New monitor supported?

[velocette]

I need to get a new LCD monitor of around the 22" range but notice that they all (naturally) quote higher specs than my current 1280X1024 one. The question is if I buy a new higher spec monitor now will it be usable with my existing graphics card? It's a Radeon X700 with the current driver. I may hopefully be changing the PC next year, funds permitting and so presumably anything I buy now would then be properly supported. I tried to look at the specs for my graphics card to see what it supported but couldn't find any simple, and I need simple answers. Any advice gratefully accepted.

[zx9]

Just right click on your desk top and have a look at the 'Graphics Properties' either use the slider (in xp)or drop down (in vista) to see what resolution is supported by your current card.
Apologies if I have missed the point.

[Meredith]

There should be no reason why the new monitor's resolution isn't supported.

[Norman]

There are reasons why your graphics card might not support a new monitor. My laptop cannot support a Dell 22" monitor's full resolution. Indeed, the Apple 30" cinema display needs dual link dvi cards to drive it.

When you have your shortlist of monitors note their 'native resolutions'. Go to your graphics card's properties page and remove the check mark in the box that says something like 'only show resolutions that my monitor is capable of displaying'. This will show ALL the resolutions that your card can support, not just those of your current monitor.

[Wheelman]

What Norman said

However.....

I have just added a 26" Iiyama to my current system and using it on CAD I have to use the DVI output of the graphics card. It will work on 15 pin output but I get jaggies on angled lines when zoomed right in.

I would have thought that your card has a DVI output unless it is very old so shouldn't be a problem

[velocette]

Thanks for the help I'll go for a new one even if it's full resolution isn't currently supported. My current properties show 1280X1024 with the slider at max showing my current Viewsonic monitor ID'd in the 'box' and I just wondered if with a new monitor the width of the slider would've increased. As long as it works OK I can wait until next year for the max performance when the base unit will be hopefully replaced.

Thanks again.

Peter

[Norman]

Just remember that LCD monitors are designed to have an optimum resolution which is their maximum. If you drive them at anything less than that, because your graphics card doesn't support that resolution, then the picture quality is going to be affected.

[Wheelman]

If you right click on the desktop and click properties, then click on settings (at the top) then advanced (bottom right) then adapter (Top) there should be a box at the bottom left that says list all modes. If you click this it should give a list of every resolution that the adapter (Graphic card) can display.

Apologies if this it a bit too basic and I'm teaching Granny to suck eggs

[AndyTake2]

I doubt that any card released in the last 2 or 3 years wouldn't support high resolutions such as 1920 or even higher.

I'm using a 2560x1600 on a machine which used to have a 1280x something or other.
As the above post says, the resolutions are not always visible.
Clicking on the 'unsupported' resolutions will usually show you what is available - remember the machine is just tidying up, not showing you what your monitor doesn't support.

Stick a new monitor on it and as long as the card isn't something out of Noah's Ark the chances are your screen will flicker into new life at a shiny new resolution

[velocette]

Thanks for all the help. Just to report that although the card didn't originally report it once I'd plugged the new monitor in the required 1920X1080 appeared as deddard suggested.

Peter