Color calibration & fuzzy text

I recently purchased an Acer Predator XB241H monitor to go with a new desktop system designed for gaming and video editing. My operating system is Windows 10 Home Edition, Version 1709, Build 16299.371. Out of the box, the monitor has displayed fuzzy text and way over contrasted photos. Unfortunately, I'm new to W10 and in general a bit challenged as a computer user. At present I'm discouraged by my XB241H's poor presentation and daunted by the task of attempting to optimally coordinate the many disparate individual color and font settings of the XB241H itself, those within Windows 10 and my NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1080 graphics card. With whom or where do I turn to find a coordinated listing of all these settings in order to model them as either a beginning or possibly end point in my plight.

Accepted answers

billsey

Unlike with old school CRT monitors there no focus adjustment with the current designs. That means a monitor that appears out of focus is either overdriving the back light causing the pixels to appear larger than they are or there's something causing pixel bleed where a signal to turn one on is interpreted to turn on adjacent pixels as well. Both of those are the type of thing that likely needs actual repair rather than just a setting adjusted. You might be able to minimize the first one by having your computer dim the display...

All comments

billsey

There are two things it is fairly easy to check when you have fuzzy text. Most times it is due to the system trying to scale the text to a different size. There are two things that determine size, screen resolution and screen scaling. If you right click on your desktop you can choose Display Settings from the context menu. In Display Settings look at both the screen resolution (it should match the native resolution of the monitor (I think yours is 1920x1080)) and desktop scaling (it should be 100% for clearest display). If both of those are already set for the best then it's time to either swap the monitor with your vendor (if it's been little enough time since purchase) or contact Acer support for warranty service.

YSoHard

Billsey, thank you so much for responding to my plea. Unfortunately, the simple resolution and scaling settings you pointed to are set at the XB241H's native resolution and the scaling is 100%. I had already substantiated their proper values from poking around on line for information. Needless to say, though I do to be clear, text characters on the display are not at all crisp, i.e. discretely distinct. As a matter of fact, some show a few colored pixels between them. Granted, I have a pair of eyes with seventy years use which one might expect to be a factor, but I have several older desktops and laptops whose text displays I perceive as far superior, so I've ruled out my eyes as culprits. I find it interesting that just those two simple resolution and scaling settings are enough to prompt you to recommend a return of the monitor. Alas, I may be begrudgingly headed there.

I can't click "yes" because your answer wasn't explicitly useful, and it also didn't address my actual question about availability of settings to model. On the other hand, I do greatly appreciate your taking the time to try to help. That's big in my book. Much appreciated, friend.

billsey

Unlike with old school CRT monitors there no focus adjustment with the current designs. That means a monitor that appears out of focus is either overdriving the back light causing the pixels to appear larger than they are or there's something causing pixel bleed where a signal to turn one on is interpreted to turn on adjacent pixels as well. Both of those are the type of thing that likely needs actual repair rather than just a setting adjusted. You might be able to minimize the first one by having your computer dim the display...

YSoHard

Yes, I have found that dimming the display helps to diminish the text fuzziness, but my thousands of photos which look great on my older LCD and other displays look horrible on the Acer XB241H; dark, over saturated and poorly contrasted. I'm going to brave the usual eternal wait times, disconnects and bullticky that tech supports usually drain we end users with and give both Acer Tech Support and Amazon Tech Support a shot at remediation. If, and probably when I strike out there, this life-sucking, not ready for prime time device that they're attempting to pass off as a display monitor will be returned. Sorry to be so negativistic, but the matrix we now inhabit is so dysfunctional, on so many levels, that it brings out the worst in me. I think Roger Waters put it best, "Why do I have to keep reading these technical manuals?" All this electronica that's continually sold as enhancing our lives, only results in confusion, frustration and corrosion. Think I need to pull the blanket over my head and hide underneath the bed again for a while. I wish you better for you, Billsey

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