Question about screen resolution choices and gaming

I'm about to order a Dell Inspiron with a 15.4" screen for school and gaming and need to choose a screen resolution.

The choices are:

1. Glossy, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280x800) [Included in Price]

2. High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1680x1050) [add $100]

3. High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display (1440x900) [add $50]

Originally, I was going to get the 1680x1050 because my sister has a Dell Latitude with a 15.4" screen and 1680x1050 resolution and I like it a lot. But then, I read this:

Is this true? If it is, is there any reason for me to pay more for higher resolution? Should I just save the $100?

 

For gaming, options 2 and 3 don't really matter all that much. What you'll have to ask yourself is what other types of programs you'll be using. For instance, will you be working with graphic or design programs, will you be working on massive spreadsheets, that sort of thing. For those instances, the higher resolution does come in handy as it allows you move visible space to work with.

 

I will be using Excel and Word for school, as well as gaming and just general internet use.

My current desktop is 1280X1024 and it works fine for me. The monitor is 17" though. Is there a large difference between 1280x1024 and 1280x800?

 

This is true, you need a higher end graphics card for it to be worth it to go beyond 1280x800 in recent games.

Outside of games though, higher resolutions still have their perks, and it's really up to deciding if you want to pay $50/$100 for that.

 

Huge sticky on this: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=141185

 

OK, I read the entire thread, and basically the way it works is that if you turn the resolution down, you get a decrease in how good the graphics look.

What I want to know is, if I'm going from 1680x1050 to 1280x800 and I have an 8600M GT graphics card, how significant will this decrease in performance be? Will it be very noticeable? If I went with the 1440x900, would it make any difference?

 

That's very subjective and depends how are you used to play games at higher resolution. For example, my monitor is 1280x800 and I see the graphics very good and cannot complain. Nevetheless, I have never played (on other computers) at such high resolutions as 1680x1050.

I hope this can help you.

 

OK, well I have a 17" monitor on my current desktop computer and the resolution is 1280x1024 and I like it alot, so would that be about equal to a 15.4" screen with 1440x900 resolution? Or should I go with the 1680x1050? I also like my sister's computer a lot and hers is a 15.4" screen with 1680x1050.

 

I have a laptop with an 8600M GT and 1680 x 1050 that I do heavy gaming on. I can say that I do not regret getting the larger resolution at all - if necessary, you can always turn down the res for a game that's really intensive, and it isn't too notable until you get below 1280 x 800. I recommend the largest resolution - it looks great when you're not gaming, too.

 

Its better to stay at the native resolution... so if you take the big one and you lower it ingame... it will look worst than if you take the smaller one and leave it the same ingame...

maybe the best is the 3rd option... i like the glassy screen... i think it reduce the "shadow effect" when your playing fast fps

 

I'm gonna go to Best Buy and Circuit City tomorrow and compare the 3 different resolutions for myself, see how they all look next to each other.

 

I went for 1440x900 because it is the best compromise. Not too big of a performance hit, but more resolution than standard.

Beware though, you will probably get one of the crappy SEC panels like almost everyone else.

 

What do you mean? That doesn't sound good...

 

I went to Circuit City and Best Buy and the only resolution they had in their 15.4" screens was 1280x800

 

I think its just personal preference. If you like those tiny font, get 1680x1050. But you wont be playing any recent games in that resolution. I think the 1440x900 is best comprise. It fits the 15.4" screen really well and it doesnt turn blurry as much when you play games in lower resolution(most games are played in 1280X800)

 

With my DELL 8600 I loved my 15" 1920x1200 screen. I would recommend that you go to Circuit City or Best Buy and check out the 15" notebooks there and see what resolutions they have and which you like best.

Edit: That bites they should have had something more. Do you have any friends that have notebooks for you to look at?

 

Got1680x1050 here and it works fine on a 8600M GT. Of course having GDDR3 memory would help greatly but when I switch the 1280x800, the difference in performance does not make up for how muc 1680 looks better.

I wold take 1440 very well though, it's probably the best choice.

 

No 1440x900 is more equivelent to a 17 inch wide screen to a 1280x1024 fullscreen. If you like your desktop moniter go for the 1200x800, as 15.4 is smaller thne a 17 inch. Plus it will be easier to run native resulution. Imo i hate playing games in non native res, just doesnt look as crisp. I have a 17 inch 1440x900 moniter and i like it accept i whish i had glossy screen not matte. By the way mine is sec to, im not that impressed with it. I like the resulution but i do have some light leakage and to me my screen looks a bit dull.
It's not to bad though, i like the res just not the quility. but mine isnt glossy so i think youll be ok. I would either get 1200x800 or 1440x900, anything higher is way to small of text and it will be hard do play games at that high of res without baf framerates

 

Everything is opinion. You have to go look for yourself and see what you like. 1280x800 is not too low of a resolution, and 1680x1050 does not make the text too small.

 

If gaming is your only concern, then 1280x800 is good because you can run most new games on high at that resolution, and running at native resolution is desirable. However, many older games can run fine at 1440x900 at high, so the 1440 screen is also a good choice. I chose the 1680x1050 because I do design, spreadsheet, and programming work, and I need/love the extra real estate. I run most older games at my native resolution, if it is supported.

 

The closest resolution to your 17" SXGA monitor would be WXGA (1280x800). That has approximately the same DPI on a 15.4" as 1280x1024 does on a 17", so text and icons will appear to be the same size. 1280x800 is also the ideal choice if you'll be gaming a lot on it, as the settings will be able to go up higher. Since it doesn't sound like you have any other uses that would require a higher resolution, go for the 1280x800, I'd say.

 

Thanks guys... I decided to go with 1440x900. I tried to see what it looks like but I couldn't find a store that had a 15.4" screen in that resolution. But I thought 1280x800 was a little too small, and 1680x1050 is too big. I've read tons of posts on here that say 1440x900 is the "sweet spot" for 15.4" screens.