Any way to get 3440x1440 resolution on a non-gaming rig?

[HighTechArtist]

I came over my dad's house for Thanksgiving, and he wanted me to figure out why his new monitor "wasn't working right". Some salesman sold him on an Acer Predator x34 ultrawide monitor.
He has a 5-year-old office computer running on Windows 7 with an integrated graphics card.
He does not game. He wanted the biggest clearest monitor they had for sale because of his eyesight.
The display has black bars on the side, because the resolution cannot be set higher than 1920x1080. I was trying to figure out if there was anyway to download some sort of display driver or something that would allow him to run at 3400x1440, but I assume that unless he gets a better graphics card there's nothing I can do to get his desired result? Also, I read that Windows 7 does not support 3400x1440, that you need Windows 10, is that true?

 

[malaber]

The max resolution of your monitor is controlled by a few things, First and formost, the capabilities of your GPU, secondly your monitor, and third your drivers. I suspect that if you can not increase the resolution beyond 1920x1080, the integrated graphics will not support the resolution. Can you provide me with the model of the motherboard (Or if this is an HP I might be able to look up the information via serial number)

Thats also a 1300 dollar monitor. Perhaps it wouldnt be a bad idea to return it or upgrade the PSU.

 

[k1114]

Scratch drivers, you can set any custom res you want on intel, amd and nvidia even on older cards. The limitation is the port on the gpu in most cases. Gpus can handle a higher res; multiple monitors. You can find bigger, cheaper, 4k monitors/tvs which is a higher res. Of course you still have the issue of going above 1080p but it seems your dad got tricked into buying a more expensive monitor with features he won't benefit from.

 

[malaber]

I was assuming if he has an integrated graphics card, he might have the windows drivers for it which may not allow him to go above 1920x1080.

 

[HighTechArtist]

Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0102&SUBSYS_04EE1028&REV_09
Display Memory: 1696 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 1632 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (59Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: Acer X34
Monitor Id: ACR0462
Native Mode: 3440 x 1440(p) (49.987Hz)
Output Type: HDMI
Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumd32,igd10umd32,igd10umd32
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2696 (English)
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2696
DDI Version: 10.1
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 3/19/2012 22:31:56, 8087040 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes

 

[geofelt]

Only latest gen integrated graphics can output more than 1080P or 1920 x 1080.
What is the motherboard and psu?

But, there is no reason that he could not use a discrete graphics card.
The Acer Predator x34 has a displayport input so you might look into a discrete card with displayport output.
This EVGA GTX750ti for example can output up to 4096 x 2160.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487024
The card will run on a 300w psu which you surely have.
I suggest a displayport attachment because that will give the highest refresh rate for smoother scrolling of windows.

 

[doubletake]

Just tell him he got scammed. If he needs a bigger screen due to his eyesight, then the x34 isn't really a good choice as that actually has much higher pixel density than a 24" 1080p screen (~110 vs ~92 dpi). He would be better served by something like a 27" 1080p monitor, or if he likes the ultrawide format, there's a 2560x1080 version of the Acer 34" monitor.