# maximum resolution 1680 x 1050



## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

Here's the system: HP pavilion a500n (four years old), with integrated graphic driver, VIA/S3G unichrome IGP. Just purchased a 22 in monitor, so have spent all day trying to upgrade drivers to support 1680 x 1050 resolution (windows XP). I upgraded the driver, and reinstalled the monitor driver. The monitor is a Hanns-G. 

I'm at wits end, because I truly thought that upgrading the driver would do it, but now I don't know what to try.

Any suggestions???


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Your video card may not support the resolution you are attempting. Have you verified with the manufacturer or the manufactuter's documentation that it does?


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## sockerdudex (Jan 4, 2008)

Alex Ethridge said:


> Your video card may not support the resolution you are attempting. Have you verified with the manufacturer or the manufactuter's documentation that it does?


yea. and this monitor doesnt seem like a brandname monitor. ive never hear bout it before. But, alex is proly rioght between the supossedly low quality monitor and 4yr integrated graphics, i weould assume there is a problem


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## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

What confuses me is whether I go to VIA, the manufacturer of the video driver, or HP, the manufacturer of the CPU?


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

Since you are using the on-board video on an HP computer, I suggest you try the HP site. Perhaps you can download a manual or perhaps live chat.


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

i had one of these (a500n) and i installed a agp video card (to free up the memory installed) 
so u can easily get a cheap agp 8x video card (that supports 1680 x 1050) to use your new 22" wide


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=405440&lang=en 
the video driver is dated 12/2004


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## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

Replay,

Thanks for your helpful replies; I was confused about this last post with the link to the HP site; are you saying that that link would update my driver?? I was confused because the date on the driver was something like 2004, and that's when I bought my computer. Then I thought, the link is to show me what I would have to install IF I bought a video card. . .? Is that it?
Thanks for your time and help.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Here's a slightly newer driver: http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=420&OSID=1&CatID=1160&SubCatID=102
Its from VIA the manufacturer of the chipset used on your computer.


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## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

I did download that driver, but it didn't help to bring up my resolution.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

There's a BIOS update on the HP, it only lists the fixes in that release but previous fixes may have included an update to the video BIOS as well.

But the VIA/S3 graphics are poor at best. You likely will need to purchase a video card to get those resolutions.


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## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks very much Triple6. What's a cheap 8x video card (do I have to get a 8x? for this pc--512 meg ram; 2800 AMD processor. I don't play computer games; just want to be able to get 1680 x 1050 resolution! The computer is old and I don't want to invest much in it.


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## MysticEyes (Mar 30, 2002)

sockerdudex said:


> yea. and this monitor doesnt seem like a brandname monitor. ive never hear bout it before. But, alex is proly rioght between the supossedly low quality monitor and 4yr integrated graphics, i weould assume there is a problem


Hanns-G monitors are very popular big sellers, plus they provide a lot of bang for the buck.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020+50011143&name=Hanns-G

Almost all AGP vid cards will say 2048 x [email protected] maximum resolution, but that doesn't mean the one you need will be available. You could have saved yourself some trouble by getting a regular 19" that requires 1280 x 1024. I prefer the extra height anyway.

On another thread everyone jumped on me and insisted WS resolutions are available on almost all cards, it's just not true.

With certain Nvidia cards, the FX5200 and up, you can set custom timings sometimes, but that is for analog only.

You could peruse these cards and contact the manufacturer about flat panel resolutions. Maybe look to ATI chipsets. Note they all will say 2048 x 1536, but you need an exact match.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+1069609639&name=AGP+4X/8X


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

Hanns-G is not a USA company...

4 years ago, we didn't have these NOW-STANDARD wide-screen displays... So a new AGP or PCI video card is required. SInce the HP should have an AGP slot, that would be best.

Get a GF 7300 for about $30~45(USD) should take care of the problem.

Many on-board video from a few years ago cannot display wide-screen. Also, the picture quality and desktop update performance will improve... and you should be able to disable or reduce the memory on the on-board video chip.


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## MysticEyes (Mar 30, 2002)

Compiler said:


> *Hanns-G is not a USA company..*.
> 
> 4 years ago, we didn't have these NOW-STANDARD wide-screen displays... So a new AGP or PCI video card is required. SInce the HP should have an AGP slot, that would be best.
> 
> ...


Not USA? What LCD maker is?



> Get a GF 7300 for about $30~45(USD) should take care of the problem.


Should? How about will or can?

