Cfolk Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

It seems to my that over time my display has been loosing sharpness.

I am using:
DELL3007WFPHC (1920x1200@60Hz)
1024MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 5700 Series (ATI)
Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
Lightroom Clasic

Can displays go bad over time?

Charley

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Yes, they can. I had a top of the line NEC monitor that slowly got more and more blurry over time. I don't know what caused it so I bought a new monitor.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

How old is your display?What do you have the resolution set at?

Cfolk Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

color:Bpp. 1920x1200 Landscape using a AMD graphics card
Display is possibly 8 years old

Charley

Aldente

Absolutely. It's my second Eizo that went dead on me. The first one, years ago, had power supply issue with shutting down, to remedy which, according to Eizo's estimate, would cost me "only" about $1200.
That was their 16" FlexScan.
A few years ago I found another $3200 30" FlexScan, that firstly had its display die on me shortly after warranty period expired. That repair cost me $800 to replace the screen's LCD panel.
About a year ago it started flickering and I dread to think what else could be wrong with it. It's one of the best monitors out there, but now I see that they are soooo fragile and unreliable long-term.
So, yes, they can go bad.
With respect to your question, you need to find out if it is your monitor or the video card that's bad. Have another video card swapped and see if there's a change.
Also, it's a known fact, if you don't use surge suppressors of any kind and plug your monitor DIRECTLY into the wall outlet, it's a sure way to lose sharpness.
TVs have always been the subjects to the same problem, particularly when CRTs were still around.

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

Eight years you say... in the words of movie "My Cousin Vinny" do you think it might be time for a thicker pair of glasses?

Seriously, over time they can loose sharpness and if it has been 8 yrs treat yourself to a new one. 21-27" quality ones can be had for under $300 (or even under $200) and you will be amazed at the advancements since buying yours.

Cfolk Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

"Thicker pair of glasses" might apply to me too.

Thanks all

Charley

Cape Coral Joel

The age of the monitor is a factor. Have you tried to recalibrate the monitor? I use the Xrite I1 Display Pro on both of my Dell 30in 4k monitors and the Xrite is recommended by Dell(they probably own the company) I have also had good results from a Spyder. Its worth a try if you haven't and if it doesn't work and you replace the monitor you should have a recal. tool to keep it at it's best.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Displays go bad over time and the change occurs little by little. That is the main reason why monitors used for photography are calibrated periodically.

leftj Loc: Texas

Yes but so can your vision.

NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

Yes they can. It is often a result of a deteriorating power supply or a weakening of capacitors. If you have its power plugged into a power strip/surge protector, that can also be a culprit for shaky power issues. I have actually had systems that were experiencing lockups and replacing the power strip/surge protector fixed the problem. You should really have both you system and monitor plugged directly into a good quality battery backup unit. While power surges can damage equipment, they are actually a very minor part of the electrical issues. The biggest issue is "brown outs" where there is a drop in line voltage, but not enough for your system to stop working or shut down. Your power supplies in your equipment will try to compensate, but that is limited and over time the stress weakens the components.

CanonTom Loc: Birmingham

Answer, yes they can, but first simply check your current monitor settings. You may have accidentially changed it.....

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

How old are you and do you wear glasses? I am using a Dell 27 inch monitor and sit 24 inches from it. I am 87 years old. I do see sharpness less or more on the downloads.

DaveMM Loc: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

This was my first thought, as if the graphics card is not set to the native resolution of the monitor it will look fuzzy. I had a different problem. When I changed to to Windows 10, AMD no longer updated the drivers for my 10 year old graphics card so the card not be set to match the monitor resolution or refresh rate of my new monitor. I ended up replacing my computer box, as it was not worth trying to replace the graphics card. That turned out to be a great move, as the new computer is extremely fast compared with the old one.

jackpinoh Loc: Kettering, OH 45419

Get your eyes checked first. If they are 20/20, buy a new display.

Well-researched recommendations can be found at: https://thewirecutter.com/?s=computer+monitor