How to regain access to max 2048 x 1536 resolution with 8800GT?

sgiguru

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Apr 28, 2008
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I'm having problems trying to select the highest resolution for playing
Oblivion/Stalker. My card is a Gigabyte GF8800GT 512MB (Turboforce Edition,
700MHz core); see sig for full system spec.

To begin with, my monitor was a 22" SGI GDM5411, which has a max res of
2048 x 1536. I was able to use this resolution just fine for both games with the
8800GT when I first upgraded. But as the monitor was getting old (too bright/green),
I decided to replace it. I bought a 22" Dell P1130 (same max res), but
by mistake was sent a P1110 which only has a max res of 1800 x 1440. At
this point I didn't know it was a P1110 (they look identical).

After connecting the new monitor, I realised something was wrong when
both games had switched down to a low res. Unable to see anything above
1800 x 1440 in the available modes, I checked the properties and saw
the P1110 name. Uh oh. So I checked the label on the back of the
monitor. Oh dear, it was indeed a P1110.

Eventually I was able to sort out a replacement and finally received
the P1130 a week later.

And now for the wierdness. No matter what I try, I am no longer able
to select any res above 1800 x 1440 in the games, even though the
monitor is definitely able to do 2048 x 1536. Renaming oblivion.ini
didn't help. Initially, I was able to set the desktop to 2K mode by
showing all available modes and switching to it manually, but this
didn't make the res available in the games.

Finally I tried removing and reinstalling the display drivers and
renaming the oblivion.ini, but not only didn't this work, now the
normal desktop modes don't show anything above 1800 x 1440 either!

What on earth is going on? Why am I unable to select the higher modes?
They've just vanished. It's as if somehow some part of the OS is
holding onto the old P1110 limits, even though the properties do show
the monitor to now be a P1130. I've tried both the Gigabyte site's
version of the drivers and NVIDIA's driver bundle, but no luck with
either.

Any ideas anyone? I really want to get back to playing these games at
2K; it was one of the reasons why I upgraded to an 8800GT (I run
Oblivion with no AA, but 16X AF and all detail settings maxed; Stalker
is just set to everything maxed). I have CoD4 waiting unopened and
really don't want to have to run that at less than 2K. Any advice is
most appreciated!

Note that I did try forcing 2048 x 1536 in user.ltx for Stalker, but it didn't
work. The game just starts up in VGA and still offers nothing above
1800 x 1440 in the modes list.

Cheers! :)

Ian.

[email protected]
 
You might try something like powerstrip, I've had great success using that to force all kinds of resolutions in the past, back when I had a P1110 and now on my HDTV because I have it hooked up via VGA on my HTPC.

Also, I'm curious why you referred to those several CRT monitors as 22" monitors when they are all 21" models?
 
Maybe you could try installing drivers for the monitor itself instead of relying on Plug n play. Other than that, maybe a rollback or system restore would do the trick.

edit: try the other dvi port on the card.
 
I bought a P1130 a year ago, and the drivers shipped with it had the same limitations you are describing. A user named repoman0 gave me the following advice:

BTW - unofficially, it does 1600x1200 @ 100hz, once you get used to that you notice flicker even at 85. Just download the drivers available online and edit the inf - everywhere you see 1800 or 1440, change to 2048 or 1536 respectively and install them. This is required to get 2048x1536 and 1920x1440 too.. don't ask why it works

I did this and it worked like a charm, I'm also running an 8800GT now. Be sure you keep the modded inf in a folder you can find again--any time you upgrade drivers or what have you it will default back to plug and play and you will have to manually choose the right monitor driver again.
 
I would definitely install the .inf for the monitor specifically. My monitor is also 2048x1536 and I've been able to switch to and from it without "permanently" losing any of these resolutions like this. You weren't clear on one thing - can you run your windows desktop at 2K or not?

This isn't a resolution I use often (only during long photoshop sessions for real estate and HL2 CM8 just for eye candy :)
 
GotNoRice writes:
> You might try something like powerstrip, ...

Ok, I'll have a look at powerstrip.

Note that I can force the availability of the resolutions already, so I can set the
desktop to 2K, but the games still allow nothing above the old P1110 limit.


> Also, I'm curious why you referred to those several CRT monitors as 22" monitors
> when they are all 21" models?

No particular reason. Doesn't matter in reality anyway since the viewable area is much
less than 21" (normally around 19.75").

Ian.
 
Maybe you could try installing drivers for the monitor itself instead of relying on Plug n play. Other than that, maybe a rollback or system restore would do the trick.

edit: try the other dvi port on the card.

