Larger Resolution for Bigger Monitor

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I have a late 2006 White Macbook, and an Acer 23" Monitor. The highest resolution I'm able to get is 1600x1200, but the specifications of my Macbook say 1920 x 1200. I have heard of SwitchResX, but even after I have read some tutorials.. I have no idea how to use it. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
 

vansmith

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Does your monitor support 1920x1200? What monitor is it (model number)? My guess is that your monitor doesn't support anything greater than 1600x1200.
 

bobtomay

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The Acer 23" widescreens I'm familiar with are all 1920x1080 max. Do you not have that available?

If not, try a PRAM reset.
 
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Nah, it doesn't show up under the display preferences. I particularly want to do 1920 x 1080, but I'm running it from Mini-DVI to VGA. I don't really care if it is high def, I just can't stand the way everything is stretched on screen.
 

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Have you checked the resolutions available to you with that monitor? The supported resolution of your MBs GPU is irrelevant if the monitor doesn't support it. For instance, my MB supports up to 1920x1200 on an external monitor but my monitor only supports up to 1920x1080. Again, what is the model number?
 

vansmith

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Indeed it does. Let's start with the basics. If you go to System Profiler (/Applications/Utilities/) > Graphics/Displays, do you see your monitor with the appropriate model name and number listed? For instance, this is what I see:

monitor_info.png

As you can see, my Dell monitor is recognized properly.
 
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VGA.. that's the only adapter I have. Mini-DVI to VGA. And to van - It says 1600x1200.
 

pigoo3

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VGA.. that's the only adapter I have. Mini-DVI to VGA.

Thanks.

Quote from Everymac.com for your "Late 2006 MacBook":

"The maximum resolution supported on "Apple DVI displays" is 1920x1200 and 1600x1200 on VGA displays."

I'm assuming that this applies to the external monitor. So as you can see 1600 x 1200 is the max. resolution via the VGA port. If you want 1920 x 1200, or 1920 x 1080 you need to connect to your 23" monitor's DVI port...and you need this adapter:



Hope this helps,

- Nick
 

vansmith

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pigoo3

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Close pigoo - he needs mini-DVI to DVI, not Mini Displayport to DVI ;)

Vansmith,

Thanks for the correction...I don't know what I was thinking!;)

That adapter is less expensive as well. :)

- Nick
 

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I figured out what the issue was. I was running Mini DVI to a splitter, one going to a 17 inch monitor, and the other going to the 23 inch. For some reason it was recognizing the smaller monitor before the larger monitor, and the max resolution was 1600x1200 for THAT monitor. Now I am running Mini DVI to VGA and then to the 23 inch. Running at 1920x1080 now and it looks great. Thanks :)
 

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