[Endzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by solessthanthree /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't really see anything wrong with the screenshot other than the banding on the window titles. It might be a long shot, but do you have another monitor lying around that you could try out? You could also plug your monitor into your onboard video and see if you get the same results.

Actually I have my old Pent II (made in Dec/'97) with a Diamond G640 video card in it, and when I drive this same monitor with that computer it is very obvious that the fonts and pictures and everything are much clearer and sharper. If I have time today, I think I will hook it up and post the side by side results in this thread. That tells me it is the video card.

I like 1152 X 864 and anything higher than that on this monitor (18" diagonal) is too hard on my 52-year-old eyes. But, I should see if clear type is on and font smoothing is off. I guess I can google that topic and see what the steps are.

I appreciate the input. Thanks!

 

[Zodduska]

Another thing to check would be the VGA cable, make sure it is high quality with plenty of shielding and is away from any power cables.

If you are using the same cable between both machines and get a nice picture with one then I would say it is probably the videocard.

You could also try un-checking the "show only supported modes" in the monitor refresh page and jack that baby up to 100Hz or even 120Hz, I find that much easier on my eyes than 85Hz for CRT but there is a chance the image may appear more blurry. Don't worry if you get a black screen showing the monitor is out of scan range, wait 15 seconds and it will revert to the previous setting automatically.

 

[ziplock]

Hello there!

I would still suspect refresh rate. Even though Windows says it's 85Hz, does not mean your monitor is actually doing 85Hz. The fact that it says "plug and play monitor" means that the monitor driver is generic. Try updating the driver and see if your model is listed. Your monitor may require very specific timings to operate correctly, which the generic driver may not cover. Also, try updating the Nvidia display driver to the latest from their website.

The best way to check actual refresh rate is by bringing up the OSD (On Screen Display) settings menu. Many monitors will list the Sync rates in this control panel. If it does not say "85Hz" then definitely try updating the monitor/display driver(s). If it does say 85Hz, some of the monitor settings may be out of wack. Most monitors OSD menus have the option to reset the unit to factory defaults. This may correct the issue.

I honestly don't think your new video card is causing your eyes to hurt. To me, it sounds like something is not quite configured all the way. I would try a few more things before swapping out cards.

Z

 

[MatthewK]

I doubt it has anything to do with the video card. There is practically no difference in 2D quality and performance amongst today's video cards. The "2D wars" were over a looooong time ago. I would also suspect the refresh rate. 85Hz isn't enough for my eyes, I need at least 100Hz. A lot of older CRT monitors can't do high resolutions with high refresh rates.

One trick you can try is to look at the monitor using your peripheral vision. For some odd reason it is easier to detect refresh rate flicker out of the corner of your eye than it is straight on.

One of the great things about LCD monitors is not having to deal with refresh rate flicker. A pixel is either on or off. The whole screen doesn't have to be constantly redrawn like with a CRT. This makes LCD monitors much easier on the eyes.

 

[Zorander]

It could be a lousy DAC (or some other components) used in the video card; I had a Powercolor card with pretty bad quality issues, such as grey vertical banding across the display and less-than-crisp picture. It was quite subtle most average Joes would not care to notice but it bothered me enough to replace it with a different brand. Even if the new card still exhibits similar artifacts, it is far less obvious and thus easier to ignore. Of course I am talking about the analog (not digital) output into my Sony CRT.

As for your monitor, try a more standard resolution (1280x960 for 19in, 1024*768 for 17in) at 85Hz refresh rate. Make sure that brightness and contrast settings are set to a reasonable level (don't max them!). If your monitor comes with a 'Restore Image' facility (my G420 does), use it. It will bring picture quality back to like-new.

Cheers!

Edit: You could also hunt down Built-by-ATI (not by 3rd party mftr) cards. They are supposed to have the best picture quality of any ATI cards and I can attest that through my past ownership of a 9800Pro.

 

[odigg]

Honestly, unless the video card is defective I doubt the video card is causing the problem. The days of poor 2D performance and DAC issues are long gone. NVIDIA and ATI both make good stuff.

From what has been said already, I can think of two issues.

1. That resolution and that particular monitor do not mix. I suggest you try a more traditional resolution for a while too see if that helps. I think XP has a setting for bigger icons and fonts so you can use that.

2. Your monitor is not working properly. A few years ago I had a CRT monitor that looked fine to anybody looking for obvious problems. But after a little while of using it my eyes started hurting and I got a headache. The monitor was not like that when I first got it. I could never pinpoint the exact problem, but my guess was there was a flicker or something that I couldn't identify but my eyes could see it even if my conscious brain couldn't pick it up. I replaced it with an LCD and those problems went away.

If you have a spare monitor try another it with that computer.