Video Cards Vs. Monitor Resolution Conflict Issues
Provided the plug type matches, any monitor can display the image output of any video card. For the best result, however, you need to consider the native resolution of your monitor and the resolutions available on your video card. Running your monitor at a non-native resolution will decrease image quality. Even if your card supports the native resolution of your monitor, it might not be able to run high definition videos and games at that resolution without lag.
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Native Resolution
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All monitors, except for old-fashioned cathode-ray tubes, have a native resolution. The native resolution states the fixed measurements of the monitor in pixels. When a monitor receives an input from a resolution other than its native resolution, it must upscale or downscale the image before displaying it, causing a loss of image clarity. Whenever possible, you should use a monitor with a native resolution equal to your computer's desktop resolution, as set in your video card drivers.
Video Card Resolutions
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Unlike monitors, video cards natively support many resolutions. Nonetheless, not all cards can run all resolutions. When purchasing a video card, check its maximum resolution. Cheaper cards do not support the high resolutions of high quality large monitors, though all current card models as of 2011 -- and higher end cards as old as 2007 -- support 1080p HD, used by a majority of mainstream monitor models.
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Video Card Use
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Even if your video card supports a maximum resolution above the native resolution of your monitor, it might not be able to run at that resolution in all applications. The higher you set the resolution of a computer game, for example, the more processing power your video card uses. If you push your card too hard, your frame rate will decrease, causing visual lag and slow gameplay. This can force users to run games at lower resolutions than desired. When buying a video card, make sure it will run your particular games at your monitor's native resolution.
Scaling
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When you force a monitor to display images at a non-native resolution, it will scale them. While some high-end monitors have powerful scaling hardware, most do a poor job, causing blurry images. To work around this, many video cards support GPU scaling. When enabled, your video card scales images to your monitor's native resolution before sending them to the screen. This minimizes the loss of image quality, while using a bit more processing power. Both NVidia and AMD cards support GPU scaling, which you can enable in the driver settings.
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References
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