5.4 and dual-headed systems...

cswiger · Apr 10, 2005, 03:59 PM

Hey, guys--

I've got a dual-headed system, although 99% of the time I just use the flat panel (it looks better for text). However, once in a while I run something that does better on the CRT. Switching back and forth between displays (using only one at a time as primary, not using a span or primary/secondary), and toggling a setting like AA seems to cause the display to switch to an invalid mode. My CRT displays "no video signal received", and then switches to power save mode.

There is no error visible (obviously), and I can't do anything else but reboot. (This kinda sucks, too.) However, I managed to get an error when switching from the CRT as primary back to the LCD which I was able to capture:

And yeah, I've filed a ticket with ATI support so that info doesn't get lost, but I was wondering if anyone else using dual-headed displays can try switching back and forth a few times, and toggling AA each time, and see whether you can provoke a similiar crash. System info at:

http://www.pkix.net/~chuck/ATI/DxDiag.txt

ChoGGi · Apr 10, 2005, 07:11 PM

Quote:

and toggling a setting like AA seems to cause the display to switch to an invalid mode. My CRT displays "no video signal received", and then switches to power save mode.

are you sure it isnt being set to a resolution/refresh rate that your monitor doesnt support?

got me about that dashboard thing, never seen it (if its from the CCC, try .net beta2).

cswiger · Apr 11, 2005, 03:04 PM

Fairly. :-) I've got a Sony GDM-F500R which'll handle pretty much anything (it will do 1024x768 @ 150Hz up to 2048x1440 @ 75Hz), but if the card did try to drive something outside of that, the monitor would display "scan rate out of range" instead.

I've got .Net beta2 installed now, which does seem to help CCC compared with .Net 1, but that was still a good suggestion, thanks.

ChoGGi · Apr 11, 2005, 03:55 PM

nice monitor, hope you get stuff sorted out.

cswiger · Apr 11, 2005, 04:49 PM

Yeah, Sony's GDM line are good monitors, if you like the Trinitrons-- the aperature grill with the two faint wires annoys some people, but the advantage of color quality and brightness compared with a shadow mask CRT or Mitsubishi's hybrid ellipical shadow mask thingy is huge. Even so, I use the LCD almost all of the time now, as that has absolutely no geometric or convergence distortion, whereas even the best CRT in the world is going to be a little off in the far corners.

Anyway, I can solve the problem by hitting the reset button to reboot, and then go into VGA mode to reset the Catalyst driver settings, so I can workaround the issue. But that's enough of a pain to discourage using the other display unless I'm pretty motivated.

**Spyre** · Apr 11, 2005, 05:24 PM

Report the issue to ATI

Include makes and models of monitor
Detailed steps to reproduce the issue
A copy of the error message

One thing you can try as a workaround is changing the method of display detection in the display options part of the CCC

Or using .NET 2.0 beta (after uninstalling .NET 1.1)

cswiger · Apr 11, 2005, 10:59 PM

Wilco, Spyre. :-) 737-791465.

Changing the method of display detection seems to affect whether the system comes up after I reboot with both displays running, or just one. If I reboot via SVGA mode and configure the system to boot using just the CRT, and reboot, everything is fine. And stays fine, I can use that display for 36+ hours, toggling between AA on and off, with no problems.

I was doing that, just got SH3 in and have been using the CRT with 4x AA because the game can only run at 1024x768 (*boo* *hiss* Ubisoft), although the game otherwise is pretty good. So might as well crank the settings and use the CRT rather than scaling on LCD. The LCD aspect ratio is wrong using the scale option, which actually really matters for this game if you're trying to identify freaken ships and estimate their distance/course/AOB by looking down Mr. Periscope. :-)

On the other hand, there is nothing better than sneaking up on something over 10,000 tons at night and flicking that torpedo selector switch to salvo mode. Firing two torps is almost always enough (at least if you set the depth right), but three torps ...heh, heh <insert manical cackle here> ...three torps, I say, produces highly satisfying results...

cswiger · Apr 16, 2005, 04:41 PM

For what it's worth, uninstalling everything, DC'ing, reinstalling chipset drivers, Windows update, DirectX9.0c, defrag, install Cat 5.4's without CCC, gives the same problems. Only I get no display on the CRT when toggling AA or VPU recover, or blank display at 320x480@60Hz on the LCD.

Dropping back to 4.12, I have no problems changing settings, doing a benchmark run, changing monitors, doing another benchmark run, changing settings again, and then going back to the first monitor. Something seems to be up with the Cat 5.4's-- I don't have a Sapphire brand card, though.