Lenovo T500 + VGA output = 1920 by 1080 not possible?

[falkenjeff]

I have a 42 inch Sharp LCD TV, and a Lenovo T500 laptop running windows 7 as my main OS. I use VGA to connect to my TV. Any attempt to display 1920 by 1080 on my TV results in my TV telling me to switch to 1600 by 1200 because the video mode is not supported. 1920 by 1080 works fine on windows XP, same machine, same TV.

Games would not run well at 1920 by 1080, so I've ignored it up till now (because I tried several times and cannot get it to work). I like 1920 by 1080 for writing code though. Any way to fix this?

video card:
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650
Switchable graphics is currently disabled.

Windows 7 version: release candidate (it's free) (32 bit, yay for unused RAM)

other specs similar to this

 

[torrentg]

You say it works in XP, so go into XP and check what refresh rate you have it set to at 1920 x 1080.

Go back into Win 7 and set the same refresh rate for the tv at 1920 x 1080 and see if that does the trick.

 

[falkenjeff]

60hz for both.

 

[torrentg]

Alright. Next, are you using the latest driver for your mobile card in 7?

For 32 bit - http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-32.aspx

 

[falkenjeff]

Very interesting. A non-lenovo website giving me catalyst control center without hacking it. Driver installed, and didn't fix the problem. BIOS is also now up to date.

 

[torrentg]

Alright. Sometimes the ATI installer seems to install correct and reports so but the actual graphics driver is not updated.

I'd try updating the driver manually using the device manager and pointing to the .inf in the extracted folder. Right click card, update driver software, browse my computer, let me pick, have disk, browse, now find the .inf.

Maybe a reboot needed after too.

 

[falkenjeff]

Told me it was already updated.

EDIT: Just eliminated all unknown devices as well, and it didn't do anything.

 

[torrentg]

When it tells you that, you didn't try to install right.

Windows won't tell you that it already has the most up to date driver, no matter how old or new the driver is that you are trying to install, if you manually install pointing to a specific .inf.

Go over my last post and make sure those are the steps you followed. All the way to browse.

 

[falkenjeff]

"D:\ATI\Support\9-9_beta_win7_32_dd_CC\Packages\Drivers\Display\W7_INF\CW_87751.inf" is an invalid path. "D:\ATI\Support\9-9_beta_win7_32_dd_CC\Packages\Drivers\Display\W7_INF\" tells me the driver is up to date. There is another similar directory, and same results. Pointing to W7_INF folder worked in the past with a lenovo driver that failed to install.

EDIT:
also, 1920 by 1080 works if I use unsupported refresh rates (30, 50, etc), but it's really displaying at a smaller resolution that has to be stretched. Catalyst control center seems confident that 60hz is being displayed. right click desktop -> screen resolution -> right click TV -> properties -> monitor tab = will always display 59hz as the selected refresh rate when I close the window and go back to it, even if I select 60hz and press apply, and even if catalyst says I am using 60hz. Catalyst will even go so far as to change its refresh rate box to 60hz, even if I select 59hz and press apply. This is without closing the catalyst window.

EDIT2: So it's probably displaying at 59hz. Dxdiag says so.

EDIT3: I have 1920 by 1080 displayed using another program to force a 60hz refresh rate. virustotal says it's not a virus: http://rs81.rapidshare.com/files/130922490/directrefresh_1.2-Gophn.zip

I would like a better program or better solution if possible though. This program only works on my primary monitor, and I also have no idea HOW it works. I didn't grab it from its source.

EDIT4: I can set it and then change my primary monitor if I want to.

EDIT5: So this is pretty much fixed, unless someone can suggest a better way for me to force 60hz (another program, permanent solution, etc).