1

My laptop monitor's native resolution is 1280x800 and it just isnt big enough for me. I tried to set the resolution higher, but my graphics card only showed options upto 1280x800, and I figured that was the max res my card would allow. I found a monitor out on the street a few days ago and its native resolution is 1024x768. I have been playing around with it a bit. I was looking under the resolutions for it, and I can set it upto 1400x1050, so apparently my card allows for more than 1280x800, so why can't I set my laptop monitor to higher?

5 Answers 5

3

Every monitor has a specific set of supported resolutions. 1280x800 is the highest that your laptop monitor supports. It simply doesn't have enough physical pixels to make it any finer than that.

The external monitor's native resolution is 1024x768, and it allows higher. Is there a difference between native and max resolution?

I'm not really sure how your specific monitor does this, because usually they are the same thing, but your monitor could have the ability to take a 1400x1050 image and shrink it down to its native 1024x786 display, which means you lose a lot of the image quality (and sort of defeat the point of the high resolution). The Wikipedia article has more info if you're interested in how it works.

is there any way to maybe increase dpi or something similar?

No, because, like I said, your monitor physically doesn't have enough "dots" to display the image any sharper than it already is. I know it's frustrating, but there's no solution to this, unfortunately. It's like asking how you can make your car go faster; you can't, at least not easily. Sure, you could change the engine,1 but then you might as well get a new car. Like @studiohack said, it's a hardware issue, not a software issue, so there isn't anything you can realistically do about it (especially with a laptop).


Why exactly are you looking for a higher resolution? Just to fit more stuff on the screen? Maybe there is a workaround if you're trying to do something specific.

1. Bad analogy, I know. :)

5
  • @studiohack: Thanks! Edited some more as well to make it more comprehensive. :) I voted yours up because I understood the question the same way you did at first, but then I realized it's not a graphics card issue. Jan 12, 2011 at 0:38
  • Yea, just to fit more stuff on the screen. Is there any workarounds you are aware of?
    – Sean
    Jan 12, 2011 at 0:39
  • @Sean: Well, Windows allows you to make text and other items larger, but I am not aware of a way to make them smaller, unfortunately... Sorry! You're stuck with what you have. My dad's laptop has the same resolution as yours and he complains about it all the time, too. Jan 12, 2011 at 0:40
  • 1
    @Sean: The only thing that comes to mind is to put your taskbar on the right or left side of your screen. :) In all seriousness, it really does give you more room for your windows. Jan 12, 2011 at 0:45
  • Maybe he has a CRT monitor. Mar 4, 2016 at 15:27
2

You simply can't set your resolution higher than what your graphics card will let you, it is the cold, hard truth.

Sure, the monitor supports a higher resolution than your laptop, but your graphics card has to handle both, thus it will only let you set it to the max that which both can be used.

If you need a higher resolution, I would recommend buying a better/different graphics card for the job...

6
  • But why will my graphics card allow only up to 1280x800 on my primary monitor, and on my external monitor, it allows upto 1400x1050? I am trying to set my primary higher than 1280x800, so why won't it allow me to set my primary too... say.. 1400x1050?
    – Sean
    Jan 12, 2011 at 0:19
  • @Sean: Maybe that's your monitor's max resolution? @studio: I think he meant that he can set the external monitor to 1400x1050, so the graphics card can obviously support a resolution higher than 1280x800. Jan 12, 2011 at 0:19
  • The external monitor's native resolution is 1024x768, and it allows higher. Is there a difference between native and max resolution?
    – Sean
    Jan 12, 2011 at 0:21
  • @Sean: musicfreak's answer sums it up well.
    – studiohack
    Jan 12, 2011 at 0:22
  • 1
    @Sean: since it is a physical issue more than a software limitation, I don't think there is really much you can do.
    – studiohack
    Jan 12, 2011 at 0:28
1

Your laptop monitor may only support 1280x800 while the external monitor has a native resolution of 1024x768, but can display a higher resolution than its native resolution (generally with some degradation of image).

If the video card in the laptop is offering the higher resolution for the external monitor it is because only the external monitor can support it.

So video card can support up to at least 1400x1050, laptop monitor can only support 1280x800, and external monitor can support 1400x1050, but natively it is set to 1024x768.

1

I was able to work around this by going to the Intel control panel and setting a custom resolution of 2048x1152. It was the max resolution but first the pixels compress, then puts some 'emergency' pixels on it.

-1

You could set the resolution higher than native, however you have to uncheck 'hide resolution that monitor can't display' then set a resolution to what you want (at least 100 ppi for computer). For example, the screen is 16" width times 12" height, to get 100 ppi, add 2 zeros which means 1600 times 1200 resolution. When I tried that in my standard 15" Mac, I tried that and the resolution higher is what I only get: 2048 times 1152, a 16:9 resolution good for me.

4
  • 1
    The pixels are discrete locations. You can't physically display a higher resolution than the actual pixels. If you're able to set a higher resolution and get an image, it means that the image is being interpolated to display in the available resolution and detail is being lost.
    – fixer1234
    Mar 5, 2016 at 15:35
  • Use this website: www.gimespace.com and you could use all resolutions even when it's not supported.
    – Chris
    Mar 18, 2016 at 14:11
  • @Chris - Please provide detailed information on how to accomplish what you described.
    – Ramhound
    Mar 29, 2016 at 19:13
  • @Chris pics or it never happened!
    – Burgi
    Mar 30, 2016 at 15:02

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .