systimax,

This is really a matter of preference. For example I have the standard default settings and have the system set to 1280x1024 and like the way that it looks but yes text would be the way to go to get this the way that you want it.

There is a separate forum section for Monitors.  You may want to post your question there and see what you get.

I found that increasing the refresh rate helps. When my monitor is at 60 or 65 Hz, things appear fuzzy. When I set the rate to 75Hz, things clear up quite a bit. I have an ATI Radeon 7500 which allows me to adjust this setting. Not knowing what you have, I don't know if you can adjust your setting or not.

Dell Dimension 4400,1.6ghz p4,768Mb ddr sdram,20gb primary hd, 60 gb slave(both wd) ,radeon 7500 64 mb ddr video,sb live 5.1 digital audio,Harmon Kardon speakers, 4 port firewire, 4 port usb,hp930c, hp 5400c, sony trv 330 digital camcorder, intel pro pac webcam ,dell E151FP lcd monitor, 24x nec cdrw, 48x samsung cdrom.Palm IIIxe.

Unlike CRT monitors, you should stick to the "recommended native" resolution of the LCD screen for best performance.  It is possible to change IE's text size under View\Text Size.  Did you try Windows' clear text?

Other browsers like Mozilla 1.5 and Opera 7 may give you greater control over text size.

F.

Just thought I'd like to let you know that the maximum supported resolution for this monitor is 72 Hz.  If you go any higher you may fry the monitor.  Also, Window's has this glitch that automatically resets the resolution to 60 Hz when you play games and in a few other situations.  Maybe this is what you're experiencing.  What I did to fix this was go to www.guru3d.com and download the little utility called NVRefreshTool that is under the Nvidia drivers section (keep in mind that this only works with Nvidia cards).  When you get that you can force Windows to use the rates you specify, no matter what you're doing.  Hope this helps you out!

Dimension 8300. Dell E171Fpb 17 Inch Flat Panel Display. Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1. P4 2.6 Ghz w/HyperThreading. 1024 MB PC3200 DDR 400 Mhz. 60 GB HD. 16x DVD Drive. 48x24x48 CD-RW Drive. 3 1/2 Inch Floppy Drive. Gainward GeForce 4 Ti 4800 SE 128 MB DDR PowerPack. PCI Slot System Blower. Intel 10/100 Pro VE NIC. Broadcom V.92 Modem. SoundBlaster Audigy 2.

Message Edited by alevasseur14 on 11-06-2003 08:34 PM

There is a setting in Display Properties, Monitor that should be selected that says "Hide refresh rates that this monitor cannot display." The explanation is that the video will be unstable and hardware can be damaged by making the refresh rate too high.

I'm sorry I can't provide the exact reasoning behind the statement but I've always just heard that you can't run a monitor at a higher frequency than it allows.  I don't know how a monitor works so I really can't tell you why not.  I ran into the same problem earlier this summer.  As soon as I got this computer, I wiped it out and reinstalled the OS.  Now if you let windows detect just a default plug and play monitor, then you can use 75 Hz.  But as soon as you install Dell's monitor drivers, your new top limit is 72 Hz.  I wish I knew why.  Maybe a Dell moderator can help us out?

My monitor is a plug and play Dell Flat Panel. No drivers came with it. My system detected it and installed it. My Radeon 7500 card & software allows me to change the refresh rate.

Dell Dimension 4400,1.6ghz p4,768Mb ddr sdram,20gb primary hd, 60 gb slave(both wd) ,radeon 7500 64 mb ddr video,sb live 5.1 digital audio,Harmon Kardon speakers, 4 port firewire, 4 port usb,hp930c, hp 5400c, sony trv 330 digital camcorder, intel pro pac webcam ,dell E151FP lcd monitor, 24x nec cdrw, 48x samsung cdrom.Palm IIIxe.

Wierd.  I got this shiny little disk that said "Dell Display Drivers" on it.  I just got my system in June, when did you get yours?

I got mine 18 months ago. It could be that any drivers I need are in my Dell drivers folder and on my resource disc. In any event, my device manager only shows "plug and play monitor" in the monitor heading. It came with my 4400 when I ordered it as a refurb.

Dell Dimension 4400,1.6ghz p4,768Mb ddr sdram,20gb primary hd, 60 gb slave(both wd) ,radeon 7500 64 mb ddr video,sb live 5.1 digital audio,Harmon Kardon speakers, 4 port firewire, 4 port usb,hp930c, hp 5400c, sony trv 330 digital camcorder, intel pro pac webcam ,dell E151FP lcd monitor, 24x nec cdrw, 48x samsung cdrom.Palm IIIxe.

Message Edited by NFFAA on 11-10-2003 07:22 PM

When I go into my display settings, it has the "hide refresh rates this monitor cannot display" box checked and 72 Hz is as high as it goes.  What's the difference between the two monitors though?  Besides the "b"???

 

Dimension 8300. Dell E171Fpb 17 Inch Flat Panel Display. Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1. P4 2.6 Ghz w/HyperThreading. 1024 MB PC3200 DDR 400 Mhz. 60 GB HD. 16x DVD Drive. 48x24x48 CD-RW Drive. 3 1/2 Inch Floppy Drive. Gainward GeForce 4 Ti 4800 SE 128 MB DDR PowerPack. PCI Slot System Blower. Intel 10/100 Pro VE NIC. Broadcom V.92 Modem. SoundBlaster Audigy 2.

Based on when you each got your systems, it sounds like alevasseur14 may actually have the E171FPb while NFFAA has the E171FP; which might explain why one received the driver disk and the other does not.

I was just looking at the specifications on both monitors, and it looks like Dell has listed them both with a 'highest preset resolution' = 1280 x 1024 @ 75 Hz.  I've been searching for the reference to 72 Hz, but haven't located it.  Where did that information originate?

E171FP: <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed / replaced from this post by Dell>

E171FPb:

E171FP w/ integrated stand:

From what I can see, the differences are a change in manufacturer and cosmetic differences, but otherwise the specs remained the same.

The E171FP was manufactured by Samsung, while the E171FPb was manufactured by BENQ.

The BENQ built system changed the height, width, depth, weight, and the plastic moldings; but the other specs appear to match.