Arch Linux

MillTek

Member

Registered: 2005-01-30

Posts: 442

How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

Hi,
This is causing me grief.

I just bought a Viewsonic VA912B LCD monitor. According to Viewsonic it's native mode is 1280X1024 @ 60Hz. The docs also say that anything above 75 eill damage it. However, nothing I try will get me 60Hz. X persists in running it at 75Hz.

My machine has a Nvidia GeForce FX5200 graphics card.

I would really appreciate any help I can get. I really don't want to blow this monitor!

Jim

Here is my xorg.conf;

Section "Module"

    Load        "dbe"      # Double buffer extension

    SubSection  "extmod"
      Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection

    Load        "freetype"

    Load       "glx"
# This loads the DRI module
#    Load       "dri"

EndSection

Section "Files"

    RgbPath    "/usr/share/X11/rgb"

    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"

EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier    "Keyboard1"
    Driver    "kbd"

    Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"

    Option "XkbRules"    "xorg"
    Option "XkbModel"    "pc101"
    Option "XkbLayout"    "us"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    Identifier    "Mouse1"
    Driver    "mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "ExplorerPS/2"    # Explorer PS/2
    Option "Device"      "/dev/input/mice"

    Option "ZAxisMapping"   "4 5 6 7"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    Identifier  "va912b"

    HorizSync   30 - 82

    VertRefresh 50 - 85
Option "DPMS" "true"
# 1280x1024 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 63.60 kHz; pclk: 108.88 MHz
  Modeline "1280x1024"  108.88  1280 1360 1496 1712  1024 1025 1028 1060  -HSync +Vsync
  DisplaySize  337.9  270.3

EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Standard VGA"
    VendorName    "Unknown"
    BoardName    "Unknown"

    Driver     "vga"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "fx5200"
    Driver      "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "fx5200"
    Monitor     "va912b"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "Simple Layout"
    Screen "Screen 1"

    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

Gullible Jones

Member

Registered: 2004-12-29

Posts: 4,863

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

I think "VertRefresh 50 - 85" might be part of the problem...

rayjgu3

Member

From: Chicago IL usa

Registered: 2004-07-04

Posts: 695

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

i agree with Gullible Jones
why dont you grab hwd
run
hwd -e
hwd -s
hwd -h
the last one will give recommended refresh rate
you could also run
hwd -x
for a sample xorg file

MillTek

Member

Registered: 2005-01-30

Posts: 442

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

OK,

hwd -e

IDE interface
  amd74xx         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 UDMA 100/133 IDE Controller
Ethernet controller
  forcedeth       : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 MCP Networking Adapter
VGA compatible controller
  vesa            : nVidia|GeForce FX 5200
Multimedia audio controller
  snd-intel8x0    : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Audio Codec Interface
RAM memory
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Memory Controller
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Memory Controller
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Memory Controller
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Memory Controller
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Memory Controller
Host bridge
  nvidia          : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 AGP Controller
ISA bridge
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 LPC / Legacy / System Management
PCI bridge
  unknown         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 External PCI Bridge
  agpgart         : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 AGP Host to PCI Bridge
USB Controller
  ohci_hcd        : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 USB 1.0 OHCI Controller
  ohci_hcd        : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 USB 1.0 OHCI Controller
  ehci-hcd        : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 USB 2.0 Enhanced Controller
SMBus
  i2c-nforce2     : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 SMBus 2.0 Controller
USB Hub
  hub             : Virtual|Hub
  hub             : Virtual|Hub
  hub             : Virtual|Hub
Mouse
  msintellips/2   : Generic PS/2 Wheel Mouse [/dev/psaux]

hwd -s

HARDWARE DETECT ver 4.8.2 (simple mode)
  Kernel     : 2.6.16-ARCH
  CPU & Cache: Processor 0 is AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+ 1837MHz, 512 KB Cache

  ALSA(sound): nVidia Corp.|nForce2 Audio Codec Interface module: snd-intel8x0
  Video      : nVidia|GeForce FX 5200 server: Xorg (vesa)
  Driver     : xf86-video-vesa
  Monitor    : Generic Monitor  H: 28.0-96.0kHz V: 50.0-75.0Hz
  Mouse      : Generic PS/2 Wheel Mouse xtype: PS2 device: /dev/psaux

