7/28/2019 Simple Tweaks for Peak Pc Graphics Performance

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Simple TweaksforPeak PC GraphicsPerformance

Adjust the settingsfor yourgraphicsboard and display to improve image quality.

When it comesto your PC, looksdefinitely matter. Tiny text, blurry images, and flickering screensaren't just annoying, they can lead to eyestrain, lost productivity,and a bill from the glazierfor replacing the windowyou tossyour monitorthrough out of frustration. But you don't have to give yourdisplay the heave-ho: Afew simple adjustmentsto yourgraphics card and otherWindowssettings can ensure peak visual performance.

YourPC's graphicscard is controlled by itsWindowsdriver, so get the latest driver release foryour board. To see what version you have, right-click the desktop and choose Propertiesto open the Display Propertiesdialog box,then click Settings, Advanced, Adapter(in WindowsXP, also select Properties,Driver).

Visit yourgraphics-card vendor'sWeb site to download the most recent version ofthe driver, but don't install beta drivers. These are worksin progressthat may cause more trouble than they're worth.

Sight-Saving Settings

Here are a fewsettingsthat should be available forall graphicsdrivers.

Resolution: Thisisthe number ofdots--or pixels(short for"picture elements")--displayed on yourscreen. The higherthe resolution, the more dotsper inch, and the sharperthe displayed image (ifyourmonitorsupports the higherresolution).Highresolutions increase the processing demandson yourgraphics board and PC.

The graphicscardsin most computersmade in the last three orfour yearssupport resolutionsof at least 1024 by 768--meaning the screen image iscomposed ofan orthogonal array1024 pixelsacross and768 pixelstall--and some support screen resolutionsashigh as1600 by 1200. However, many oldersystems,aswell as some newerbudget systems,have a top resolution ofonly 800 by 600.

To adjust screen resolution, open Display Propertiesand click Settings. Slide the 'Screen area' or'Screen resolution'bar to a higher(More) orlower (Less)resolution. Though higherresolutionsimprove image quality, they also shrink icons, text, and otheron-screen objects. Experiment to findthe setting that'sright for you.For most people, 1024by 768 is the highest resolution they can read easily on a 17-inch CRT monitor.

Colordepth: Thissetting is the numberofcolors that yourgraphicscard supports. The more colorsavailable foruse, the more realistic the image,but again, the more colorson your screen, the greaterthe processing demandson yoursystem.

Yourgraphicscard's color-depth settingsare listed in Display Propertiesunder the Settingstab on the Colorsdrop-down menu ('Colorquality'in WindowsXP). Each isnamed forthe numberof bitsit assignsto each pixel: True Color(alsocalled 24-bit color)makes16,777,216 colorsavailable, while High Color(16 bits)supports65,536 colors.At lowerthan 16-bit color, yourimagesmay suffer. Many driversno longeroffer 8-bit (256 colors)or15-bit (32,536 colors)settings.

NewPCs often support 32-bit color, which offersthe same 16 million-pluscolors asTrue Color. The extra 8 bitscontrol image opacity. Thisis useful in fast-moving 3Dgamesbut of little help inmost businessapps.

Refresh rate: Expressed in hertz, orcyclesper second, thistells howoften the phosphorsthat glow to create an image on a CRT screen are reenergized--that is, the timespersecond that the screen's image isredrawn. Arefresh rate that's too lowcan cause annoying screen flicker. Even ifyou don't see the flicker, slowrefreshescan cause eyestrain and headaches.

Conventional wisdom saysyour refresh rate should be no lessthan 72 Hz. Some expertssay the minimum rate is80 Hz. Try different refresh ratesuntil you find the one that worksfor you. Note that ifyourrefresh rate is too high, you could lose image opacity. Still, fewofus can discernrateshigher than 85Hz.

To adjust yourscreen's refresh rate in WindowsXP, open Display Propertiesand click Settings, Advanced, Adapter, List All Modes. Pick a combination ofrefresh rate, screen resolution, and colordepth from the list of supported values.

To change yourrefresh rate in other versionsof Windows, open Display Propertiesand then click Settings, Advanced, Adapter. Select an option from the 'Refresh rate'drop-down menu. Ifyou see no options there, however, yourgraphicsboard and monitordon't support multiple refresh rates.

Even in that case, you might be able to increase yourdisplay'srefresh rate by decreasing yourscreen resolution oryourcolordepth. All three specscompete for graphics-processing capacity, so ifyourgraphics system isrunning at itsmaximum,try increasing one setting and loweringanother. Forexample, reducing colordepth from 32-bit to 16-bit--no bigdeal if you neverlook at photos--may free up enough processingpowerto let youbump yourrefresh rate from an annoying60 Hz to an eye-pleasing72 Hz. Oryou may be able to increase resolution from 800 by600 to 1024 by 768. There'sno guarantee, but these tricksmight work.

