Video Cards and Monitors: Getting the Picture

Operating a computer would be difficult if you didn't constantly receive visual feedback showing you what your machine is doing. This vital function is provided by your computer's monitor.

The traditional computer monitor is a lot like a little television set. Your microprocessor electronically transmits words and pictures (text and graphics, in PC lingo) to your monitor, in some approximation of how these visuals would appear on paper. You view the monitor and respond according to what you see onscreen.

Although the traditional monitor uses a picture tube (similar to the one in a normal television set) to display its picture, another type of monitor does away with the tube. A so-called flat-screen monitor uses an LCD display instead which is not only flat, but also very thin. (These are the same types of displays used in portable PCs.)

You measure the size of a monitor by measuring from corner to corner, diagonally. This measurement is different for tube-type monitors than it is for flat-screen monitors, however. That's because a flat-screen monitor displays its images all the way to the edge of the screen, and traditional tube-type monitors don't. For that reason, a 15'' flat-screen monitor has the same viewable picture area as a 17'' tube-type monitor.

Note, however, that the monitor itself does not generate the images it displays. These images are electronically crafted by a video card installed inside your system unit. To work correctly, both video card and monitor must be matched to display images of the same resolution.

Resolution refers to the size of the images that can be displayed onscreen and is measured in pixels. A pixel is a single dot on your screen; a full picture is composed of thousands of pixels. The higher the resolution, the sharper the resolution which lets you display more (smaller) elements onscreen. Resolution is expressed in numbers of pixels, in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Most newer video cards and monitors can display a resolution of at least 1024x768.

Your system's video setup can be the source of numerous problems. If your card and monitor are mismatched, for example, you might receive distorted images on your monitor if, in fact, you see anything at all. (You might have to reset the switches on the video card itself to establish the correct setup for your system.) Configuring Windows for the wrong video card can result in display problems, too. And, as with most peripheral-based problems, a loose connection between the monitor and the system unit is Public Enemy Number One. So, to ensure great reception on your monitor, just as you would with your television, make sure that everything is plugged in, set up, and adjusted correctly.