Connect 1080p LCD monitor to 1280x800 laptop

I have a Dell Inspiron 1525 with 1280x800 resolution. If I buy a 1080p LCD monitor can the resolution of the monitor be utilized if I connect it to my laptop?

Dimitri

Posted 2010-12-01T15:08:11.250

Reputation: 125

Answers

Yes, and actually both displays can be used at their native resolutions (which will make a ragged desktop, but oh well).

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams

Posted 2010-12-01T15:08:11.250

Reputation: 100 516

the ragged desktop may not be too big of a deal depending how the monitors are arranged. – Xantec – 2010-12-01T15:18:07.687

1+1. And some machines enable you to set which of the 2 displays is the extended display, i.e. you can set the external larger screen to be the "main" display where your taskbar resides and your notebook is secondary. You can change the order of the displays so that the mouse pointer appears on the correct edge of the other display when you move between them. All of this is settable in standard Display Settings in Windows - I did similar with my 1024x600 Toshiba NB100 netbook and a 1080p monitor via a DSUB analogue VGA cable. Some systems also allow the taskbar to be extended across screens. – therobyouknow – 2010-12-01T16:50:58.490

Depending on your laptop, you can hook up the additional monitor to your external vga/dvi/htmi port and output to a 2nd screen (also depending on your operating system).

You should be able to get native Yx1080 resolution on that monitor without any problems.

Jakub

Posted 2010-12-01T15:08:11.250

Reputation: 3 111

-1

it may not be able to run the display at 1080p

if possible try it out first, else go for a 720p display..

Edit: it does come with a HDMI port I think, so you should be OK with a 1080p display, but dont plan on playing any games on it..

Akash

Posted 2010-12-01T15:08:11.250

Reputation: 3 682

1I would be really surprised if it couldn't. My laptop can run a 1680×1050 panel via D-sub. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams – 2010-12-01T15:47:06.987

As it comes with onboard graphics, I would not expect anything beyond Basic performance at 1080p – Akash – 2010-12-01T15:50:59.780

1This is a terrible answer... you are making rather rash assumptions here, and please don't use 720p, 1080p talk... HD is for the masses that don't know resolution from a hole in the ground. The user will be able to watch / do whatever they want on the new monitor, just as if it was their laptop display. – Jakub – 2010-12-01T18:11:29.970

The question asks "If I buy a 1080p LCD monitor can the resolution of the monitor be utilized if I connect it to my laptop?" Since the application is not mentioned, I answered appropriately.. Onboard graphics will be able to handle normal tasks at 1080p, but are unlikely to give any ort of playable framerates on any recent games. As he does not mention whether he is using it for gaming or not, I answered acc. to both..(Initially I had posted that it may not handle 1080p, as I was under the impression that it had only a VGA port , and that VGA cannot handle 1080p. Ignacio cleared that up).. – Akash – 2010-12-01T18:16:36.713

1How does VGA not handle Yx1080 resolution?? higher resolutions have been around before someone coined the phrase "HD" or 1080p, or 720p... do some research. Max for a VGA cable is: 2048x1536px @85 Hz – Jakub – 2010-12-01T18:52:15.503

@Jacub -- I didnt know that earlier, I corrected my answer after I found that out.. – Akash – 2010-12-02T04:12:18.080

+1 x 2 @Jakub, +1 @Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams, I run my 1024x600 Toshiba NB100 netbook and a 1920x1080 monitor via a standard DSUB analogue VGA cable, fully split screen configuration (not mirrored) i.e. Windows can be moved from one monitor to the other. – therobyouknow – 2010-12-02T13:19:32.103

P.S. I've also done this on my FIVE (5) year old Dell Inspiron 8600, which itself has WUXGA 1920x1200 panel, hooked up to the 1920x1080 as a secondary screen, again split/extended desktop i.e. the screens can display different things, Windows etc dragged between screen. So this technology has been around for quite a while too. – therobyouknow – 2010-12-02T13:22:19.963

P.S. 2 In both cases, with my Dell and Toshiba notebooks (see other comment above), the screen resolutions were crisply native on the laptop and on the extended screen. And it all looked really cool - SO much screen real estate. Great productivity. Enjoy @Dmitri! I would highly expect this to work for your 1525. If My cheapish 200pounds (300$) Toshiba NB100 netbook can do it, then most others should! – therobyouknow – 2010-12-02T13:26:06.637