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ArcadeVGA and Windows 98

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RayB:

As for your other problems, I've read that some people need to use an "ATI uninstall tool" to completely rid their system of any video drivers, so they can do a fresh install of the AVGA drivers.


When you said you tried one mode and the VSYNC was off, you were supposed to adjust your monitor's VSYNC knob!  Resolutions vary in signal, from 50 to 60 hz. Most games use 60, but some use lower. For example, I bet you'd get the same vertical problem if you tried Mortal Kombat. That game uses 53hz. So you end up having to adjust your vsync knob until the picture is stable. usually there is a "sweet spot" with the knob, where the picture will remain stable in both modes.

So no, the avga instructions were not "the opposite".


dax:


--- Quote from: RayB on December 22, 2005, 11:51:40 am ---As for your other problems, I've read that some people need to use an "ATI uninstall tool" to completely rid their system of any video drivers, so they can do a fresh install of the AVGA drivers.

--- End quote ---

I tried that (both in safe and regular mode), and it didn't make a difference.   I was able to get the drivers installed only after I went through a hundred different permutations of settings that were not detailed in the instructions.  Andy e-mailed me and said hardware accelleration shouldn't make a difference, but it does.  I get a BSOD if I enable it past the second mark.  I also got all sorts of incompatibility issues if i had the "plug and play monitor" item checked - and I couldn't find anywhere in the instructions where it said that setting mattered, but apparently it does.


--- Quote from: RayB on December 22, 2005, 11:51:40 am ---When you said you tried one mode and the VSYNC was off, you were supposed to adjust your monitor's VSYNC knob!  Resolutions vary in signal, from 50 to 60 hz. Most games use 60, but some use lower. For example, I bet you'd get the same vertical problem if you tried Mortal Kombat. That game uses 53hz. So you end up having to adjust your vsync knob until the picture is stable. usually there is a "sweet spot" with the knob, where the picture will remain stable in both modes.

So no, the avga instructions were not "the opposite".

--- End quote ---

I could not find any "sweet spot" with the vsync.  The two modes were pretty damn disparate.  As I said before, many of the instructions did not work for me and I had to do the opposite.  YMMV but I'm not making this up.  Some info was downright wrong... I can not un-check boxes that the instructions say I should be able to, and others, if I set them the opposite, things work better, such as the "switch resolution to fit".

It is very weird .  It appears the hardware works fine, but there may be some software glitches, and I've cleaned out the system very good so I can't find anything else that would interfere.

dax:


--- Quote from: RayB on December 22, 2005, 11:47:49 am ---
--- Quote from: dax on December 22, 2005, 03:16:01 am ---* what resolution should I run under windows?  what will this monitor support?  I can't figure that out.  It seems to go beyond what it supposedly can handle (i.e. 1024x768) with that same bottom pinching problem.

--- End quote ---

640x480 and 800x600 are probably as high as you should go. Even these resolutions will be "interlaced" though. You will NEVER get a nice crisp screen in Windows, unless you chose a crazy low-res like 320x240.


--- Quote ---* What's the best, most trouble-free MAME front end I should consider that will make the games look their best?

--- End quote ---

The Front end has NO impact on how games look. MAME's configuration is what controls that.


--- Quote ---* I am taking an older P3-550 PC that I used to run with a computer monitor and a Hot Rod interface and sticking it in an arcade cabinet.. the older versions of MAME I ran didn't seem to have lag/slowness problems as the newer versions... I'm not sure what to do.. it seems like the later versions of MAME are a lot more resource-hungry and require faster cpus?  When I run the latest version of mame32 on this PC, many games are just unnaturally slow... if I was happy with my choice of games with the older version should I go back to it or am I going to have problems with older version compatibility issues with the current setup?  I think I was running .36-39 or something. 

--- End quote ---

Yes, newer versions require more resources and run older games slower. You're on the right track going back to an older build.


--- End quote ---

Do you have any advice on what would be the best front end and MAME version to use?  Do I need older or newer ROM versions if I switch to a legacy version of MAME?  Will I run into any problems if I use an older version of MAME with the latest set of ROMs?

Where exactly are the config instructions for game resolution stored?

I am still trying to figure out what modes this monitor supports but the historical links to the manuals are no longer active.  I'm wondering if there is a game that has a refresh rate in the 50hz area, whether that's a problem or not.  It seems the monitor will do 60hz but I can't tell what the refresh rate is at any given moment.. is there a way to tell what mode it's in?

RayB:

How "clean" was your install of Windows? Had you done a format and fresh installation? I'm just wondering if your problems are due to lots of different remnant driver files or who knows.

I can't help much further because I use DOS. Like I said, I didn't even install the AVGA drivers at all. (Hey that reminds me, do you have the proper version of DirectX installed? I think AVGA requires 8.0 or higher?)


--- Quote from: dax on December 22, 2005, 01:40:04 pm ---Where exactly are the config instructions for game resolution stored?

--- End quote ---
You're gonna have to read up alot on this. I don't know off hand other than that I have MAME.CFG configured to "auto", so that it decides itself what resolution is best. Then in some versions of MAME you can also create a GAME.INI (where "GAME" is actually the name of the game rom) and in there you can set different options that will over-ride the ones in MAME.CFG / MAME.INI.

Also, the option that says monitor type, make sure you DON'T have it set to "arcade". You do not need to set this option if you use an AVGA.


--- Quote ---I am still trying to figure out what modes this monitor supports but the historical links to the manuals are no longer active.
--- End quote ---


subcriminal:

Sounds like you need to run the MAME resolution tool from MameWah's site to generate .ini's for your ROMs , they'll be displayed in the right resolution then. If you try to display a 300x200ish image at 640x480 it'll be half the size. Disable DirectX and just play with the normal display settings in the mame.ini to start with make sure you have the mame.ini instructions from mame.net printed out (easier on the eyes!)
I ran the AVGA under Windows 98 but XP boots faster so it wins otherwise it seems to set up the same.
Go 640x480 interlaced for Windows. CGA resolutions require desktop panning to scroll around.

Edit: Sorry if I read lightly over some reply's, I'm drunk(ish).

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