Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hey all,

I'm now the proud owner of a TH2Go Digital and I have a quick question about it. :D

What are the requirements for 4800x1200@55Hz to work? The resolution shows up in my PowerDesk resolution options, but it says it is not supported by my graphics hardware. :? I find this a bit weird because I'm running 3 1600x1200 LCDs that are capable of doing 1600x1200 at 55Hz easily, and my video cards are more than capable (Zotac GTX260 216 Amp2). The monitors are Samsung SyncMaster 204B 20.1" 1600x1200x60 native, dual input LCDs - I don't mind using either DVI or VGA, whichever works...

I have read that this could be due to the EDID data on my monitor not having that as a compatible resolution, could this be the case? If so is there any hope of Matrox releasing a firmware update to enable this resolution? Like what they did for triple widescreen?

Other than this problem I'm really happy with it so far. The performance is incredible, I tried it out on an old PC first with a 7300GS graphics card, yet it was easily getting 30fps at 3840x1024 in CS Source! :shock: As a result I would *LOVE* to get that resolution working so I can play my games at my monitor's native resolution :)

Thanks for any advice that can be provided.

FYI, I dual boot XP and Vista x64. The resolution shows up in XP but not in Vista, also, I used the drivers from the CD under XP, and the drivers from the Matrox site under Vista.

Sorry for the bump...

OK, so... I can create a custom resolution of 1600x1200@55Hz using the nVidia control panel for any one of my LCDs and it works perfectly. I can then go to my LCD's menu, check the settings from there, and it displays it correctly as 55Hz. There's no artifacts, the display looks great, it's all the same as at 60Hz!

However I have NO idea how to edit the EDID info into my monitors, to trick the TH2Go. I'm assuming that is what's stopping it from working - ie. the TH2Go deciding that my monitors are incapable of handling it, and hence stopping me from selecting the option DESPITE the fact that they work fine at that resolution and frequency! I've noticed from reading online that Samsung have a s****y reputation when it comes to EDID info too :( It sucks cause the monitors are awesome, IMO. I think my monitors have a service menu to disable the read only EEPROM (I hope), so if I can just get the right EDIDs I believe it will work.

Has anyone here tried this? Has anyone else seen this resolution selection before? Can someone from Matrox clarify things please if possible? Does anyone have any advice or help they can give at all?

I really want to get this working... if I hadn't have spotted the resolution I'd probably be oblivious to it, but now that I've spotted it I can't stop thinking about it :cry: I want to use this TH2Go to it's maximum potential...

PS. I've tried using MonInfo to export the EDID info, but it exports it in a format the Phoenix EDID editor can't read, and then the Phoenix editor won't allow me to put in a frequency lower than 60Hz anyway... Not sure what else I can do as a result unless someone is able to hex edit it or something :?

AFAIK, from the TH wiki 4800x1200 is not supported. Closest you'll get is good old fashioned 3x180x1024

EDIT: that is what Paddy runs on his second TH set up AFAIK

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9

Yep, I know it's not supported officially. But if it's not supported, why does it show up in the PowerDesk/GXM software?

I also realise that the normal max res is 3840x1024, and I can activate that resolution fine. But again, that doesn't explain why the 4800x1200@55Hz option shows up in the PowerDesk software.

Kinda sucks that they have that mode available but make it difficult to activate... :(

Edit: I was stuffing around with PowerStrip and the Phoenix EDID editor. I got my custom EDID ready to go, but it seems that 1 out of my 3 monitors has a write protected EEPROM, or a dodgy one that PowerStrip can't find :?

Ahhh gotcha, well good luck.

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9

Thanks, I think I'm going to need it... I've spent ages trying to get it to work so far.

Tonight or tomorrow I'm going to try again to flash my monitor's EDID using a custom one that has the 55Hz resolution specified as it's preferred timing mode. The only problem with this is that I'm not sure if I even can flash the EDID chip on these monitors - I'm hoping so because if I can't then I don't really have any other options left to try.

How does the 57Hz Triple Widescreen support work? Does the TH2Go ignore the EDID info in the monitor and just force the resolution/refresh rate, or is there some other reason why it works? My monitors have a very wide frequency response range, so even 50Hz works fine too.

If I am unable to flash the EDID in the monitor, is there another solution to replace/fix it? eg. get someone else to flash it or use some other software solution? I've already tried PowerStrip, RivaTuner, and of course the nVidia Control Panel.

Yet another bump...

OK, this whole thing is annoying me more and more. I installed the latest BETA GXM under Windows XP SP3.

Guess what works on my NON-widescreen monitors? Yep, that's right, Triple Wide at 5040x1050 at 57Hz.

Yes, it looks like crap, no, it's not a permanent solution because it looks so bad.

If I can get triplewide working at 5040x1050, then why the heck can't I use 4800x1200? I could understand if 5040x1050 doesn't work, considering 1680x1050 isn't anywhere near the native res of my screens, yet somehow it does!

Now the option doesn't even show up in the GXM resolution menus!

Can someone *PLEASE* help... I really want to play some games but I'm holding off doing it until I get this working.

PS. Flashing the EDIDs on my monitors won't work, they're write protected :(

Edit:

Here's a relavent bit of info from the log file when I try to run the GXM wizard

[14/02/2009 - 5:06:58 PM] [Matrox.GXM.dll] bool WizardPageModeSelection::FindModeFromPreferredMode() :
Auto Mode Finder from Preferred Edid Mode Result:
Output: 1
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster (Analog) on connector 1.
Preferred Mode: 1600x1200@60
This mode has been selected has the base mode to match on others monitors.
Output: 2
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster (Analog) on connector 2.
Preferred Mode: 1600x1200@60
This mode matches the base mode.
Output: 3
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster (Analog) on connector 3.
Preferred Mode: 1600x1200@60
This mode matches the base mode.
Generating Gxm mode from each monitor.
Mode to find in the GXM: [3x1],4800x1200@->60
The preferred mode from connected monitors is not supported by GXM.

As you can see, it grabs the info from the EDID, which is useless... :(

You seem to have tried everything but the fact is that (even if it shows up in the list) that res is not supported by TH2Go. Anything towards that res that you achieve is a bonus.
I really don't know where you get that res showing, I can get 2x1600x1200 in the edit mode list but if I select standard (non-wide) triple screen the max I get is 1280x1024. Just where do you see 3x1600x1200?

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9

This was with the GXM software that came with my TH2Go.

Now that I have updated to the latest GXM software, the resolution is no longer available!

It had 1600x1200x3@55Hz as one of the modes in the old GXM and it said my graphics hardware wasn't compatible, presumably due to the EDID info from my monitors.

So basically, the TH2Go does seem to support the resolution, but as shown in that log, it won't allow it because according to the EDID info my monitors 'only' allow 1600x1200@60Hz (which is false), and you need a lower frequency for it to work so there's enough bandwidth (Hence why 5040x1050 needs a lower frequency - I assume because 60Hz uses up too much bandwidth on the DVI link)

And yes, I already know about 1600x1200x60x2 in the dual monitor list.

If you want I can screenshot the old GXM to prove that the resolution is there, just not selectable.

I refuse to believe that the resolution is not supported. If 5040x1050@57Hz is supported, then why not 4800x1200@50Hz?

I believe you that it is there (I have the latest GXM and can't see it); I have never had reason to look for it. But it is 'officially' not supported even if at some point the hardware could have done it. Maybe get on to Matrox and see what they say, you've done all I could think of so once again...


good luck

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9