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Dual Monitor Resolution Mismatch: Fixing a Stretched Image
A technician is configuring a dual-monitor setup for a stock trader. The primary monitor is a 27-inch 1440p display connected via DisplayPort, and the secondary is a 24-inch 1080p display connected via HDMI. The user notices that windows dragged to the secondary monitor appear stretched. What is the most likely cause?
Quick Answer
The answer is that the secondary monitor’s resolution is set to 1440p instead of its native 1080p. This is the most likely cause because when a monitor receives a signal at a resolution higher than its native panel resolution, the display driver must scale the image down to fit the physical pixels, which introduces distortion and stretching. In a dual monitor setup with a resolution mismatch, each display must be configured to its own native resolution in Windows Display Settings; the 1080p monitor should be set to 1920x1080, not the 1440p resolution intended for the primary display. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of display configuration and scaling, often appearing as a troubleshooting question where the technician must identify that a stretched image on a secondary monitor is not a cable or driver fault but a simple resolution misconfiguration. A common trap is assuming the stretched image is caused by a bad HDMI cable or incorrect aspect ratio setting, but the core issue is always matching the resolution to the monitor’s native specs. Memory tip: “Native resolution, no distortion—set each screen to its own proportion.”
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the misconception that HDMI cable version or graphics card limitations cause scaling issues, when the real culprit is a manual resolution override that mismatches the monitor's native resolution.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The secondary monitor's resolution is set to 1440p instead of 1080p
When a 1080p monitor is configured to run at 1440p, the graphics card scales the image to fit the physical panel, but the pixel density mismatch causes stretching and blurriness. The secondary monitor's native resolution is 1920x1080, so setting it to 2560x1440 forces non-native scaling, distorting the image. This is the most common cause of stretched windows in a multi-monitor setup with different native resolutions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The HDMI cable is not version 2.0 or higher
Why it's wrong here
HDMI 1.4 supports 1080p, so cable version is not causing stretching.
- ✓
The secondary monitor's resolution is set to 1440p instead of 1080p
Why this is correct
If the 1080p monitor is set to a higher resolution, the OS scales it, causing stretching.
- ✗
The graphics card cannot support two different resolutions
Why it's wrong here
Modern GPUs easily support multiple resolutions.
- ✗
The secondary monitor is set to extend mode instead of duplicate
Why it's wrong here
Extend mode is correct for dual monitors; duplicate would mirror, not stretch.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that their external monitor connected via HDMI shows a blurry image and the text is hard to read. They have tried a different HDMI cable and the issue persists. What is the most likely cause?
easy- A.The HDMI cable is defective.
- B.The monitor's refresh rate is set too low.
- ✓ C.The display resolution is set below the monitor's native resolution.
- D.The graphics driver is corrupted.
Why C: When an external monitor displays a blurry image with hard-to-read text, the most likely cause is that the display resolution is set below the monitor's native resolution. Each LCD monitor has a fixed native resolution (e.g., 1920x1080), and running at any other resolution forces the monitor to scale the image, which introduces blurriness and loss of sharpness. Since the user already tried a different HDMI cable, the cable is not the issue, and a low refresh rate typically causes flickering or motion artifacts, not static blur.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.