Unable to get higher than 1024 x 768 on D620 External Monitor Connection

[wolberine]

Moved from the wrong sub-forum...

Hi all,

I've had a harrowing couple of chat sessions with tech support where they most recently have told me that my D620 with integrated graphics (GMA 945) cannot support higher than a 1024 x 768? Is there any way that could be correct?

For background, once I got the laptop I reformatted and reinstalled every driver, the video one I got from the website. When it's undocked / no monitor attached I have no problem setting it at 1440 x 900, however as soon as I hook it up to my 18" LCD the highest option is 1024 x 768, even though the native resolution is 1280 x 1024. There was a period of time that it went to 1280 x 1024, but it's reverted back to a max of 1024 x 768. It's driving me crazy.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

[galahad05]

One thing to check/try is to turn off the option in your video driver control panel that limits display resolutions to "what the monitor can handle", or somesuch. Let me see if I can make a screenshot of what I'm talking about.

But in the meantime, what this will tell you is what your GFX driver can actually put out versus any limitations that it thinks iss from the monitor...

[galahad05]

Here's my (Nvidia Go6800 with fairly new drivers) control panel. Yours will probably look a bit different, but the idea is the same.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7335/untitledpg8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Uncheck your equivalent of the "Hide modes that this monitor cannot support" box. Then point your control panel to the other, external screen. Like so:

[galahad05]

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/6885/untitleduu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[galahad05]

Your display--monitor selection screen will probably look different to mine. See below for what yours will likely look like.

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/5461/untitledaq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[wolberine]

Thanks for the reply.

I have the integrated GMA 945 accelerator and can't seem to find that option to display all modes. Any idea where it might be located?

[galahad05]

Try going to your display adapter control panel (like in the picture above), then click on the advanced button, then try either monitor or adapter. I think it's under "adapter". Under adapter, there is a "list all modes" button.

[galahad05]

One other question: what video interface are you using to connect to the external monitor? If it's s-video, then I believe that 1024x768 is about the highest resolution that that video port can handle. That's what I've been told, anyway.

[Yoob@NBF]

Galahad05 is correct that using S-Video or RCA connection will limit your resolution to 1024x768. Also if you have your laptop lid closed while connected externally your laptop may set your screen to a different mode which would restrict your resolution based off your notebooks native resolution.