Introduction
Having a monitor that supports higher resolutions—like 2560 x 1440, 4K, or even ultrawide formats—but only seeing 1920 x 1080 in Windows can be incredibly frustrating. Whether you’re using a dedicated Nvidia GPU, an AMD Radeon, or Intel’s integrated graphics, this guide will walk you through creating and troubleshooting custom resolutions on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
1. Verify Your Hardware Specifications
Before diving into custom resolutions, confirm that your monitor and graphics card support the desired settings. Check your monitor’s specifications on the manufacturer’s website and review your GPU’s capabilities on the vendor’s support page. Also, ensure that your cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, etc.) are certified for higher resolutions.
2. Update Drivers and Software
Keeping your drivers up to date is essential. Updated drivers can unlock new features and provide better support for higher resolutions. This is especially true with Windows 11, where interface changes may affect display settings. Visit your GPU manufacturer’s website—whether it’s Nvidia, AMD, or Intel—to download the latest drivers, and check for any monitor firmware updates if available.
3. Creating a Custom Resolution
Follow the instructions below based on your graphics hardware. The process is similar in most cases, though the interface may vary.
Nvidia Users
1. Right-click on the desktop and open Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Navigate to the Display section and select Change Resolution.
3. Click on Customize (if the option is greyed out, check the troubleshooting section below).
4. Tick Enable resolutions not exposed by the display and then click Create Custom Resolution.
5. Enter your desired resolution (e.g., 2560 x 1440) and set the refresh rate (typically 60 Hz).
6. Under Timing, choose CVT reduced blank for optimal performance, then click Test to confirm your settings.
AMD Users
1. Right-click on your desktop and open AMD Radeon Settings.
2. Go to the Display tab.
3. Find and click on the Custom Resolutions option (if it’s not visible, ensure you have the latest drivers installed).
4. Click Create New, then input your desired resolution and refresh rate.
5. Save and test the new resolution.
Intel Graphics Users
1. Right-click on your desktop and select either Intel Graphics Settings or Graphics Properties.
2. Navigate to the Display section.
3. Look for the Custom Resolutions option and click to configure a new resolution.
4. Enter the resolution and refresh rate details, then apply the settings.
5. A system restart may be required for the changes to take effect.
4. Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you encounter problems while setting a custom resolution, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Greyed-out Options: Ensure you are connected to the correct output port. Laptops with Nvidia Optimus technology may require you to plug your display into the port linked with the discrete GPU.
- Cable Limitations: Use a certified cable that supports high resolutions. Test your cable on another device if possible.
- Driver Conflicts: Reinstall or update your graphics drivers, and consider resetting the control panel settings to default.
- Third-Party Tools: If built-in settings won’t work, try the Custom Resolution Utility (CRU) to force the resolution.
5. Additional Tips for Modern Displays
Modern monitors come with unique challenges, especially when dealing with ultrawide or 4K displays:
- Scaling Settings: Adjust Windows scaling options to ensure text and images appear crisp, especially on high-DPI screens.
- Multiple Monitor Setups: Verify that each monitor is correctly detected and configured within Windows Display Settings. Custom resolutions might need tweaking per display.
- Refresh Rate Optimization: Confirm your monitor’s maximum refresh rate and use that value to prevent display issues.
Conclusion
By following these updated steps, you can unlock the full potential of your monitor—whether you’re pushing for ultrawide, 4K, or any custom resolution. The process works across Nvidia, AMD, and Intel systems, ensuring you get the best visual experience regardless of your hardware. If you continue to experience issues, refer to the troubleshooting tips above or consult the support resources for your specific GPU.
Have any additional tips or questions? Share your thoughts in the comments below and help others achieve the perfect display setup.
