How to find out what screen resolution is on your computer. How to determine the maximum resolution of a monitor. How to find out your monitor resolution using PCWizard
Screen resolution is the number of pixels in the monitor (points from which the image is constructed) horizontally and vertically. Screen resolution is the most important characteristic of any monitor and is usually written as the product of W x H (for example, 1280x800). The more pixels in the monitor, the more useful information can be displayed on the screen.
Old CRT monitors had very low resolution 640x480 pixels. Modern LCD monitors have enough high density pixels. For comfortable work various applications The computer screen currently must have a resolution of at least 1366 x 768 pixels. The record holders for screen resolution at the time of writing are MacBookPro 15 laptops with Retina screens from Apple, with a screen resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels.
Sometimes it can be very useful to be able to determine the screen resolution in order to configure and use it optimally. This article will talk about how to find out the screen resolution in all popular operating systems.
Windows 7
- Click the "Start" button and select "Control Panel" from the menu that appears. In the control panel, find the “Appearance and Personalization” section, in which click on the “Adjust screen resolution” item.
- In the window that opens you will see the monitor and its current resolution. If several monitors are connected, then you need to select the appropriate one from the list and determine the resolution for it.
Windows XP
- Click the Start button. In the menu that appears, select “Control Panel” and then “Screen”.
- A window will open in the lower left part of which you can see the currently used screen resolution.
Mac OS X
For all operating systems there is also alternative way determining screen resolution. To use it, you need to take a screenshot or screenshot of its entire area, and then, in any graphics editor, determine the dimensions of the resulting image in pixels. They will correspond to the resolution of a particular monitor.
Why do you need to know your screen resolution? In fact, there are quite a lot of situations in which this information will be useful. Do you want to put other wallpapers on your desktop - what size pictures should you look for and download? Are you adjusting the graphics in the game - which mode should you choose so that the image does not stretch or shrink, but is displayed correctly?
Surely you have a good reason. I have several proven methods for systems Windows family, Mac OS and mobile devices. You can use both built-in tools and third-party programs/applications.
How to find out screen resolution
Desktop Properties
If you have Windows XP installed on your computer, right-click on the desktop and click on Properties.
Open the Options tab. The pointer will be positioned at the value used in this moment. You can change it and check what happens as a result. 
On Windows Vista, the procedure is the same, only the window will be called “Display Settings”. You can launch it through the management console in the “Design and Personalization” section. 
On Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 the principle is slightly different, but you will quickly figure out how to find out the screen resolution if you right-click on the desktop. There will be an item in the context menu, the name of which will unobtrusively hint where to look for the desired value. 
All you have to do is go to this point and study which mode is currently installed.
MacOS
If you need to determine the number of points on a laptop with Mac OS, then this method will work:
Other methods
Don't feel like right-clicking on your workspace? You are right, and there are other ways to find out the pixel ratio. For example, take a screenshot. It's a difficult joke, but why not try it.
- pressing Print key screen.
- Launch Paint and press Ctrl+V to paste the screenshot.
The image itself is not interesting, but on the bottom panel you will see a couple of numbers that you were looking for: something like 1366x768 or another value. 
See if there is a video card icon in the system tray. If there is one, right-click on it and open the management console. In the video card control panel, you can not only determine the pixel ratio, but also change it if necessary. 
Want more interesting methods? Then go to the website myresolutionis.ru. On home page The number of pixels, IP address and browser information will be displayed. True, for some reason it says Mozilla, although I logged in via Chrome, but the dot ratio is correct, so you can trust the service. 
The same site has an informative “Statistics” tab, when you go to it you can see which screens users use most often to check the resolution. It's nice to be in the majority, isn't it?
If utilities for reviewing and diagnosing components are installed on your computer, then they can also be used as informants. For example, in the AIDA64 program you need to go to the “Display” section and expand the “Desktop” subsection. The second line from the right will indicate the aspect ratio.
You can use Speccy, another program that helps you find out the characteristics of your computer.
In this utility, you should go to the “Graphics” tab. Then you will see everything for yourself. 
After all, you can run any game. I have current mode display is shown immediately upon startup, but if necessary, you can check it again in the game graphics settings.
Mobile device resolution
Mobile device screens also have pixels that are somehow related. In the case of an iPhone or iPad, finding out the resolution is easy: look specifications devices on the site and that's the end of it.
In principle, you can do the same with an Android device, but the problem is that iPhones only have a few models, and Android where just not installed. In order not to look for the characteristics of each Chinese model, use the screenshot method.
- Do it.
- Open the gallery and find the photo. Open it and call the context menu. Select "Details".
Among the information you will see the number of dots displayed per unit of display area. If this is not enough, use mobile version AIDA64 utilities - there is one too.
Screen resolution is the number of screen pixels that form an image. It is written as a formula, with a multiplication sign between two numbers. For example, 1024 X 768. This notation means that the screen has 1024 pixels horizontally and 768 pixels vertically.
The designation is also used in the form of pixel density per inch of surface - ppi. This number shows the number of dots per inch of surface, but is less convenient for determining offhand the graininess of the displayed image.
