Guild Wars 2

Hi all,

I wasn’t sure if it was acceptable to seek general (not necessarily GW2 related) tech advice here, but here it goes anyways.

First off, here are my system specs to keep in mind when reading through this:

Macbook Pro
OSX Mountain Lion 64 & BootCamped Windows 8 Pro 64
Intel Core i7 @ 2.60ghz
16gb RAM
NVIDIA 650m
Asus VE228H connected using Apple VGA connector

I purchased a new monitor a few weeks back to use with my laptop and I have been having issues with the refresh rate. The monitor tops out at 1920×1080 @ 60hz and will not let me go any higher (even if I try to force it to 75hz in the nvidia control panel). Whenever I leave it at this resolution, I see a lot of horizontal lines moving down the screen similar to the way that those old CRT monitors used to function. This is especially noticeable on black or white backgrounds. However, If I change the resolution to my laptop’s native screen resolution (1440×900), the tearing is reduced significantly.

Here’s the thing though: This only seems occurs on the desktop or while running non-3D apps on (such as the browser or Photoshop CS6) on either operating system. If I am running GW2 on either the Windows or Mac side of my laptop, no visible tearing occurs at 1920×1080, and this is true for every other game I have installed as well as I have tested it with Saints Row, Team Fortress 2, and PlanetSide 2. It might also be worth noting that this issue does occur with the Steam desktop interface, but not in game. There are also times where the tearing is extremely bad and others where it is only somewhat noticeable.

The connector itself has been tested with another monitor that runs at 1440×900 with no issues, so it isn’t that. I have also updated my drivers to the current ones and ran any/all maintenance tasks that I could find. Is this an issue with the monitor itself as a result of scaling up from the laptops native resolution to the monitor’s? Could the monitor be bad?

Hopefully someone has a better idea than I do. It really is a nice monitor and it got great reviews with no issues mentioned, but the tearing isn’t good for my eyes in the long run (or anyone’s, really). If it is actually occurring in game then that’s even worse since I can’t seem to see it.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Hmm this is a bit confusing tbh.

im not sure ur using the correct term.

‘Screen tearing’ is when the FPS is faster than the screen refresh rate..usualy 60hz. So when fps goes above 60 u start getting a quik horrizontal split along the screen where it is half 1 frame and half another, this usualy looks like basscialy taking a picture cutting it in half horizontaly then shift ether half slightly left or right.

This term is often mistaken for other things so dont take it to bad if u r aswell.

Now is this what ur talking about ?
Or are u talking about somthing entirly different ..like say distortion, interferance, or some such. Is it possilbe for u to take a picture with a camera phone or somthing (if its visible enough) ?

Sorry for the confusion! I think “Scan Lines” might be a more appropriate term for this. I can’t take a photo of it since the camera distorts screen images so you wouldn’t be able to see what I am referring to. The best way I can think to describe it would be sections of horizontal lines that flicker in such a way that it almost looks as though they are moving vertically up the monitor.

The refresh rate on the monitor won’t go any higher or lower than 60, which is lower than what my old monitor used to run at so I thought it might be that, but I read that this is actually a common refresh rate for monitors (more-so than the 75 of my old one).

Thanks for jumping in on this and sorry for the confusion

75+ is common for old CRT monitors (box monitors)
modern LCD/ TFT monitors run at 60hz ..some new expensive ones run at 120hz.

What u discribe usualy happens when u try runnign a monitor signal to high for the monitor to handle. But as u said, u got it set for 60hz so it shouldnt be doing it.

u said its set for 60hz ..is that the monitor or the computer ?

the computer needs ot have the graphcis options set to 60hz refresh rate ..otherwise it will pump out 75hz and the 60hz screen wont be able to accept it.

The monitor’s OSD states that it is running 1920×1080 @ 60hz and the nvidia control panel also says that it is running 1920×1080 @60hz. Is there somewhere else I might have missed that I needed to change one of those options? Could it be something in the video card options possibly?

Here is a link to the monitor if it helps at all:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236100

Thanks so much for your help so far, I appreciate it!

Hmm ok.

IIRC monitors can have different refresh rates/resolution limitations depending on what lead and socket u use.

Check ur manual there should be a table or list of resolutions and hz figures next to each possible way on contecting it to a computer or other input device.

make sure the conection ur using is compatable wiht the resolution and hz ur computer is pumping out.

Also since u say this only happens on desktop and not in 3D apps. go to ur control panel(not nvidia control panel) ..go to Display ..on left side of the winodw click ‘change display settings’.. then click advanced settings ..new window should pop up ..at the bottom of that window should be a button called ‘list all mode’ ..click it and make sure… 1920 by 1080, true Color (32bit) 60hz… is highlighted/selected. Then go across to the Monitor tab and on the drop down menu for screen refresh rate, pick 60hz.

I have the same thing and I know why its there I think.

1. If your fps doesnt go higher than 60 fps, its probably cuz you have vertical sync on in the graphics settings of gw2. Now this is actually a good thing, its a new feature of the 600 series graphics card of NVidia to save energy.

2. The tearing, its probably cuz you are using a monitor with VGA input. Use a monitor with DVI. I have a VGA monitor and I use a DVI to VGA adapter to convert it from my graphics card to my monitor. Thats what causes the screen horizontal lines on my monitor. (VGA = blue, DVI = white input socket)

I checked those settings that you mentioned SolarNova and all of them were at the values you listed. My monitor’s user guide chart also says that 1920 @60hz is supported.

Farry, I actually have a DVI to VGA connector from my old monitor and this monitor supports VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs, but for some reason it isn’t the same as the one on this new monitor. The old connector has 4 small pins surrounding the larger horizontal pin and the new monitors input slot doesn’t have any openings for those 4 pins. I will have to stop by BestBuy and see if I can find an adapter like that. If I do find one, do I just need that adapter to connect the VGA cable to the DVI slot on the monitor? I have the Apple VGA to Mini DisplayPort adapter that hooks up the VGA cable into my laptop and I don’t want to have to buy another one of those since they run for $30 and mine is long past being returnable.

Also, thanks again guys, you’re awesome!

Just wanted to post an update for you guys: I went out and got a new Apple DVI to MiniDisplay adapter since I couldn’t find a DVI to VGA converter that would work with this monitor’s DVI input slot (I didn’t even know there were two kinds of DVI) and the screen issues have gone away!

Thanks so much for your help, SolarNova and Farry!

Envying.7890:

Just wanted to post an update for you guys: I went out and got a new Apple DVI to MiniDisplay adapter since I couldn’t find a DVI to VGA converter that would work with this monitor’s DVI input slot (I didn’t even know there were two kinds of DVI) and the screen issues have gone away!

Thanks so much for your help, SolarNova and Farry!

No problem