Subj : Re: Graphics driver quest
To   : Barry Martin
From : Ky Moffet
Date : Fri Sep 12 2025 20:48:00

BARRY MARTIN wrote:
> Hi Ky!
> 
>   > 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.
> 
>   KM> Sometimes the support for a given refresh rate is not all there,
>   KM> and it will either fallback to 60Hz or you'll get artifacts. I
>   KM> presume that's why I've got one monitor that is decidedly more
>   KM> clear at 60Hz than at 75Hz, despite that it runs at 75Hz when
>   KM> asked to do so. Have another where probably the video card wasn't
>   KM> seeing the monitor quite right, and it would persistently reset
>   KM> from 75Hz to 60Hz (and this wasn't ancient hardware).
> 
> OK, sort of makes sense, and maybe a hare more if I add to the answer
> the possibility the 75 Hz portion of the driver understood the graphical
> areas but not the Terminal/Command Line sections because "old school".
> (Terminal window was noisy but graphical portion was clear - moved the
> noisy Terminal to the other monitor which maxed out at 60 Hz and the
> window was now fine; split between the two and half noisy and half
> good.)

Yeah, you can get artifacting in one program but not in another, so not 
a huge surprise that the terminal was different.

Does sound like it's cuz one has halfbaked support. Sometimes all you 
can do is experiment til you find the combo that works.

I just tried two monitors on the Fedora box, works fine, after some 
thrashing around to figure out that you really do have to designate a 
primary or it'll just put up a random login screen background and 
nothing else.

>   KM> So... falls under "they don't entirely understand each other" and
>   KM> 60Mhz is usually good enough, unless you're in need of
>   KM> gamer-grade refresh rates.
> 
> Duuuude! When I scroll my messages I don't want smearing!  <gg>
> Yes, using the 60 Hz refresh rate seems more than adequate.

Modern monitors are more than equal to a BBS's scrolling text!!
 þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com

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