IN general outline we can say that the more active points the display has, the better quality the image it shows - text looks sharper, games and movies look more beautiful, small elements on the screen don't seem blurry at the edges.
As you can see, this parameter is quite important and plays a significant role in the convenience of communication with the electronic assistant. Therefore, we will try to answer the question as fully as possible: “How to find out what resolution the monitor has?”
Several ways to find out your screen resolution
Relatively speaking existing methods just two:
- Programmatically, focusing on standard tools operating system, or third-party software.
- Documented by referring to the manufacturer’s online resources, equipment passport, factory stickers on the device body.
The second one is unlikely to raise any additional questions from anyone about how to use it. But we will still devote a little time to it at the end of the article.
Let's take a closer look at everything software capabilities to determine this characteristic, which are available to the average user:
1) How to find out the monitor resolution on Windows 7 using OS tools?
On the desktop, in a place free from program shortcuts, you need to right-click and, in the context menu that appears, left-click the “Screen resolution” line. An OS dialog box will appear, in which there are several lines, one of which will be “Resolution”. If you left-click on the drop-down list to the right of the “Resolution” inscription, you will be asked to select the desired value with the slider. And next to the supported, standard resolution for the monitor there will be the inscription “Recommended”. This reference means that given value is factory-installed and is selected by the operating system based on your screen model. This Windows information receives from a special chip of the device.
2) How to find out monitor resolution on Windows 10?
In Win 10, the procedure is a little complicated, for which we should “thank” its developers. The easiest way to get to the screen settings is to open the Control Panel applet using text command. To do this, press the “Win” key combination on your keyboard (the button with the image Windows icon in the form of a flag divided into four parts) and the English letter “R”. This combination will bring up the Run dialog box, in which you should type “desk.cpl” without quotes and press Enter. A window will appear, almost similar to that in Win7. Further manipulations are also similar. This method works equally well for other versions of Microsoft operating systems, except for very ancient releases.
Attention:
The screen settings window can also be called up by browsing through the “Control Panel” section, which is accessible from the main “Start” menu, but the described methods will be much faster.
- Another option is to use the built-in search system, which is usually also available through the Start menu. Just in case, we’ll tell you about this opportunity. Left clicking on the icon start menu you need to select the “Search” section (for Win7) in which you simply write the word “Screen” without quotes. Smart Search will prompt you to select the one you want from the available matching options, and you need to select “Adjust screen resolution”. In the tenth Windows versions The search launcher is not located in the main menu, but next to the “Start” button.
3) Usually manufacturers graphics adapters complete their driver sets with auxiliary utilities for accessing display settings. Most often these hang in random access memory and are indicated by a corresponding icon in the taskbar near the clock. Since each developer strives to make the driver interface different from competitors, and even changes the location of settings from version to version, we will not consider them in detail - this “zoo” is still impossible to cover.
If something doesn’t work out with the previous options, or you doubt the reliability of the values shown, then we recommend calling specialized specialists for help. diagnostic programs. One of the most convenient is Aida64. You need to download any version, preferably from the official website to avoid damaging your computer with viruses, and install it on your system. After everything is installed, you need to launch it and click on the “Display” section in the menu. A sub-level of the Aida menu will open, in which there will be a line “Desktop”. This is what we need - click on it and the desktop characteristics will appear in the central window, among which we find what we are interested in.
By the way, here will also be the answer to the question: “How to find out maximum resolution monitor? When you select the “Monitor” section in the program interface, you can see it detailed properties and among others - “Maximum resolution”.
- Aida64 covers on a paid basis and if you don't have license key, some features will be blocked. But don’t despair - there is a trial period, which is enough to see everything you need.
What if someone doesn't want to bother? various programs and settings, that is, the ability to use online resources. They determine the resolution based on display overhead information sent by the browser to optimize the display of content on the site. We will not provide links to resources so that this is not considered advertising. Each user will be able to independently find a suitable site upon request in the search engine “How to find out the screen resolution of a monitor online”.
What resolutions can the monitor support?
To find out what resolution the monitor supports, let’s turn to the already time-tested AIDA64. We launch the utility and go to the “Display” section, where you need to find “Video Modes”. The program will show everything possible modes video adapter-screen connections. Here it is worth focusing on the fact that not all modes shown in the list will be available in the desktop settings. This is due to the limitations imposed by the operating system and its requirements for the graphics component of the computer. Yes, yes, don’t be surprised - the operating system also has minimal system requirements, just like any software you run. And W7 will not run on screens that are worse than 800X600 pixels, although the matrix can provide many more modes.
Therefore, it would be more correct to ask: “What resolution can be set?”
To solve this issue we will use standard means the “desk.cpl” applet of the control panel, which was described above. So - by moving the resolution slider, you will see all the operating modes of your screen available at that moment, which seem to be a “compromise” between the capabilities of the hardware, drivers and OS requests.
A little about resolution in laptops
It would not be amiss to dwell separately on laptops - these are quite specific products that require correct operation complete package correctly selected drivers. They can also use “interesting” technical solutions in terms of graphics - unusual resolution, non-standard aspect ratio, etc.
