Widescreen Gaming Forum

OK, we've all made a comment at one time or another about how nVidia support fixed aspect scaling in their drivers, and ATi don't... well, I've now got proof that some of the ATi card/driver combos do in fact support fixed aspect scaling...



This is on an Acer 8204WLMi (Core Duo T2500, X1600M, WSXGA+)

The only bugger is that it requires Catalyst Control Centre, from what I can work out so far... ATiTrayTool doesn't allow it from the quick test I tried.

Isn't that because of it being a notebook?
It says "notebook panel properties".
I believe they have a special notebook version of the driver that has the option.

I don't know - I fully intend to find out, though, when I get back to my X1900 box... (I hate being split between three sites... :cry:) I'll be installing the CCC to check.

It's possible that it depends completely on the chip, and the implementation of said chip - I know that the Mobility Radeon 9000 doesn't have it, and I've seen screenshots that show the 9600 Mobility both with this option and without it, on different laptops.

However, it does mean that ATi don't completely ignore FAS... so there is light at the end of the tunnel for those desktop users... maybe. :)

Just as an FYI, this is what mine shows:



And it only shows the centered timing options if I am using a DVI connection.

If I'm using a standard VGA connection it looks more like this:



That's actually for my other monitor, I'm just too lazy to switch it.

I have put in a request for the ATI drivers to be updated to support this and I would urge other ATI users to do so as well. The more requests for it the more likely they will see the need to add it.

If you want to request an enhancement to the ATI drivers you can do so here.

Thanks Duncan. :) That's one for, and three against... (I've got a Mobility 9000 and an X1900XT that don't have FAS either...)

Bugger. :(

ASUS EAX800XT CCC





NOTE: last Cat updates (6.2) also added 2 resolutions above 1920 X1200

I have a x600 on my sony laptop, 17in ws and I have to go to sony website to download drivers. What really sucks is last time I check, I couldn't even get catalyst for my sony. Or any decent drivers. any suggestions out there???

I'm pretty sure it's tied into you having DVI or VGA, not the driver version -- unless maybe it's an ancient version.

I don't have the option for scaling anything, and am using 6.2s with a VGA connection.

What I'd really like to know is, if nVidia users with a VGA connection can do it. Then it would be a limitation of ATI's drivers for sure.

Crosscut, I used to google for Catalyst Mobility download, and there would always be a website somewhere with the direct link to ATI bypassing the silly checker application. If not you can always find the latest catalyst mobility drivers hosted somewhere else.

My conclusions on fixed scaling on ATI:

just to let you know where I am this far,
and regarding this:

ok guys, i made a new discovery. This problem seems to ONLY arise on 1280x800 screens. And I figured out why. It may be just coincidence but for 1440x900 screen, a 4:3 resolution that was stretched and had a preserved ratio would be stretched to 1200x900. For 1680x1050, it would be stretched to 1400x1050. For 1920x1200, it would be stretched to 1600x1200. And finally, for 1280x800, it would be stretched to 1066.66667x800

I have an ASUS M6V, ATI Mob X600, 1280x800 LCD panel, CRT output, no DVI output
My girlfriend has a HP dv4200, ATI Mob X700, 1280x800 LCD panel, CRT output, no DVI output

With default drivers (asus ones on the asus, and hp ones on the hp, which both include ATI CP, not CCC, and are in the range of catalyst 5.5-5.12):
- my asus has widescreen scaling and unscaled options, no fixed scaling.
- my gf's hp has all three options

with latest omega drivers (cat 6.2, with ati/omega cp)
- my asus has widescreen scaling and unscaled options, no fixed scaling.
- my gf's hp has all three options

so now I conclude this:
- same drivers yield different options: drivers do not matter
- native res are the same: native res does not matter
- native res is 1280x800: this discards the above quote's conclusions

and I estimate this to be true:
- same ati hardware yield different result (some 9600 have fixed scaling, some don't. it is known that 9600 and 9700 are roughly the same. it is known that x600 and x700 are roughly the same too): ati hardware might just not matter.

therefore I conclude:
1=> fixed scaling is made available or not relative to revisions or batches of chipsets (sheer luck is needed)
2=> fixed scaling is made available or not through a video BIOS setting (flashing is needed, and maybe hacking the bios)
3=> fixed scaling is made available or not relative to the panel connected
4=> fixed scaling is made available or not relative to a complex combination of parameters

note: ATT, ATICCC or ATICP, all yield same results, so which one one will use, it does not matter.
note: omega drivers are an easy way to bypass the catalyst mobility check.