new video card causing problems in low resolutions

[Cagbagger]

I just got an all in wonder 8500dv 64mb graphics card. I replaced my existing 32 mg agp graphics card and booted up the machine. i have windows 2000 prof. edition and when the starting screen came up, the text and everything was "wavy". Once i switched back to 800x600 resolution, the waviness was taken care of. however, whenever i play games or switch to a lower resolution, the waves come back. Sometimes the monitor just clicks on and off, as if it can't switch to the lower resolution. (the LED on the monitor goes from green to yellow, making clicking noises). Everything is hooked up fine though with the dvi adapter for my vga connector to my monitor. I'm just not sure why i get those waves, and why my monitor sometimes won't even switch to lower resolution w/out clicking on and off. thanks

[klinky]

I am going to guess and say most likely your video card can handle higher refresh rates then your last one. I don't think your monitor can handle them though. Odd things can happen when you exceed your monitors standard refresh rate. It may look funny, or it may not work at all. Alot of monitors will just shut themselves off if they detect a signal too high for them.

What you can do is, while the text is wavey. Right click your desktop, then click Properties|Settings|Advanced button|Monitor tab. From there you can change the resolution. Try 85hertz or 75hertz, Hertz= updates per second.

You could also use a tool such as refreshlock:

http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/

Which will allow you to force your refresh rate higher or lower in certain resolution. Windows 2000 / XP have a odd limit. 75Hertz in OpenGL games 85hertz in Direct3D games. This can override those limits.

~klinky

[Vlad G Pohnert]

How old is the monitor. I've run into problems with older monitors that once could work with the resolutions having ouputs that become wavy...

Vlad

[Cagbagger]

hmm, not sure how old it is, maybe 5 years or so. it has built in speakers and is an NEC CS500, i probably will look more into it

[kthulhu]

What you can do is, while the text is wavey. Right click your desktop, then click Properties|Settings|Advanced button|Monitor tab. From there you can change the resolution. Try 85hertz or 75hertz, Hertz= updates per second.

You could also use a tool such as refreshlock:

http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rl/

Which will allow you to force your refresh rate higher or lower in certain resolution. Windows 2000 / XP have a odd limit. 75Hertz in OpenGL games 85hertz in Direct3D games. This can override those limits.

~klinky

If the display is 5 years old, try 60 Hertz. That's fairly inoffensive as far as refresh rates go.

[Cagbagger]

yeah, it was already set on 60 hz though. i tried changing it, but no go.

[SS5_Majin_Bebi]

Dont know if u can tell me this, but does your moniter make a high pitched, barely audible sound when it goes "funny" or switches off? if thats the case then the problem is more than likely your refresh rates. I get the same problem with mine on certain configs. Have you tried the next one up from 800x600? (its like 1028x something) use that with about 60-75 hz as your refresh rate and u should be fine.

[SS5_Majin_Bebi]

Dont know if u can tell me this, but does your moniter make a high pitched, barely audible sound when it goes "funny" or switches off? if thats the case then the problem is more than likely your refresh rates. I get the same problem with mine on certain configs. Have you tried the next one up from 800x600? (its like 1028x something) use that with about 60-75 hz as your refresh rate and u should be fine.