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I've discovered, to my disappointment, that changing the windows scaling (125%, 150%, 175%) actually changes the screen resolution. So what's the functional difference between adjusting the scaling factor and just changing the screen resolution?

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Resolution is the number of pixels rendered on your screen.

Scaling is how much everything should be enlarged when measured in pixels.

For example: With halved resolution, stuff will have the same size in pixels, but each pixel will be twice as large. With 200% scaling pixels will be of the same size, but stuff will occupy twice as much pixels in both dimensions.

Decreasing resolution makes everything bigger just like scaling, but:

  1. Unlike scaling it also makes pixels bigger (because your physical screen has fixed size), so less detail can be shown for example when rendering photos.

  2. LCD screens have fixed native resolution and image looks best when system-configured resolution matches it. Using lower resolution forces the screen to interpolate pixels (that is attempt to approximate lower resolution with its native-resolution pixels) and negatively affects quality of image.

  3. When computer has more pixels to work with, it can make edges with contrasting colors crispier. This is mostly noticeable when rendering fonts, but it's also the reason why gamers want to play in highest resolution possible even if changing it doesn't actually make them see more stuff at once.

    Here's the word "resolution" rendered in 20px font (bottom) and 10px font (top) resized to keep physical size, just like when you're using lower resolution:

    The word 'resolution' rendered with enlarged 10px font and 20px font

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  • That's why I'm asking silly questions. I thought that scaling makes the windows and fonts bigger while preserving native resolution. Unfortunately, the resolution is changed as well (as I can read from System.Windows.Forms.Screen class) even though in settings window the value remains unchanged. Unless I don't know something about the .NET Screen class.
    – Szybki
    Mar 22, 2017 at 16:29
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    It does preserve native resolution, you can verify it in screen's settings. What you're seeing is probably a result of a hack for backwards compatibility of scaling-unaware apps. 1. Windows fakes a lower resolution. 2. App thinks it's a lower resolution with 100% scaling and doesn't bother with scaling, renders as always. 3. Windows intercepts the drawing request and adjusts all dimensions by the scaling factor.
    – gronostaj
    Mar 22, 2017 at 16:43

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