Have you tried this ?

Seems the newest 9x series of video drivers will not
let me dial in a custom setting. My monitor has a
native resolution of 1680 x 1050 ( or 16:10 ), but that
is just too small and uncomfortable to use. So I like
using 1280 x 800 ( also a 16:10 aspect ). The earlier
drivers .. 8x series ... had this resolution as a standard,
and so I know it works fine on my wide screen 20 inch
LCD monitor. Guy on a forum somewhere says do
this: In the nVidia control panel choose Advanced
Timing, and change anything by 1 digit, and save.
Then open Custom timings, and change it back to
the correct value. That supposedly wakes up Custom
Settings, and I will be able to set my 1280 x 800
resolution with no problem. Hmmm. My gamebox
is at home, so I'll try it tonight. If it works, I'm calling
nVidia tech support, and we are going to have a
little talk.

johns

With an LCD, no matter what resolution you choose, the display only
shows the native resolution. Even if you select a lower res, the card
will interpolate that to the native display res. Might as well use the
native res and get used to it.

Nope. The kid was right. I went into the nVidia Control
Panel ... and changed one of the Advanced timings by
one digit, and then went to Custom settings, and
immediately I was able to create a custom resolution
of 1280 x 800. Looks absolutely great. Fills the entire
screen with very readable fonts, and no distortion
on either axis. So now I'm running the latest nVidia
driver for XP ( 93.71 ), and I'm able to set Custom
Resolutions. Also, the timing change self-corrected.
I did not have to change it back. Then, I was able
to load Gothic 3 with a resolution that does not
overwhelm the HIGH settings. Game runs smooth
and looks very detailed with no distortion on 1280
x 800. Kid is a genius.

johns

AND.................................What ever happened to the TALK???
Remember? The one you was going to have with Nvidia..Ha haaaaaaa ha


"johns" wrote in message
oups.com...
Nope. The kid was right. I went into the nVidia Control
Panel ... and changed one of the Advanced timings by
one digit, and then went to Custom settings, and
immediately I was able to create a custom resolution
of 1280 x 800. Looks absolutely great. Fills the entire
screen with very readable fonts, and no distortion
on either axis. So now I'm running the latest nVidia
driver for XP ( 93.71 ), and I'm able to set Custom
Resolutions. Also, the timing change self-corrected.
I did not have to change it back. Then, I was able
to load Gothic 3 with a resolution that does not
overwhelm the HIGH settings. Game runs smooth
and looks very detailed with no distortion on 1280
x 800. Kid is a genius.

johns

I'll let you know. I'm not kidding about that
either. I'm tired of calling morons at tech
supports, and being asked if I downloaded
the latest driver ... when that is what I'm
calling about. Have you had that experience ?
Some stupid clown treats you like a retard,
and then never answers your original question.
If you want to follow up yourself, the nvidia
event # is 070320-000143 and their phone #
is 408-486-2000. Nvidia has been sitting
on this problem with no solution for over a
year, and they will tell you to report any
problems you have with their drivers. So
EVERYBODY ... report this one :-)
You might even report it to the LCD makers
and tell them to quit lying about "native
resolution" being the only thing their
stinking monitors will display. My Viewsonic
2025wm LCD monitor with native resolution
of 1680 x 1050 displays 1280 x 800 very very
well. I can even read what I write, now. They
won't like that.

johns

Alrighty, I called them. Got "Sahib" Kevin, and
he repeated the same problem back to me about
4 times, and I kept trying to tell him I had found
a work-a-round, but he would not listen. Finally,
he agreed to report this to a higher authority at
nVidia, and wanted to know if there was any thing
else he could do for me. I detected a good deal
of indifference in his voice ... kind of a polite FU
.... and he hung up.
You call him. Give him the same problem, and
see if they learned a damn thing.

johns

"johns" wrote in message
ups.com...
Alrighty, I called them. Got "Sahib" Kevin, and
he repeated the same problem back to me about
4 times, and I kept trying to tell him I had found
a work-a-round, but he would not listen. Finally,
he agreed to report this to a higher authority at
nVidia, and wanted to know if there was any thing
else he could do for me. I detected a good deal
of indifference in his voice ... kind of a polite FU
... and he hung up.
You call him. Give him the same problem, and
see if they learned a damn thing.

johns


If you come across on the phone the way you do in the newsgroups, I'd be
over the moon at the restraint shown in not verbalising the **** you.

Why? Do you think nVidia is actually going to fix
their drivers ? If you think a years worth of "asking
nice" ... like I did .. was worth it, then you will
spend the rest of your days RMAing everything
you buy, and not ever being able to enjoy it, or
benefit from using it. Instead, you will simply make
a lot of con-artists rich. Personally, I believe in
the American Way ... kick ass until they stop
it .. or else. Now, it is OR ELSE TIME ... you
listening, nVidia ? Like I said, pick up the phone
and make it real for nVidia. They are not going
to take my money, and refuse to deliver a working
product. I notice their VISTA drivers will give
1280 x 800 with no problem .. on that same
monitor, with any of the 7-series cards. You
suppose they might be causing the XPers
some headaches on purpose ???? Hmmm ?
I think they should pull the 9x XP drivers off
their web site and fix them.

johns

Changing the resolution to a lower one JUST to get bigger FONTS is one of
the most basic mistakes that people do. If you want bigger fonts, then
choose bigger FONTS in the OS settings, not a lower resolution. That's what
I do, and always works just fine. I can see all the text, and I still get to
enjoy the benefits of a high-res desktop space.

Please try it, and let me know how it works out for you.

Good day...

GT

"johns" wrote in message
ups.com...
Seems the newest 9x series of video drivers will not
let me dial in a custom setting. My monitor has a
native resolution of 1680 x 1050 ( or 16:10 ), but that
is just too small and uncomfortable to use. So I like
using 1280 x 800 ( also a 16:10 aspect ). The earlier
drivers .. 8x series ... had this resolution as a standard,
and so I know it works fine on my wide screen 20 inch
LCD monitor. Guy on a forum somewhere says do
this: In the nVidia control panel choose Advanced
Timing, and change anything by 1 digit, and save.
Then open Custom timings, and change it back to
the correct value. That supposedly wakes up Custom
Settings, and I will be able to set my 1280 x 800
resolution with no problem. Hmmm. My gamebox
is at home, so I'll try it tonight. If it works, I'm calling
nVidia tech support, and we are going to have a
little talk.

johns

Changing the resolution to a lower one JUST to get bigger FONTS is one of
the most basic mistakes that people do. If you want bigger fonts, then
choose bigger FONTS in the OS settings,

That doesn't work. In the first place, the bigger font cannot
be smoothed, so it looks splotchy. Worse, the system
will not hold the big font settings because different apps
will change the system defaults, and every time you
open an app, it is a crap shoot as to what you will see.
That is especially true in your browser. Basically, it is
a just plain bad fix to not being able to see at all in
1680 x 1050 resolution. Then, if you are a gamer, you
need to be able to chose a resolution that lets the
game look good, but does not generate an "out of
memory" error, that you will get at 1680 x 1050 .. esp
if there are background processes running.
At a 16:10 setting of 1280 x 800, you prevent all of
that with no needed adjustments at all, and your
gaming will run maxed with much fewer stack crashes
caused by 1680 x 1050 resolution. If you want 1680
x 1050, go out and buy a bigger monitor ... like a 30
incher. I even run my 22 inchers at the 14xx resolution
for all CAD apps ... in 6 CAD labs. People need to see
what they are doing without having to lean in and
squint.

johns