ATI's use centered timings is useless?!

[Golgatha]

So I purchased a 22in widescreen LCD here recently, the Acer AL2223W to be exact, and there is no configuration option on the panel to center 4:3 resolutions. I tried enabling "use centered timings" in ATI's CCC, but the setting seems to not do a blessed thing.

I am very frustrated and I turn to the collective wisdom of these forums for help. Optimally, I would like to run some of my old games at 1152x864 centered in the middle of the screen with black letterboxing around them.

Finally, I'm in the market for a 2900XT or 8800GTX and am wondering if nVidia's drivers are really that much better for widescreen settings on monitors that don't have these options built in. I would probably like to get the 2900XT due to cost savings, but if the widescreen support is better on nVidia, then that might be the switchover trigger.

Rig:

Q6600@3.0Ghz
4GB RAM
X1900XTX
WinXP Pro and Vista Home Premium dual boot

 

[LittleNemoNES]

IIRC your monitor is 1920x1200 so try 1600x1200
I can do centered timings on mine with 1400x1050 (20wmgx2 is 1680x1050)
anything lower than 13xx x1024 results in the image being stretched out despite the centered timings option -_-

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: gersson
IIRC your monitor is 1920x1200 so try 1600x1200
I can do centered timings on mine with 1400x1050 (20wmgx2 is 1680x1050)
anything lower than 13xx x1024 results in the image being stretched out despite the centered timings option -_-

I tried using centered timings on No One Lives Forever GOTY Edition. The panel is 1680x1050.

 

[dandragonrage]

Run your computer for a couple months and bam, the extra power draw on the 2900 makes it more expensive than the nVidia.

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: dandragonrage
Run your computer for a couple months and bam, the extra power draw on the 2900 makes it more expensive than the nVidia.

Great irrelevent post :roll:, especially coming from someone with a CRT...

Originally posted by: Golgatha
So I purchased a 22in widescreen LCD here recently, the Acer AL2223W to be exact, and there is no configuration option on the panel to center 4:3 resolutions. I tried enabling "use centered timings" in ATI's CCC, but the setting seems to not do a blessed thing.

I am very frustrated and I turn to the collective wisdom of these forums for help. Optimally, I would like to run some of my old games at 1152x864 centered in the middle of the screen with black letterboxing around them.

Finally, I'm in the market for a 2900XT or 8800GTX and am wondering if nVidia's drivers are really that much better for widescreen settings on monitors that don't have these options built in. I would probably like to get the 2900XT due to cost savings, but if the widescreen support is better on nVidia, then that might be the switchover trigger.

Rig:

Q6600@3.0Ghz
4GB RAM
X1900XTX
WinXP Pro and Vista Home Premium dual boot

Centered timings only works on displays that support 1:1 pixel mapping, something the majority of 22" LCDs do not do.

The reason is works for gersson on his NEC 20" is that it's a far superior display.

Generally the higher end LCD will allow that feature; lower end ones do not.

So with ATi, & your current monitor, it's not gonna happen for you.


As for using nV's "Do not Scale" settings, i know it works for displays supporting 1:1 pixel mapping (like ATi's "Centered Timings"), but i'm not sure if it still works on those that don't.

I can test it [nV's "No scaling"] for you when i get time to rearrange my displays order in Vista x64, since my 3007WFP does 1:1, & Samsung 204T doesn't.