[Unsolved but done with it] Image not filling display

[trents]

I have on hand right now a couple of older OEM computers with Radeon 4xxx GPUs.

When I connect them to my Acer 22" 1080p monitor via the video card's HDMI and DVI ports, the display area is not completely filled. There is a blank border of 3/4" to 1" around the Windows desktop.

When I connect to the video card's VGA port, the screen is filled. Yet in both cases, Windows reports the resolution to be 1920 x 1080.

Why is the display being filled when using the card's VGA port and not when the DVI/HDMI ports are used? Same number of pixels, right? 1920 x 1080 is 1920 x 1080. Are the pixels closer together or something in DVI/HDMI?

Yet, on my main computer with an Rx580 running at 1920 x 1080 the display is completely filled when using DVI or HDMI.

 

[EarthDog]

Not sure why, but adjusting scaling in the monitor/or pc should resolve the issue.

It is impossible for pixels to he physically closer together. Dpi is dpi. It may say 1080p, but if there is a border, it isnt 1080p.

 

[torin3]

See if the cards have overscan settings.

 

[trents]

See if the cards have overscan settings.

Not that I can see. Just a simple driver. And I don't see anything like that in adapter settings or display advanced propterties.

 

[trents]

Not sure why, but adjusting scaling in the monitor/or pc should resolve the issue.

It is impossible for pixels to he physically closer together. Dpi is dpi. It may say 1080p, but if there is a border, it isnt 1080p.

So you're saying Windows is falsely reporting 1920 x 1080 when connected via HDMI or DVI? Because it fills the display when plugged into the cards VGA port and it also reports 1920 x 1080.

 

[Janus67]

What is your refresh rate set properly? Sometimes that can hose the way things look

 

[trents]

What is your refresh rate set properly? Sometimes that can hose the way things look

It's set at 60 hz which I'm sure what the display is rated for.

 

[wagex]

there is an auto button on most monitors, sometimes you need to press it and the screen will adjust itself to fill the screen properly.

 

[trents]

Near as I can tell, it is on Auto but I hate those monitor button controls. They are so awkward to work with.

 

[torin3]

Near as I can tell, it is on Auto but I hate those monitor button controls. They are so awkward to work with.

Some of the auto buttons are where you have to push for it to run its checks and reset. If your monitor isn't like that, and is already in auto mode, see if you can select 1920x1080 manually after you plug in the card and it is undersized.

 

[trents]

Some of the auto buttons are where you have to push for it to run its checks and reset. If your monitor isn't like that, and is already in auto mode, see if you can select 1920x1080 manually after you plug in the card and it is undersized.

I already have selected it manually. I have tried all the resolution and refresh modes listed for the adapter.

 

[torin3]

I already have selected it manually. I have tried all the resolution and refresh modes listed for the adapter.

Since I'm not familiar with the particular card, I'm out of suggestions then.

 

[EarthDog]

Have you adjusted scaling yet from the driver?

 

[trents]

Have you adjusted scaling yet from the driver?

There is no way to do this through the driver that I can see. The only scaling options are in Windows Display Settings and all they do is change the size of the Desktop icons, fonts and stuff, not the size of the entire desktop image.

When I go to AMD's website and look for drivers for this GPU there are statements to the effect that development of this product stopped in 2013 because it had "reached it's full performance potential". So the most recent drivers are seven years old. I installed what they had with Catalyst Control Center but there were no meaningful options present. Nothing added from what Windows installed by default.