From Nvidia's site:

_What digital resolution do you want to run?

1024x768
1280x720
1280x1024
1600x1200
1900x1080
1920x1200
2048x1536
2560x1600

What analog resolution do you want to run?

1024x768
1280x720
1280x1024
1600x1200
1900x1080
1920x1200
2048x1536
2560x1600_

http://www.nvidia.com/HelpMeChoose/index.aspx?qid=1

Click *Advanced Questions.*

Note neither of the common WS resolutions are listed, 1440 x 900 or 1680 x 1050. Am I missing something here?


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## GripS (Apr 30, 2005)

No need to worry about the specifics. Hanns-G makes good budget LCD monitors. There is nothing wrong with them. Just because you haven't heard of the company before doesn't make it a low quality monitor.


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## barrynan (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks to everyone for these helpful replies. I too was surprised by the listing on the nvadia site. I think I'm resigned to letting the monitor go back to the store, but am bummed by the reality that getting this level of resolution will require an additional purchase.


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

i am running a agp ati 9600 video card on my amd xp3200 system with a lg 22" wide (1680x1050) 
looks beauty.......... don't get discouraged, just pick up a cheap agp card


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

MysticEyes said:


> Not USA? What LCD maker is?


My bad... That was a response to someone else... ie: Hanns-G is NOT a known USA name company. Like people are shocked that ACER is in the USA, when they simply re-intered the market. Many people don't know that Packard Bell is a Major brand name in Europe.



> Should? How about will or can?
> 
> From Nvidia's site:
> _What digital resolution do you want to run?
> ...


_

Yes... its a generalize questionare - I don't think they want their list twice as long. If we GO by just that RES options above, then you'd be saying their $400 video cards can't handle 1680x1050 when they actually can. Display modes were added in driver releases. GF7 cards can handle all wide-screen modes fine. My GF7 card does does:

800x600
960x600
1024x768
1088x612
1152x864
1280x720
1280x768
1280x800
1280x960
1280x1024
1360x768
1600x900
1600x1024
1600x1200
1680x1050 < There it is!
1920x1080
1920x1200
1920x1440
2048x1536

Considering that the 22" is currently the MOST popular size being sold currently, there would be thousands of complaints about 1680x1050 not workings. Even modern onboard ATI/AMD and Nvidia can handle wide-screen modes (modern intel - I don't know their max, but most likely at least 1600x1200 and below)_


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## Compiler (Oct 11, 2006)

barrynan said:


> Thanks to everyone for these helpful replies. I too was surprised by the listing on the nvadia site. I think I'm resigned to letting the monitor go back to the store, but am bummed by the reality that getting this level of resolution will require an additional purchase.


??? (1) Ignore the Nvidia website. See my previous post. (2) A $30~50 video card will work just fine for you. Look on newegg for some ideas and see what you can find in your country.

I fail to see the issue of buying a video card. A desktop computer is designed to be upgraded. It'll take about 5-15 minutes to install and you'll be up and running. The problem is not the monitor, any modern wide-screen monitor is beyond the abilities of your onboard video chip - which is designed for just that.... basic video output of monitors from 4years and older. The Added video card will do the following:
1 - Better quality output
2 - Faster desktop operations (Browser Windows will open faster, videos will plat smoother)
3 - YOu'll get sysem memory back. (Deactivate onboard video)

$35 solution: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681416119

But I'd go for something a bit newer if you plan to watch HD-videos... in fact, it would be required.


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## Alex Ethridge (Apr 10, 2000)

> On another thread everyone jumped on me and insisted WS resolutions are available on almost all cards, it's just not true.


Very true. wide-screen resolutions just aren't well supported on most cards. I frequently run into cards that cost between $50 and $100 that have only about two wide-screen resolutions and a dozen standard. And the documentation in the box tells you nothing other than the one single top number so you have no idea what else it supports until you get home with it.

I've learned enough now to know when I need to solve a wide-screen resolution problem for someone who has just added a wide-screen monitor, not to buy anything until I have gotten a list from the manufacturer of the exact wide-screen resolutions it supports.

And, getting to the manufacturer is never easy. It may come in a Gigabyte box, but, Gigabyte doesn't know what it supports and no one knows who actually made the damn thing.

I recently purchased an HP system with a twenty-four-inch monitor as a boxed set. The video system supported only three wide-screen resolutions, none of which were ideal for this eighty-nine-year-old user's eyes. We finally had to settle for a resolution that makes everything look like they came out of an egg crate.


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