Why does my new display distort images?

Question

I have just bought a Samsung T220. My graphics card can only run in the analog mode (I have an S3 Graphics ProSavageDDR card maxed out at 1280x1024. The T220 preferred resolution is 1680x1050. An object drawn as a 3 inch square measures close to 4.5"x3.5" (an aspect ratio of 1.285:1) on screen.

Would upgrading my graphics card to one that can provide 1680x1050 resolve this distortion problem?

Answer 1

Yes, upgrading your graphics card would most likely solve this problem, but try to update the drivers first to be sure that you can't get it to support higher resolutions.  If you do end up buying a new graphics card, I would highly recommend the Nvidia 8800 GT, as they are very high end, not TOO expensive, and will get you around for a long time to come.

Josh A.

Answer 2

1280x1024 is a standard screen resolution.  Your new monitor is a widescreen monitor.  So, it's stretching everything out to fit the monitor.  Have you tried updating the drivers for your video card?  The newest version of drivers may have added widescreen resolutions.

Answer 3

I would upgrade your graphics card, as when running below native resolution on an LCD you will suffer from image degradation and distortion. I do not know what your budget is, but for about $150 you can get the new ATI 4850 or for a $100 more the ATI 4870 which will both meet your needs for quite a few years. (Both support widescreen,  DirectX 10.1and HDCP)