Refresh rate stuck at 60Hz nvidia and CRT monitor

[LanceyD]

Finally after 3 days I have managed to get the monitor to display modes past 640x480 but now it will not refresh faster than 60hz. The xorg.conf file has been set to 85hz but the OSD (and the fickering) tells me it's 60hz.

The "apply" button on the nvidia control panel is also blanked out.

I have searched and followed previous solutions but none have worked for me. Some even made things worse (log in GUI loops, low graphics mode etc)

Using Ubuntu 12.04 and nvidia 173


# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 295.33 (buildd@zirconium) Fri Mar 30 13:38:49 UTC 2012

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
# HorizSync source: xconfig, VertRefresh source: xconfig
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "CRT-1"
HorizSync 30.0 - 110.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 150.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8800 GTX"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "1024x768_85 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

[TheFu]

sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo nvidia-settings

Hopefully it will recognize your specific monitor and set the modes correctly. If you've already done these things, only then do you need to start hacking into the xorg.conf file.

[LanceyD]

Well once I set the the monitor available modes manually in xconfig then the options are available in the nvidia settings panel after enabeling them, But it will not apply them, the apply button is greyed out. I can apply the changes to xconfig but once restarted then nvidia defaults back to disabled config.

Note that xconfig file has already been modified by me because I was stuck in 640x480.

[TheFu]

Note that xconfig file has already been modified by me because I was stuck in 640x480.

I'm not certain I'm understanding what you've done.

I'd move the current xorg.conf file to a different name, do not copy, we don't want one there. Let those tools do their thing.

BTW, I'm from the days where we had to manually exit the x.conf files and fought against letting the tools do their things. If DPMS is enabled, the monitor will tell the GPU what modes it supports. It is much easier these days. OTOH, if the monitor is an off-brand and old, you might need to look up the technical specs and manually edit the xorg.conf file like you want. There are lots and lots of examples of that "out there."

In theory, this howto https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution explains all.

You can also try to force it with xrandr.

---- update ----

Using Ubuntu 12.04 and nvidia 173
But the xorg.conf file shows a different version. Could that be the issue?

[LanceyD]

The monitor is not detected so I had to manually enter the range


Section "Monitor" # HorizSync source: xconfig, VertRefresh source: xconfig Identifier "Monitor0" VendorName "Unknown" ModelName "CRT-1" HorizSync 30.0 - 110.0 VertRefresh 50.0 - 150.0 Option "DPMS"and then I set the monitor to


Option "metamodes" "1024x768_85 +0+0"Without these codes the monitor is set to 640X480 with no option to change either from the "displays" or from Nvidia. I'm not going back to 640X480 by resetting xconfig, its was painful.

I believe there must be another configuration file for the monitor somewhere stopping he higher refresh rates.

I had a similar problem with my old graphics card 7900 GT and Ubuntu 10.X..
It is the same monitor and the same computer but different graphics card (8800 GTX) and Ubuntu 12.04

The "configuration" drop down menu in nvidia reverts back to "disabled" on reboot.

[LanceyD]

Results of xrandr.

The monitor is capable of 1280x1024x85hz as it was set in my previous setup. Seems my modes section in xconfig is ignored. How can I overide?



xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 175, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 1280 x 1024
default connected 1280x1024+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1280x1024 50.0 52.0 53.0*
1024x768 51.0 63.0 64.0 65.0 66.0
1280x960 54.0 55.0
1152x864 56.0 57.0 58.0 59.0 60.0 61.0 62.0
960x600 67.0
960x540 68.0
840x525 69.0 70.0 71.0 72.0 73.0
832x624 74.0
800x600 75.0 76.0 77.0 78.0 79.0
720x450 80.0
720x400 81.0
700x525 82.0 83.0
680x384 84.0 85.0
640x480 86.0 87.0 88.0 89.0
640x400 90.0
640x350 91.0
512x384 92.0 93.0 94.0
400x300 95.0
320x240 96.0 97.0
320x175 98.0

[LanceyD]

I'm considering dumping Ubuntu, seems there are a lot of bugs with displays and many will not be fixed for example this one https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-control-center/+bug/879528

3days just to get a monitor to display larger than 640x480 (SLAX does a better job off a live CD) and then not to be able to change the refresh rate as in previous Ubuntu versions....CRT screens at 60hz hurts :( nd the above link shows why Nvidia will not take over from the stock "displays" section.

