Adjusting your monitor settings can give you a better visual experience.Most of us will probably accept most computer settings because they don't change much from the default configurations that come out of the box, but sometimes, a little digging can help you get the most out of your hardware. This is certainly true when it comes to monitor setup: Of course, it depends on the monitor you have, but you probably have more options than you think. If you're going to spend a lot of time staring at a screen, it's important to set it up in a way that works best for you.
Whether you're trying to get the most out of your existing monitor or you're just confused by some of the options you've come across, we'll guide you through the key monitor settings you need to know—you'll find them in Windows and macOS, as well as Find these on your actual monitor.
Windows and macOS
You can find monitor settings in Windows by going to Settings from the Start menu and then selecting System and Display . You can learn the basics here: The first and most important is the display resolution , which is simply the number of pixels displayed. Look for the option labeled "Recommended" in the drop-down list, as this will be your monitor's native resolution—the resolution at which text and graphics will look clearest.
If you're using a high-end, high-resolution monitor, using the native resolution may make Windows text and menus look small, which is where Zoom comes in . Use this feature to enlarge on-screen elements without affecting resolution. If your monitor supports this feature, you can also select Landscape and Portrait as display orientations , allowing you to use your monitor vertically if needed.
Most monitors now support high dynamic range or HDR mode, which you can enable by clicking Use HDR . HDR can do wonders with contrast and color range - it essentially means that detail in very dark and very light areas of the screen remains visible and isn't lost. Imagine a person standing with bright sunlight behind them: HDR means the person is not just a black shadow.
If your monitor supports multiple refresh rates, then heading to Advanced Displays will allow you to set the refresh rate: This is a key monitor specification, measured in Hertz (Hz), which tells you how often the monitor refreshes itself per second. A higher refresh rate usually means smoother playback of games and movies because you're seeing more frames per second.
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Hub Monitor (U2723QE)
On macOS, you can access monitor settings by going to the Apple menu and selecting "System Settings" and then "Display." As on Windows, you'll see a resolution choice expressed in pixels - the monitor's native resolution will be marked as Default , which will give you the best experience.
Then there are color profiles , which essentially manage how your monitor handles color and contrast (there are more ways to do this, thank you). This setting is most useful for creative professionals who require full color accuracy in their work - most of us won't need to change this setting, but you can certainly experiment with the available settings.
The other settings here match those we covered previously for Windows. You can specify the refresh rate (how fast the screen refreshes per second), and enable HDR (to better manage color and contrast limits). Finally, rotation allows you to turn your monitor into portrait or landscape orientation, if your monitor supports it.
Onboard settings
This is a Windows and macOS setting, but you may also find many options available on your monitor. Obviously this will vary from monitor to monitor, so you may want to check on the web to see exactly what your model has and how to set it up (usually done via buttons on the monitor itself).
In addition to the basics of brightness and contrast, what you'll often see are presets, which go by various names like Movie or Game : These will adjust settings like contrast, color saturation, and sharpness for the best results. Suitable for certain scenarios. The scene should be made clear by the preset name, but you can always look it up if needed.
By the way, there's nothing wrong with the standard preset being enabled by default, which should work for most use cases. However, if you are doing something specific, you may get better results using presets. If needed, you can always tweak the presets further by adjusting the individual settings for color and contrast yourself.
One of the separate settings you'll see on some monitors is Gamma , which controls how smooth the transition from black to white is and affects the balance between the lightest and darkest areas of the frame. There may also be a color temperature setting, which affects the appearance of "warm" or "cool" colors on the screen.
Gaming monitors often have a feature called an Overdrive feature (although it may have a different name). This enhances the monitor's ability to transition between colors and can reduce "ghosting" (or color artifacts) with lots of motion in fast-paced games. It can also cause other noticeable flaws, though, so it's best to set it up on a game-by-game basis to your personal preference.
You may also see mention of Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync, which are features that synchronize your monitor refresh rate with the frames per second output by your graphics card: with this feature enabled, you should see less stuttering and screen stuttering Tear (where the two halves of the frame do not match). It goes by various other names depending on the monitor, so look out for mentions of "synchronized" or "variable refresh rate."
Finally, don’t neglect settings within apps (especially games). Most games come with a bunch of options that you can adjust to control monitor resolution, refresh rate, latency (the delay between input and screen response), and frame sync settings - these settings will vary between games and monitors , but they should be labeled in an easy-to-understand manner.
HP Omen 32c 32-inch 1440p 165Hz curved gaming monitor
