ArcadeVGA vs Radeon 9000

[CrispyXUK2]

Hi all,

Forgot my password so im 2 now

Been looking at the ArcadeVGA to interface to my RGB scart TV, I currently have a Radeon 9000 and was wondering if it can be fixed to output 15khz signal as I use this for 3d pc games too. I have seen powerstrip which should be able to sort this for me as i could add in the resolution/timings of the ArcadeVGA with power strip, but what about boot up? or if a game decides uses a res thats 31khz?

Or shall I just get the ArcadeVGA and hope it runs my games OK

[tom61]

Radeon 9000 issue:
It's typically hard to get a normal card to run at 15kHz in games(first you have get it running at 15kHz in Windows), you need an additional program to lock down the refresh rate so that it isn't changed by the game. I forget the name of the program.

ArcadeVGA:
What game are you intending to run? Most games should run fine on the ArcadeVGA, since you're pretty much limited to 800x600 (well there 1024x768 mode for compatability, but I don't think it'd look very good) at 60 Hz anyway.

Until Doom3 comes out you should be able to run most games at good speed at 800x600 on the arcadeVGA.

[AlanS17]

Radeon 9000 issue:
It's typically hard to get a normal card to run at 15kHz in games(first you have get it running at 15kHz in Windows), you need an additional program to lock down the refresh rate so that it isn't changed by the game. I forget the name of the program.

The program I'm most familiar with is Power Strip. I used it to lock in 15KHz on my Matrox video card. Seemed to my like it had some overhead, though. It would lock the whole computer up when I tried to play zinc (3D) games while trying to hold a steady 15KHz at the same time.

[F|end]

Humm, is it possible to connect 2 video cards (one random and the other Arcade VGA) and use them both for 2 different purposes!

1-for MAME and other emus!

the other - Normal PC games!

 

[AlanS17]

I guess that's possible, but what's the point if they're hooked up to the same monitor? Your non-ArcadeVGA card is gonna probably give you problems of some varying degree anyways, as soon as you switch to it. I can get non-ArcadeVGA cards to play MAME pretty well on an arcade monitor. The problems were all outside of MAME. (Other emulators and Windows desktop.)

[CrispyXUK2]

What game are you intending to run? Most games should run fine on the ArcadeVGA, since you're pretty much limited to 800x600 (well there 1024x768 mode for compatability, but I don't think it'd look very good) at 60 Hz anyway.

Until Doom3 comes out you should be able to run most games at good speed at 800x600 on the arcadeVGA.

Would be playing jedi outcast, unreal tournament 2003 and the like. Do you think ultimarc would mod my radeon 9000 if possible? I'd be willing to send it to them if they could, if it worked they could then start (and charge for of course) a modding service a bit like they do in the htpc business.  That would be great.

[rampy]

What game are you intending to run? Most games should run fine on the ArcadeVGA, since you're pretty much limited to 800x600 (well there 1024x768 mode for compatability, but I don't think it'd look very good) at 60 Hz anyway.

Until Doom3 comes out you should be able to run most games at good speed at 800x600 on the arcadeVGA.

Would be playing jedi outcast, unreal tournament 2003 and the like. Do you think ultimarc would mod my radeon 9000 if possible? I'd be willing to send it to them if they could, if it worked they could then start (and charge for of course) a modding service a bit like they do in the htpc business.  That would be great.

Nope -- I don't think they would be able to.  It's not that they mod radeon 7000 in the first place.  Andy came up with some chipset enhancements/changes/bios alterations to suit arcade monitors including a set of default 15khz resolutions and a 3rd party manufactures the arcadeVGA card to his specs.

It's not as simple as a new bios chip, from what I understand (which is very little FWIW)

Rampy