Force refresh rate higher on Samsung 931BW?

Shwick

I just got a Samsung 931BW (19" 1440x900 widescreen) and was slightly mislead by the advertisement of 1440x900/75Hz. Currently on my 9200SE it does 1440x900 @ 60 Hz, it only hits 75Hz at lower resolutions. Is it possible (and safe) to force the refresh rate higher on this monitor? Are there any 19" monitors that support 1440x900 @ 75 Hz?

I can't really complain too much, this monitor is sick candy.

>GSXR<mrbusa

Yes, as long as you know your monitor is rated for 75hz and the image doesn't go screwing then you will be fine. Most likely it is just the GPU that doesn't like that refresh rat at that resolution. For example, with my Viewsonic vx922 I have to force 75hz with the 8800 cards if I install the latest LCD drivers. if I run the monitor with XP OEM drivers then I don't have to force it. With my old x850xt pe and x1950pro I didn't have to with either monitor drivers.

Shwick

monitor drivers? i'm used to plugging in a crt and just having it work, never used lcd drivers before. i paid no attention to the cd that came with this thing...

>GSXR<mrbusa

Even CRT's can have updated drivers to accommodate new graphics cards as they are released. They will be posted on the monitors manufacturers website if there are any.

H3X4D3C1M4L

Isn't that monitor an LCD?

Refresh rate doesn't matter on an LCD because its not refreshing or rescanning the image like a tube monitor has to. Due to the varying differences in the technology, of which I won't go into the esoteric differences, LCD's just expect a certain signal from your video card and vice versa and that's why you set refresh rates... but other than that you don't need to worry about it because it won't affect image quality or viewability.

Of course if that is a CRT you're using please disregard (too lazy to Google but I'm 95% sure its an LCD)

>GSXR<mrbusa

I had always thought the exact same thing until I got these 8800's because my Ati cards defaulted to 60Hz. The 8800's have to be forced for some stupid reason. You are right about image quality and view ability but with my Viewsonic vx922 I do have tearing at 60Hz compared to it's rated 75Hz if I have vsync on or off. If there was absolutely no reason for anything above 60hz then the manufacturers would not make there screens rated for higher. Certain game engines tear more than others with my LCD.

Rogacz

It's called matrix response time that makes tearing or not in LCD type displays AFAIK.

Matth

Tearing is probably due to running with vsync off and no triple bufferring.

LCD's do not flicker, so they do not need to be driven at "flicker free" scan rates.

Most LCDs will also "give up" and show a scan rate out of range warning if they don't like the scan rate, rather than some CRT's which would damage the scanning circuits.


A Radeon 9200SE is pretty low end, it may be that 1440x900 @75 is too much for it

>GSXR<mrbusa

I am so glad I don't know what afaik means. If you want me to understand then explain in english and not chat abbreviations.
My LCD has a 2ms response time and the differences in between 60Hz and 75Hz, rated frequency, is very noticeable.

Rogacz

Excuse me for AFAIK. It means as far as I know (however I understand the sarcasm).

So, is it noticeable in terms of tearing?

>GSXR<mrbusa

Yes.
I can tell the difference either with vsync on or off or triple buffering on or off.
This monitor likes running at 75Hz. This is the first LCD I have owned that runs 1280x1024@75Hz so it may not be as noticeable with others that have a higher refresh rate.

Rogacz

V-sync and triple buffering has a visible impact on smoothness of displayed image, even on CRT, but people say there is no difference in V-refresh on LCD monitors. I'll have to search deeper, maybe there are some articles on that matter.