Oh and did I mention 12.04 is painfully laggy and slow!

[LanceyD]

http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/89E75812-C160-4072-9923-C98C2FA99768-3757-00000A8F70836431.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/0A457A21-7E60-4F7F-AE9B-9C7E63FE2A9B-3757-00000A8F62453B95.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/551FB6F1-9522-4D8E-A783-FA8501F2184E-3757-00000A8F4D7F5A7B.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/5773C7C5-3A48-48EE-AF0A-F76DBBDA199D-3757-00000A8F2EB8D592.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/0BB13BC5-C8B4-4C26-B55D-86EB11FF038F-3757-00000A8F1CBCCFAE.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/3A7BC71B-D5C2-4A1B-91CE-050D8D38D6BE-3757-00000A8F0914FEA2.jpg
http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/1_gm/retrobike/1C5BE9A9-A34D-4A08-8C23-9491B90FE039-3757-00000A8EF079DF3E.jpg

[ZoiaGuyver]

Out of curiosity can you check that the Nvidia 173, and 96 are not installed (you will need to check either command line or synaptic. I've had problems with the driver not switching (although Nvidia settings will show the later driver)

Once the 173 and/or the 96 is removed then the problem seems to be gone. I did have one system oddly remove "ubuntu-desktop" as well when removing the drivers.

[LanceyD]

Seems to be just 173 installed.

"display" will not allow me to select a resolution higher than the current, so if I'm in 640x480 then I cannot select anything else, there isn't even the option in the drop down.

Nvidia control panel always reverts back to "disabled" in the configuration on reboot. So something else is always overriding.

[TheFu]

Results of xrandr.

The monitor is capable of 1280x1024x85hz as it was set in my previous setup. Seems my modes section in xconfig is ignored. How can I overide?



xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 175, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 1280 x 1024
default connected 1280x1024+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1280x1024 50.0 52.0 53.0*
1024x768 51.0 63.0 64.0 65.0 66.0
1280x960 54.0 55.0
1152x864 56.0 57.0 58.0 59.0 60.0 61.0 62.0


This says that your monitor/GPU support
1280x1024 50.0 52.0 53.0*
not 85hz.

Have you read https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution#Setting_resolution_changes_in_xorg.conf _--_resolution_lower_than_expected ? The mode line in that example uses a decimal number, not an integer.


Modeline "1680x1050_60.00" 146.25 1680 1784 1960 2240 1050 1053 1059 1089 -hsync +vsync


See the "_60.0"?

A different alternative:
* man xrandr
or
* xrandr -h
both explain how to set resolutions and refresh rates.
There isn't any other file controlling screen resolution or refresh rates that I am aware of. On a netbook, I have used xrandr to set the resolution and refresh rates.

I am hearing your frustration. If you have decided to change to a different OS, please let me know so I don't waste any more time. I've worked with others as long as it took to resolve their issue. It was usually a tiny mistake.

[TheFu]

Perhaps reinstalling the driver will link the installed version to the current new kernel?

I've seen where the nvidia driver installation didn't use DKMS properly to get the kernel/driver reconnected after a new kernel was installed.

[LanceyD]

Hi thanks for the replies, i'm trying to read through the help files as suggested.

Please believe me though the monitor is perfectly capable of 1280x1024@85hz, it was running this on Ubunto 9.10 with the older 7900 GT graphics card (the same monitor) and it was running this in my old Windows XP setup (the same monitor), the monitor OSD also confirms the refresh rate, so I don't understand why xrandr is reporting it incorrectly.

I'm sticking with Ubuntu by the way, it's just frustration that makes me think why am I spending hours sorting something as simple as a screen resolution and refresh rate.

[LanceyD]

After re-installing the nvidia-setting from synaptic and then editing the xorg file again I seem to be at 85hz so thread is solved but I still cannot get the nvidia setting panel to "take control" of the screen resolution, the "displays" function of Ubuntu has no feature for changing the refresh rate.

Anyway, thanks all for the help.