Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!boulder!seri!wind55!marshall From: marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Ahead Systems VGA Wizard at 1024x768 Summary: It's a dog when running Terminal or Crosstalk for Windows Message-ID: Date: 22 Aug 90 18:44:30 GMT Sender: news@seri.gov (news) Distribution: na Organization: Solar Energy Research Institute Lines: 57 Well, I just installed the new Win3 drivers for my 512K VGA Wizard and set up Win3 to run at 1024x768x16. I also installed the 8514 fonts. I have a Dell System 325 (25 MHz) with a GPD-16C monitor. I think the monitor is really a 16" Nanao 9070S. A few notes: It sure does allow me to get a LOT more information on the screen. Now I can get all of my Program Mamager Groups on screen at once with room to spare. I'll probably have it filled again in a few weeks. It also allows me to use Program Manager in a window so I can see icons at the bottom of the screen. I can see the entire width of a Word for Windows page. Yeah!!! The image is grainy. I can see tiny horizontal lines on the screen. Also, where there is a horizontal line drawn, it seems to vibrate up and down - especially when I'm not looking directly at it. When I run at 800x600, the screen flickers more, but doesn't have that grainy look. Lines don't vibrate either. It's hard on the eyes, but I can live with this problem. I don't know if the grainyness is caused by the card or the monitor. A friend has a Model 80 with 8514 and it looks a LOT better than this. I ought to put this Nanao on his system to see how it looks. When I run Terminal or Crosstalk for Windows I have REAL (TM) problems. While scrolling text, it's OK until the screen fills. But when it fills the screen, it takes about a second to draw each new line. I'd never get any work done at that rate. This is totally unacceptable. I guess there are just too many pixels to draw. It also seems to take longer to draw ANY window. This is rather disappointing. I don't know if the problem is with my wimpy 386/25 or my VGA Wizard. I sure could use a faster computer. I seem to remember that my old Paradise VGA Plus 16 is not even as fast as my Wizard. I only used it with Win/386 2.11 though, so I'm not sure about its performance with Win3. I never ran any good benchmarks. I'm thinking about getting Dell's GPX-1024/16 video board to replace the VGA Wizard. Unfortunately, it costs $900 and requires a VGA card too. It's the only thing I've seen that uses the VGA Feature Connector. I think I can use my VGA Wizard with it, but you can get a "VGA Option Module" for $219. I think this is really a Paradise VGA Plus 16. I believe it uses the TI 34010 processor, so it should be a lot faster. Has anyone tried this graphics accelerator? I guess I'll give 800x600 a try. This is just too slow. And to think I could have saved $50 by getting the 256K version which doesn't support the 1024x768 mode. Live and learn. Later. -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov Senior Computer Missionary VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future