Video cards with unstable dotclocks

[mazinger-z]

 

Just tossed another 15 € into the toilet!!!!

To make a long story short, I have 2 AGP Radeons with unstable dotclocks. If you select a certain dotclock value, you get waves on the screen. One step ahead or behind, and the screen is perfectly stable. Tested with 2 totally different monitors.

Both cards are from GeCube:
- GeCube Radeon 9200 SE 128Mb Game Buster
- GeCube Radeon 9200 256Mb

With a PCI original ATi Radeon 9250 128Mb there is no problem: the picture is stable if the geometry parameters are within monitor's specifications.

Should we compile a list of problematic cards?

PS: my tests were done with CRT_Emudriver and Groovymame.

[maiki]

Sorry for the question, I am not familiar with anything else than Advance MAME but aren't all these modern graphics cards incapable of low pclocks generally. I know Andrea Mazzoleni only managed to get low pclock on some NVidia older cards. So I would say it does not make much sence to  try to use anything modern to play old school games. I am talking about true low pclocks not those doubled or tripled fakes...

[Gray_Area]

Sorry for the question, I am not familiar with anything else than Advance MAME but aren't all these modern graphics cards incapable of low pclocks generally. I know Andrea Mazzoleni only managed to get low pclock on some NVidia older cards. So I would say it does not make much sence to  try to use anything modern to play old school games. I am talking about true low pclocks not those doubled or tripled fakes...

No, GroovyMAME exploits Soft15khz, of which especially the earlier Radeons work phenomenally. I think even the 9200s might work with AdvanceMAME. But there could be something about the make from that manufacturer that is problematic. He's paying way too much for those old-ass cards, though. I wouldn't pay more than ten bucks, shipped maybe. 15 quid or euro is like $30!