Compatible Video Card?

[Scott]

My 6-year old Gateway 700x WinXP Pro desktop has an nVidia GeForce2 MX
400 (original) video card, running an 18" Gateway LCD monitor at 1280 x
1024 resolution. I just picked up a Samsung 19" wide screen LCD monitor
at a great price. I see that the Samsung monitor is designed to run at
1440 x 900 resolution. I notice when I click on Display Properties/Settings,
my Nvidia video card shows the highest resolution available is 1280 x 1024.
Is this going to be a problem for my 6-year old video card?

I do have a new nVidia G-Force FX 128MB DDR card that I picked up a couple
of years ago. Available resolutions include 1280 x 1024 and 1600 x 1200.
Would this be a better match?

Thanks!
Scott

 

[Scott]

The answer to that should be obvious.

Jim,

It's not obvious to me. Can you enlighten me? I've never used a wide screen monitor,
so I don't know how the video card handles the slightly wider 1400 resolution.

Scott

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My 6-year old Gateway 700x WinXP Pro desktop has an nVidia GeForce2 MX
400 (original) video card, running an 18" Gateway LCD monitor at 1280 x
1024 resolution. I just picked up a Samsung 19" wide screen LCD monitor
at a great price. I see that the Samsung monitor is designed to run at
1440 x 900 resolution.

Note the ratio between 1440 and 900. That's a wide screen ratio.

I notice when I click on Display Properties/Settings,
my Nvidia video card shows the highest resolution available is 1280 x 1024.
Is this going to be a problem for my 6-year old video card?

Yes. That's *not* a wide-screen resolution. You can see if there's a
new driver for your video card. but my guess is that you will need a
new video card to properly run a wide-screen monitor.

I do have a new nVidia G-Force FX 128MB DDR card that I picked up a couple
of years ago. Available resolutions include 1280 x 1024 and 1600 x 1200.
Would this be a better match?

No. Same problem--no wide-screen resolutions.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Jim,

It's not obvious to me. Can you enlighten me? I've never used a wide
screen monitor,
so I don't know how the video card handles the slightly wider 1400
resolution.

Scott

Scott

Your SIX year old video card works up to and including 1280 x 1024..

Your TWO year old video card works up to and including 1600 x 1200..

Your widescreen monitor works at 1440 x 900 which is within the 'up to and
including 1600 x 1200'..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
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http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
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[Olórin]

Note the ratio between 1440 and 900. That's a wide screen ratio.





Yes. That's *not* a wide-screen resolution. You can see if there's a
new driver for your video card. but my guess is that you will need a
new video card to properly run a wide-screen monitor.




No. Same problem--no wide-screen resolutions.

I'm intrigued now: Mike Hall says that as 1440 x 900 is "within" 1600 x
1200, the card will support the monitor. You seem to say, Ken, that as the
newer card doesn't explicitly state a wide-screen resolution of 1440 x 900,
it won't support it. I'm curious as to which is the correct reasoning in
this... Scott, did you get it to work with the newer card?

 

[John John (MVP)]

I'm intrigued now: Mike Hall says that as 1440 x 900 is "within" 1600 x
1200, the card will support the monitor. You seem to say, Ken, that as the
newer card doesn't explicitly state a wide-screen resolution of 1440 x 900,
it won't support it. I'm curious as to which is the correct reasoning in
this... Scott, did you get it to work with the newer card?

While the 1440 x 900 resolution may be within the range it doesn't
neccessarily mean that the video card can supply this particular
resolution, it may very well jump from 1360 x 768 to 1600 x 900 for the
next available resolution.

John

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

While the 1440 x 900 resolution may be within the range it doesn't
neccessarily mean that the video card can supply this particular
resolution, it may very well jump from 1360 x 768 to 1600 x 900 for the
next available resolution.

John

The nVidia control panel may have the option to set a custom resolution..
mine does..