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Soft15khz alternative?
Ummon:
I think that's why it's called 'Forceware', because back in the day people needed this functionality. I've tried it but never come out with anything that worked, at least when I tried to set the desktop to the resolution I was creating, but that I know my monitor can do.
In geek's case, I'm betting his LCD scaled it up, but I'm not sure it 'took', either. Need the right display to know.
MonMotha:
I have tried to do this in the older drivers. It would let you input timings for standard res compatible modes (~15kHz), but it would not let you add them without first "testing" them. The "test" button would IMMEDIATELY return "test failed" for any mode below about 29kHz. I'm guessing there's some check in there that just assumes you're on a PC monitor that can't go below VGA and fails the "test".
SailorSat's "Soft15kHZ" just seems to dump a bunch of these custom modes into the nVidia software via registry entries that bypasses all the "test" garbage. The hardware is clearly capable of doing it; I've been using modelines to pull this kind of stuff off on Linux since the GeForce4 Ti days. Just seems to be dumb limitations typical of vendor drivers.
If you want to try it, just ask for 640x480 visible interlaced. GTF should work fine. If you check, it should result in a pixel clock of about 12.5MHz and a horizontal scanrate of ~15.5kHz. Hit the test button. If it doesn't bail with "test failed", you may have a winner.
Ummon:
Trying on this rig - geforce 6200 - it always fails, but it won't go below 29khz - or, rather, it seems to prefer double-scanned modes, as you'll notice by how it automatically sets the horizontal total about double.
I did once get it to run at 15khz by switching to manual and setting some things, then toggling back to 'auto', but I think I screwed up the sync because it tested but wouldn't sync and my monitor shut down.
It might work if you have all the porches and stuff correct, but I forget how to determine these.
Ummon:
AHA. Okay, I was able to add 15khz modes via the forceware, and this is what I did:
- I cheated, and ran powerstrip: custom modes>entered resolution (256x240) and let it generate the porches, etc. I did not add the resolution.
- the forceware asks for the front porches (only - not the back), the sync widths, and totals. Powerstrip supplies the porches and sync widths, but not the totals so I took these from the soft15 stock modeline list: 336, 261 .
- I tested, and it said my desktop had changed, but nothing changed. I pressed 'ok'. Then I pressed the 'OK' button on the box, looked in the resolution list via the task bar icon pull-up list, and it was there. I selected it, and it switched and synced properly.
- note 1 : it automatically puts positive sync for both, which works on my monitor. I went and changed it to negative sync, and that works on my monitor, too. I wasn't surprised.
- note 2 : the mode displays differently than Advancemame auto runs it. I dunno.
- note 3 : I then deleted the mode from the list in the nvidia control panel utility, but this didn't get rid of the mode in the driver. Restart is required.
- note 4 : there is no restart needed after adding modes via the forceware; only after deleting them.
Using the forceware seems the most expedient route - if you can get hold of the proper values, first.
My forceware is different than your two's.
- Geek: what drivers are you using?
- ahofle: what card and drivers are you using?
Supplemental: using powerstrip to install modes was, like most have experienced, troublesome. While the values seemed fine, and worked for the forceware, something didn't sync right or whatever and my monitor shut down.
Ummon:
minor update above