Custom Resolution Utility - CRU

Custom Resolution Utility - CRU is a handy tool that lets you set new resolutions for your AMD/ATI or NVIDIA graphics cards on Windows Vista and later. This app is great because it can add new monitor resolutions, not just scale existing ones. So, if you have a lower resolution, you can scale it up to make it look better, but remember that your monitor has to support the new settings for this to work.

Compatibility with GPUs

Now, it's important to know that only AMD/ATI or NVIDIA graphics cards work with Custom Resolution Utility. Sadly, Intel GPUs don't allow EDID overrides, which means this tool won't run on laptops that use switchable graphics.

No Installation Needed!

The best part? You don't have to install anything! Just double-click the executable file, and boom! You'll see the main window of the app right away. It's super user-friendly and shows you all the existing resolutions for your selected monitor. From there, you can create both detailed and standard resolutions easily.

Configuring Resolutions

You can tweak various parameters for detailed resolutions like horizontal and vertical active resolution, sync width, blanking options, sync polarity, and refresh rate. You can set up to six entries here! The first one is considered your preferred resolution. And don't worry; if you're using any GPU type, the graphics driver will automatically add lower scaled resolutions.

Automatic Options for Ease

If messing around with timing conditions sounds a bit tricky for you, no worries! There are automatic presets available for both LCD and CRT monitors. The 'LCD standard' option uses common settings found in HDTVs while 'LCD reduced' helps reduce pixel clock for faster refresh rates.

Importing EDID Files

You also have the option to import EDID files in formats like BIN, RAW, DAT, or INF if you want to override existing resolution settings.

Diving Deeper into Customization

Custom Resolution Utility isn't just about basic stuff; it allows users to play around with different parameters too! This feature is especially useful when trying to get older monitors working at higher resolutions.

Know Your GPU Beforehand!

Before jumping in with this tool though, take a moment to check out what your GPU can handle. For example: NVIDIA units only support 8 standard resolutions between 60-123 Hz and need at least 2 bytes of space for data blocks. A help file with all this info would be super helpful!

If ever you want to reset everything back to default settings after experimenting (which we all do sometimes), just use the 'reset-all.exe' app included in the downloaded archive. For more details or download here, check out SoftPas!