MoBo Video-Out ... Hopefully not a stupid question

[General Zod]

I recently picked up a used PC and I noticed this while configuring the BIOS. It has a switchable video mode for the output to the monitor. It has an onboard Trident 3D 4mb setup.

The following modes are available.

CGA40
CGA80
MONO
EGA/VGA

Just for testing sake, I tried the CGA40 using a Viewsonic monitor, and it was definitely unreadable. What do you think might happen if I were to connect an arcade monitor to this using that output freq.? Would that eliminate the need for an ArcadeVGA for this particular unit?

Just wondering if someone has experienced the same thing.

Thanks,

Michael

[SirPeale]

It might, but I doubt it.  You can always try it, and if it doesn't work, then you know.

However, you run the risk of damaging your monitor, blah blah blah, usual disclaimers apply.

[MonitorGuru]

Problems may include:
- It's not true CGA40, rather emulated at a slightly 'off' frequency
- Current drivers probably don't support that mode

But the biggest problem is:
- If drivers found that do work, Mame still will want to draw analog VGA yet the drivers expect digital 16 color CGA. Thus only VERY VERY old games would look correct (no, not even Pac-Man would have the 'correct' colors since it used color palletes and at least 256 colors or more to pick from IIRC)

[General Zod]

That's what I was afraid of. I figured it might have been to good to be true. There is no way I can get an ArcadeVGA in this PC, so I was hoping for the best elsewhere.

Any smiliar cards to the AVGA that use a PCI interface? This PC, decent little unit, is lacking an AGP port. I couldn't turn down the price, and it doesn't have a to be an arcade pc, but it would be nice to toy with.

Michael

[paigeoliver]

Well, there is still the old school method that people used to do before arcadevga.

Get a videocard that advancemame supports, make the cable to go from your video card to the arcade monitor.

Done.