#ATI Mach64 & Matrox MGA2
18 messages in this thread
John,
I haven't had good luck with ATI in the past, but I thought that I would would
give them another chance. This may have been another mistake! I have an MGA
2+ w/4Mb in a P5/66 PCI that I am not completely satisfied with. It does not
operate at it highest refresh rates in 3DS. I am also using 1152x24bit on a
Viewsonic 21 and the display has a slight flicker. The same resolution and
colors appear as solid as a rock in Windoz. ?? Vibrant told me that they use
the MGA monitor setup file with the inline drivers, so the refresh should be
the same. I have tried several different monitors and the refresh is
definately not the same in 3DS3 and Windoz! I haven't found a card out there
that I am completely satified with. I quess 1600 X 1280 24bit @120Mhz refresh
is to much to ask? <g>
SSH -Graphic Realities-
I'm not experiencing the same refresh problem as you (at least I don't THINK I
am <G>)… my 3DS display seems flicker free at 1280x1024x16bit. I wonder
what's going on here…
John Tissavary (LUNA cie, inc)
Scott,
It its any consulation I am using the ATI 640 card…the vibrant drivers do not
support 1152 modes at 24bit color they only support 1280 and below. Anyhow, the
ATI card lead me to believe that it will do 70Hz or better at 1280 or even 1152
but no go…the max it does is 60Hz it will do 75Hz at 1024 but using a 21"
monitor does not exactly make use of such low res. The monitor is a Mitsibishi
Diamond Pro21FS…it is good for 1280×1024 at 80Hz or better…unfortunately no
cards can push that refrsh although the #9GXE64 does does advertise 1152×867 at
~74Hz?
Jeff
Jeff, the MGA Ultima Plus will do 200mhz.
John Tissavary (LUNA cie, inc)
John,
200Mhz eh…is that at 24bit color? and at what res. In as much as 3DS does not
need 24bit color at 1280×1024 under windows I prefer high res at 24bit color
especially with a 21" display.
Jeff
I've been using the ATI Mach64 at 1280x1024x24 and it's just great. The refresh
rate is 75Hz which is ok (200Mhz from the MGA2 must be its pixel clock rate,
not refresh rate).
Gus,
Dude…if you can squeeze 75Hz from a ATI Pro turbo let me know (-: The max I
can get is 60-61Hz at 1280x1024x24bit.
In fact the docs say the max is ~60Hz for this color depth.
Regards,
Jeff
If you go to Advanced Setup and specify your own set of parameters for the
monitor you have, and provided it can handle it, you can set the ATI to 75Hz at
1224×1024. I found in the docs the table you probably were talking about. To
tell the truth that was the first time I had opened the manual. Right in the
box it says 1224x1024x24 at 75Hz. When I first installed I went straight to
advanced setup (as "normal" setup never, never works) and the first thing I saw
was the options to set it up at 75Hz. I had just gotten a Hitachi Accuvue 21"
and it will handle 75Hz all the way to 1600×1200.
By the way, the MGA2 will do 24 bits only up to 1152×856. At 1224×1024 it is
limited to 15 bits (though it will do 1600x1200x15 as well). The monitor
requirements were ridiculous and I gave up when I saw the price for the "only"
monitor it works with.
Today I got in the mail the third set of drivers update for ATI. I had called
once complaining about a problem with PC-NFS and they now keep sending me all
the updates they release and a guy actually calls me to ask if everything is
all right, even though the very first update had fixed the problem. Some
companies will leave you in limbo for ever. Others get to be even obnoxious
with this "abundance" of tech support.
Gus,
I tried the "Custom setup" I select 1280…and then 75Hz…the screen goes
blank and then I am able to adjust the polarity/h/V syncs. If I go to high the
screen splits or is off the monitor edges? The monitor is a Mitshibishi Diamond
Pro 21FS. Some of the factory presets are this res are: 78kHz Hor and 73Hz
Vert. the full sync range is 30-78kHz and 50Hz – 130Hz Vert. go figure.
