What resolution should I use?

Deus Aquila

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Nov 30, 2013
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My monitor is an old Gateway FPD1775W, its native resolution its 1280 x 720, but since I builded a new pc and upgraded to windows 8.1, the recommended resolution I get from windows is 1280x1024 and whenever I install a game it keeps recomending me that resolution instead of my native 720p (Im guessing since thats the recommended by windows), anyway which one should I use?

If I set my windows screen resolution to 1280 x 720 I get an ugly stretched image with big black bars above and below. I manage to change the settings in the Nvidia control panel in the "adjust desktop size and position" from aspect ratio to full screen, and used a supported 1280 x 800 resolution since it was the one that got the best over all aspect ratio.

Now when Im in the games on full screen, sometimes I use 720p and lately I started to use the 1280 x 1024 resolution since I think it looked a bit better, but Im not sure if Im just fooling myself.