Resolution Issues

Hi,

I haven't posted on here for a while, but here goes.

I have an Alienware M17x R4 fitted with an Nvidia 680M... I've had issues with it for a number of months, but Dell don't want to know; always using excuses of "it's a bad port" and the like, even when my laptop cannot play games at certain setting and achieve the average, accepted framerate.

Anyway, I've had a recent problem, particularly that of resolution/rendering & displaying of the correct resolution.

When I have only my 680M running, on the desktop I only have four resolutions available; 1080p and three other resolutions which aren't the native 16x9 format..

This wouldn't be a problem, however, when running games on my laptop monitor in particular, even when I select '1080p' it DOES NOT look like true 1080p... It is extremely blurry and unfocused; as though I had set my GPU to apply 4x FXAA to the image.. It's console like in it's unfocusedness (I made that word up - hehehe).

I initially noticed this on Assassin's Creed - Revelations, it was really annoying and galling that my system SAID I had chosen 1080p, it was having framerate drops as though the GPU was struggling to render the game as 'max' settings at 1080p, yet, it definitely wasn't displaying at 1080p... I reset the computer and it went away.

Now, it happens on every, single game. Spec Ops: the Line, Assassin's Creed 3 (I know its a dog-awful port), Zen Pinball, Assassin's Creed 2 to name but a few. It seriously looks as though its roughly 720p being upscaled. I even restored my whole computer to factory settings (it was playing up, anyway) and it still hasn't gone away.

I can only link the lack of sharpness/clarity to the lack or resolutions on the desktop as these problems seem to have appeared simultaneously.

When the problem first appeared, I was using the latest BETA drivers; since reverting to factory state, I am on the latest WQLL drivers.

Thanks for any help, and, if anything, to let me know I'm not alone in this troublesome situation.

Any questions, ask and they shall be answered.

DJS

 

I think something is goofed up with the LCD. The random frame rate drop is probably totally unrelated and that can be addressed separately through performance tweaks.

Try using an external monitor to see if the problem is resolved. If it fixes the issue, then Alienware can replace your LCD display if it is still under warranty. (From what you stated, it sounds like it is still under warranty.)

 

Thanks, Foxman.

Well, before these (consistent) issues occured, I decided to hook up my rig to my Panasonic DT30 via HDMI to play AC3 on a larger screen. Initially, I had (maybe) about 20 resolution options, for example:

1080p - 60hz, 1080p - 50hz, 1080p - 24hz and many more, including derivatives of the 16x9 aspect ratio family..

I kept playing via hdmi link for a few times, however, sometimes it wouldn't produce an image, just sound. This led me to unplug the HDMI and reinsert it - I'm unsure if this can 'break' something, honestly.

Since the few times I have played via HDMI to my DT30, I am now strictly limited to FOUR resolutions (both in games and on the desktop), which are:

1920x1080 (native), 1280x1024, 1024x768 & 800x600. (picture upload failed).

When I run both GPUs I have all resolution options available to me on the desktop; however, I literally cannot play games whilst running both Intel and Nvidia GPUs as my 680m's performance is cut by 50%(at least) and always has done so, even when I set battery to high performance, set the Nvidia GPU to run the app and set the card to 'prefer maximum performance'. From this information I give, you reckon my unit is faulty? I think it could be as it doesn't seem right.

Just as a side note; I have updated my Nvidia drivers to the very latest (as released on 7th of January, 2014) and this hasn't alleviated any of my issues - lack of resolution options and blurriness/ lack of clarity to '1080p' image.

Thanks, Fox, you're a star, bro.

Anyone else have anything to add, by the way?

 

I'm kind of wondering if a clean install would help anything? Or if it is just hardware? Have you tried shutting off the Intel GPU to see if that helps?

I've never used beta drivers, run 8.1 (previously 8), have Intel's newest drivers just through Windows Update (think they updated last month), and Nvidia's newest NON beta drivers from their site, and haven't seen anything like that on the same system. Mine seems to work fine with or without Optimus on (and even the Intel GPU by itself can, surprisingly, kinda-sorta run some console ports okay-ish).

 

Have you tried using the DELL drivers for the cards? those are meant to work better on Optimus.

 

Sounds like Nvidia driver issues, try using geforce experience to reinstall current driver (new driver released yesterday WHQL so should be fine). Check your MSI afterburner clocks (324mhz on core is a telltale sign that drivers are having issues).