Monitor refresh problems

[Zoinks]

I have an older Viewsonic PT813 monitor. The windows XP driver incorrectly idendifies the 1600x1200 refresh rate as 60Hz when it really supports up to 85Hz. Viewsonic's support just says to uncheck the 'hide modes...' box under monitor properties and use 85. The problem is that games will revert back to 60.

Is there an ini file somewhere that I could edit? Shouldn't it be something simple like adding ",75,85" to the end of a line?

 

[Auric]

There is a way to add custom refresh rates in the registry by the method you describe or else with certain utilities. It could prolly also be done by editing the INF for the monitor but not much point since the standard RR you want is already available by just unchecking the box.

The real solution to the "problem" of games running at default 60 is to set them since DirectDraw, OpenGL, etc. are independent of the desktop RR. They are preferably set in the game otherwise in the graphics control panel (for instance ATI Displays tab, Monitor button does both DD & OGL) or in lieu of both of those DD games can be set in DirectX Diagnostics (run dxdiag), or in DirectX Control Panel if so installed.

 

[BFG10K]

ATi: Refresh Force (ReForce).
nVidia: use the control panel to force refresh rates.

 

[Zoinks]

Auric, the problem with setting them in the ATI tab or similar, is that they don't allow the higher refresh rates because the rates are not available because the program doesn't think the monitor supports them.

As far as dxdiag, I don't see anyplace that refesh rates can be overwritten. Can you tell me specifically where

BFG10K, I've used RefreshFix0.9.9.7 - it works well but it also adds lots of resolutions that I'm not sure if my monitor supports. It seems simpler to just add the one that I'm missing to an ini file.

 

[Auric]

DX override is on the DX Diag More Help tab. Under the ATI Monitor button on the Displays tab (not Monitor tab!) is the override for both DX (DD) and OGL. The DX functionality is just a third place to access the MS settings that have always been there while the OGL functionality is an addition by ATI to the same control. I am not sure if the override will work without specific detection or not though because when accessed from the ATI or DX Properties (CP) it actually provides a list, similar to that for desktop settings on the adapter and monitor tabs. I would guess yes though.