I'm looking to buy a new monitor and noticed that some have a resolution of 1920x1200 while others are 1920x1080. I'm wondering what the practical differences are between these two resolutions.
From what I understand, both have the same horizontal pixel width of 1920. But 1920x1200 has an extra 120 vertical pixels compared to 1080p. This gives 1920x1200 an aspect ratio of 16:10 while 1920x1080 is 16:9.
So here are my questions:
Is the extra vertical space of 1920x1200 noticeable and useful in typical applications like web browsing, office work, gaming, etc? Or is it pretty minor?
Are there any disadvantages to 1920x1200 vs 1080p, like less compatibility with games and video content?
For the same size screen (say 24"), will 1920x1080 look sharper since the pixels are smaller? Or is the difference negligible?
Is there typically a big price difference between 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 monitors?
I'd appreciate any insights from those who have experience with both 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 monitors. I want to choose the best resolution for my needs. Thanks!
I have used both 1920x1200 and 1920x1080 monitors quite extensively for work and gaming. In my experience, the extra 120 vertical pixels of 1920x1200 compared to 1080p definitely makes a noticeable difference in screen real estate and usability.
The extra vertical space allows you to fit more content on screen at once, whether it's extra lines in documents, more visible cells in spreadsheets, additional room for toolbars and menus, or a taller field of view in games. It's not a huge difference, but it's enough to feel a bit less cramped and crowded.
In terms of compatibility, I haven't run into any issues running games or videos at 1920x1200. Modern GPUs and apps handle the resolution just fine. The only downside is that some older games and videos meant for 1080p will have small black bars at the top and bottom when viewed full screen on a 1200p monitor. But it's not too bothersome.
As far as image quality, 1920x1200 at 24" generally looks sharper compared to 1920x1080 at the same size because the pixel density is higher. The screen real estate benefits of 1200p outweigh this for me, but it's a matter of personal preference.
Both resolutions have the same width (1920 pixels), but 1920x1200 is taller. Here's a quick breakdown: