Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

Halcyon22 · 2010-07-30 14:55:47

I just recently got a new desktop and put Arch Linux x86_64 on it. I'm trying to set up 2 monitors, the first is a HDMI monitor and the second a VGA monitor. The HDMI works fine, but the VGA is the problem. The VGA monitor looks really wavy and unreadable, its hard to explain it, its impossible to read text with out having my eyes start to hurt. It seemed at first like a refresh rate problem so I made new mode lines with xrandr at higher refresh rates but that didn't help at all. The thing is the VGA monitor works fine when I plug in into my laptop that has Arch i686. I have been trying to figure out why the monitor works with the laptop but not with the desktop? I should also mention both monitors work fine on any Windows version and when I tried with a old Xubuntu 9.04 disk, except when I updated/upgraded the VGA monitor went all wavy like on Arch. It is also still messed up when I just use the VGA monitor with no HDMI. Also when I boot up everything is fine with both monitors its just once it gets past the POST it starts looking messed up, when it boots Arch. I'm really stumped, don't think its a xorg issue if its happening when Arch boots, right? Tried with and without KMS as well. With the laptop and desktop I use xrandr with no xorg.conf to set the correct resolution, position, etc.
Here is the info for the Desktop and Laptop. If you need anything else just ask. Thanks.

Desktop (HDMI + VGA):

Arch x86_64
Kernel: 2.6.34.1-1
Graphics driver: xf86-video-intel 2.12.0-1 with KMS
xorg-server 1.8.1.902-1

lspci output

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 12)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 12)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio (rev 06)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 06)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev 06)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev 06)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev a6)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 4 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 06)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)
05:01.0 Network controller: RaLink RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI

xrandr -q output

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1600 x 900, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   1366x768       59.8 +
   1024x768       75.1     60.0  
   800x600        75.0     60.3  
   640x480        75.0     60.0  
   720x400        70.1  
HDMI1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI3 connected 1600x900+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 443mm x 249mm
   1600x900       60.0*+   60.0  
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0  
   1152x864       75.0  
   1024x768       75.1     60.0  
   800x600        75.0     60.3  
   720x576        50.0  
   720x480        59.9  
   640x480        75.0     60.0  
   720x400        70.1  
DP2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Xorg log

http://codepad.org/MOvXdWtP

Laptop (Laptop screen + VGA):

Arch i686
Kernel: 2.6.34.1-1
Graphics driver: xf86-video-intel 2.12.0-1 with KMS
xorg-server 1.8.1.902-1

lspci output

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 07)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 02)

xrandr -q output

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 800, maximum 8192 x 8192
VGA1 connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
   1366x768       59.8 +
   1024x768       75.1     60.0  
   800x600        75.0     60.3  
   640x480        75.0     60.0  
   720x400        70.1  
LVDS1 connected 1280x800+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 331mm x 207mm
   1280x800       60.0*+
   1024x768       60.0  
   800x600        60.3     56.2  
   640x480        59.9  
DP1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
TV1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Xorg log

http://codepad.org/BEjVdqCf

Square · 2010-07-30 19:12:38

Try setting your VGA monitor to 1024x768 @ 75.1 Hz. (xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1024x768 --rate 75.1)

I tend to have problems with CRTs when I go above or below 75Hz, which is similar to what you describe as 'wavy'.

Halcyon22 · 2010-07-30 19:37:13

Square wrote:

Try setting your VGA monitor to 1024x768 @ 75.1 Hz. (xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1024x768 --rate 75.1)
I tend to have problems with CRTs when I go above or below 75Hz, which is similar to what you describe as 'wavy'.

This produces the same result, both monitors are LCD monitors, I have also tried "forcing" it to have a 75 refresh rate at 1366x768 with no luck. Anything beyond that and the monitor displays a error message saying "It doesn't support the refresh rate".

Last edited by Halcyon22 (2010-07-30 19:37:34)

Halcyon22 · 2010-08-01 18:16:05

bump

ewaller · 2010-08-01 22:00:16

For an LCD monitor using a VGA interface:
1. Always use the native resolution of the LCD. Period. Anything else just has to be scaled in the monitor to the native resolution anyway.
2. You talk about "waves". This sounds like a combination of your monitor's pixel clock and clock phase settings. Your monitor may have an auto configure mode available from the OSD menu. If that does not work, look for a setting having to do with pixel clock. As you increase or decrease the value, the number of and spacing of the waves will change. Adjust it until there are no waves. Then move on to the clock phase setting. As you increase or decrease the value, the picture will become "fuzzy" and unstable around the edges of things drawn on the screen. Find the upper and lower settings where this happens and set the phase half way in between the two.

This happens because the VGA signal is designed to drive a CRT where the signal is controlling the brightness of the Red, Green and Blue guns continuously as the beam sweeps across the display. LCDs have to sample that signal for each pixel. The problem is that the VGA signal has no pixel clock, so the monitor needs to make one up. It does this using something called a phase locked loop (PLL). The PLL creates a local pixel clock used to sample the video. It expects some fixed number of samples to fit between subsequent horizontal sync pulses, which are available in the VGA signal. Every Horizontal sync pulse, the monitor evaluates whether its pixel clock is running too fast or too slow to achieve the desired number of samples. If the VGA signal is timed such that the video level is changing during the time the recreated pixel clock causes the sample to occur, you get the effect you describe.

In short, the pixel clock setting controls how many "Waves" you see, and the pixel phase is used to create a stable picture one the wave phenomenon is tamed. This is all moot if you are trying to put 1600 points across a 1280 wide LCD -- use the native resolution of the display.

tomaszc · 2010-11-08 18:15:45

same with me, but this is driver problem, this same hardware, display, cable in the same resolution on windows7 displaying correctly
problem is also described here in Polish

if someone could report it as a bug?

Arch Linux

#1 2010-07-30 14:55:47

Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

#2 2010-07-30 19:12:38

Re: Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

#3 2010-07-30 19:37:13

Re: Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

#4 2010-08-01 18:16:05

Re: Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

#5 2010-08-01 22:00:16

Re: Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

#6 2010-11-08 18:15:45

Re: Strange monitor/s problem with Intel HD

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