2005FPW resolutions

Question

Hello all, I posted something similar to this question about a month ago. I am hoping that someone new might come across this and have a solution.   I recently purchase a Dell 9100 system with a 2005FPW monitor and an Nvidia Gforce 6800 Video card. Overall nice system but I've got a question that has irked me since I started using it.   Ok, here's my problem. due to the widescreen format of this monitor, the only available resolution that looks correct, and keeps everything properly sized  and in proportion, is 1680x1050. That is the maximum resolution and the only one, apparently, that is native to this monitor. The video card is also capable of lower resolutions which include 1280x1024 / 1152x864 / 1024x768 and 800x600.  All of which look 'streeeeccchhhhedd' on this wide panel screen.   It simply seems weird that Dell is selling systems with Wide Flat panel screens connected to video cards that are only capable of looking correct with one single (the max) resolution.   Don't get me wrong. The picture quality is excellent.  The problem is one of size.  I have 20/20 vision but still find myself having to get up close to the screen sometimes to see well enough to read.  Of course I can lower the resolution but that is an back and forth pain in the rear.  I've done all of the obvious stuff like choosing the largest text and icon sizes but it is sometime wholly inadequate.   Even when dell shipped this system they had it set to a lower resolution and the view was 'stretched'.   does anyone know if there are any newer drivers (I couldn't find one) that offer more resolutions that are native to these wide panel displays???   thanks to all   glen

flyjets1 · Answer

this is the best, most informative answer I've received after a month of searching. thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I will give your suggestions a try and post my findings.   thanks again   glen

chulett · Answer

First off, which video card drivers are you running? I think you are stuck in a place called "That's Just The Way It Works" but let's check some stuff.

The latest WHQL certified Nvidia ForceWare drivers are 81.95 released 11/22, make sure you have loaded them. Your pc recognizes the 2005FPW yes, and doesn't consider it a 'generic plug-and-play' monitor, does it? If so, make sure you download the correct monitor drivers from Dell's site.

As for the rest, it's as much how it works as anything. An image displayed on an LCD monitor when it is not set to the native resolution of said monitor must be 'pixel scaled' down apppropriately. With the Nvidia drivers you have four different choices on how that is done. Default is 'Monitor scaling' where the monitor itself does that - and yes, things may get a little 'stretchy' when it does. There are other options that will preserver the aspect ratio, but that will mean blank (ie, black) space around either the top/bottom of the image or all around depending on the method.

Under the Display Properties Advanced Settings for your video card, look for an option in the Nvidia drivers for Digital Flat Panel Settings. There you should see the four scaling choices. Click on the '?' and then an option to see how each works. Try them all. See which one you like best.

sutiga · Answer

Hi I just got the same monitor and also have the Dimension 9100  and have the same problems, do you also have with most web pages that they are small on the left side of the screen which can be annoying, I did set the DPI to 125 which helps with the 1680 by 1050. But i still want to use the other resolutions without being streached if i cant get rid of the small web pages. so if you found your problem solved could you let me know? I hate to send it back if it is only an adjustment its a really nice monitor. I'm still trying to get it straight with dell,. thanks

chulett · Answer

Please understand that this perceived 'problem' with web pages is not a problem at all, simply How It Works. Setting DPI higher just makes everything bigger but doesn't address your core 'problem'.

Take any image that was created with a certain aspect ratio, say 5:4, and that image looks square on the person's computer that created it. Display it under another aspect ratio, like 16:9 or 16:10 which are typical widescreen aspect resolutions (yours is 16:10 btw) it will look a little off or 'stretched', no longer quite so square. You have a couple of choices at this point.

Live with the slight amount of stretching but enjoy all that new real estate
Return the monitor and purchase a non widescreen model with a more traditional aspect ratio and width
Find out where the monitor scaling is controlled on your system and try one of the other 'non-stretchy' mechanisms like Fixed aspect ratio scaling.

So... you can control how images are scaled but will need to learn to live with the fact that some things will still be stretched. Most new software is handling widescreen monitors and so can help in that regard. Of course, that mostly means games but what in the heck else did you buy that computer for? :smileywink:

The web page thing? That's just the way it is... don't expect it to go full screen and not have lots of blank white space without going back to an older, smaller monitor.

grimbalance · Answer

Hi,

Same problem, so far no means to solve it. I'm seem to be missing the .inf files for this monitor and somehow my PC does not recognize it via DDC.

Could you help posting the link to the driver? I cannot find it on Dell's website.

Thx.

sutiga · Answer

Hi here is the address  htt://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=19&1=en&s=dhs&releaseid=R91822&formatcnt=1&fileid=119645

chulett · Answer

Actually, those are video card drivers for a 6800. The monitor drivers for the 2005FPW can be found here: <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed / replaced from this post by Dell>

sutiga · Answer

hi this is for the drivers for 2005fpw monitor

grimbalance · Answer

Thanks a lot!

Now the laptop recognizes the monitor. I still cannot use the DVI though as it still thinks that the monitor is 1280x1024 capable only. It works with the VGA but not the DVI.

I can set it up in the display settings/advanced/displays (have an ATI 9000) manually for the VGA (1680x1050), but I can not for the DVI. Do you have any idea how this can be solved or if there is a workaround?

Thanks again!
Andras

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2005FPW resolutions

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