Monitor refresh question

[Helevitia]

I have my desktop set to 1280x1024x100Hz.

If I play a game and it switches teh resolution to 1024x768, what is my refresh rate?

Thanks,
Dave

[Paddy]

Will that depend on your monitor profiles?
My Sony G400 defaults to 60Hz unless I can find an ingame option to change it.

[az]

In XP it will default to 60 Hz unless you use tools to change that (nVidia drivers have that option built in, dunno about others). It may also be just as high or a little higher, depending on the timing info the monitor sends.

AZ

[The PIT]

If you're using ATI cards and dual monitors of the CRT and LCD type it could be anything from 60hz to the default monitor.

For some reason the drivers for the monitors don't get loaded properly. One solution is reforce which loads the registry with the correct settings.

This works with most games although with UT2003, dunno about 2004 you have to swap the monitors around in the control panel.

The dx overide in the control panel does not work in these conditions.

[Wombat]

The ATI drivers have a built-in refresh override that works for me.

[The PIT]

Sigh Please read above.

[Jammrock]

if you want to be sure about what refresh rate you're running, you can go into the monitor OSD where all modern monitors will list the current refresh rate and resolution. It's usually in the Information section of the OSD.

Jammrock

[Helevitia]

Thanks everyone. Last night I did indeed check the OSD and since I had "refresh override" selected as Wombat mentioned, it stayed at 100Hz while playing CS:S.

Now for the next question.

So, I run CS:S at 1024x768 4xAA/16xAF. I get between 50-80 fps. Sometimes it goes above 100, but not often. It never dips below 50.

Does this mean I am getting a constant 50fps with VSYNC enabled with the exception of the few times it goes above 100?

Thanks,
Dave

[Paddy]

I guess that depends... do you have vsync enabled?

[Helevitia]

Originally posted by Paddy
I guess that depends... do you have vsync enabled?

Maybe my last sentence wasn't clear. I meant, I have turned on VSYNC.

[Helevitia]

No one can answer my question?

[Wombat]

No, it doesn't mean that. Let's take an example of why not to think that way. Suppose you're getting 75fps synced to a 75Hz display. So, every monitor repaint you get a full frame. Frames you see in one second are: F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6,F7,F8....

Same video output synced to a 100Hz display. Now there's 3 frames for every 4 monitor repaints. So you'll see F1,F2,F3,F3,F4,F5,F6,F6,F7,F8...
You'll see some frames for two repaints, but you'll still see all 75 fps.

[Helevitia]

hmmm, check out this article here.

To me, it seems they are not saying the same thing. What do you think? Check out the chart at the bottom as well.

[Kurt]

He's saying the same thing.The difference is that, at the beginning, the article refers to frames rate exceeding the refresh rate (while in your case it's the refresh rate exceeding the frames rate).

Then it goe on to: "So, exactly what does v-sync entail? Well, when your monitor draws the final pixel on the screen (and starts to draw the first pixel again), nothing is going on for a very small amount of time. If a new frame is prepared, the video card uses this time to swap buffers and the monitor displays the new frame. If a new frame is not prepared, the monitor simply uses the frame in the front buffer yet again (so, technically, only half of the frames are new, which at 60 Hz would mean 30 FPS). And of course, v-sync caps your FPS to your refresh rate. This differs from the normal condition where the buffers swap immediately and the screen updates wherever it is currently drawing."

What Wombat was saying...

[Helevitia]

Thanks Wombat and Kurt.

OK, I hate to sound so dumb, but i really want to make sure I understand this.

So, I am really seeng more than 50 fps and up to 80 fps but it can be anwhere in between depending on when the next frame is prepared and when the monitor displays the new frame, right?

So as long as my refresh rate is >= my fps, I should see smooth frame rates?