Monitor resolution is the measurement of the number of pixels that a computer display, also called a computer monitor, can show at one time. Monitors that display more pixels offer a sharper, brighter image. The term pixels is short for picture elements, and a pixel is the smallest element of an image.

The term monitor resolution can be a little misleading, in part because today's computer displays sometimes serve as televisions, and vice versa. However, because all types of displays make use of pixels, measuring resolution with pixel counts is common. The terms monitor resolution, display resolution, and pixel dimensions all have a similar meaning. You'll sometimes see resolutions measured in the pixels per inch that a monitor can display, both horizontally and vertically.

The computer monitor combines all of the pixels to create the image, and, ultimately, the monitor resolution measurement for the display. Each pixel is so small that the human eye cannot distinguish between individual pixels. Instead, the eye naturally blends them together to create the image.

A computer monitor has a native resolution, which is the resolution at which its images look best. When displaying images at resolutions other than the native resolution, the image might not look as sharp because of the resizing that must occur. Liquid crystal displays are most affected by native resolution.

Several standard pixel measurements make up common monitor resolution amounts for computer displays. For example, QSXGA measures 2,560 pixels by 2,048 pixels, which usually is shortened to 2560x2048. The monitor resolution measurement means a QSXGA display measures 2,560 pixels horizontally by 2,048 pixels vertically, which is a 5-to-4 ratio. Numerous other standard measurements exist, including: WUXGA, which is 1920x1200; UGA, which is 1600x1200; SXGA, which is 1280x1024; and XGA, which is 1024x768.

To determine the total number of pixels in a standard monitor resolution, just multiply the two pixel measurements. Using QSXGA monitor resolution as an example again, multiply 2,560 by 2,048 to yield a total number of pixels of 5,242,880, usually shortened to 5.24 million pixels, or 5.24 megapixels. An XGA monitor resolution (1024 by 768) would yield 786,432 total pixels, or 0.79 megapixels. Keep in mind that a monitor measuring 15 inches with 3 megapixels of monitor resolution would create a sharper image than a 20-inch computer monitor with 3 megapixels of monitor resolution, because the smaller monitor would offer more pixels per inch than the larger monitor.

On average, computer monitors have higher resolutions than television displays. A high-definition TV resolution can vary from 1920x1080 to 1280x720, but the top monitor resolutions for computer displays carry significantly more pixels. Both types of displays have seen steady increases in the total number of pixels they can display during the past several years, and monitor resolution should continue to increase in the future.