GeForce 8600T: Issues with new Win7 installation

[SimonR]

Hello,

I have just upgraded my computer from XP to Windows 7, and I am having a few problems with the display. I have an Nvidia GeForce 8600T graphics card, with the most current drivers I can find (9.18.13.2049), but I just can't seem to get the display looking right.

I started off at the native screen resolution of 1280x1024, but having been used to a resolution of 1024x768 for years with XP, I found that everything was simply too small on the higher resolution, and I could barely read most of the on screen text. I started fiddling with font sizes, but, as they do, some adjustments affected other things I didn't want them to affect, so I then had to fiddle with my browser fonts, as web pages weren't displaying correctly, and it all ended up a bit of a mess. I also noticed that the text, even with ClearType turned on, looked sort of 'blurry / fuzzy', when enlarged so that I could actually read it, so I ended up resetting all the fonts to default, and starting again.

I have a Xerox 4:3 monitor, which is perfectly suited to my needs, and I don't really have the room for a larger, or widescreen monitor on my computer desk, so I don't really want to change it. However, each of the other available screen resolutions crops the top and bottom of the screen, as they are presumably suited to widescreen displays, and that really isn't what I want. I have therefore, reverted to my old 1024x768 resolution, which is great, as I can read the text, and everything looks familiar again (is it just me, or do we all try to make a new operating system look like the old one? ), however, the aspect ratio of the display is no longer correct and true. What I mean is, a circle looks slightly vertically egg shaped, and a square looks slightly vertically rectangular.

I have been through the settings on my monitor, and although there are positional adjustments (move left, right, up and down), there is no 'height' adjustment, just one for 'width', which doesn't help, as stretching the width to make a circle correctly round, causes the sides of the display to overreach the edges of the screen. Needless to say, this is quite an irritating issue, because now I've noticed it, I keep looking for it.

I have to say, this has probably been the most challenging upgrade I have ever done, in about 14 years of using home computers. I have made self builds for myself, and other people, and have reinstalled, or upgraded operating systems many times, but with this one, well, I won't bore you with the list of things that have gone wrong, but nothing has seemed straightforward, and it's all taken far too long. This is the last of the issues I've been unable to solve, so I hope I've explained the situation clearly, and if anyone has any ideas on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Simon.

 

[Faladu]

Welcome to sevenforums!

I'm going to theorize that the 8600T is old enough to have been out before the release of Windows 7 and that is the problem.

7 prefers the native resolution of monitors, the recommended one, what it was made for, and distortions are normal if you stray away from it.

 

[SimonR]

Hi, and thanks for the reply.

So, would you recommend replacing the monitor or the graphics card? I'd favour a monitor replacement, as it's probably about time I got a widescreen display, but if the graphics card is still going to cause poor font rendering, then I may have to consider that as well, although I really don't want to have to rebuild half of my PC!

 

[Faladu]

Those are disposable easy to replace parts, we all go there eventually. 8)

Video card will make the biggest improvement on your system speed, monitor not that much unless you had one with a terrible response time, I'd suggest 5ms or less if you do replace it.

8600GT (GT right? that was a typo don't see a T) is now 5+ years ago, see hwcompare.com to see how much better other cards are now, the 8600GT came in some variety too, some had slow RAM and/or less.
[2 cards back for me was the 8800GTS-512 (G92)]

Compare the power on the 8600GT when you look also that can be used to guide you on an upgrade to a comparable powered card.

A fairly modest card compare shows that card (best version of it even) is really awful now, performance wise:

http://www.hwcompare.com/7358/geforce-8600-gt-1gb-gddr3-vs-geforce-gt-440-1-5gb/

Compare to what I use, a bit unfair, but shows you WHAT'S UP! :devil:

http://www.hwcompare.com/11725/geforce-8600-gt-1gb-gddr3-vs-radeon-hd-7950-3gb/

PSU would be something to worry about if going to a higher tier card (more Watts needed) and the PCI-Express 16 slot specification on the motherboard, if 2.x+ you'd be fine.

Monitor wise, yeah 23" Wide Screen is lovely, expect 1920 by 1080 resolution, but it's wonderful, I paid $199 for my last one, and it's IPS/LED even.

 

[SimonR]

Thanks for the advice. In upgrading the OS, I hadn't bargained on the additional expenditure of a graphics card and monitor. Yes, it would be about 5 years old, as that's when I built the PC. I'll have to give this some thought. A monitor leads to a graphics card, which could possibly lead to a new PSU, and before I know it, I'll have practically spent half of what a new PC would cost!

