Getting a GPU to work on my external monitor properly

[bloomen]

This is driving me slightly batty.

I have two gaming laptops, one with a GTX 960M, the other a 1050ti.

Both have the exact same problem. I have a 24 inch 1080p Samsung monitor and they both look crap through it on the GPU. Slightly fuzzy and blocky, and the screen doesn't fit properly. It's slightly too large.

On integrated graphics it all looks perfect and the screen is a perfect fit too.

The Nvidia control panels give me no options other than 3D settings which are useless. If I alt tab to the Nivdia control panel when the GPU is running during a game there are still no more than 3D options.

Obviously the GPU on both computers has some type of resolution problem. I don't know what it is and I can't find a way to change it anyway.

Testing on someone else's monitor with the same HDMI cable there are no issues at all, everything fits and looks perfect, but for some reason they're not liking my monitor. On the problem free monitor when the GPU kicks in it's 60p, on the other it's 60i among other things though the monitors are virtually the same models.

Any ideas?

Edited by bloomen on Thursday 30th November 05:01

[ChrisNic]

I’m no expert but I’ve had something similar in the past.

For me it was down to ‘scaling’, it may take some digging but there will be/should be a setting somewhere in the display or graphic card settings.

[hyphen]

Is the Nvidia driver uptodate?

[Arklight]

Are you running windows 10, it sounds very similar to the scaling issue below.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/3025083/w...

its been around for most versions of windows but has got worse now with higher resolutions etc.

once you are all connected to the screen etc just try a log off and back on without disconnecting the external screen.

[six wheels]

Sounds like the laptops aren’t driving the monitor at the correct resolution.

If your monitor is 1080 the resolution will almost certainly be 1920x1080 unless it’s ultra wide or something.

I’d check the laptops are attempting to output the correct resolution.

Cheers, Steve.

[bloomen]

Drivers are all up to date.

Like I said it's only on this monitor with the GPU working. On any other monitor, or on the same one with integrated graphics, everything's fine.

As it's both computers there must be something to do with the monitor itself, but I'm stumped as to what it might be.

Neither computer is giving me options through the Nivdia control panel to adjust.

[Prinny]

I would very carefully check your Samsung documents, a few instances i’ve seen (including tv sister has) aren’t actually 1920x1080.

When you run something on tv, there’s no issue, but if you run windows, you’re missing the minutes on the clock, the start button is incomplete, etc.

That sounds to me exactly like what you’re experiencing?

Technical term is overscan. I was able to set that on a Dell laptop to suit, but not on a HP - I guess it depends on your GPU capabilities.

[bloomen]

Definitely 1920 and the monitor it does work on is a slightly larger version of the same model.

If I stay on integrated graphics I get perfectly fitting full HD. It's when it switches to the GPU that it turns to blocky mush.

Something in the GPU of both computers isn't communicating with the monitor.

[bloomen]

Well, I got the right GPU behaviour through the monitor in the end, but I had to turn on the laptop screen and keep it on to get it. It also made the fonts absolutely gargantuan when using integrated graphics but at least it works. V mysterious.