Good idea! Hadn't though about drivers for the monitor. Coming from the SGI world,
the very idea has always seemed a bit wierd to me. :D

And trying the other DVI port sounds interesting, I'll have a go.

Thanks!!

Ian.
 
Surly73 writes:
> ... You weren't clear on one thing - can you run your windows desktop at 2K or not?

Yes, but only by forcing the modes to appear.


> This isn't a resolution I use often (only during long photoshop sessions for real estate
> and HL2 CM8 just for eye candy :)

Indeed; when not gaming, my desktop is just 1600 x 1200.

Ok, I'll try and find a driver for the monitor first, then the other ideas.

Cheers one and all!!

Ian.
 
Surly73 writes:
> ... You weren't clear on one thing - can you run your windows desktop at 2K or not?

Yes, but only by forcing the modes to appear.


> This isn't a resolution I use often (only during long photoshop sessions for real estate
> and HL2 CM8 just for eye candy :)

Indeed; when not gaming, my desktop is just 1600 x 1200.

Ok, I'll try and find a driver for the monitor first, then the other ideas.

Cheers one and all!!

Ian.

Yes, this is how it works in Windows, annoying as it often is. If you rely on Plug and Play, there are two possible problems--either there may be a problem with Windows reading the PnP info from the device, or the device itself may not be sending the true maximum specs.

Then when you set a resolution for the desktop, regardless of whether you are using a custom driver for the device or PnP, you have the option to "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display" which is selected by default. If you unselect it, you are not seeing a list of all the monitor's modes, you are seeing a list of all the modes Windows allows, regardless of your device--you are overriding the driver at your own risk. When you are in an application with its own display settings (such as a game), it will take the driver's word for what modes are available. After all, that's all PnP is, a type of driver. So what you need is a driver that exposes the modes higher than 1800x1440.

Which leads us to the next hurdle. For whatever reason, perhaps to give themselves a margin of safety, Dell chose not to expose the higher modes even though the P1130 supports them. That stops you two ways--if you go PnP, the monitor tells the PnP driver that it only goes to 1800x1440 even though that's not true. If you download Dell's driver, the .inf file that defines the device's parameters is set to a max of 1800x1440.

But unlike the PnP data transmitted by the monitor, which as far as I know is unchangeable, the .inf file that forms the heart of the Dell monitor driver is a simple text file that you can edit with Notepad. Open it up and make the changes as listed in my post above, and the higher resolutions will appear, along with the proper refresh rates.

It's simple, and frankly no other fix will work. The DVI port has nothing to do with it, and no amount of rolling back or driver swapping will get the monitor to admit it can go that high when it's been set to "lie" by Dell. Powerstrip may work, but it's not needed.

I'm sure the reason the SGI monitor had no problems is because SGI set it to report the right specs via PnP, whereas Dell hobbled them intentionally. Or maybe Dell used the PnP signalling from the P1110, either in error, laziness/cheapness, or again because they didn't want to push the monitor all the way and increase the risk of early failure.

If you want, I'll even send you a copy of my own edited .inf file.
 
Commander Suzdal writes:
> ... If you unselect it, you are not seeing a list of all the monitor's modes, you are
> seeing a list of all the modes Windows allows, regardless of your device--you are
> overriding the driver at your own risk. ...

In this way I can set the desktop to 2K, but not the games as yet.


> So what you need is a driver that exposes the modes higher than 1800x1440.

I did try changing the P1130 .inf, but no luck so far.


> .inf file that defines the device's parameters is set to a max of 1800x1440.

Truly quite astonishing... :|


> ... Open it up and make the changes as listed in my post above, and the higher
> resolutions will appear, along with the proper refresh rates.

I did, but perhaps I've done something wrong. So far Stalker still shows nothing
beyond 1800x1440.


> when it's been set to "lie" by Dell. Powerstrip may work, but it's not needed.

I did try a system restore point, didn't work, so I cancelled it.


> I'm sure the reason the SGI monitor had no problems is because SGI set it to report
> the right specs via PnP, whereas Dell hobbled them intentionally. ...

Sounds very likely.


> If you want, I'll even send you a copy of my own edited .inf file.

Yes please!! 8)

Btw, what does your monitor.inf file now contain in the windows inf folder? I don't have
this file at all now, so maybe that's causing a hitch. Can you send me a copy too?

Btw, on a different forum someone suggested checking registry entries, but I've no idea
what/where to look. My experience with using regedit is very minimal. Rather not mess
around with the registry in that way though if possible.

Thanks!

Ian.
 
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