G400 Display Quality

[Antares]

Read from newsgroups that G400-DH displays a poor image on the second monitor, as it uses the TV-out channel rather than the RAMDAC. Has anyone encountered the same problem? Thanx.

[Frank]

From what I can gather the dual 256bit pipeline bus is split into two 128bit bus's each serving their respective output.
Please dont quote me on that.
Frank.

[Kruzin]

The image on the second monitor is very good. Not quite as good as the primary, but it does not use the main 300/360 RAMDAC. The second head is driven by the Maven TVO chip, which has it's own, less powerful RAMDAC in it (which is why it can't reach the highest resolutions and refresh rates).

I have run my second monitor at 1024x768 at 85Hz, and was very satisfied with the image quality in multi-monitor mode. Clone and Zoom mode are not as good, because you cannot control the refresh of those modes, and get stuck with a TVO refresh of 60Hz...

[Zypher]

Um, HOW 85hz?

Even the matrox guys admit that with the 5.25 drivers, the second port will default to 60hz or 50hz based on TV mode. I know it can do 1280x1024@85hz in *hardware* but AFAIK the drivers have no way to let us the end user set a refresh rate! Setting 'keep optimal refresh' flag only keeps my primary at 85hz...and my seocndary can only do 75hz anyway.

They need a 'set monitor .inf for 2nd ouput', along with a 'refresh for second monitor' in the drivers VERY BADLY.

Actually, in multimontior w98 it might work, haven't tried yet. But in dualhead clone/zoom/dvdmax we're all driver-****ed.

[Kruzin]

In 98s multi-monitor mode, you can select a monitor and customize it just like the primary monitor. It's only zoom/clone mode that forces 60Hz on the second monitor. DVDMax only works on a TV, not a CRT.

[Himself]

Frank,

The G200 also has dual bus, it's not about dual head. What it means is that on every clock cycle the G400 chip does a burst read and a burst write to the video card ram, so as far as ram access goes the G400 acts like it's running at double it's clock rate. Simplified explanation, naturally.

[Maggi]

NT 4 SP 5 over here ...

1st monitor Nokia445Xi (21") 1280x1024x32bpp @ 85Hz
2nd monitor Nokia447Xpro (17") 1280x1024x32bpp @ 75Hz

Under W98 I prefer to use a lower resolution on 2nd VGA in order to fit the proportions and maintain the window sites while dragging from one monitor to the other.

The picture in both configs is crystal clear !

Btw, even the TVout signal is way superior to the output that many VGA cards are able to produce on a VGA monitor !!!




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Cheerio,
Maggi
________________________
Asus P2B-DS @ 103MHz FSB
2x P3-450 @ 464MHz
512MB CAS2 SDRAM
Millenium G400 32MB DH

[Frank]

Himself, thanks for that information. It'll sink in sooner or later. In the meantime I'll just open my mouth and change feet....
Frank.