Res: 20.1" & 20" vs Video Card Capability?

[morsetaper2]

My 19" CRT is dying. Going Flat Panel LCD, 20" or 20.1". I'm a computer user not a computer enthusiast so I only know so much about this stuff. But I need a big screen for CAD drawing, Excel, and web browsing. I don't do games or DVD's on this computer.

I understand that the best resolution for a monitor to run in is its native resolution. It seems that the 20" & 20.1" have different native resolutions:

20": 1680x1050
20.1" 1600x1200

My video card is a ATI FireGL V3100 128MB memory. When I go:

Contro Panel-->Display-->Settings the resolution choices available to me are:
800x600, 1024x1168, 1152x864, 1280x1024, 1600x1000, 1600x1024, 1600x1200

Is this how to check the res capability of the graphics card?

So it seems to me I need to look into the 20.1" rather than the 20". Am I correct on this? I don't want to get a new video card as the current one is fine and the computer is less than one yr old.

Any helpful components appreciatted in explaining how to determine the proper resolution choice.

What is even more confusing is I run my current 19" (dying) CRT in 1024x1168 as that suits my 47 yr old eyes the best.

Thanks, mark

 

[travbomb]

its not the 20 vs the 20.1 that changes the resolution. Its widescreen 16x9 vs 4:3.

You need to decide if you want to use a 16x9 (1680x1050) or 4:3 (1600x1200)

 

[Hose]

You'll have to stay with 1600x1200 unless you want to get a different video card. Here's a link for Newegg.com's stock which will fit your requirements...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Order=PRICED&Page=1&N=2100190020&Submit=ENE&Nty=1&Subcategory=20&Description=LCD+1600x1200&Ntk=all

Personally, I'd go for something with a PVA panel (.27mm pixel).... like Samsung 214T

 

[travbomb]

S-IPS - NEC 2070NX