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    Games that dont support widescreen...

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by teazalamode, Oct 21, 2005.

  1. teazalamode

    teazalamode Notebook Enthusiast

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    I really want this Gateway® NX850X
    Pentium M (1.86ghz)
    100gb (5,400)
    ATI Radeon X700 (128mb)
    1gig ram
    17" Ultrabright WXGA TFT Active Matrix (1440 x 900 max. resolution)

    This screen is huge. For older games, and newer games, what if i want to run a game not in widescreen format, at a lower resolution for better playability, or for that matter, its not even an option to play in WS...How that going to affect the game? can i even choose it? i have no idea whats going on. Thats why i ask so many questions, and with all the money i'm spending i wanna get lots of info. thanks for putting up w/ this.
     
    teazalamode, Oct 21, 2005
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  2. azntiger1000

    azntiger1000 Notebook Deity

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    nah i dont think you have to worry about it. i played starcraft on my 17in wide (1920 x 1200 is my native resolution). and most games right now are coming out with wide screen resolution to support all the wide screen laptops.
     
    azntiger1000, Oct 21, 2005
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  3. neaL_

    neaL_ Notebook Geek

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    if the game doesn't support widescreen then of course the game's will look a little stretched out, but it wont be that bad. i Run all my games in native res. (1440x900) and i guess the only game that kinda bugs me is Starcraft, mainly because it's so old that it only suppots one resolution and on my screen it looks really bad (again, mainly because the game is ancient).

    but trust me, when a game that can support WS is set to WS, it looks beeeeautiful!
     
    neaL_, Oct 21, 2005
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  4. azntiger1000

    azntiger1000 Notebook Deity

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    yea pretty much the really old games are outdated. you can still play them on the ws but then they will defintely be stretched a little bit. like starcraft is a little bit stretched i believe but when you're playing lol you dont even notice it ;)
     
    azntiger1000, Oct 21, 2005
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  5. Trained Eye

    Trained Eye Notebook Enthusiast

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    Trained Eye, Oct 21, 2005
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  6. LuckMC11

    LuckMC11 Computer Extraoirdinaire NBR Reviewer

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    LuckMC11, Oct 21, 2005
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  7. teazalamode

    teazalamode Notebook Enthusiast

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    yeah i figure starcraft could look wierd...but you can never go wrong w/ starcraft
     
    teazalamode, Oct 23, 2005
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  8. circa86

    circa86 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    any game i have that doesn't have a widescreen resolution doesn't stretch out it just gives me the black bars on the side which is no big deal.

    anyone else think it is wierd that F.E.A.R doesn't support widescreen?
     
    circa86, Oct 23, 2005
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  9. Rahul

    Rahul Notebook Prophet

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    Isn't there a way to use the video card to make the image fullscreen by putting black bars on the sides of the screen?
     
    Rahul, Oct 24, 2005
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  10. jordansport

    jordansport Notebook Consultant

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    Well im not too sure if this works for other cards besides Nvidia one but...

    right click on desktop > Properties > Settings > Advanced > Click on the GeForce tab > nView display settings > device settings > device adjustments > Centered output. Now your games will play with black surrounding borders.
     
    jordansport, Oct 24, 2005
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  11. pyro_dragun

    pyro_dragun Notebook Geek

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    ATI does not have this option. I know one of my friend's with an ATI gpu in his laptop, and the only option is scale to screen.

    Yet another reason why I like nVidia most of the time. Except for the disaster called the FX line.
     
    pyro_dragun, Oct 24, 2005
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  12. LuckMC11

    LuckMC11 Computer Extraoirdinaire NBR Reviewer

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    i have an nvidia card...but my game is stretched with no bars on any side of the screen
     
    LuckMC11, Oct 24, 2005
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  13. teazalamode

    teazalamode Notebook Enthusiast

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    ugh ATI cant have the blackbars on the side? is it impossibe for it to do that? cause that would be perfect.
     
    teazalamode, Oct 25, 2005
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  14. Charles P. Jefferies

    Charles P. Jefferies Lead Moderator Super Moderator

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    Sure you can do it with ATI cards.

    Get the latest Catalyst Mobility 5.10 drivers with the Catalyst Control Panel. Open the CCC - go to notebook panel properties, and the options are in there.

    Chaz
     
    Charles P. Jefferies, Oct 25, 2005
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  15. neaL_

    neaL_ Notebook Geek

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    yea that sucks.. Same as BF2..
     
    neaL_, Oct 26, 2005
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  16. Charles P. Jefferies

    Charles P. Jefferies Lead Moderator Super Moderator

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    I think the best widescreen game out there is HL2/CS:S. I have never seen a game better formatted for a widescreen display. Unlike many games, which use your widescreen but just "stretch" across the native resolution, the widescreen 16:9/10 option in the Source engine uses the widescreen without stretching or distorting anything.
     
    Charles P. Jefferies, Oct 26, 2005
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  17. teazalamode

    teazalamode Notebook Enthusiast

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    thanks Chaz, i think the Gateway w/ 128 ATI X700, will be my laptop in a month or so.
     
    teazalamode, Oct 27, 2005
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  18. teazalamode

    teazalamode Notebook Enthusiast

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    :gateway:


    GOOOO WHITE SOX

    WORLD CHAMPS BABY!!!

    AHHHHHHHHHH

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    Finnaly a nice WORLD SERIES TROPHY in CHICAGO! WOOO
     
    teazalamode, Oct 27, 2005
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  19. luisv

    luisv Newbie

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    I have a widescreen w/ ATI X600 128mb and all my games stretch out perfectly at any resolution. I don't even have to tweak the CCC for this. I can run it straight without any special configurations.

    I am talking mainly about newer games like:
    BF2
    SRS
    NFS2
    Juiced
    Special Forces Nemesis
    Americas Army

    Just to name a few.
     
    luisv, Oct 28, 2005
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  20. ncloet

    ncloet Notebook Enthusiast

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    For Ati cards, to center your graphics output you go to the Catalyst Control Center (CCC) > Notebook Panel Properties > Scale Image - Maintain Aspect Ratio.
     
    ncloet, Oct 30, 2005
    #20