With a LCD, there is the "recommended" resolution... in your case of 1280x1024 it looks like, and what that means is that's the static resolution the monitor is painting the image at. There are always 1280x1024 pixels in your image. What this means is you can not go higher than that resolution, but you can go lower. Going lower means you'll double or tripple paint pixels on the screen to fake out the lower resolution. So with setting your monitor for 1024x768, for every 4 pixels across, an extra one is drawn, and for every 3 pixels down, another extra one is drawn. This is usually where people see ghosting. Also you're switching aspect ratios if you're trying 1024x768 (4:3 ratio) when your monitor is meant to do 1280x1024 (5:4 ratio), this results in a distorted picture like you're seeing.

If you get an LCD, basically you only ever want to run it at the recommended resolution. If you're coming from a CRT where you enjoyed 1600x1200, your only choice is to fork over about $400 for a 20" LCD, but those don't tend to have the best response times.

Fairyy....I have a Samsung SyncMaster 913v 19" LCD monitor (also comes in 17"), and though the native resolution is 1280 x 1024, I run it at 1024 x768 and have no issues with objects distorting. It has an Auto Adjust button that configures the screen to the resolution you set. When I first set mine up, the display was slightly distorted, but after using the auto configure it became crisp, clear and in proportion, etc.

I don't know if this helps you or not, or the comparison in price between what you have and a Samsung, but I'm extremely happy with mine set at 1024 x 768. Also, the Samsung comes with 'Natural Color' and 'Magitune' software to enable user preferences/adjustments. If you are able to exchange the monitor for another, it would be helpful to see one running at the preferred resolution to see if it performs as required....that's what I did before handing over my cash.

Hope this helps and you can resolve your issue.

Of course a fairly recent graphics card with updated drivers, enabling 'clear type' is also benificial. It may help to do as Corky suggested, to uninstall your graphics card/monitor in device manager and let Windows find the best drivers for them.

Phoon : Would a screenshot be too much to ask? I'm curious about this.

I'll upload a shot at 1024 with some round widgets..im not sure you will see the same thing that I do. Its not that pronounced but they are elongated on my end just enough to be noticable.

[Jafo] Main difference between a CRT and LCD is the latter has static pixels. They won't 'move' no matter what you do to the screen res...[short of hitting it stupid with a hammer and rearranging its shape]. A CRT scans/sprays the 'pixels' across the screen...and generally will support a quite extensive resolution variation, though ultimately there are limits. The LCD has a finite number which corresponds to one specific resolution. Any deviation from that resolution will guarantee an inferior image. Same goes for refresh-rate. If your native res is 1280x1024 then that is THE size you will be using. The only time you 'should' see a different res is while booting....then it'll be VGA's default....640x480. If you want to be playing with multiple-choice resolutions....and adjusting your own refresh-rates...and still maintain a quality/clarity of graphic image...then you are [still] stuck with CRT. Simply buy a truly flat one and the only disadvantage you will have is the size of the 'box'. A good quality 'flat' CRT will and does still out-perform a LCD....and for less dollars

I guess I should have asked here first before I bought it ( seems I would have been better prepared ) ..I thought I asked the proper questions..unless the Salesman wasn't really informed enough to be answering or just wanted the sale so he just answered what he thought i wanted to hear - saying they were all pre-set to 1024 seems a bit rediculous if the native resolution is 1280 .

f you get an LCD, basically you only ever want to run it at the recommended resolution. If you're coming from a CRT where you enjoyed 1600x1200, your only choice is to fork over about $400 for a 20" LCD, but those don't tend to have the best response times.

It wasnt a money issue..i just thought i'd try to get with the rest of the world - but thank you for explaining more indepth.

It may help to do as Corky suggested, to uninstall your graphics card/monitor in device manager and let Windows find the best drivers for them.

I did this already ..uninstalled from device manager and rebooted and let windows reinstall...it seems a bit better now but still requires 1280 for " round " objects to be perfect.

~~~The bottom line is the store ( I called them ) has no problem with me returning the LCD model and fully understood the problem. I'm thinking i might just buy a second monitor ( conventional flat screen ) and keep this one too. I'll decide tomorrow.

Thankyou all once again for your time.

The simple answer is that cheaper LCD TFTs dont have the ability to show any other res than the native one in your case 1280x1024 (5:4) when you run it at 1024x768(4:3) it stretches the 4:3 picture into a 5:4 causing distorsion. I run at 1280x1024 happily and its much finer detailed and sharper than 1024x768 if you dislike the smaller icons then just enable "Use large icons" (just under the clear type setting in display properties)and pick a larger font size for windows to use (in display properties/appearance)
If you look at digital photos or images in general 1024x768 is to low to see much detail 1280x1024 is better 1600x1200 is best