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It helped thank you
I get all the way to the NVIDIA control panel screen that has the “Create Custom Resolution” button. Said button is blanked out. Do you know a possible reason for this? I have an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB graphics card. Monitor is 2560×1080 LG ultrawide. Plugged to DisplayPort port on the graphics card. NVIDIA specs say maxium digital resolution is 7680×4320@60Hz. When the monitor is plugged to the one HDMI port on the graphics card, it works perfectly, so I know I don’t have trouble with the cable or the card. But the HDMI port is the only port capable of carrying sound (according to NVIDIA control panel). I need the HDMI port for another display which bluetooths the sound to my home stereo system. All I need is to get the 2560×1080 ultrawide to display the proper resolution by plugging to a DisplayPort, but it won’t, when connected to the DisplayPort ports. Highest resolution it gives me as an option is 1920×1080. Incidentally, I am forced to use an HDMI to DisplayPort adapter to plug the monitor HDMI cable to the NVIDIA DisplayPort. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
What I found, Dan, is that you have to have the “lower” resolution that Windows offers selected in the Display settings in Windows. Then you can select the offered option in Nvidia Control Panel (the lower settings one that you want to customize), and it should let you select it. If you have DSR Factors turned on, Nvidia Control Panel won’t let you customize any sizes. If all else fails in the app, you can reset the settings to their default, and it will let you do customizations. I also found that on the Change resolution screen/tab in the program, if it shows greyed out, and there’s a cancel option, click Cancel, and it will often let the Customize option appear for clicking.
This works fine when I apply this settings while PC is on. If I restart or shutdown, the PC won’t boot to windows, I think if freezes because no light change while I press caps lock or num lock. The only way that I can fix this is to force shutdown, and disconnect the hdmi cable.
I am using a laptop (asus G75vw) connected to (samsung odyssey g5 1440p).
Anyone got an idea why this is happening?
Thank you in advance.
same here.
Thank you very much. It works 🙂
Mine does it, but only for a second after I hit apply. Then it reverts back to 1080p any advice?
Nvidia Control Panel – Manage 3d Settings – Global – Make sure Image scaling is on
Great information, it helped me get my new ultra-wide monitor set up. Thank you.
custom resolution is not showing up with other resolutions so any fix???
“customize” is greyed out, any fix for this ?
When I click custom it opens up and the “create custom resolution” option is grayed out.
Thank you. Very helpful.
Thank you SO much, this tiny piece of info was the missing link, in my case: Set the Timing to CVT reduced blank.
This one solved my problem too
This solved my problem as well, thanks!
Thanks, thanks, thanks a lot, worked for me.
GPU: ASUS GT440 CuSilent
Monitor: ASUS VX24AH.
I was just little bit terrifide to press “test” button, because clicking “creating custom resolution” in the previous page, a window has appeared with described all the risks involved.
It is very important to check the specifications. In the end everything went fine
Thank you very much again.
Sir I don’t have the display tab on Nvidia Control Panel.
If you don’t have the display tab, then you likely have “Intel Display Settings” or something similar in the list of options when you right click on your desktop. Open that, and you should fairly easily be able to find the custom resolutions menu.
I, too, don’t have a display option in the Nvidia control panel and when I right-click on my desktop it looks the exact same as in the picture above.. no Intel Display Settings either but just “Display Settings” in which I don’t see anywhere for customized resolutions. Any help appreciated!
After doing some searching on this issue, It sounds like you might have Nvidia Optimus graphics hardware.
New laptops that come with NVIDIA Optimus graphics hardware generally include Intel’s onboard graphics solution, too. The laptop switches between each on-the-fly.
For most PC use, the onboard Intel graphics hardware is just fine. You will not notice a difference between onboard and discrete graphics when using desktop applications. There is a difference, however – integrated Intel graphics use much less power than NVIDIA graphics. By using the low-power onboard graphics when a high-power dedicated graphics card isn’t necessary, laptops can save power and increase battery life.
To determine which graphics card the output is connected to go into the NVIDIA Control Panel > PhysX tab. There should be a clear illustration which graphics card each display output is connected to. If all the display outputs are connected to the Intel graphics card then you will not see the Display options in the NVIDIA Control Panel. But if any output is connected to the NVIDIA graphics card, then connecting a display to that port should enable the Display options. For example, if the HDMI output is connected to the NVIDIA graphics, then connecting/enabling a display to the HDMI port should immediately enable all the Display options in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
If you cannot get the Display tab to show, you might be able to force higher resolutions using the Custom Resolution Utility (CRU). I have tried this tool myself and it works great, but I have not tested it on Nvidia Optimus graphics.
Thank you , worked for me!
Laptop: Fujitsu NH570 ,
GPU: GT 330m
Monitor:DELL U2719D
the ‘Timing to CVT reduced blank’ was crucial to this fix.
😎
This was an excellent article! It was functionally organized (e.g, simplest things first) and spot-on for me.
I don’t know what “CVT reduced blank” is, but setting it was the key to getting my display to fill the screen. It’s a pity that timing “automatic” remains the default in NVIDIA control panel even when you’re defining non-standard resolutions.