Multimonitor question

[Derek23]

I want to add a second monitor to my PC, I currently have a 17" 4:3 (1280x1024) one, and I will buy a 18.5" 16:9 (1366x768) one (I can't find a monitor with same specs as the current and I can't afford 2 monitors)

One of them is connected with DVI and the other one is VGA,

Could I configure the video card (an HD5450) so both of them would use they respective native resolution or I would be condemned to view a distorted and blurred image on one of the monitors?

Because with a laptop with an HD5470, if I connect a 4:3 external monitor, it shows fine but the laptop screen is distorted (because it is 16:10) and I can't set different resolutions for each screen.
Many thanks.

[severach]

Re: Multimonitor question

If you show the same image on each screen then each screen must have the same resolution. The resolutions are independent when the screen content is different, except on a very few el-cheapo laptop chips.

[yyonline]

Re: Multimonitor question

It depends if you have it set to "clone" mode, where both screens display the same content, or "extended desktop" mode, where each screen displays different content.

It sounds like your laptop is set to "clone" mode. There's probably an option buried in the ATI control panel somewhere to change that.

(I put the mode names in quotes as I'm not quite sure what they're called by ATI, and I don't have any machines with an ATI card and dual monitors to go check)

[Derek23]

Re: Multimonitor question

Many thanks! I am convinced now, I will test this when the new monitor arrives