Subj : Re: Graphics driver quest
To   : Barry Martin
From : Ky Moffet
Date : Wed Sep 10 2025 11:41:00

BARRY MARTIN wrote:
> Hi Folks!
> 
> Recently bought a new monitor to replace one that died.  I have a second
> monitor next to it (joined displays).  The dead monitor and the joined
> monitor have 60 Hz refresh rates.  The new monitor goes up to 75 Hz
> (will also do 60).
> 
> With the new monitor set for 75 Hz (max) and the joined monitor at 60 Hz
> (max for it) everything is fine -- or looks to be.  When I start adding
> overlays (might be wrong term) I sometimes get what looks like line
> noise but mainly in Terminal type of areas.  Move the overlay screen to
> the joined monitor and the line noise goes way.
> 
> A Terminal screen that is part of the "first layer" (so Desktop) is
> clear but any 'overlay' like this XP Virtual Machine's Command Prompt
> window will be noisy but the XP Desktop, icons, and other graphical
> stuff is normal.
> 
> Found when rebooting XP VM the black background of the VirtualBox logo is
> noisy but the rest is clear.
> 
> Same for when using Remmina: the remote machine will display noise with
> its Terminal screen but everything else is clean.
> 
> So the fix is simple: run the new monitor at 60 Hz.  Corrects the noise
> problem immediately: I had XP running, Terminal noise at 75 Hz.  Bring up
> Display Settings, switch to 60 Hz: noise vanishes.
> 
> So, I'm not so concerned with running this monitor at a particular, just
> wondering what the cause is.  Old graphics card??  ...Actually I think
> it's integrated with the CPU.  ...Not planning on swapping out, just
> interested for the future.

Sometimes the support for a given refresh rate is not all there, and it 
will either fallback to 60Hz or you'll get artifacts. I presume that's 
why I've got one monitor that is decidedly more clear at 60Hz than at 
75Hz, despite that it runs at 75Hz when asked to do so. Have another 
where probably the video card wasn't seeing the monitor quite right, and 
it would persistently reset from 75Hz to 60Hz (and this wasn't ancient 
hardware).

So... falls under "they don't entirely understand each other" and 60Mhz 
is usually good enough, unless you're in need of gamer-grade refresh rates.
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