Windows 7: Going Blind!

Hi Guys,

I need some help before I go blind here. I recently installed windows7 on my machine. No hardware was changed. With XP I had no visual problems at all.

Now that I went to Windows 7, I can not look at the monitor longer than 3-4 minutes without getting a head ache. I am running an 8800GT with a gig of mem. Monitor is a Viewsonic VX2255wm @1680X1050 set at 60Hz refresh.

I have turned off V-synch.

I was told by a friend that has the same video card and monitor that he has his set at 75Hz refresh, but I can not get mine that high.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as these headaches are really cutting into my playing time.



Thanks
GunnerSmith

Hi Gunnersmith,

What is the highest refresh rate your monitor supports? Is 60hz the highest, or you just can't get it to set a higher one, if your friend has the same? You can find the highest it will support with help from this tutorial at number 4..
Screen Refresh Rate - Display Settings

Hi Airbot

It shows supported refresh rate of 59/60Hz. Which is what I ran in XP with no problems (read as no headaches) as long as I had vert sync off.

Now, that same setup is causeing bad headaches. My friend has same monitor, he purchased it one day before me at same store, and same video card. But his setup will go to 75Hz refresh rate.

Right now I am just trying anything to make the headaches stop. Is there any way to force the refresh rate higher?

Thanks
Gunner

There is a way that you can set a custom refresh rate with a nVidia card, but it isn't recommended to set one higher than your monitor supports.
Screen Refresh Rate - Custom for NVIDIA Brand

Not sure I'm understanding why your friend can set it higher to 75, if he has the same card and monitor though.

.
Are you connecting to the card with VGA or DVI? Have you tried adjusting the contrast and brightness manually?

The refresh rate issue isn't quite the same on LCD's as they were on CRT's. 60hz on LCD vs CRT are worlds apart. A low refresh rate on CRT was headache inducing, but it shouldn't be an issue on LCD's.

And v-sync only caps your FPS to the refresh rate (drawing one frame at a time instead of two). It doesn't actually change, or affect the refresh rate itself. Regardless of of v-sync being enabled/disabled, the refresh rate is still 60hz.

EDIT:

From Manual- http://www.viewsonic.com/assets/014/6505.pdf

I am useing a DVI cable. I do not think it is so much the refresh rate that is messing with me. It is mostly V-synch. If I turn it on it is just a matter of 10-15 minutes and I am nauseous and dizzy with headaches shortly after that. With V-sync off it will be 30-40 minutes before the headaches start. However, I was hopeing there was a way to bring the refresh rate up some as that seems to help some.

I understand there is a big difference between CRTs and LCDs concerning refresh rates. At my current resolution (1680X1050) the best refresh I can get is 60Hz. It can run it as high as 85Hz but to do that I have to drop resolution way down.

I just can not put my finger on why this started the same day I installed Windows 7. I have tried to build a custom resolution in the nvidia drivers but I must be doing something wrong because I can not select them.

Thanks
Gunner

P.S. Something I learned tonight. If I fire up the computer and go into a game the headaches do not show up. They only start if I am out at the desktop or on the web for a few minutes.

Gunnersmith, Not sure how your friend is able to run his refresh rate at 75 unless he is using a different visual setting (1280x1024). The native setting for your monitor is 1680 x 1050 at 60Hz (looked this up on the monitors web site).

You are running the same video card that I use, so let me ask you a question what version of the Nvidia driver are you using? You might want to check to see if it is up to date (just because you have a new system doesn't always mean the drivers are up to date).

If you drivers are up to date check to see if you have the Nvidia Control Panel, and if so check all the settings in the control panel. You may be able to find what you are looking for in the Nvidia control panel. If the control panel is not there then go to the Nvidia site and download the new drivers (they come with the control panel).

I run two monitors off the same card; a 28" Hannspree (1920 x 1200) and a Gateway 22" (1680 x1050) without a problem.

Hi Lee,

I am running the 191.07 nvidia driver. It has the control panel and I have gone thru it and everything looks normal. I d/l'd the 195.39 beta last night and will probally install it later tonight. We will see if that helps.

If not, I think my next option is to go to a newer video card. See what that does. Not sure where the next dart will go afer that.

Thanks
Gunner