 

[Faladu]

You did get 5 years out of system, which is really all one should hope for?

Hard drive and power supplies are 2 parts not normally warranted that far out, other examples.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

FIY, windows 7 runs perfectly with a Geforce 6200 or younger card. As long as it isn't AGP, that is. Works fine if it is PCI. Gaming performance is the same as the card's capable of.

I recommend native resolution. It usually looks better, and you have more screen space. Might take a week to get used to it. But text has to look sharp. Otherwise you are straining your eyes.

You tried playing with settings in the NVIDIA control panel when at native resolution?

In the "manage 3D settings", Global Settings tab, try disabling/changing all stuff about Antialising to application controlled or whatever.

I know it sounds strange, but I had to add some profiles manually for some browsers or other stuff because the antialising was screwing up text.

It might (likely) affect quality of 3D games unless you add a profile enabling stuff for them (the other tab).

This tutorial for calibrating cleartype and possibly removing the fuzzyness.

This tutorial, step two, scroll down a bit, you find the advanced text options, so you can enlarge only SOME text and leave the other as it is.

While we are at it, you sure your eyes aren't weakening? Had similar complaints in the past and it turned out the guy just needed glasses.

 

[SimonR]

Thanks for that - when you say "as long as it isn't AGP", could you clarify that? Would it not work at all if was AGP, or could it cause issues if it was? I can't actually remember whether it is or it isn't - is there a simple way to find out, without taking the case off?

I've actually done the things suggested in those tutorials, and have been flddinig with the Advanced Text options (Metrics) all week! With the ClearType calibtation, I found it difficult to tell the difference on some of the screens, but two showed clear differences. The trouble I'm having is that the text is very 'thin' - that's not the font itself, as in 'condensed', but the actual text. I've tried different fonts, and have found MS Reference Sans Serif to be the clearest to me so far.

I have now got a new monitor, which is up and running, and is a 20" Iiyama ProLite. After first reaching for the Raybans and sunblock once I'd toned down the brightness and contrast, the screen is about the same sharpness as my old monitor, but, of course, there's more of it, and at the default resolution of 1600 x 900, I can actually read the text, although the font size is set to a custom 110%, just until I get more used to it.

The problem that has arisen now though, is that of motion blur on text, when scrolling. If, for example, I scroll up and down this forum thread, each line of text leaves a white 'comet tail' behind it for about a quarter of a second, which might not seem a lot, but is noticeable, given that it didn't happen at all on my old monitor. Would there be any reason for this? I have been advised that my current graphics card should be perfectly adequate to support my current screen resolution, and higher, but what it doesn't seem to want to do is move above the currently set 60Hz refresh rate. I'm not sure of this is relevant to the text motion blur or not.

I will try playing with the graphics card settings, as you suggested, although, | don't recall seeing any anti-aliasing settings when I've looked at the control panel before.

And yes, I do need to get my eyes tested, but I didn't have any problems this time last week, when I still had Windows XP and my old monitor. That was perfectly clear and readable, so I can't believe that my eyesight could have suddenly deteriorated in the time it took to install Windows 7!

 

[bobafetthotmail]

is there a simple way to find out, without taking the case off?

Sure. This forum has its own tool for reading up specs. Here.

Once you know the name of the motherboard, you google it to find the manufacturer's page about it, where it will say if its main slot is AGP or PCI-e.

I had issues with NVIDIA AGP cards on windows 7 in the past. Could not load drivers at all, even if I hacked the driver setting files. Stuck at standard VGA adaptor.

ATI AGP cards always ran perfectly once I found the right drivers.

I will try playing with the graphics card settings, as you suggested, although, | don't recall seeing any anti-aliasing settings when I've looked at the control panel before.

If you go in Control Panel, select "view by big/small icons" and you will see the NVIDIA control panel icon. This is a more indepth look at it once it's open. with screenshots and all.

The problem that has arisen now though, is that of motion blur on text, when scrolling.

Dunno, when scrolling I get blurred text and it kinda has a "white tail" too on browsers and documents on all stations I see. For XP it's not like that. I think it's normal. Although I don't know how severe is yours. Check another PC with windows 7 and see if it's the same.

Might be caused by the antialising thing.

it doesn't seem to want to do is move above the currently set 60Hz refresh rate.

That's the screen refresh rate. Standard refresh rate on 90% of screens around. Can't do better unless you buy a screen with a different refresh rate. Won't matter unless you are a hardcore gamer.