Solved strange VGA cable problem

[proudtobegreek]

I set up an old lying around P4 3.0 Ghz,integrated graphics,hooked up two gigs of RAM,installed a 32 bit 7 copy,checked on my monitor,it worked smooth,nothing spectacular,it worked.Thought to give it as a present to my girlfriend (still on xp) hooked it up,on HER almost identical monitor(19")and i cant get any decent resolution,nothing above 1200xwhatever,stretched screen,blurry letters,a total failure.Tried almost everything,clear type,refresh rate,custom size letters and fonts,tried four different vga cables.Graphics work(1360x...) ONLY with MY cable.Its really a simple,not heavily shielded one,is that what i should look up for?Anything special to watch out for?

 

[Erick Aguilar]

So you are saying that when you swap cables you have more resolutions available?

 

[proudtobegreek]

Exactly,all four heavily shielded HD vga cables,will not,and do not support acceptable resolutions for a 19 inch monitor,1360x or 1440x something,not even as an option,they give higher or lower ones but it doesnt work that way.My thin,poor shielded does gives her-us a resolution of 1360x which is totally accepted.I am using that thin one on my machine at the moment at a 1440x900 resolution,but i am on a graphics card.

 

[Erick Aguilar]

You must be using a Wide XGA cable, you want a Wide XGA + or anything bigger. (That would be Wide XGA +, WSXGA +, WUXGA , WQXGA, and WQUXGA )
Graphics display resolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[proudtobegreek]

Thats easy to say,i have visited half of this towns computer shops,cant offer me more than a standard thick vga cable that only states 80'C 30 V low voltage computer,nothing specific like your definitions.I am sure it has got to do with them hard shieldings,i am looking for another thin one,that onboard card is sending low graphic signal if that term exists,it s only my thought.

 

[Erick Aguilar]

I beleive it has a lot more to do with a cheap cable and an ''average'' priced cable.
I have all sort of cable gauges for VGA and they all have the same resolution capabilities.

 

[proudtobegreek]

Its not about the price,i am referring to the signal's output,it must be low so the shielded one wont let it go to the monitors end and be fully recognized,although its a 1.8 m long one.I am not really good at these technical terms,its only my thinking out loud.The only common (or different) thing that those cables have is their shielding capability.

 

[alphanumeric]

Is the monitor correctly identified by both cables? I do believe some of the pins/wires are used by the PC to ID the make and model of monitor connected. If its showing up a generic that may explain the improper resolution settings. Have you tried the "Advanced settings" option that is listed on the Screen resolution window. If you click that there is a "list all modes" option in the window that opens. That should list all the modes supported by the video card regardless of the monitor connected.

 

[proudtobegreek]

Under advanced settings,monitor tab,general tab it shows up as generic,standard monitor types on Intel tech etc,changing refresh rates to 60,75 or 90 doesnt help at all,lowered to 16 bit colors,nothing.When connected via the thin cable,same statements,only two rates (60 and 75) which both are functional.Monitor shows up in device manager,un- and reinstalled,no ergo.

 

[proudtobegreek]

Did it!After searching several pc shops,finally got a thin one,plugged it in and 1366x768 resolution auto detected as recommended.I will skip the technical explanation,wouldnt be able even if i wanted to!Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and inputs,marking as solved.