Optimize your Laptop

LCD monitors of PC and Laptop gives best performance and visual attraction when the monitor is set correctly. The OS of the PC or Laptop chooses the best display settings like resolution, colour, refresh rate etc based on the type of LCD screen. The LCD monitor has flat panel display which is thinner and lighter compared to the CRT monitor of PC. LCD monitors come in different screen sizes having a wide screen width-height ratio of 16:9 or 16:10. The standard width model usually has a 4:3 screen ratio. If the settings of the monitor are changed, you can set the various aspects of the LCD monitor to get best performance or you can choose the default settings.


In both LCD and CRT monitors, if the DPI (Dot Per Inch) is high, the fonts will look clearer. When the DPI is increased, resolution also increases. In higher resolution of 1900 x 1200 pixels, items appear sharper but the items appear smaller so that more items can be included in the screen. If the resolution is low say, 800×600 pixels, items appear larger so that only a few items can be displayed on the screen.

The following table shows the Monitor size and recommended resolution

Monitor Type                    Monitor Size                                      Resolution

CRT                                        15 inch                                                  1024×768 pixels

CRT                                        19 inch                                                  1280×1024 pixels

CRT                                        20 inch                                                  1600×1200 pixels

LCD                                        19 inch                                                  1280×1024 pixels

LCD                                        20 inch                                                  1600×1200 pixels

LCD                                        20-22 inch Wide screen                 1680×1050 pixels

LCD                                        24 inch Wide screen                        1920×1200 pixels

Laptop                                  13-15 inch                                            1400×1200 pixels

Laptop                                  13-15 inch Wide screen                 1280×800 pixels

Laptop                                  17 inch Wide screen                        1680×1050 pixels

How to set Resolution?

To get clear viewing, it is necessary to set the resolution of the monitor based on the screen size.

To see the set   Native Resolution (highest resolution the monitor can give) use the following procedure.CRT monitor do not have any Native resolution. LCD monitor can support lower resolutions, but the clarity and sharpness will be poor.

1. Open control panel and click screen resolution tab.
2. Click the dropdown menu right to the resolution.
3. Check for the recommended resolution kept as the native resolution based on the monitor size.
4. If the resolution set is not the recommended native resolution, then select the recommended resolution and click apply, the ok.

How to adjust colour scheme of the Monitor?

32 bit colour is best for the LCD monitor. 32 bit is the measurement of colour depth which represents the number of colour values assigned to a single pixel. Colour depth range from 1 bit that represents black and white image to 32 bits representing around 16.7 million colours. To set the 32 bits colour depth the procedure is

1. Open Screen resolution tab in the control panel.
2. Click advanced settings and click on the Monitor tab.
3. Select True colour (32 bit) in the Colours and click OK.

Flicker Rate

The screen flickering is important for a comfortable viewing. By increasing the flicker rate, the viewing can be made more comfortable. In a CRT monitor, at least 72 Hz refresh rate is necessary. If the refresher rate is high, there will not be any noticeable flicker.LCD monitors on the other hand; do not show flickering so that highest refresh rate is not necessary.60 Hz flicker rate is optimum for most LCD screens.

Colour Management

The windows contain advanced colour management controls. Colour management helps to provide exact colours to all parts of the screen. This also gives exact colour to the printer to print images.

You can change the colour management like this.

1. Open control panel and click on Personalization.
2. Click on Change window glass colours. You can increase or decrease the colour of the screen using the slider.
3. By opening the Colour mixer, it is possible to set the Hue, Saturation, Brightness etc.
4. For more advanced settings, click on the advanced appearance settings.

Display Calibration

Display calibration settings help to adjust the screen view perfect. By choosing the options you can adjust the Font size and the size of other items smaller or larger according to your choice. A Magnifier tool is provided to enlarge a part of the screen temporarily for easy reading. To set display use the steps.

1. Open Control panel and click on Display.
2. Then click on the Make text or other items smaller or larger.
3. Here you can change the font size and the size of the items.100% is set as default.
4. You can use the Fonts section of Appearance and personalization to make the Fonts clear. Use Adjust clear type text in the Fonts section and you can see the sample texts for choosing.

Adjust Brightness and Contrast

For easy reading and image viewing, it is necessary to set the brightness and contrast of the screen.

1. Open control panel and click on Personalization.
2. Click on display. On the left side there is Adjust brightness.
3. Click and adjust the brightness slider on the bottom to get desired brightness.
4. For more settings, use Change custom plan settings.
5. It is also possible to adjust the brightness in power options.

A word of Caution

1. LCD or TFT (Thin Film Transistor) monitors are thin and flimsy so do not touch or rub on the screen. If dust or dirt accumulates, use Monitor cleaning spray and tissue paper to clean the monitor. Do not apply the spray directly on the screen. Apply some cleaning fluid in the tissue paper and clean the screen gently. If dust is accumulated on the rim of the screen, use a fine soft brush to remove it. Monitor cleaning Kit is available for the same.
2. Remember, Laptop is not good for the Lap. It generates very high heat which is expelled by the Fan through the bottom. If the Laptop is placed on the Lap for long time, the lower abdomen will heat up. This is not good  especially for Men.