Display resolution question

[hannibal2469]

i own a benq square monitor
how do i check my native resolution i tried a website "what is my resolution" it sez my res is 640 by 512
but my display properties show 1280by1024
1)which one is correct
2)also i am confused as to why the horizontal and vertical numbers are not the same as i have a square monitor.

 

[MauveCloud]

For #1, 1280x1024 is probably correct, but you may have zoomed in with your browser, affecting how it reports the resolution. I have a 2560x1600 monitor, but depending on zoom, http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/display_settings.php may show as low as 80x60 (desktop set to 800x600, zoomed in maximum in Internet Explorer) or as high as 27307x17067 (desktop set to 2560x1600, zoomed out maximum in Internet Explorer). If you set it to normal size (Ctrl+0 for most major browsers), the resolution-checking site will probably show you 1280x1024.
For #2, I don't think the manufacturers actually make square monitors. 1280x1024 has a 5:4 contrast ratio, which is closer to square than other monitors, which have contrast ratios of 4:3, 16:10, or 16:9, so it might have been called square in some marketing materials, but if you actually measure the width and height of the panel, I think you'll find it isn't quite square.

 

[ssddx]

agreed. 1280x1024 is most likely your resolution. the rest of what mauve said makes sense.

 

[jaguarskx]

Yeah, 1280 x 1240 is the most likely resolution if your screen size is 20" or less. 21" monitors are generally 1600 x 1200.

 

[hannibal2469]

thx everyone for your quick replies
yes i measured it, it isnt square(lol),
also is there a website that can tell my resolution correctly
the model no of my panel is not helping
@mauve you mean aspect ratio right

 

[ssddx]

i wouldn't trust what a website tells me my resolution is over the actual specifications on your monitor.

you already have the model number and manufacturer of your monitor. have you tried looking at their website for the complete specifications? or check your manual. this would be the most accurate information.

when mauve refers to 4:3, 16:10, etc.... that is aspect ratio. i think he just mistyped.

 

[MauveCloud]

Yeah, I meant aspect ratio. The ratios I listed would be really pathetic as contrast ratios.

 

[hannibal2469]

thx guys
one last question (i promise)
what does native resolution for games mean
and what is the resolution for stacraft 2
and should i play the game using a monitor with the exact same resolution as the game or will a higher resolution display be better

 

[MauveCloud]

Most games don't really have a native resolution, and will let you select a resolution based on what your monitor and video card support. Old games like Diablo 1 and 2 will limit you to 640x480 or 800x600, but you'll have a hard time finding a decent sized monitor with a native resolution that low. Also, some games like Morrowind and Neverwinter Nights use fonts with a fixed pixel size, so the 3d parts look better at higher resolutions, but the text and other 2d parts get smaller relative to the monitor size. For those types of games, I figure they will look good on a monitor that will allow you to scale a low resolution to an exact multiple (and you run the game at the low resolution), such as 800x600 to 1600x1200 (which can also be done on a 1920x1200 monitor), 640x480 to 1920x1440 (which can also be done on a 2560x1440 monitor), 1280x720 to 2560x1440, or 1280x800 to 2560x1600.

As far as Starcraft 2, see here:
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=26256&parentCategoryId&pageNumber=1&categoryId=3637

 

[jaguarskx]

Generally speaking, any current game should allow you to play between 800 x 600 all the way up to 2560 x 1600 resolution.

Old games from late 90's to early 2000's may only support up to 800 x 600 like Diablo 2 or Baldur's Gate 2 which maxes out at 1024 x 768.

 

[hannibal2469]

alright got it
@mauve could you suggest a good source(book or website in detail) to read about on lcd's, their resolution, scaling how it is done and its effects

 

[ssddx]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_resolution
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/
http://www.pctechguide.com/lcd-resolutions-and-picture-scaling
http://www.pcworld.com/article/15112/how_it_works_lcd_monitors.html

 

[hannibal2469]

alright guys got my answers , thx to all of u who replied

 

[hannibal2469]

Best answer selected by hannibal2469.