Datasheet

784
Upgrading the Basic Stuff
6. Click the Keep Changes button to keep the new settings or click
Revert to return to the old ones.
If the display disappears or becomes unreadable, press Esc to return to
the old settings. (Or, if you wait 15 seconds, Windows 7 returns to the
old settings automatically.) If you can’t read the screen, you chose a
resolution that your monitor can’t display.
7. When you’re done, click the OK button to close the Display Settings
dialog box.
Table 1-2 Multiple-Monitor Desktop Settings
Setting Name Shown on Monitor 1 Shown on Monitor 2
Duplicate
These Displays
The usual Windows
desktop
Exactly the same as Monitor 1
Extend These
Displays
The usual Windows
desktop
A blank area where you can drag
and drop anything you like; behaves
as though it’s to the right of Monitor 1
Show Desktop
Only on 1
The usual Windows
desktop
Nothing
Show Desktop
Only on 2
Nothing The usual Windows desktop
Picking a video adapter
Windows 7 places high demands on your video card. Many people find that
upgrading their video cards delivers more noticeable punch than almost any
other hardware improvement.
The best way to judge whether you need a new video card? Look at your
Windows Experience Index (see Book II, Chapter 4). My score is shown at
the beginning of this chapter (refer to Figure 1-1). If you don’t play many
games and your Graphics score falls much more than a point below all the
other scores — or if you’re a gamer and the Gaming Graphics score sits
more than a point below the others — you’re a good candidate for a video
card upgrade.
To check out the latest in video card technology, offerings, and prices, I
trust the reviews at Tom’s Hardware (tomshardware.com).
When you choose a new video adapter, consider these points: