WinXP, Freelancer, and Refresh Force = Dead Monitor?

Sat Jun 14, 2003 1:53 pm by a_drunk_bastard

Just wanted to post this, just in case it's a real problem. It might just be a coincidence...

Had a new computer/monitor for about 6 months and everthing seemed fine and then about a week after I got Freelancer my monitor completly craped out after my last Freelancer session. When I got a replacement monitor which cost me 65$ in shipping charges, I noticed that Freelancer allowed me to play at a resolution unsupported by my monitor at 120hz.

I think maybe something about using Refresh Force, Directx9, and Freelancer AT AN UNSUPPORTED RESOLUTION, can bypass the regular monitor protecting safeguards and eventually damage it. And Freelancer doesn't seem to check for supported/unsupported monitor resolutions.

It seems really lame to me that people have to use untested 3rd party solutions just to not have headaches/nausea while playing a game, and then M$ can say it's not their fault when it damages your rig. (Running an unsupported resolution in OpenGL, in contrast, just makes it run in a window...)

Anyway I've been playing at a SUPPORTED resolution (still with ReForce, and Freelancer STILL allows me to choose an unsupported one if I want) for about a month now, and no problems yet.

Like I said, it could just be a coincidence but you may want to check you monitor manual to make sure that what Freelancer allows you to choose for a resolution is acutually supported by your monitor, especially if you're using ReForce as well...

---Window's XP with Refresh Force and Directx9
---nVidia Geforce 4 4600
---Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2070u

Sat Jun 14, 2003 3:33 pm by Stinger

Excuse me?

Who in their right mind would let a piece of software that has nothing to do with determining hardware capabilites to dictate what resolution is used to use said piece of software???

If someone is not savvy enough to CHECK the specification of a piece of hardware first (in this case the monitor) then that's just about the most unwise decision a person could make. Either check the resolution capabilites of the monitor first or rely on the software that comes with the video card...NEVER let an application that is designed to run on a computer tell you what you can and can not do.

I call this a lesson learned. It's unfortunate this happened to you but if you'd relied on the operating system itself or the software that runs the graphics show (drivers) to dictate what can and can not be used then you'd been fine...100% of the time. I have never heard of either of these to even offer unsupported resolutions without having a failsafe in place (use too much resolution and the screen gets all squigglie lines BUT will reset back to what works and the software that comes with graphics cards won't even list a mode unsupported by the monitor.)

Sat Jun 14, 2003 7:23 pm by GIVEUPTHEGOODS

the screen should scramble if not supported.. but I see your point about old monitors usin a resolution beyond what's specified in the monitor driver.. think it should check the list of supported resolutions under installed monitor- if not then it's another bug in freelancer you should look out for.. you can say lesson learned all you want stinger- but not everyone is comp savy.. look at how many aolers you got here already lol

Sat Jun 14, 2003 9:40 pm by Stinger

point taken GIVEUPTHEGOODS

Sat Jun 14, 2003 9:57 pm by TheJkWhoSaysNi

??? My monitor goes up to 1280x1024, and freelancer wont let me select any higher than that...

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