Frank T. Clark

Software Systems Design Engineer

How To Optimize Windows Display Properties Settings (and More)

As the title states this is primarily a simple how-to for a specific problem. I will however delve into technical information behind the scenes. Some of it will be necessary to select the proper parameters. Some will be useful to understand what is happening. Some will be additional technical information for the inquisitive. More will be deep technical and non-technical background.

This information is directed to users of the Microsoft Windows Operating System. It doesn't matter whether you are using Win 95, Win NT, Win 98, or Win 2k. It doesn't matter if it is a service release, second edition, or has service packs installed. Slight details may vary but the basics remain the same. Future Windows releases are likely to treat this issue almost identically.

The start of the specific problem is located by selecting the "Start" menu, "Settings", and "Control Panel". Locate and select "Display" in the list of options provided. I assume you have some skill with using your computer. If I have lost you at this point, you need some other book or person to start you off in using your computer. Even if you are already lost you can keep reading and soak up some information. It will come back to you and be helpful in the future. Some people may require a second or third reading to get a complete understanding of this information.

This is only one of many ways to view the "Display Properties" box. I will be primarily discussing what is found on the "Settings" tab. There are four settings I will be addressing:

Colors
Screen area (Resolution)
Font size
Refresh rate

Names may vary slightly but the concept is the same. These settings are hardest to optimize on a CRT. Most settings for LCD screens are fixed to specific values. A CRT is often set to values that do not make full use of the display. Some people use settings that exceed the abilities of the CRT. This results in degraded performance.

I am assuming that you have the correct drivers installed for your video card. Most computers come with the correct drivers installed. If you need help with this complex topic, you need some other book or person to assist you.

You can certainly just try a few settings and pick the one you like the most for whatever reason. You might even end up with the same settings I will suggest. I am assuming that because you are reading this information, you want to have a good rationale for your choices. You may not agree with my suggestions but you will have some information on which to base your own choices.

You will need to refer to the documentation for your video monitor. You may also need the documentation for your video card. The information for your monitor will look similar to:

Horizontal dot pitch 0.22 mm

Resolution	
	Horizontal 1600 dots
	Vertical 1280 dots

Viewable image
	Diagonal 18.0 inches (458 mm)
	Horizontal 367 mm
	Vertical 276 mm

I will start with the simpler settings first and proceed to the more complicated.

Resolution

The typical options for resolution are:

640 x 480
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1152 x 864
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200

The ideal resolution is the one that matches the capabilities of your video monitor limited by the capabilities of your video card. Generally the higher the resolution the better the graphics will appear. Exceeding the capabilities will result in fuzziness in details. This is a particular concern with text and sharp lines that are close together. Larger displays and higher quality monitors tend to support higher resolutions.

You can try the available settings and just pick the one that looks good. You can also trust the manufacturer and use the maximum that they specify. The example specs above would indicate that 1600 x 1200 is the ideal choice.

Color Depth

The typical options for color depth are:

16 color (4 bit)
256 color (8 bit)
High color (16 bit)
True color (24 or 32 bit)

16 color mode is a joke on any recent computer but is still the default for older operating systems because of the older computers. 256 color is the absolute minimum suitable for anything. High color is the preferred minimum. True color is the best. The only reason you would use anything less than the best is because each higher setting requires more memory on the video card. The memory requirement is also based on the resolution so the rule is to select your ideal resolution and then the best color depth available. Windows will limit you to the available color depth after the resolution is correctly set.

If the available color depth is unacceptable then you will need to reduce the resolution.

(Geek area warning. Proceed at your own risk.)

The following table illustrates the memory requirements of the various color depths for several typical resolutions.

Bits/pixel 4 8 16 24 32 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1152 x 864 1280 x 1024 1600 x 1200

(End of Geek warning area.)

Refresh rate

The typical options for refresh rate are:

60 hz 72 hz 75 hz 80 hz

Anything less than 60 hz is unacceptable. Theoretically, the higher the better but in most cases 60 hz is fine. Anything more than 60 hz is great. This is also dependent on resolution and is limited by the capabilities of your video card.