Author Topic: Skuzzy, What About Rez Changing? (Read 378 times)

Halo · « **on:** August 22, 2003, 06:45:33 PM »

Sorry to bother you personally, Skuzzy, but I'd appreciate your expertise on the perpetual question about whether it is a good idea to change monitor resolutions frequently or even occasionally for optimum results with various programs.

For example, I normally use 800x600 for easy text readability in most programs, but one or two steps higher resolution screens for some games like Aces High and MS Flight Simulator 2004.

Does this ultimately damage the monitor or shorten its life?

Is it best to keep one screen resolution for all programs?

What are the optimum resolutions for playing Aces High and for using the Bulletin Board -- are they the same or different?

I've seen various answers on optimum resolutions over the years, but I like to make sure I have the latest from the main experts, like you. Thanks in advance.

bloom25 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2003, 12:53:17 PM »

Most monitors have a recommended optimal resolution. Typically you will see:

15" CRT -> 800x600

17" -> 1024x768

19" -> 1280x960 or 1280x1024 (note that 1280x1024 is an odd ratio resolution of 5/4, vs the much more common 4/3)

21" -> 1600x1200 (typically)

If you look at the specs for you monitor look to see what refresh rates the monitor can support at each resolution. I prefer no lower than 75 Hz to avoid flicker.

As for changing resolutions often, it shouldn't hurt any decent quality monitor to change resolutions a few times a day. It is important not to exceed the maximum resolution and refresh rates your monitor supports though. Setting too high of a refresh rate can cause immediate damage to some monitors.

It seems to me that most webpages are designed for optimal viewing at a 1024x768 resolution. (This makes sense, since most people have 17" monitors.)

Halo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2003, 12:30:21 AM »

Thanks, Bloom. For virtually all viewing, including Aces High, my 19-inch monitor is at 1024x768 at the normal 75 Hz refresh rate (or maybe 85Hz, not sure, but very normal), and 32-bit color.

MS Flight Simulator 2004 has such lush weather (and slower pace) that I prefer flying it at 1280x1024. Any higher resolution gets type and distance details too small for my taste (I've tried boosting type size at higher resolutions, but find that screws up line breaks on many Internet sites as well as offline programs).

Won't it be fab some day to fly at 1600x1200 with bandit dots and type we can still decipher?

Now it seems like such a shock to the monitor to change resolutions for any purpose that I've always wondered about the ultimate effect. Obviously everything is smoother for one size fits all, but some programs are better at different resolutions.

So, Skuzzy, hope you had a great weekend, and now -- what sayest thou?

Skuzzy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2003, 08:16:35 AM »

I concur with bloom25. Use the resolution that works for you, but take care not to use refresh rates that are not part of the monitor's specification.
If it is a plu-n-play monitor, they usually will offer the best refresh rate they want at whatever resolution you are running at.

Now XP and 2K have a problem in DirectX (most games use this), where they lock the vertical refresh rate at 60Hz. There are third party software utilites to correct this for NVidia cards, and ATI has the ability to change the refresh rate in their control panel.

On my 19" monitor, I run the vertical refresh locked at 85Hz, as this allows all the resolutions to work fine, but this is something that is very monitor dependent.

With a quality monitor, changing the resolution will not be a big issue. When you go from say, 1024x768 to a higher resolution, there is ap ower surge that occurs in the monitor output as more power is needed to drive the tube at higher resolutions, but a high quality monitor uses a series of capacitors and a relay to allow the surge to be handle pretty smoothly.

Halo · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2003, 01:31:23 PM »

Thanks, Skuzzy, appreciate your insight.

Seeker · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2003, 02:08:58 PM »

You can still run hi resolutions with legibility.

Open IE; go to the "View" menu; run down to "text size".
That's resolution independant; and may help.

bloom25 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2003, 03:46:44 PM »

You don't have to install one of the refresh rate fixes for DX. There is a way you can do it manually.

Go to start -> run -> type "dxdiag" Under the More Help tab there should be an Override button. Click it and set the refresh rate to whatever your monitor refresh rate is at the resolution you want to play at. (75, 85, etc.)

Skuzzy · « **Reply #7 on:** August 25, 2003, 07:32:18 AM »

I had forgotten all about that bloom25. Thx!

Halo · « **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2003, 08:00:52 PM »

Seeker, thank you. Major improvement on Explorer type readability.

Halo · « **Reply #9 on:** August 27, 2003, 11:38:01 AM »

Been experimenting quite a bit last few days trying to optimize everything, but switching occasionally from 1024x768 to 1280 by 960 still causes that disconcerting sudden blackout that can't be good for the computer over the long haul, in my uninformed layman opinion.

Even had an occasional freezeup, which persuades me not to keep messing with switching resolutions.

Making the Internet Explorer type a bit larger helps, but for the smoothest overall system, the best compromise between type and graphics, I'm sticking to 1024x768 for everything. Many Internet sites seem to be optimized for that resolution now.