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Question

does a computer have a native resolution?

Jun 13, 2012 5:53PM PDT

I just got an Acer x223w wide screen monitor.It has a native resolution of 1680x 1050 which is what i have been using.My computer is a Lenovo m52 8212 which is quite aged but refurbished.It has quite a few different settings for changing the screen resolution, 1680x1050 being the highest one.My friend says the computer has a native resolution which is the one I should be using but he doesn't know which setting it is.Is he right? Do you know how to find the computers resolution if he is right.I don't want to compare all the settings because of the time involved and also because my memory isn't good and suggestion might make me think one is better than another.If no one has an answer i might have to do that though some day.Generally the hulu tv shows I watch are ok but there are videos i've watched that have lousy outlines or detail when in motion.I thought the resolution might be the reason.Maybe its just an old computer.The graphics are from the motherboard.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: native resolution
Jun 13, 2012 6:02PM PDT

No, only a monitor has. And the video card in the computer (either a separate one or the one integrated on the motherboard) follows that (if it can).

Before spending money on a new PC for the quality of that video's be sure to check if they really are better on that PC (using your monitor if possible). I doubt it.

Kees

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Answer
Your friend is full of it
Jun 13, 2012 11:53PM PDT

Your friend is full of it, so completely ignore anything they say on this topic, and probably anything else computer related now and in the future.

We will need a bit more info about the videos that don't work well, but off the top of my head I would think that you need to enable vertical sync in the video card settings. I'm just taking a WAG here, but I'm betting what you're seeing is "tearing" which is the result of the horizontal and vertical refresh not happening at the same time. So if it looks like kind of a jagged line cutting across the screen at a diagonal, that is video tearing which is almost always resolved by enabling vertical sync. Sometimes it's in the video card settings, sometimes it's player specific, so look around for a "vsync" setting, and make sure that it's enabled.