Most often, all of the methods listed are equally applicable to laptops, but there may be nuances when everything has been tried and nothing has worked.
Therefore, if all drivers are installed and none of them the listed methods did not suit you, then how to find out what resolution of the monitor on a laptop will be told by the manufacturer’s website or complete documents. In the case where there is no box or documents, the sticker on the rear roof may still be preserved. It always indicates serial number and device model, according to which search engines The Internet will definitely take you to a page with information about your laptop computer.
Conclusion
In the final part, we can recommend two more effective ways, which can be used if the owner and the computer communicate using “you”:
- Call a computer geek friend, a siadmin, or just a smart Enikey guy for help.
- Go on a journey across the Internet in search of a specialized forum for your computer, and there ask for help from forum members. Old-timers are unlikely to refuse help to a newcomer. Don't be afraid to ask questions - they were once inexperienced beginners themselves.
No matter how funny the last tips may seem, they may turn out to be the only straw for a “drowning person.” Especially when it comes to non-standard devices, or it’s impossible to identify it by external signs.
May be caused by the most for various reasons. Although with the increase in the performance of modern video adapters and also thanks to the elimination of a number of “childhood diseases” of drivers, many issues regarding resolution have disappeared, still in some cases the ability to determine the number of pixels will come in handy.
There are several ways to find out the screen resolution, each of which gives an accurate result. The only difference is in ease of use and preferences of each individual user.
About permissions
The existing principle of constructing an image on displays assumes that the screen consists of many pixels, by controlling the brightness/color of which the desired image can be formed. It does not matter whether the device uses outdated CRT technology or modern LCD technology. The video adapter driver allows you to set various standard combinations of the number of points on the vertical and horizontal axes, additionally based on the data received from the monitor. For example, the resolution can be 800x600, 1024x768, 1680x1050, etc. It is easy to understand that as the number of displayed pixels increases, the image becomes more detailed.
Also thanks to the fact that graphic information More screen space fits per unit area, making it more convenient to work with the computer. So, if at 800x600 many pages in global network when viewing you need to rewind with a horizontal slider (without scaling), then 1680x1050 allows you to forget about this function.
Standard LCD screen resolution
Unlike CRT displays, in which the picture quality did not depend on resolution, being quite clear, in TFT everything is different. Due to the nature of the matrix, they always have " native resolution", in which the quality is the best. Usually it is indicated in the instructions, and is also automatically detected. It is recommended to work in this resolution.
From theory to practice
So, let's figure out how to find out the screen resolution. The easiest way is to use the built-in mechanism of the operating system. Since in different versions system settings window looks individually, we will consider Windows 7 and 8 as the most popular solutions. So, you need to collapse everything open windows and click on a free area of the desktop right button mice. In the menu that appears, select “Screen Resolution”. In the displayed window you can see the “Resolution” item, where the current one is indicated. By clicking the drop-down menu opposite, the user can select any other one available.
Diagnostics
Every Windows system package included DirectX libraries. One of the modules is informational. To use it, you need to select “Run” from the Start button menu, type dxdiag and press Enter. In the window that appears, you need to open the “Screen” tab and look at the “Screen mode” line - this is the current number of points.
How to find out screen resolution using a third-party program?
Although this method cannot be considered the simplest, it is effective, so we indicate it. You need to download and install the AIDA64 program (you can free version). After launching it, select “Display” and the “Desktop” sub-item. There is a "Permission" line here.
How to find out screen resolution over the network?
Very often, the task of determining the number of pixels arises for webmasters, since, having this data, they can properly optimize the Internet resource. For them (and everyone) there are many sites on the network that determine the current resolution.
Screen resolution is one of the important characteristics digital devices. PC monitor in in this case is no exception. Very often manufacturers provide this information, indicating it on the box or in the documentation. However, often these things are lost and the user cannot see the screen resolution value.
How to find out your monitor screen resolution
You can find out these parameters using hardware settings on Windows 7 and 8. To do this, right-click on empty space desktop and select the “Screen Resolution” section.
In the window that opens, the value will be indicated in the “Resolution” item.
In the same section you can set other settings and save them.
How to find out your monitor screen resolution in Windows XP
Here the operation is carried out according to the following principle:
- Open the context menu and go to “Properties”.
- Next, select “Display” and move to “Settings”. It will be shown here set value, you can change it using the slider.
How to find out screen resolution in Vista
OS users can find out the monitor parameters like this:
- Open the Start menu and go to Control Panel. Next, select “Design and Personalization.” Then go to the “Settings” section. In this window you can view the current value and also set another one.
- In addition, you can find out the resolution of your monitor screen using a screenshot taken. To do this, press the key “ Print Screen"or the combination Ctrl+A. On laptop computers You can also use the En+Print Screen combination.
- After this, you need to copy the resulting image to any graphics editor. Suitable for this standard program Paint. The bottom line will display the resolution.
You can also find out the screen resolution using Internet services and third party software. There is enough a large number of similar resources and applications. They all have clear interface, so their use will not cause difficulties even for a novice user.
