Monitor resolution. PLEASE help!

Question

Hello All,

I am having a big problem with my external monitor. I have done several things. Here is a message I posted on another forum and I have not gotten an answer to this. Hopefully someone here can help.

This issue is regarding me not being able to get my monitor to display correctly, or any external monitor for that matter with my . I am sure this has absolutely NOTHING to do with my monitor, my monitor cables / input or anything of that nature. I am almost 100% convinced the issue is ATI and Windows 7. My OS needed to be reinstalled and I had no problem with my previous installation and native monitor resolution, but with a new installation, it just simply will not work. I have spent HOURS on the phone with Alienware tech support and scratching my head over this. I am actually wondering if it's a windows update that may have caused this, but who the hell knows which one did it.. I am a pretty good IT tech and still have not found a proper solution. I have also tried multiple monitors with no luck. The OS simply WILL NOT go in its native resolution. 1600x1200 is as far as I can get it. I am using a 1900x1200 24' Dell p2405FPW monitor (all drivers for the monitor installed) and I have black bars on each side of the screen using a standard VGA cable. There are no DVI ports on the laptop (strange since it's a brand new model), but the cable truly has nothing to do with it as my previous installation of win 7 x64 had NO issues. I am 100% positive of this.

In the CCC, I have disabled EDID and switched to many different resolutions with the same stupid black bars on the side of the screen squishing my landscape view to portrait. Dell has no answer to this..and I have updated to the latest drivers and also scaled back drivers to no luck. I have went in safe mode and removed everything and a driver sweeper with no results. This is driving me CRAZY! If anyone has an idea of what is causing this, please share.. I guess it's a good thing that other people are having this issue so I'm not alone, but also it sucks that we even have to experience this. Windows XP had no issue with this.

Please please! If anyone knows the fix, I would love to hear it.

I am using an Alienware M17x R2 with dual ATI mobility raedons 5870. Win7 x64.

Tesla1856 · Answer

Ya, VGA has limits and does some strange things when shooting for high (WideScreen) res.

Normally, I would suggest you use DVI, but since you don't have one, try the HDMI or DisplayPort.

Try an older driver (right before 6xxx cards came out). Since it's a laptop, use Dell's drivers ... or read threads about modifying stock drivers to run on your laptop (I can't help you there ... but I'm sure others can).

Tesla1856 · Answer

Also, that monitor is kinda old ... better try it on a desktop PC and make sure it's working properly.

Also, as a work-around ... if you can reach any of these 16:10 reses, use them and then use the 2405 or the ATI "scaling" to upscale to native:

1280x800 16:10 WideScreen

1440x900 16:10 Widescreen

1680x1050 16:10 Widescreen

1920x1200 16:10 Widescreen (native or max)

89fordprobee · Answer

yea unfortunatly ati fails in some areas and i had a ASUS 24 inch  monitor and it required upscaling to be cranked to show on the screen properly and oh look it was much the same  M17Xr2 you got dual 5870's  in which i was using HDMI ...DVI is outdated hense why its not there but vga is for other reasons .

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Monitor resolution. PLEASE help!

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