How to set 300*200 resolution on ATI 8500 ?

[vgrigor]

If I want to play in good old game ,
for dos, (like Barion or ShadowWarrior)
with such a resolution,
syncronisation is dropped - no any picture can be seen.

Same for XP or win2000,

If I use old card fro DOS, all works.

How to correct this problem for ATI 8500 card?
(made by Gigabyte)

How to make this game working on VESA mode?
And to install them on the OC?

Or ca OC emulate such a resolutiion by else method?

thanks you.







<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by vgrigor on 06/10/03 09:51 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

XP and 2k can't run a lot of DOS mode games, as the command prompt isn't "true DOS".

They should work for your card under 98SE (the best DOS based OS).

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[du_volon]

There is not a bad compatibility modes,
especially in XP,
games can be run, but video card not keeps
low resolution.

Game also nor works at true DOS mode,
that can be run from win98 OS -
same problem - low resolution not kept by
video card.

There is methods to force card work on higher -as 640x480 resolution, but games be known that 300x200 is set -
to emulate low resolution mode?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by du_volon on 06/12/03 01:40 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

All my games have run in a small window at those lower resolutions.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[phsstpok]

Hmmm, I'm having the same problem with my R8500.

I haven't had a desire to play any old DOS games but after reading your post I thought I'd give it a try.

Dusted off my old DOS skills, reserected my DOS boot floppy (works because I'm still running Windows 98SE and FAT32), and loaded Shadow Warrior.

VESA 320x200 mode doesn't work (VESA 2.0 compliance not detected). VESA 640x480 and 800x600 both work but the color palette is mixed up. Normal 320x200 mode works fine.

Sandra reports that all VESA 2.0 modes are available on my Radeon 8500.

An old DOS utility, CHKVESA, claims the same thing. No VESA driver was needed which tells me the R8500 supports the modes natively (or is supposed to do so, at least).

Something is odd, though. CHKVESA claims all VESA modes are available but indicates that all the 320x200 modes (as well as some others) use an unknown memory model. Strange!

I wonder if we need a different R8500 BIOS.

I even tried a couple of DOS-based VESA software drivers, UNIVBE and UNIVESA. However, neither of these support the R8500 GPU and I think UNIVESA only supports VESA 1.2 anyway.

By the way, why are you trying to use 320x200 resolution and not a higher resolution? Do you have one of those little 5" LCD panels or something?

<b>56K, slow and steady does not win the race on internet!</b>

 

[vgrigor]

I have 19" monitor,
but want to lay old game due to
common agreement that some of them are of stunning graphics
and music and interesting. That not always said about newest games(means - never).

I run a game on that card in DOS- and can not see correct refresh.
I tried to run "Barion" from WinXP or win2000,
and screen in go off.
there is special compatibility program -I forgot the name,
that correvts sound for win 2000, to tune usual memory compatibility, but no results I have.

 

[vgrigor]

Which card you have?
What OS and games you use?

 

[phsstpok]

Don't know about your screen going blank for DOS games with Win 2K/XP.

For refresh rates, now that you have my interest in old DOS games renewed I'm looking for a utility that will allow me to switch my refresh rates from the default 60 Hz.

At one time such a utility would be included with video cards but since few people use DOS I guess the manufacturers no longer think it is needed.

As for your sound problems, I think a utility called VDMSound (ver 2.0.4) might help you. It performs Sound Blaster 16 emulation. It doesn't emulate the hardware but it emulates the 16-bit drivers in a Win NT/2K/XP DOS box.

I learned that Shadow Warrior works under Win 98SE with my R8500. The VGA pallete does not get mixed up as it does when using true DOS. This implies that a VESA driver is needed for the R8500 as it doesn't seem to fully implement VESA 2.0 natively.

I haven't got the sound config of SW just right but I'm close because the tests work in the SW setup program.

<b>56K, slow and steady does not win the race on internet!</b>

 

[Crashman]

I have the Radeon, I was running it in Windows 98SE at the time.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[vgrigor]

VDMSound (ver 2.0.4) -yes, this program looking helpful.

Most people work on Win2000 or XP,
due to they stability, professinal environment.
The best - to find solution for them.

But not a bad to make sure that games is run on win98,
if they are not run on DOS.
It hard to install new OS for only one experiment,
but I will try if it will considered as workable solution.

 

[Crashman]

DOS compatability for NT based OS's stinks. So if you REALLY want to play the games, I suggest you have a "dual boot" system with both an NT based system (like XP) and a DOS based system (like 98SE).

In fact, 98SE is the only DOS based system I can recommend as a second OS. And it is stable as long as the drivers and hardware are stable.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>

 

[vgrigor]

Thanks you,
I will sertanly try Win98SE,

it keeps booting of previously installed Win2000 and Win Xp,
or it will need to restore boot for this systems by some method(like beginning to instal new Win2000 version, or what is better?)?

 

[vgrigor]

"Graphics and sound is stunning", - all agree,
that 's why I want to play this OLD DOS game.

On usual old video card, it runs good on DOS,
(if to tutn off sound for newest systems, or need to programmatically emulate some like SB 2),

but it not keep refresh rate. Not keeps palette stability in
Shadow Warrior (but still run).

Do you know how to correct this?

I installed Win98SE but it did not help.

Thanks you.