Display timings

[silikone]

Looking through the available display resolutions of my monitor, it made me wonder what the significance of display timings are. I assumed it was a VGA analog quirk, but I now realize that digital signals consist of this as well.
How arbitrary are these timings? Is there only one solution for each set of width, height, and refresh rate? How come 1080p needs detailed EDID descriptors while other resolutions don't?

[Q83Ia7ta]

How arbitrary are these timings?

I guess it depends on many factors like model of mainboard, lcd panel, t-con. And almost unique for each model.

Is there only one solution for each set of width, height, and refresh rate?

No. Different 1080p 144Hz monitors have different timings at 1920x1080@144Hz.

How come 1080p needs detailed EDID descriptors while other resolutions don't?

Some monitors have many timings. If you see at EDID only timings for native resolution other resolutions are by standard VESA timings I guess.
I guess monitors have unique timings for best picture quality & speed at current model (combination of unique components of mainboard + lcd panel + led driver(?)).

I only know one good software to see EDID data: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm
Try it.

I may be wrong. Correct me blurbusters in that case )

[silikone]

I only know one good software to see EDID data: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm
Try it.

Looking at this, it reports my current mode as being 120.4Hz, but I can't make sense of why this is. If I multiply the pixel clock and blanking resolution as reported by the program, I get a frequency that's slightly below 120Hz.

[Q83Ia7ta]

I only know one good software to see EDID data: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm
Try it.

Looking at this, it reports my current mode as being 120.4Hz, but I can't make sense of why this is. If I multiply the pixel clock and blanking resolution as reported by the program, I get a frequency that's slightly below 120Hz.

It's ok.