No switchres with ArcadeVGA 5000: error updating video timings

[bitbot]

I've done enough research to understand ArcadeVGA cards are not well-regarded on this forum or in the GM community, but I happen to have procured one of the last few AVGA 5000 units in a low-effort attempt to refresh an existing cabinet that was stuck on MAME 0.170 thanks to an AVGA 3000. I understand that the AVGA cards are not the best cards for GM, but that GM is the best build for AVGA. To that end, I've been trying to get it running, but it turns out while I can get stock MAME64 with ArcadeVGARes .ini files running at appropriate resolutions, GM doesn't seem to perform a switchres, as visually apparent and indicated by this log line (as an example):


SwitchRes: [joust] (1) horizontal (292x240@60.096153)->(296x240@60.096153)
   rng(0):  296 x 240_60.096153p 15.625000 [integ] scale(1, 1, 1) diff(0.00, 0.00, 0.0000) ratio(1.000, 1.000)
SwitchRes: Modeline "296x240_60 15.625000KHz 60.096153Hz" 6.124999 296 312 344 392 240 241 244 260   -hsync -vsync
Switchres: saving    ATI ADL timing "296x240_60 15.904000KHz 60.242424Hz" 5.980000 296 304 336 376 240 243 246 264   +hsync +vsync
Switchres: updating  : error updating video timings
SwitchRes: Setting option -noswitchres


I've done the searching I can on this; I followed the GM .ini edits alone at first (http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=433), and when that didn't work I added the modifications suggested by the AVGA setup guide (https://www.ultimarc.com/arcade-vga-and-video/arcadevga-cards/arcadevga-5000-card-pcie/ -> ArcadeVGA Installation tab). I'm running as administrator and at this point have disabled UAC, but I still can't seem to make it switch resolutions. I additionally found threads from Calamity stressing that AVGA users needed to set lock_system_modes to 0 and refresh_dont_care to 1, but still no joy.

I can make do with stock mame64, but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about this error such that I might be able to join the GM cool kids club. My mame.ini and log file are attached.

[buttersoft]

AVGA cards have always been problematic with crt_emudriver. Last i remember they weren't compatible with newer versions, if at all. Can you link to the information you say Calamity posted up?

Calamity himself seems to be pretty busy right now, so you might not get a response at all.

GM is to be preferred, of course. Someone else might be able to help, but all i can suggest myself is getting a used Radeon 5450/6450/7450 as cheap as you can and using that, which is no help at all, really. Try to avoid a 5450 with a DMS-59 port though, as those might really be a 4350, though i'm not sure.

[bitbot]

Sure, here's the thread where Calamity recommends lock_system_modes set to 0 and refresh_dont_care to 1:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=143550.0

There's another one here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=130232.0

I'm actually using the ArcadeVGA 5000 drivers and not CrtEmudriver because I wasn't under the impression that CrtEmudriver would work with my card, as gathered from several threads. If it might, I can try that route as well. If things weren't working at all, I'd be willing to try a generic ATI card as well, but given that my time is limited, if I can't get GM running, I might just use stock MAME64 with ArcadeVGARes .ini's and make the best of what I've got for the time being.

Thanks for taking the time to read & respond! I really appreciate it.

[buttersoft]

I do not believe crt_emudriver will work with an AVGA, no. The BIOS on the AVGA is no longer a standard Radeon BIOS, so crt_emudriver can't recognise it.

I'm sorry to say those threads you linked to are ancient. There used to be some inter-compatibility between crt-emudriver and AVGA, but I'm pretty certain that's long gone. As things stand, you can't use switchres without crt_emudriver installed.