video boards for X386

[Alex Martelli]

tmh at prosun.first.gmd.de (Thomas Hoberg) writes:
	...
:Currently a ET4000 card offers the best speed and can be had for $150-$200.

Yup, looks like the best deal, I just got one too as an Easter present,
and according to clock.pas it has 25 28 36 40 0 0 45 65 MHz clocks.

:I have an Eizo 9070 (also known as Nanao 9070) 16" display, which I use at
:960x710 pixels resolution most of the time. My VGA has a 65MHz crystal and
:RAM-DAC on it and that resolution yields a screen refresh rate of about 70Hz,
:meaning no flicker. For some games and all these X programs that think everyone
:has a SUN I can go to 1152x900 interlaced, which actually looks better than
:1024x768 at 60Hz (it uses that same 65MHz oscilator and at about 40 Hz per
:half frame yields a stability comparable to an 80Hz display). For the 9070
:a 65MHz crystal is about the end of the rope, though. 

I got a NED/MultiSync 4D, and I'm NOT satisfied with what I have been
able to get from it so far with X386!  I'm sure I can do better, but
even following all the nice pointers (both from here, and by Email) have
not managed to get a real satisfactory resolution so far.  Indeed I am
still using 'standard BIOS' 800x600 screen as the best flicker-free,
smear-free one, but I'd really like more.  When I go 1024x768, any which
way, I get random screen flickers (somewhat like the "noise" in the old,
old IBM CGA adapters) whenever I move the mouse pointer around, and
whenever an xterm scrolls the flicker goes crazy - are these symptoms of
a bad X386 configuration, or is it access conflicts on the video RAM on
the adapter?  It's 80nsec RAM, but maybe these boards are so cheap for
a reason...:-).  The 'smear' problem has to do with how text stands out,
it's somewhat 'smeared' at 1024x768 resolutions, in all fonts and in
black on white, while a Ctrl-Alt-KpMinus to 800x600 makes it all
wonderfully sharp... THIS one definitely looks to me as a config problem,
right?  Oh BTW, the NEC 4D has lots of control buttons, and a "mode
switch" which, for my life, I cannot figure out what it's supposed to do!
When I turn it on or off the only effect seems to have to do with screen
centering and image size, I can use the finetune buttons to undo whatever
it is that the 'mode switch' does... does this have anything to do with
my problem?

Despite all this, I'm real happy - after all even 800x600 is nothing to
snicker at - although I believe I got some old version of X386, despite
copying it from a VERY recent uunet tape, because for example it core
dumps with a bus error if I say I have a Logitech mouse (must tell it
I have a Mousesystems one, although it's a lie it makes it work!-).

-- 
Alex Martelli - (home snailmail:) v. Barontini 27, 40138 Bologna, ITALIA
Email: (work:) martelli at cadlab.sublink.org, (home:) alex at am.sublink.org
Phone: (work:) ++39 (51) 371099, (home:) ++39 (51) 250434; 
Fax: ++39 (51) 366964 (work only), Fidonet: 332/401.3 (home only).