Is this true (XP)?

[rubank]

Can anyone confirm <a href="http://www.xp-refresh.net/" target="_blank">this?</a>

I thought the refresh problems was a "feature" of Ati:s drivers.
(Solved using 3rd party RefreshFix).

rubank

[The PIT]

Dunno haven't played games under XP. I had the desktop/games under win2k/98 stuck at 60hz due to bugs in the ATI driver inf file which a slight edit cured.
I haven't seen anyone here complaining about it so based on that I'd say it isn't true.

[ChenSoft]

Confirmed!

I just tested it and it seems to be true.

Test Bed:
Windows XP Pro
G400Max
MAG XJ796

Direct3D: 75hz
OpenGL: 60hz
Normal windows R/R: 85hz

Took me by surprise too.

Chen

[Gurm]

It is true, but actually it's simply a slight change in the API that game manufacturers have failed to deal with.

In Win9x, the "default" refresh rate is the highest your monitor supports. Problem is that oftentimes that refresh rate doesn't display properly, because people don't set those rates up.

Solution? Make the "default" refresh rate the LOWEST your monitor supports. You want it higher? Set it higher!

Problem? 90% of games ONLY support the "default" refresh rate.

So, it's MS's fault for not publicizing this API change, but it's also the game companies' fault for not making their games configurable.

CIV3 users complained so loudly that the CIV team put a refresh option into the .ini file. At the same time they released a press statement saying "we added it, but we don't know WHY you'd EVER want to use it..."

Quake Engine, Infinity Engine, and other games have long had a refresh rate option in the .ini file, however poorly documented it might be.

*shrug*

It's just another innovation that people will have to deal with. Used to be people complained because the "default" color depth was 256 and the game couldn't select 16-bit...

- Gurm

[Wombat]

What about things like MechWarrior4? I don't know of any way to set the refresh rate in that, and you'd think MS's own games would have this resolved.

[Gurm]

Yeah whatever. MS doesn't really write its games.

- Gurm

[KeiFront]

It is true.

Under NT/2000/XP, refresh rates are enumerated through the API rather than the registry, and applications that want to change display settings ask Windows what refresh rates are available. When a game designed for Windows 9x tells Windows it wants a resolution and color depth, without specifying a refresh rate, Windows defaults to the first refresh rate returned by the display driver and that's 60Hz.

NT4/Win2000/WinXP, they all have the same issue.

... every time you switch resolutions in XP, you have to manually change your refresh rate setting to the highest available to get the best display quality possible on the 2D desktop.

This is a WinXP only issue.

[The PIT]

Now thats why I use 98 as my gaming machine and win2k as the server and work machines.

[Rags]

It's not a problem if you set up your refresh rates using the advanced settings' Monitor settings tab with Matrox drivers

Rags

[Greebe]

... and save this display profile for the next time you upgrade drivers or what not.

Note I've found that you must manually change each refresh rate by hand and save it. Otherwise the default reports it incorrect and instead of getting say 85 you end up with 60 or 75.

M$



... don't mention disabling Vsync ...

[Kosh Naranek]

For nVIDIA reference driver users, which have no / little monitor adjustment options, there is a small freeware program out wich is called RefreshLock !

It runs in the tray and sets the refhresh rates of your choiche whenever the resolution changes !


And it works just great ... it's for NT, 2K and XP !

RefreshLock Homepage

I have been using it for a while now and have had no problems with it so far.

[birdy]

According to my settings in XP i am running my IIyama monitor at 200hz @1024x768.

Now either i have the most remarkable SMT900 monitor or XP is talking crap. Any opinions?

edit: the monitor reports 99.9hz. hmm, xp lie to me, it bad.

[Gurm]

Your monitor .inf is probably either not installed or wrong.

- Gurm

[birdy]

when i do install the inf file it wont allow me to go higher than 85hz so i leave it off. I am using the default monitor inf. Strange that it lets me alter the rates below 100hz but above it does nothing. I am pretty sure that 100hz is top whack for this monitor anyway so it doesnt really matter. It would be nice if it said what it really was though.

[The PIT]

Birdy by default ATI disable the monitors inf and use they own predefined settings which is why I get stuck at 60hz (Desktop)under win2k/98/xp. It also means that any other setting other than adaptor default doesn't work.
The easy solution is to use the Omegadrivers that fix this problem you've also reminded me that I've forgotten which key in the registry/inf I need to edit to fix this. Forgot to mention if you use your monitor info key you'll get the real information.