Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
• Using a word processor, type some words in 8- or 10-point type (1 point equals 1/72
inches).Ifthewordsarefuzzyortheblackcharacters arefringedwithcolor,selectan-
other monitor.
•Displayascreenwithasmuchwhitespaceaspossibleandlookforareasofcolorvari-
ance.Thiscanindicateaproblemwithonlythatunitoritslocation,butifyouseeiton
more than one monitor of the same make, it might indicate a manufacturing problem;
it could also indicate problems with the signal coming from the graphics card. Move
themonitortoanothersystemequippedwithadifferentgraphicscardmodel,andretry
this test to see for certain whether it's the monitor or the video card.
• Display the Microsoft Windows desktop to check for uniform focus (with CRT dis-
plays) and brightness (with CRT and LCD displays). Are the corner icons as sharp as
the rest of the screen? Are the lines in the title bar curved or wavy? Monitors usually
are sharply focused at the center, but seriously blurred corners indicate a poor design.
BowedlinesonaCRTcanbetheresultofapoorvideoadapterorincorrectconfigura-
tionofthemonitor'sdigitalpicturecontrols.Beforeyoudecidetoreplacethemonitor,
you should adjust the digital picture controls to improve the display. Next, try attach-
ing the monitor to another display adapter. If the display quality does not improve, re-
place the monitor.
Adjust the brightness up and down to see whether the image blooms or swells, which
indicates the monitor is likely to lose focus at high brightness levels. You can also
usediagnosticsthatcomewiththegraphicscardorthird-partysystemdiagnosticspro-
grams to perform these tests.
• With LCD panels in particular, change to a lower resolution from the panel's native
resolution using the Microsoft Windows Display properties settings. Because LCD
panels have only one native resolution, the display must use scaling to handle other
resolutions full-screen. If you are a web designer, are a gamer, or must capture screens
at a particular resolution, this test will show you whether the LCD panel produces ac-
ceptable display quality at resolutions other than normal. You can also use this test on
a CRT, but CRTs, unlike LCD panels, are designed to handle a variety of resolutions.
• A good CRT monitor is calibrated so that rays of red, green, and blue light hit their
targets (individual phosphor dots) precisely. If they don't, you have bad convergence.
This is apparent when edges of lines appear to illuminate with a specific color. If you
have good convergence, the colors are crisp, clear, and true, provided there isn't a pre-
dominant tint in the phosphor.
• If the monitor has built-in diagnostics (a recommended feature), try them as well to
testthedisplayindependentlyofthegraphicscardandsystemtowhichit'sattached.A
display with built-in diagnostics shows text or a test pattern onscreen if it is receiving
