno about xga uxga etc

AFAIK,
vga=640*480
svga=800*600
xga=1024*768
sxga=1280*1024
uxga=1600*1200
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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The difference (XGA, UXGA, etc.) is just the physical screen resolution. Unlike with CRTs, LCDs have a fixed number of pixels (for example 1024x768) and must "fake" lower resolutions by scaling up the smaller picture.

Scaling up can look pretty lousy since going 800x600 -> 1024x768 means every 1 pixel must be upscaled to 1.28 pixels, usually with some kind of antialising (forming the extra pixel by looking at the pixels around it).

Also note that a specific LCD screen size like 14.1" can have different resolutions from different manufacturers, so one might be 1024x768 and another 1280x1024. But both are still locked to that specifc resolution.