D620 and Using External Monitor

Question

Reading some of the many posts on this subject it is hard to tell whether I will be able to use an external monitor in extended desktop mode with my D620.  Here are some basics:   No docking station, just the VGA connector on the back. Intel 945GM Express Chipset with video BIOS 1264 Driver Ver 6.14.10.4446 Microsoft Driver Ver 5.1.2001.0   BIOS Version/Date    Dell Inc. A02, 4/11/2006 SMBIOS Version       2.4   Windows XP Pro, sp 2.   If there is any other info needed let me know and I will add it.   If it will work, any recommendations on a monitor? 19 to 22' I know, a Dell.   Thanks!

Normunds_K · Answer

Provided that use of 'extended desktop' where one monitor is external and the other is the native one is possible with D610 (using it at work), it would be quite odd if a newer  model like D620 didn't support such way of working.   One problem though is which is rather annoying on D610 with two external monitors (VGA and DVI) - logics of Intel graphics card is to treat the analogue (VGA) as the default when starting up fresh. So when using DVI as primary for extended desktop, it's a regular routine (and with repeating an annoying one) to readjust the display settings each time after re-docking the PC. Graphics shortcuts only allow to adjust one parameter at a time.   So I am curious if D620 brings any improvements in that area, compared D610 (Intel-something-91x). At least the chip number (945) is higher.. Message Edited by Normunds_K on 12-31-2007 06:16 AM Message Edited by Normunds_K on 12-31-2007 06:17 AM

bob317 · Answer

Thanks for the information.  I finally bought a monitor and tried it. It's much easier now, having more room for a couple of open windows instead of cramming them all on the D620 screen. For some reason though, on the notebook screen the characters on the desktop and in any opened programs are now a bit fuzzy and weak looking.  I had the same thing happen once before after installing a program.  I'll just have to play around to get the settings right.   Thanks again!

Normunds_K · Answer

Sounds like screen resolution is set to other than the optimal (usually lower) value on an LCD screen.

If you use "Extended Desktop" configuration in the graphics properties, you can set individually the display parameters. So you might want to check whether resolutions for monitor and for integrated displays are set according to the maximum supported values. For notebook integrated screens that usually is 1024x768 these days

Message Edited by Normunds_K on 02-01-2008 07:26 AM

bob317 · Answer

It was. Plus I had not yet installed the driver that came with the LG monitor. It was using the standard plu n play driver. Since I installed the driver, I am able to individually set the resolution for each and both are looking much better. Now I really wish I had added an external monitor with the extended desktop a looooong time ago. Didn't realize what I was missing.

One more question.

When I go to display properties/settings, I am showing a 1. Plug and Play Monitor on Mobile Intel 945GM Chipset Family (this is the notebook) and 2. the LG... Family. I seem to think at one time before the external monitor, the display line said something about a default LCD monitor or Dell LCD notebook. Something to that effect.

Does your display setting for the notebook list something other than the plug and play chipset?

Normunds_K · Answer

Those notebooks I have dealt with (in recent years Dell latitude D-series, earlier - Compaq M700 (some say that was actually a DEC product, and I must agree comparing that to previos Compaq designs), all of them used or still use "windows-default" "monitor driver".

Frankly speaking, I am not entirely sure what use the "monitor driver" has in case of an LCD screen if working via a "digital interface" (which obviously is the case with the integrated displays), other than "telling" the graphics card which resolution modes are supported. And that for an LCD screen is easy to guess anyway - refresh rate 60 Hz, resolution - best is to use maximum according to notebok specs (typically 1024*768 for "normal" 3:4 ratio displays). Colour "depth" as far as I know is determined by graphics card capabilities, not of monitor.

In past, there were CRT monitors which really required a "hardware driver" because all the screen geometry and colour adjustments were done by means of software, but that trend thankfully was not lasting long...

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D620 and Using External Monitor

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