Windowsautomatically setsyourscreen refresh rate to a safe but slow60 Hz when it can't detect yourmonitor. To confirm that WindowsXP correctly recognizesyourmonitor, openDisplay Propertiesand click Settings, Advanced, Monitor. Ifyourmonitor isn't listed under'Monitortype', download andinstall the device'sdriver from the manufacturer'sWebsite.

In otherversions ofWindows, verify that Plug and Play is enabled. Make sure yourmonitoris listed under'Display'on the Settingstab in Display Properties, and then click Advanced, Monitor. Verify that Automatically detect Plug & Play monitorsis checked. Ifit isn't, select it and then reset yourrefresh rate to a level that is higherthan Windows'default 60 Hz.

DirectX: ThisWindowscomponent controlsmultimedia functions. To check yourcurrent DirectXversion, click Start, Run,type dxdiag, and click OK. Choose the System tab and look under System Informationon the lowerpart of the screen. DirectX9 is the latest version; ifyou don't have it, download it from Microsoft.Touch Those Dials!

Youcan improve the image quality of yourmonitorvia its built-in controls. The optionsvary by display manufacturerand model, but you should find brightnessand othercontrols on most monitors.

Adjust brightnessand contrast: Use thisgray-scale image on yourscreen. Be sure you can see asmany ofthe image's 17 shadesas possible; the two orthree darkest may be tough to viewin a bright room.

Centerand align: Few monitorscome straight from the factory with optimal screen geometry. Use yourmonitor'sscreen-placement controlsto centeryour displayed image, keep itsedgesstraight, and minimize unfilledscreen space.

To avoid eyestrain and otherphysical problems, put the top ofthe screen at eye level and at arm'slength from your head (yourbest position may vary).Orient your screen to avoid glare from lightsand windows.If that'snot possible, get a glare filter such asKensington's$34 GlareMaster.

Clean it: Gently wipe yourscreen with a soft, lightly moistened cloth. Unlessthe monitoris really filthy, avoid cleaning solutions, which can damage delicate screen coatings. Clean the dust from the cooling ventsin the monitor'scase; overheating is yourdisplay'slethal enemy.

GraphicsTriage

Ifyour screen goesblank, the problem islikely due to a disconnected monitorcable, an unplugged powercord,or a too-lowbrightnesssetting. Monitorsdo die, however. Ifyou smell something burning orhearpopping sounds,your monitorcould be failing--turn it offimmediately. Monitorshave been knownto spontaneouslycombust.

Corrupted graphicsdrivers cause all kindsofPC problems. To check fora damaged graphicsdriver,install the plain-vanilla VGAdriverthat comeswith Windows.Ifyour troublesdisappear, reinstall a clean copyofthe monitor'soriginal driver,or an updatedversion.

Some graphicsboardsdon't work or play well with otherhardware devices. Windowsallowsyou to disable graphics-acceleration functionsforthe sake ofcompatibility. Open DisplayPropertiesand click Settings, Advanced, Troubleshooting in WindowsXPand 2000, or Settings, Advanced, Performance inWindows 98 andMe. Move the slider under'Hardware acceleration'to the left to disable your graphicsacceleration.

Ashaking or shimmering image on yourscreen may be due to nearby magnetic fields. Keep clocksand otherappliances that use electric motors, and those that use a lot ofelectricity (such as microwave ovens), farfrom yourmonitor. Powerlines behind wallscancause interference, so try moving the display away from nearby walls.

Ifyour screen image iswashed in blue, red, or green, check fora loose cable connecting yourgraphics board to yourmonitor. Look forbent pins inside the cable connector; you can oftenstraighten them withneedle-nose pliers. Ifon-screen objectshave a rainbowcast, some monitorshave convergence controlsthat you can use to tune the image.

Living in a Flat World

Notebook displaysare fine-tuned in the factory to work with the system'sotherhardware; yourdesktop's flat panel likely isn't.And tuning an LCDisn't the same astuning a CRT monitor. Ifboth yourLCDand graphicsboard support Digital Visual Interface connections,make sure they're using them.Vendorsdon't alwaysship a DVIcable with cardsthat produce both analog and digital signals, so you'll have to replace the analogcable.If yourdisplay supportsDVIbut your graphicscarddoesn't, upgrade yourcard.

Make sure yourLCD isset to its native resolution. Many flat-panel displaysdon't look good at other resolutions. Unfortunately, some 15-inch LCDshave a native resolution of1024 by 768 dpi, which makestext minuscule. The solution isto open Display Properties, clickAppearance, and change the setting on the 'Font size'drop-down menu to increase the size of yourtext. (Most browsersinclude their own font-size settings.)

In WindowsXP, open Display Properties, click Appearance, Effects, and check Use the following method to smooth screen fonts. Select ClearType to see a big improvement in the appearance ofmany of yourfonts.

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