Best option for 1024x768 video on IIci?

[ifrit05]

640x480 is kinda claustrophobic. Was looking at an 8•24 card and was wondering how much slower it would be then the on-board video on the IIci.

 

[finkmac]

there's a lot of options. the best option depends on what your budget is

 

[ifrit05]

there's a lot of options. the best option depends on what your budget is

100-150ish. Trying to save money for a 040 card.

 

[halkyardo]

I have an E-Machines Futura SX that'll do 1024x768 at 8 bit (plus 24 bit at lower resolutions, and 1152x870 at 8 bit as well). It's not perfect (actually getting 1024x768 out of it requires an annoying sense-code workaround and I can't get it to work properly in accelerated mode), but they're reasonably cheap, and even unaccelerated, performance is perfectly acceptable by my standards.]

(I should add, my comment in the linked post about the Futura SX not working in A/UX was incorrect - it works fine in A/UX, it was another card in my machine that was upsetting things)

 

[ifrit05]

Well, I found an SX off ebay but can't seem to figure out how to output 1024x768 using a bmow sync-inator.

Also, seems a bit weird that I can only set virtual screens (pan and scan), not a set resolution with the e-machine control panel.

 

[halkyardo]

Well, I found an SX off ebay but can't seem to figure out how to output 1024x768 using a bmow sync-inator.

Also, seems a bit weird that I can only set virtual screens (pan and scan), not a set resolution with the e-machine control panel.

Yes, as discussed in the thread I linked in my last post, it does not use the standard monitor sense codes for 1024x768 (and 1152x870). It uses an otherwise-undocumented sense code, and the small rotary switch that's on the top edge of the card.

The sense code that is required is SENSE0 unconnected, and a diode from SENSE2 to SENSE1. I don't know if the Synicinator is capable of generating that sense code, but the ubiquitous adapters with 10 DIP switches can do it with the switch setting 6-7-9. I don't think you need a Syncinator for it in any case, as IIRC the Futura SX outputs separate sync.

Once you have that sense code set up, the resolution is controlled by the rotary switch on the card. Setting the rotary switch to position 4 gives you 1024x768.

As far as not being able to set resolutions in the control panel, that's fairly normal for old Mac video cards; they were designed for fixed-resolution monitors where the card detected the appropriate resolution at boot using the monitor sense pins, and that's the resolution you got. Multisync monitors and on-the-fly resolution switching didn't really become a thing until later.