Jeff
The symptoms you described are exactly what to expect from a monitor that
doesn't support that particular refresh rate. Note that these multisynch
monitors jump from frequency to frequency. It is not a linear thing that just
goes up and up 'till its limit. You monitor might do the frequency just before
and right after but not the one needed for that mode. You might be able to
tweak it though.
Gus,
I tried last night to get a solid 1280x1024x256 but you know, I get a moire
pattern around the edges. I cannot figure out why at least under 3DS I cannot
get a high refresh at this res. Gus, if I am not mistaken you had mentioned
getting 75Hz at this res is this correct? And what did you do to the ATI Custom
setup to get that? The best I have got in 1280x1024x16M is 61.0Hz and that is
it.
Regards,
Jeff P.S. I am now using the 1.0.4 Vibrant driver. It takes about 30-40sec to
get the message "Init..3DS" and then after that it takes about 10-12sec to get
the main display. You tried the new driver?
Yes I tried the new driver just to see if made any difference. For me it still
takes the same amount of time to boot. It does switch faster between modes but,
first, it will not work in 1224x1024x24. The Vibrant driver comes back saying I
don't have memory for that (I do). Second, if I run 3DS, I cannot run Windows
without first resetting the computer. If I don't, the computer freezes as soon
as the blue Windows logo appears.
The computer I have the ATI is my development computer, not the one I run 3DS
on so I don't care. For Windows, all I had to do was to tell the advanced setup
to use 75Hz for 1224x1024x24. For NT, I didn't have to do anything. It went
straight and found my monitor (after I pointed).
Are you sure your monitor will handle that? Check the docs and see if they have
a table of resolution/timing. The Hitachi came with not only that but also with
a floppy version of the table.
>If I go to high the screen splits or is off the monitor edges?<
i too experienced this with my mistubishi hl6605. i was able to customize
by working with the monitors built in timing adj/settings. does your
monitor have those adjusments?
bill
Bill,
Yes I am pretty sure it does. The docs say something about changing the presets
by using sliding the set switch to 2 or 3 however, I am lost as to how to set
the refresh and polarity. Any help?
Jeff
Gus,
I was wondering what motherboard your using with the ATI card. I have been
trying to get a 4Mb Mach 64 card to work with an Intel P90 w/64Mb. It works
fine in Windoz but I get get a page fault when I try to run 3DS3. The ATI
works fine if I remove the 2Mb upgrade, but 2Mb won't do with a 21" monitor. I
have updated 3ds to the latest (1.0.4) inline drivers, tried different ram,
updated the flash bios on the motherboard and reinstalling 3DS. I am about out
of ideas. I may have to go back to a Matrox card.
thanks
SSH -Graphic Realities-
>> I was wondering what motherboard your using with the ATI card.
I'm using DECxl Pentiums (still waiting for the Alpha chip).
Nope, the MGA Ultima Plus (I think that's what it's called) does 200mhz. It's
the one that gets bundled with the special Nanao monitor. I'm quite certain
the refresh rate at 1280 is NOT 200mhz, but the boot up refresh is. I also
know it's the highest refresh rate of any card on the market (last I checked),
and the only one that'll work with the Nanao (things change, though, and I
haven't been reading PC mags much lately).
John Tissavary (LUNA cie, inc)
>> Nope, the MGA Ultima Plus (I think that's what it's called) does
>> 200mhz.
Nope what? As I said, I think the 200MHz figure is clock pixel rate (the ATI
top clock pixel rate is 110MHz). The refresh rate means the number of times the
entire screen is repainted. If it got repainted 200 million times per second,
it would mean that the thing would need a 300,000 GHz cristal to drive the
pixel scan. It would fry you and everyone in a 10 mile radius. Not to mention
that the radiation would go all the way to the big bang and back. The EPA/FCC
would just love that! <g>
The ATI tops off at 75Hz (refresh the screen 75 times per second). I would
think the MGA must have a 100Hz or more refresh rate for 1224×1024 (regardless
the color depth).
As I also said, my biggest problem with the MGA is the fact that there is only
one monitor out there that will support it. Too early for that kind of drive.