Windows' suggestion over Refresh Rates

[Zenoth]

Hi.

I know how to lock a Refresh Rate, that's not the problem, just in case you guys would think about that.

The thing is, I don't know exactly which Refresh Rates does my monitor officially support at the supported resolutions. I do have the Monitor's manual in .PDF format, from www.lge.com

My monitor is the 19" CRT Flatron F900B. The manual shows what's the supported maximum resolution, and what's its maximum supported Resresh Rate. And it does recommend a resolution with a recommended Refresh Rate, which I think is 1280 x 1024 at 85 Hz.

That's alright.

But it never shows what are all the supported, minimum to maximum, Refresh Rates for all the supported, still minimum to maximum, Resolutions.

For example, saying At 1024 x 768; Supports up to "x" Hz.

It doesn't tell me that.

I e-mail'ed LG Electronics two weeks ago. No replies. So I'm trying here.

I'm using the driver that came with the monitor software. Works properly.

Windows XP (Service Pack 2) does recognize it without problems.

I'm using a Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB, and Catalyst 5.2. That also works properly, of course.

Once I open the control panel from the Desktop, and goes to advanced, and then "monitor", it shows the current set Refresh Rate.

My current Resolution / Hz is 1024 x 768 / 100 Hz. Which I know, is good.

There's one thing that bugs me though.

In the same window, in the control panel, at "monitor", it tells me: Hide the modes this monitor cannot display

That option is selected. If I look at the availabled (according to Windows) modes, the maximum is 100 Hz. And that's my current Refresh Rate.

If I un-select the option, it goes up to 160 Hz.

Windows also says (written right under the option) that if I select an "un-supported" mode, that it can eventually cause problems to my monitor, up to the worst case, breaking it, somehow.

But how should I believe that ?

I mean, how up to date is the list of existing monitors in Windows XP, if any ? Where is Windows taking the "supported" Refresh Rates from ? How would I be sure what Windows says is actually the case for my monitor ?

I do believe my monitor officially supports up to a 120 Hz flicker-free Refresh Rate at 1024 x 768. But I'm not 100% sure, since I never saw any documentation with details of my monitor, specifically. If I can go up to that Refresh Rate, then I would like to. The higher Hz is, the better it is, for me. I got some reasons for that.

So, the point of this thread is to ask, what do you guys think about what Windows tells me, regarding the "supported" Refresh Rates ?

How accurate is that feature ?

And, finally but ultimately, if anyone here could help me find a detailed, accurate, up-to-date specifications list for my monitor, I would highly appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for your time, and help.

Sorry for the long read.

 

[bob4432]

i do not know how to answer your question technically, but if you are running 1024x768@100Hz and that is good for you, then use that. i know this sounds dumb but from all i have read/used over the years a refresh rate over about 85Hz is hard to tell. i think it is more of a personal preference and your sensitivity to light and its flickering. some people, like myself, can't stand a monitor at 60Hz, but i suffer from migraines and am extremely sensitive to light and the frequency at which it turns on and off, almost hypersensitive.

unfortunately i do not know how accurate the info is that is displayed by windows but i would assume(ugh) that windows would get that information from the driver.

sorry if this does not help

 

[Zenoth]

Well, yes I also thought that Windows is getting the information from the driver I installed from the software my monitor came with. But the driver's own .INI doesn't even show a single resolution at all. If Windows is getting its information from the driver, then I would like to know which file it is getting it from.

More seriously, I can't stand even 85 Hz resolution for, let's say, more than two hours. Then I start to feel strange, some sort of a small motion sickness effect. Nothing huge mind you. At 60 Hz...more than 5 minutes and don't count on me for anything in during the day. It completely burns my eyes. Very sensitive. I need 90 Hz +. I'm at 100 Hz. It's cool now. I can play my favorite games for three + hours if I want and have time to.

I'm still looking for that extra 20 Hz, bringing it at 120 Hz, at 1024 x 768. Just, you know...just to be sure I'm well set, well enough to play long enough.

I'm almost sure my monitor, which is quite recent (I think it was released in Q3' 2003) does support, without any risks for the hardware, 120 Hz, at 1024 x 768. I mean, I paid around $500 Canadian for it. Any CRT's, pretty much, at that price, from recent years, and from known brands, should sustain such a Refresh Rate at that resolution, shouldn't they ?

I could try it of course. But I don't want to risk breaking my beloved monitor just because I wanted to try it at an extra 20 Hz.

But, in the other hand, if it does officially support it, then I would like to use that Hz setting.

 

[bob4432]

i would call LG and explain the reason you paid so much for the monitor is due to a medical condition and demand they give you the info.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Sounds like you've got it worse than me

If I go on someone's computer and it's set at 75, I can't look at it for more than 10 minutes without feeling really odd.

I'm not sure on this reliability of windows refresh rates. If I were you, I'd stick with what windows was telling me until I heard from the company it was ok to go higher.

Good luck with getting the info from the manufacturers.

 

[Zenoth]

Thanks guys.