  Drive(ide) : Maxtor 6Y080P0 (HD) 81969MB / 7936KB cache device: /dev/hda
  Drive(ide) : Memorex DVD+/-DLRWL1 F16 (DVDROM) 264MB  device: /dev/hdc
  Swap       : Found 1999864KB device: /dev/hda3
  Floppy     : Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M
  USB        : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 USB 1.0 OHCI Controller module: ohci_hcd

  Ethernet   : nVidia Corp.|nForce2 MCP Networking Adapter module: forcedeth device:   eth0
  Network    : No PCI card or onboard chip
  PCMCIA slot: No PCMCIA
  -----------:
  Menu       : Hwd: hwd, Lshwd: lshwd -?, X: mkxcfg
  X sample   : Generate X sample: hwd -x
  Howto      : View howto: hwd -h

part of hwd -h

Xwindows:
       Video Card   : nVidia|GeForce FX 5200
       Monitor      : Generic Monitor
       H kHz        : 28.0-96.0
       V Hz         : 50.0-75.0
       Xserver      : Xorg
       Xmodule      : vesa

Note that the xorg-conf I originally supplied was produced by hwd -x. I only added the modeline which was generated by gtf.

I also tried the 50.0 - 75.0 suggested above and when I reload X it still runs at 75Hz.  Earlier today I tried VertRefresh 60 and that didn't work,

Jim

ozar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2005-02-18

Posts: 1,686

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

Yes, the 85 sounds wrong.  The VertRefresh rate for my own LCD monitor is 56-75.

---

oz

test1000

Member

Registered: 2005-04-03

Posts: 834

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

http://www.google.com/search?hs=LoB&hl= … tnG=Search

have the same settings as you... What was the name of the setting in the xorg.conf which enabled you to disable the detection of monitor settings? D something.?

Anyway if you dont' specify horisync and vertrefresh according to man xorg.conf it will choose:
VertRefresh: default range of 43-72Hz is used
HorizSync: default range of 28-33kHz is used

---

KISS = "It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience." - Albert Einstein

cascat

Member

Registered: 2004-02-24

Posts: 62

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

I set VertRefresh 60-60 for my monitors and disable DDC if it enabled.

vacant

Member

From: downstairs

Registered: 2004-11-05

Posts: 816

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

Try

Option IgnoreEDID "true"

in the nvidia device section

fedaykin

Member

Registered: 2004-12-02

Posts: 25

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

I have the same monitor, just fixed the problem.  First I fixed the VertRefresh to 60:
"VertRefresh 60"
in the "Monitor" section and also  added:
Option "DPMS" "True"

Then I added this mode generated by running "gtf 1280 1024 60" to the same section:
   # 1280x1024 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 63.60 kHz; pclk: 108.88 MHz
  Modeline "1280x1024_60.00"  108.88  1280 1360 1496 1712  1024 1025 1028 1060  -HSync +Vsync

Then I added in the "Screen" section:
Option "MetaModes" "1280x1024_60.00"

If you want more options than that you can generate them with gtf, or "hwd -x", and then specify them in the "MetaModes".

Hope that helps.

edit:  FYI, I actually have the va712b, which is the 17" version of yours.

MillTek

Member

Registered: 2005-01-30

Posts: 442

Re: How to get new monitor to proper refersh rate.

Thanks for all the input. Here's how things stand;

I joined the Xorg mailing lists and asked the guys there. Among the solutions suggested was to reboot and try startx -- -logverbose 5 to start my windowing system.  (All the dashes are required) What this does is force the monitors to spew the contents of their EDID chips. When I looked in the Xor log I found that my screens actually have to run at 75 Hz for 1280 x 1024. This goes against the docs from Viewsonic. So I called Viewsonic. Guess what?  The docs are wrong!  So, it appears that my screens are OK at 75Hz so I'll leave them there.

I must say, I'm disappointed that Viewsonic was so casual about such an important setting. The guy even agreed that if set too high, the VertRefresh will dramatically shorten the life of the monitors.

Thanks everyone!

Jim