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Ron

Ron

Dum Spiro Spero
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Apr 16, 2005
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Sharon, SC
Got a new PC and monitor and having issues getting them to co-operate.

Video card is a NVidia 256mB GeForce 7300 LE
Monitor is Acer Al1917W

Specs on monitor say it supports 1440x900, 700:1 contrast, 5ms response time. That is literally all the specs on it. Comes wth no drivers and web site is barely helpful if at all.

Managed to find the most updated driver for the monitor (1/07) and have downloaded the latest Forceware for the vid card.

The nVidia forum geeks, all say the card will do 1440x900 "easy" but its not a choice in the standard settings and when I try to create a custom setting at this reolution, it doesnt save. Which seems to indicate the monitor doesn't support that resolution.

I have tried this with both the default monitor driver package (generic windows P&P) and the one from the acer site.

Any other ideas?
What could I be missing?
 
What connector are you using on that monitor, I ask because that resolution my only be availible throught the hi-def "so to speak" DVI monitor plug on your graphics card. The vga might not be able to support that.
 
Using DVI and have tried the VGA at the advice of one of their geeks who said sometimes higher resolutions were only available on older connectors, which just seeemed wrong but I tried it none-the-less
 
I think you are overlooking the refresh rate. If Nvidia offers a manual option to select a refresh rate, got to get that right.
Its long been understood that its possible to damage components in the video if unsupported refresh rates are run. I would research what your monitor recommends and then set the video card to a resolution that supports the recommended refresh rate. If you are running a 19", 1280x1024 at 60 hz sounds familiar.

:beer:
 
SEAIRESCUE said:
If you are running a 19", 1280x1024 at 60 hz sounds familiar.
:beer:
Click to expand...

Thats part of my issue.
I cant find any info on the refresh rate.
Its a 19" LCD wide screen. it needs 16:10 25:20 would look all FUBAR.

Dammit.
im gonna throw this POS away. I swear. i was up until 3AM trying to fix. And have posted on 4 boards usually home to pretty good computer help (this being 1) and no luck
 
SEAIRESCUE said:
I think you are overlooking the refresh rate. If Nvidia offers a manual option to select a refresh rate, got to get that right.
Its long been understood that its possible to damage components in the video if unsupported refresh rates are run. I would research what your monitor recommends and then set the video card to a resolution that supports the recommended refresh rate. If you are running a 19", 1280x1024 at 60 hz sounds familiar.
:beer:
Click to expand...

Since this is an LCD and he's using DVI, refresh rate really isn't that critical for avoiding damage. On the old CRT monitors this was literally teh rate at which the electron gun moves across the screen; potential for damge coems from pushing it to move faster than it is specced for. LCD has no "gun", it's pixels flipping and is all digitally controled (rate of flipping status). If you set it too high the control just says "no" and it will shut off and give error messege (like "unsupported frame rate".
Even still, it would be nice to know what the max supported rate is. Acer's website is miserable.
I doubt it is a refresh issue though, since you CAN see out of it in otehr resolutions.
To me thsi smells liek an issue with the Acer drivers. While the vid card can indeed cover the resolution, its the monitor drivers that provide the list of available options. Yours is an oddball one, since it's widescreen, so I wouldn't expect it to be listed in any generic driver sets. I'm just curious, when you go and look under Advanced - Adapter - List All Modes, how many does it list? Is it there? It *should* be, although I'm sure you've checked here.
I'd also be curious to peak into the .ini file for the driver, see if what you need is even listed in there. If it isn't, then something is wrong, Acer has dropped the ball someplace.
 
SkyHiK5 said:
Thats part of my issue.
I cant find any info on the refresh rate.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about teh refresh. If you get to where you can/have to set it manually, do 60Hz. It will defiitely tolerate that.
 
Yeah I had stuck with 60 for safety.
The acer site Blows hard.
And there driver is a POS, it doesnt even include an installer just a zip with a readme that is useless.

The only way I can approach the right resolution was to go into advanced settings on the vid card and try custom timing.

I really regret this monitor purchase, but my CRT went out and I was under the gun. Wal-Mart was open at 2:30 AM.

I still have the receipt and box, so its an option. but if it would work, I hate to take it back.
 
4x4fever said:
get a mac :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

Great Idea...

Sorry I can buy 4 of my current set ups for the cost of 1 comparable Mac.

I really havee no loyalty either way there, but I can't see the money difference...
 
For everyone who tried to help by posting and PM'ing.
I appreciate it.

Finally figured this out.
Apparently nvidia (the vdi card manufacturer) is aware of this prroblem and has a new driver to resolve the problem. Unfortunately they intentionally choose to label this a Beta driver, to discourage users from downloading it and, presumably, instead choosing to just go purchase a newer more expensive vcard.

If anyone else weree to run into the problem, all you neeed is forceware 100.87 and a reboot and all is well....
 
I would set your resolution higher than 60hz if you haven't already....60 hz is flickery since it is at the very edge of what a human eye can. You may not notice it now but if you jump up to say 70 or 75 hz it will look much better.
 
maddog411 said:
I would set your resolution higher than 60hz if you haven't already....60 hz is flickery since it is at the very edge of what a human eye can. You may not notice it now but if you jump up to say 70 or 75 hz it will look much better.
Click to expand...

You won't see it b/c it's an LCD. The pixels stay on for the whole frame (@ 60Hz that's 16.6ms). A CRT only has it "lit" for a fraction of a ms, every 16.6ms, that's why you can see it on old monitors.
"Critical flicker frequency" of the human visual system is about 60Hz, like you said.... That's why the monitor works in the 1st place.

Now, on that LCD you WILL notice it when things are moving around, faster refresh = smoother movement.
 
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