Yeah it...sucks. Really, about the Refresh Rate.

I can't play my favorite Console games because of that. I mean, I technically can, but not for more than 15 minutes or so. My 60 Hz Television is giving me serious motion sickness-like (it's not directly that, but feels somewhat like that) feeling. And it's not just first-person-shooters, it can be something as simple as a third-person-adventure, without fast things going on at once that I must look at. I mean, speed of things going on, that's no the problem. It's really just the Refresh Rate.

I got that problem at the Theaters recently. I watched Ong-Bak, and the screen flickered like I never saw before in Theaters. I got out of there before the end of the movie. I'll watch it again sometime when it's released in DVD.

And I can't afford spending $900+ CAN for an 85 Hz+ Television (I know it does exist, but damn they're expensive).

So Console gaming for me is terminated since I got that Refresh Rate issue. I got that since about 2 years. Never did that before. It kind of "developed", the problem I have, over time.

And at 100 Hz it's alright. I can play long enough, I think. No problems at all anyway.

But I just want...well I said it. Just the extra 20 Hz, if my monitor can officially, I want it.

And, yes I thought about calling LG Electronics, but their phone-support is only in English, and that's not my native language. I'm decent at it when it comes to writing. But talking in English is a whole different story.

 

[bob4432]

just out of curiosity and not meaning to pry, did you sustain a head injury? have you seeked medical attention? do you have seizures around strobe lights? what do lcds do to you? if you give me the 800# i will give them a call for you.

 

[dug777]

i know that running monitors over the 'recommended refresh rate' ie if ur recommended is 1280 @85 Hz, but it supports say 100Hz @that res- often running it at higher than that 85Hz produces noticeable blurring...

With my lowly 17' IBM E74 and 15' Sony Trinitron 100ES dual setup that the 85 Hz that 1024 tops out @ (piss-poor compared 2 the stuff mentioned above i know ) for both is noticeably blurrier than say 70hz on them....my 2c

 

[Zenoth]

Thanks for responding guys.

To answer you, bob4432. Nope.

No head injury. No seizures around strobe lights, no seizures at all. LCD's...hmmm, other than the image quality, nothing more, to me. A 75 Hz LCD and a 75 Hz CRT has no differences to me.

I mean, it's not like I'm dying after playing on a 60 Hz Television. You guys might think it's like a very bad situation, medical stuff involved.

Nah, it's just annoying enough`to me so that starting from 90 Hz I'm alright. Below that means less time to play, because after a specific period of time I will start to feel sick.

At 60 Hz (Televisions), it's just that, I will be as sick as I would if I played at 75 Hz. It's not like I will explode or mute into something strange lol. It's just that I will become sick faster. Usually my head hurts, get just a bit of temperature for like...30 minutes. I feel like, dazed.

Up to about 90 Hz. Where, so far, never got sick, and played up to four hours two days ago.

Oh and, about Televisions. Watching TV (news, shows, etc) is ok. I do feel...like...not good, but I'm not sick. It's more if there's bright colors (video games, usually). But if I watch a movie, I watch it on my monitor. The picture quality is superb, and well, the Refresh Rate is perfect, so it seems. Because watching regular TV for 2 hours + will make me sick, just like a 60 Hz PC monitor would.

The "intensity" of the sickness, the feeling, is never bigger, or is not like more "dangerous". It just comes in faster, the lower the Hz is.

Now you guys see the point I think.

And, bob4432...

The phone number for Consumer Service in U.S.A is 1 (800) 793-8896.

My monitor model is a 19" CRT Flatron F900B (There is a "P" model so make sure the guy on the phone doesn't tell you that model's specifications).

So, if you call them for me, yes I would really appreciate that. Thanks a lot in advance.

Just remember, basically all I need to know is...does my monitor support, officially, 120 Hz at 1024 x 768. But if the guy could give you a link where all the supported resolutions along with the supported Hz are, well, let him give it to you of course.

Just please post the result(s) here, and I'll verify this thread back sometime today. Now it's time for bed.

Thanks again guys for the support.

 

[bob4432]

i found a different number - 800 243 0000 but was on hold with them for 8min, then they ask for my phone # to call me back. i will try again later.

 

[Zenoth]

Ok, thanks bob4432 for your help.

 

[imported_Mitchell]

I have never blown a monitor up, if you want a certain resolution/frequency then try it, if the monitor goes blank it shut itself down for protection, Windows will come back up and just say, no that resolution didn't work.

1024x768 at 85 isn't that high (it's what I would run it at).

Course, I run mine at 1920x1440 at 100 but I got a nice monitor

 

[bfonnes]

just look at the sticker on the back of the monitor... anyhow... I use a utility call Powerstrip... If you go to display profiles->configure->click the lock->advanced timing options... then you can just keep hitting the up arrow on refresh rate under vertical geometry till your monitor goes black, and whatever one you had it on before the monitor went black is your max refresh rate at that resolution... Unfortunately my monitor is an old 15" Sony Trinitron, and it only goes up to about 61 Hz at 1280X1024.

BFonnes