Terms - Matrox DualHead2Go User Manual

Terms

The following are definitions for key terms used in this guide.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a monitor describes the ratio of the monitor's width to its height. For example, a
standard monitor has an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means the image is 4 units wide for every 3 units of
height. A wide-screen monitor, however, has an aspect ratio of 16:9. This means the image is 16 units
wide for every 9 units of height. A wide-screen monitor is wider than a standard monitor.
Color palette
The number of simultaneous colors the software can show. This number is based on the number of
bits used to store the color information for each pixel. The higher the number of bits, the more
simultaneous colors the software can show.
Display mode
The combination of a resolution and refresh rate. For example, a 1280 × 1024 60 Hz display mode is
1280 pixels wide by 1024 pixels high and uses a refresh rate of 60 Hz.
GXM (Graphics Expansion Module)
DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go are external multi-monitor adapters that let you connect two or
three monitors to your laptop or desktop computer.
Refresh rate
This usually refers to the vertical refresh rate. The "vertical refresh rate" is the number of times that a
screen is updated in a second. This is measured in cycles per second (Hertz). A higher vertical refresh
rate may result in less noticeable flicker in your display, but also requires more bandwidth from your
graphics hardware.
Resolution
The number of horizontal by vertical pixels shown on your display. For example, a 640 × 480
resolution is 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels high. Higher resolutions can show more detail or
information.
52 Matrox GXM – User Guide (Mac version)