Custom Resolution Utility - CRU

Custom Resolution Utility - CRU makes it possible for users to define new resolutions for their AMD/ATI or NVIDIA GPUs on Windows Vista and later. The application is capable of adding new monitor resolutions, not scaled ones, meaning lower resolutions can be scaled up and not the other way around. However, the monitor must support the defined resolutions for the application to work.

As mentioned above, only AMD/ATI or NVIDIA GPUs are compatible with Custom Resolution Utility, as Intel GPUs do not allow EDID overrides. That is also the reason why the application will not work on laptops with switchable graphics.

No installation is required, and users are presented with the application's main window as soon as they double click the executable file. The GUI is simple and displays a list of all the existing resolutions for the selected monitor, enabling users to create new detailed and standard resolutions.

Various parameters can be configured manually for detailed resolutions, such as the horizontal and vertical active resolution, the sync width, blanking options, the sync polarity, and the refresh rate. Up to six entries are permitted and the first entry is considered to be the preferred resolution. Lower scaleed resolutions are automatically added by the graphics driver, regardless of the GPU type.

And if users prefer not to take care of the timing conditions themselves, there are predefined automatic options for LCD and CRT monitors. The 'LCD standard' option defines parameters that are commonly used with HDTVs, while the 'LCD reduced' option can reduce the pixel clock to achieve higher refresh rates.

Alternatively, users can import EDID files (in BIN, RAW, DAT, or INF format) to override existing resolution configurations.

Aside from detailed resolutions where one can experiment with different parameters, Custom Resolution Utility can also define standard resolutions, which are particularly useful for CRT monitors.

While it may seem easy to use, the capabilities of Custom Resolution Utility are broader than the average user can understand. It can be used in various situations, making it possible for certain old or outdated monitors to work with higher resolutions.

Before using this tool, consider reading about your GPU's capabilities. For instance, note that NVIDIA processing units only support 8 standard resolutions (limited to 60-123 Hz) and require at least 2 bytes for storing data blocks. It would really be useful to have all this information and a guideline inside a help file. Nevertheless, in case you want the default settings restored, you can use the 'reset-all.exe' app inside the downloaded archive.