Radeon 9600 128MB + ATI Drivers = max resolution of 640x480x16bpp !!! WTF !!!

[psxjunky]

I recently added the Sapphire Radeon 9600 128MB card (non-pro) to my Shuttle SN41G2 running WinXP Pro Media Center edition. As the display, I am using a Panasonic LCD TV thru the DVI port.

When I use the ATI Catalyst drivers, I get only 640x480 resolution with 16bpp colors ! However, when I use the default Windows drivers, I can get 800x600x32bpp or 1024x768x32bpp easily. The only problem in using the default Windows drivers, is that the video memory doesn't get detected as 128MB ... so Media Center cribs.

Is this a known problem with the Catalyst drivers ? I have tried v3.8, 3.7. 3.6, 3.5 and 3.4 ... and ALL have the exact same issue

If anyone knows anything about this issue, I would very much appreciate some suggestions !

 

[Stealth1024]

do you have the motherboard drivers installed properly?

 

[psxjunky]

I am guessing by motherboard drivers you mean the chipset drivers. Yes, I do have the latest version of nForce2 drivers for the SN41G2 installed.

One other thing that I recently noticed, is that when I use the RGB connection to hook up my TV, the problem goes away and I get all the other resolutions (640x480x32bpp, 800x600x32bpp, 1024x768x32bpp etc); however, when I use DVI I get only 640x480x16bpp.

Does this make sense ? If the TV can display 800x600x32bpp (say) using the RGB connection, is there any reason it wouldn't support the same using the DVI ?

 

[psxjunky]

BTW, I have never used DVI before so this may be a lame question ... but is DVI really that much better than RGB ? I understand RGB is analog whereas DVI is digital so it theoretically *should* be better ... but how is it really in practice ?

If DVI and RGB give pretty much the same result, I'd like to bypass all these hassle and simply keep on using the RGB

 

[Viper96720]

Nothing is wrong with the card. If you use DVI it'll use the native resolution of the LCD. If yours is the 14" TV LCD then it's 640x480 and you can't go higher

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: psxjunky
I am guessing by motherboard drivers you mean the chipset drivers. Yes, I do have the latest version of nForce2 drivers for the SN41G2 installed.

One other thing that I recently noticed, is that when I use the RGB connection to hook up my TV, the problem goes away and I get all the other resolutions (640x480x32bpp, 800x600x32bpp, 1024x768x32bpp etc); however, when I use DVI I get only 640x480x16bpp.

Does this make sense ? If the TV can display 800x600x32bpp (say) using the RGB connection, is there any reason it wouldn't support the same using the DVI ?

You're using the card hooked up to a TV on the VGA port?

 

[tallman45]

Check your hardware profile and make sure that there are drivers loaded for whatever monitor you are using.

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: Viper96720
Nothing is wrong with the card. If you use DVI it'll use the native resolution of the LCD. If yours is the 14" TV LCD then it's 640x480 and you can't go higher

Thanks Viper! That kind of makes sense; however, this is a 50" LCD projection TV ... so I would expect the native resolution to be higher.

Okay, I just checked. According to the specifications here, the native resolution is 1280x720 ... so I should get at least 800x600, right ?

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024

Originally posted by: psxjunky
I am guessing by motherboard drivers you mean the chipset drivers. Yes, I do have the latest version of nForce2 drivers for the SN41G2 installed.

One other thing that I recently noticed, is that when I use the RGB connection to hook up my TV, the problem goes away and I get all the other resolutions (640x480x32bpp, 800x600x32bpp, 1024x768x32bpp etc); however, when I use DVI I get only 640x480x16bpp.

Does this make sense ? If the TV can display 800x600x32bpp (say) using the RGB connection, is there any reason it wouldn't support the same using the DVI ?

You're using the card hooked up to a TV on the VGA port?

Yes, I am using the

Panasonic PT-50LC13 LCD Rear Projection TV which has both RGB and DVI inputs.

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: tallman45
Check your hardware profile and make sure that there are drivers loaded for whatever monitor you are using.

Thanks Tallman ! That's a good suggestion. However, I doubt that Panasonic has any special drivers for this TV. Can't I use any of the default drivers to get a better resolution ? Even the simplest of LCDs should support at least 800x600, no ?

 

[psxjunky]

Also, just in case someone missed this question above, let me repeat it again since I really would like to know the answer --

If I have the option of hooking up my TV using either DVI or RGB, will DVI always give me better picture ? If so, is the improvement significant from RGB ?

Sorry if this is a lame question, but I have never used a DVI enabled monitor before and have no idea what the real difference in image quality is.

 

[Viper96720]

Try a Radeon 9500/9700 DVI to HDTV adapter if you don't have one and run it off of that. You maybe able to use rage3dtweak and set the resolution manually.

 

[psxjunky]

Originally posted by: Viper96720
Try a Radeon 9500/9700 DVI to HDTV adapter if you don't have one and run it off of that. You maybe able to use rage3dtweak and set the resolution manually.

Do you think I'll get a better image quality with the HDTV adapter than what I am getting with RGB ? If DVI doesn't work, I might as well go with RGB.

Where is this adapter available though ? I can find HDTV adapters for 8500 or 9700 AIW ... but can't find one for the 9600.

 

[Viper96720]

From ATI here's the FAQ for it they got
HDTV Adapter faq

 

[rbV5]

If I have the option of hooking up my TV using either DVI or RGB, will DVI always give me better picture ?

DVI may give you better PQ with 1 to 1 pixel mapping, otherwise RGB may actually better. I'd swing over to AVSforum and check out the Home Theater Computer forum (and the others) for some help.

 

[tallman45]

Originally posted by: psxjunky

Originally posted by: tallman45
Check your hardware profile and make sure that there are drivers loaded for whatever monitor you are using.

Thanks Tallman ! That's a good suggestion. However, I doubt that Panasonic has any special drivers for this TV. Can't I use any of the default drivers to get a better resolution ? Even the simplest of LCDs should support at least 800x600, no ?

Yes, it should, another way to tell that widows has no display drivers is that all modes max refresh rates would be 60hz