New LCD viewing troubles

[belveder]

I just bought a Samsung SyncMaster 913v 19" LCD (my first LCD) and I am having troubles configuring things in it.

I seem to be only able to run it at 1024 x 768 to have all text readable. If I run it at any larger (optimum mode of 1280 x 1024 is out of the question) some of the text becomes totally unreadable. I have tried High Contrast text and Large Text which makes about 3/4's of the text beautiful and clear but the rest is still unreadable, mainly on dialogue boxes

Can anyone help out with this please?

 

[Mastershakes]

Possible issue with your video card? What are the comp specs?

 

[belveder]

K8n NEO Platinum Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64+ 3200 CPU with Thermaltake Venus12 fan
2 gig DDR400 memory
MSI NX6600GT Video Card
160 GIG Western Digital SATA HD
200 GIG Western Digital SATA HD
80 gig WD IDE External HD for backups
NEC ND 3520A DVD Burner
Pioneer 110 DVD Burner
SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS soundcard
Topower TOP-500PS 500W PSU
Thermaltake Kandalf Tower
Logitech Elite Keyboard
Logitech Optical Mouse
Altec Lansing 5100 5.1 speaker system

 

[Sazar]

Maybe the monitor is fubar'd?

 

[LordOfLA]

Did you enable cleartype? That helps with text on LCD panels I've found personally. YMMV

 

[champ2005]

Are you using the DVI (white) or the VGA (blue) connector? If your using the VGA connector try press Auto-adjust a few times to calibrate the monitor, or if that doesnt work, make sure ur fresh rate is either 60 or 75hz. If your using DVI, also try make sure you are @ 60 or 75hz.

 

[Admiral Michael]

Sometimes LCDs are only best viewed at there native resolution. Which is 1280 x 1024, which you said is out of the question.

Being a 19inch 1280x1024 shouldn't be too bad, that's what I useon my BenQ 19" LCD and I wouldn't run anything lower.

 

[LeeJend]

1) Use the DVI connector if your 6600 has one.

2) Go into the monitor setup menu and hit restore factor defaults.

3) Uninstall the old monitor in device manager. Reboot and let windows auto detect the new syncmaster. If windows does not autodetect install the drivers from the CD that came with the monitor. Or go to the Samsung site and download the latest drivers for the 913v. Yes, monitors have drivers too now and if the wrong ones are in it can cause problems.

4) Update the nvidia drivers.

The clarity of text in native resolution should be fine unless the font is just too small for you to read. (If you are 40+ or have any vision problems.) If that is the case you need to go into display properties - appearance - advanced (not font size) and increase the font sizes to what is comfortable for you. Each menu/bar type in windows can be set seperately.

The alternative is to use large fonts which I don't like (they don't scale well) or custom size fonts. Note the fonts on my wifes nvidia card are not as easy on the eye as the fonts on my ATI card and she uses a higher custom setting than I do.

One other possibility is that your eye just does not respond to the way some LCDs display. They tried to give me an LCD dispaly at work and I refused it. I get eye strain just sitting next to one. Some brands are worse than others. Swing by your local electronics store and view the 913V and some other LCDs and if they look ok see what settings they use.

 

[belveder]

Thanks for all the replies, appreciated. I've tried all the settings in the disply properties, using High Contrast works well with a lot of stuff but not on screens where for example, the pre install boxes when installing programs, these are totally unreadable, the text is very faded in these case, it looks very dotty instead of a smooth line. You can't change the font sizes in these types of boxes

I am running clear type, that made a slight difference.

I had no idea about drivers though, will have to check that out, didn't get a driver disk with the monitor.

DVI connection, never thought of that, always just use the standard connection.

Thanks again all, will go and play around and see what happens



I tried it all and nothing made a difference

 

[LeeJend]

Last thing is to try the monitor on someone elses computer and see how it works. If it has problems on a second computer the monitor is bad.

Return time.

 

[Jay T]

^^^^^
Good idea just plug the monitor in to another PC to check for issue with either card or monitor.

Also, try this software out. Excellent for tweeking LCD displays. I use it on my 27" Wide screen LCD after I realized it looked terrible. Thought I was gonna have to live with it, all it needed was some setting adjustments.... whamo! night and day the difference in quality. Highly recomended for anyone using an LCD of any size

http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm