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April 5th, 2009 23:00
S2009W compatible with my laptop?
I have an Inspiron 700m (old but running like a champ!) and bought a S2009W monitor to get a little more screen space.
After setting it up, the monitor display is just not sharp - and I think it has to do with the resolution setting.
The laptop screen is 1280x800 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio.
The monitor automatically set itself at 1280x768, a 16:9.5 aspect, (and this is the highest resolution available under Display Properties.) The monitor says it's optimum resolution is1600x900, a 16:9 aspect. The monitor instructions say to update the graphics driver but when I check the Dell site I don't find anything newer than what I have.
Anything I can do? Or should I return the monitor and get something that has an aspect ratio closer to my laptop?
TheRealFireblad
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4.6K Posts
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April 6th, 2009 00:00
Welcome to the forums :emotion-21:
Given the age of the laptop, it's probably XP, but can you confirm what OS you're running, and what graphics card/chip is in the laptop?
Cancel: I've just opened the Inspiron 700m drivers page, and see that it is XP, and has an integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 855 GM chip.
A Google for drivers suggests that the ones Dell are offering are indeed the latest ones?
But you could run the Intel Driver Update Utility to make sure :emotion-55:
Nonetheless... I still think you should be able to use whatever resolutions the graphics chip is capable of on the S2009W, and even an integrated chip should be capable of displaying widescreen modes such as 1600 x 900?
But even if you can (somehow) get it to display the correct widescreen resolution, I've read that the image on external monitors can look a little fuzzy?
And given that others have noticed the same problem, it's obviously something to do with/a limitation of the integrated graphics drivers though - rather than a failing of the screen.
The only other possibility I can think of, is that it's to do with the connection you're using?
Is the laptop connection VGA or DVI? And is it a new - or at least a known working cable you're using to connect the monitor to the laptop?
meltdown33
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April 7th, 2009 15:00
Thanks for the valuable insight.
You were right I have XP and the Intel chip. Unfortunately, after much looking around, on the Dell site and the Intel Driver Update Utility it looks like there is nothing I can do to change the resolution supported by my laptop. You were also right that it's the limitation of the driver not the screen, which looks great when hooked up to a new laptop! Dang.
Unfortunately the monitor automatically stretches the 16:10 aspect ratio image sent by the laptop to 16:9.5 which is what I think causes the distortion. (Just to confirm it wasn't my eyes, I measured a square on my laptop screen (which was perfectly square) and the same image on the monitor (which was measurably rectangular.) I think if the monitor just gave some black bars on the right and left side the image would look great (although not be the best use of the screen real estate.)
Belatedly, I will now do some digging into what kind of monitor I can actually buy that will look good with my graphic driver. Possibly something with 1680x1050 resolution which has the same 16:10 aspect ratio of my laptop!