How do I get my two monitors to display at different maximum resolutions?

In this excerpt from
Answercast #49, I look at a computer that is not displaying dual monitors
correctly. The setting should be right there in Screen Resolution.

Dual monitors

The short answer is I’m not quite sure.

• If anything, it’s a limitation of the graphics card that you’re running
  right now.

It may not necessarily take a second graphics card if that’s the case. It
may just take a different graphics card. But before you go down that road, I
want to investigate a couple of other options because I actually run this
way.

Different resolutions

I have a graphics card that has two outputs and I’m able to set those
different outputs to different resolutions if I want to. Windows 7 in
particular handles this very, very well.

• The right thing to do is to right-click on the
  Desktop, an empty area on the Desktop;

• And go to Screen Resolution.

There, you will be able to see Windows’ concept of how your monitors are set
up. It will actually show you a graphical representation of two monitor images
next to each other.

• If you click on one, you can then change the resolution on that monitor.

• If you click on the other, you can change the resolution on that
  monitor.

Presumably, the graphics card is exposing the full capabilities of each of
the two different connections and Windows will allow you to select the most
appropriate resolution for that specific monitor – independent of what the
resolution is on the other monitor.

A new graphics card

Now, Windows supports this. So if for some reason that doesn’t happen (in
other words, both seem to be restricted to the lower of the two maximum
resolutions), then my only assumption can be that the graphics card itself is
incapable of driving two monitors at the same time at different
resolutions.

• There are absolutely graphics cards that can do that.

A second graphics card

Another approach, as you mentioned, is in fact a second graphics card.

• Windows will recognize that and it will drive both graphics cards just
  fine.

So, like I said, try Windows; it may simply work for you if you know how
to get into the user interface to make it configure. If not, then one way or
another, it does seem to be a limitation of your graphics card and either adding
to it or replacing it are probably the most likely ways to resolve the
problem.