INI for 1680x1050 (Zalman 22" monitor) ???

[MadRussian]

Greetings.

I have been having ongoing issues attempting to get the requisite 1680*1050 up and running on my Zalman 3D 22" monitor.

Everytime I disconnect and take my computer anywhere, when I come back home to my dual monitor setup, there are many steps/hurdles in order to restablish 1680*1050 on my main monitor. Previously, I created a topic related to this issue here:
http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3941

The problem is that the Zalman is recognized as a "Non-PnP" monitor, and thus often only gets access to the standard set of Windows resolutions (which excludes 1680x1050). After going through numerous hoops, it is generally possible to get the resolutions back. But recently I'm attempting a setup where the workarounds simply will not work. I can only imagine others are having the same issue (at least sometimes), and I feel there must be a better way.

It occurred to me to simply obtain and install the ini driver for the Zalman 3D monitor and then we could all have unfettered access to all resolutions allowed by the monitor. However, I can't seem to locate them on the Zalman website. (Only seeing very outdated GeForce drivers, that early stereo player, etc).

So here's the question:

Does anyone know where users of Zalman 3D monitors can obtain a generic INI for a complete set of resolutions for monitors which did not come with their own INI?

Thanks for any help in this matter! 8)

[cybereality]

There is no Zalman monitor driver. Its just recognized as Generic PnP. Thats fine. The resolutions available in windows are obtained from the EDID directly on the monitor, so it should list 1680x1050. You may have issues with dual monitor in weird modes so try just connecting the Zalman by itself on the primary DVI port of the video card. That should work for sure.

[MadRussian]

Thanks for the response cybereality.

I am indeed attempting a "semi-weird" setup. Three computers, two 4-port KVMs, and two monitors. And two video cards on the main computer: a GTX-275 running in cloned mode and a GF-6200 for the extended desktop. I've tried bringing the monitor connections online in various sequences, and can't seem to get both of the GTX-275 ports working in 1680x1050 in cloned mode. (One of the outputs is always recognized in that paired down mode.) I even tried forcing 1680x1050 using the nVidia Control Panel, and they do show up as options... but when I pick them it simply defaults to one of the unhelpful modes. In any event, based on what I'm seeing, I'm almost certain to be able to get all this working if I just had a passable INI for the Zalman.

Does anyone know if these monitor INIs are somewhat "interchangable" between monitors? (Seeing as though the Zalman does not have an INI of it's own?)

I can't imagine there is much going on inside these monitor INIs, except a listing of allowable resolutions / refresh rates? Anyone know what monitor the Zalman is built on? (i.e. prior to the screen they place on top, etc?)

[Side question - Does anyone know if notable gaming performance is lost by running in cloned mode?]

[Dom]

hi i think i know how to fix your problem, i to have 2 kvm switchs with vga splitters going into many monitors and had the same problem. It comes from the signal only recognizing one or the other monitor. Two different monitors will give just an analog output giving sparatic resolutions. So to fix this goto nvidia display setup and choose custom resolution. Add in your resolution at the hertz you need and should say successful. Also make sure both monitors can handle the same hertz or just leave it at 60hz and making your primary cloned or extended from dvi 1 not 2 so looping won't happen.

I don't think gaming on cloned mode will slow down any bit what so ever i have tryed this before and basically all the graphics are the same just that they are split into two monitors. All that extra port is for is like a splitter without a wire, if you took the same port for one monitor and a dvi-splitter cable and connected to another monitor it would show the exact same on the screen. Now if you go into extended desktop and make the resolution bigger than just having cloned in lower resolution these two setups would make performance differences.

[cybereality]

Using just any driver for a different monitor probably will not work and could possibly damage the monitor. However if the Zalman is based on a standard commercial 2D monitor then I imagine that driver should work (or another monitor with the same panel).

[MadRussian]

hi i think i know how to fix your problem... So to fix this goto nvidia display setup and choose custom resolution.

I've tried using the NV Control Panel and was able to add 1680x1050, and it does indeed show up then as an option. When I choose that res however, it simply would not go into that resolution mode and selects a lower one. No idea why that would happen, because I recall this method working long ago on my last computer, but I did find a workaround to this particular issue.

If I click the detect button (Win7 only I think) while KVMed to my primary monitor port, the monitor on the other port (the one to be cloned) would not get the correct set of resolutions. But if I use the detect button while KVMed to the second monitor port (the one to be cloned to), suddenly it is possible to get the desired resolutions on that monitor port at well. At this point all three monitor ports (the 2 cloned, and the extended desktop) are running at 1680x1050 and I can toggle through all 4 ports on the Primary KVM (to the Zalman) without issue.

But now my problem is that all hell breaks loose when I try toggling through the Secondary KVM (to the other monitor). As soon as I try it both screens go black.
Sometimes after a spell they come back, but all the monitor resolution/position/cloning settings are lost, making the whole process an effort in futility. And sometimes they go black and just stay black! I believe the issue has to do with the fact that Windows (or the KVM SW) detects that suddenly one of the three monitor ports has suddenly gone black. Either that -or- The KVMs are conflicting with one another (or even themselves, as I have two KVM ports on the main KVM routed to the same monitor). I think they may actually communicate back through the VGA ports for hand-shaking purposes after you toggle them. (One is toggled by the user via hot-keys, the other via a mechanical switch.)

So two KVMs on three video ports on a single computer seems to be causing issues in my case. And I found that if I limit it to two video ports on each PC, then everything at least works. But then I've still got the issue that I need to clone the primary video output on my main gaming PC. So I ordered a Belkin DVI-VGA two port splitter. No idea if that will work (or if I'll end up with degraded video signal or ghosting)... but if using two of a single KVM's ports routed into that KVM is the issue, then I'm probably hosed any which way you slice it!

...so looping won't happen.

Interesting... what do you mean by "looping"?

I don't think gaming on cloned mode will slow down any bit what so ever ...

Before I hit that brick wall I played around with cloned mode a bit and ran some games. Though I wasn't measuring FPS or anything, I didn't see any slowdown in cloned mode either. That's a bit of good news, I suppose!

Using just any driver for a different monitor probably will not work and could possibly damage the monitor. However if the Zalman is based on a standard commercial 2D monitor then I imagine that driver should work (or another monitor with the same panel).

Seems reasonable. Anyone know how we could find out what monitor/panel is inside our Zalmans?

[Dom]

Hi looping used to happen like this. You would have two monitors and select them cloned or extended desktop then all of a sudden later on the same monitors would show up on differents dvi ports like 1,2 then to 2,1 . I called this looping because the driver and video card were never really insync. The primary would always switch and never know which port. So by this means i have always tried to keep primary monitor on dvi port 1 and secondard on dvi port 2. This happened with forceware older version but could still happen now I think.

Also when you get a black screen showing up when you select both kvms on your one monitor is your hertz the same on both video cards. You can also try windows display properties its sometimes more stable. The cable you got to split the signal will work without degradation as long as it is sheilded and short. If is coming from your powered kvm switch if thats is then it will carry enough signal to not blurr.

Do you have a software kvm switch on your 3d monitor?