Choice of VESA Graphic Mode

[distantstorm]

Hi,

I don't think this a Chameleon specific issue but it's where I've noticed it. I have an Nvidia GT8800 512MB Graphic card and I seem to have pretty limited options for resolutions on boot. I am specifically meaning at the Chameleon boot, not when in OSX itself which is no problem. I have selected the video modes option and attached the available ones Chameleon detects. I would have thought my card could handle more? I have tried flashing it with the Mac Pro GT8800 Bios that was floating about for fixing mouse lag when in Quicktime, thinking perhaps I had an odd Bios but that didn't change anything. Anyone any ideas?

Thanks,

Steve

[Jedric]

Im getting the same thing, I have a 7900GTX running EFI string the max res I
get on boot is 1280x1024 and I want to get 1920x1200. I get full res once OSX is loaded.

If I force graphics mode on boot.plist to 1920x1200 the chameleon GUI does not even show up.

Kinda odd that Chameleon only shows 14MB on your 512MB card.

Try the EFI strings so you can get a little higher.

Anybody else got an idea to get full res on boot?

[thorazine74]

For chameleon menu I think what counts is what the card supports in VESA mode, and most cards supports much less resolutions than in real mode (in the desktop).
I think it just gets the resolution from the video BIOS, your BIOS might be missing some of them though because I have an 8600 GTS and it supports up 1680x1050.

[Jedric]

Looks like you are correct. I removed the EFI strings and I still got the same set of resolution in Chameleon.

So I guess the only solution to this problem is an updated video BIOS. Been playing with Nibitor and that does not even help.

[distantstorm]

Yeah, as far as I am aware it is the modes that are supported by VESA 3.0 in the card BIOS also. That's why I'm confused as to how other users with a 8800GT are able to get higher resolutions and why I was trying flashing my card with various 8800GT BIOSes I could find online. None of them seemed to make a jot of difference though.

Are there any 8800GT 512MB users out there with higher resolutions that would be willing to send me a copy of your card BIOS to try?

@Jedric: I was already using EFI string but as we've found out I think that's irrelevant in our cases sadly.

[Jedric]

Not sure if you already tried these, they have tons of bios collection.

http://www.mvktech.net/component/option,com_remository/Itemid,26/func,selectfolder/cat,4/

[distantstorm]

Thanks but yeah, that's where I was getting them from. Just random compatible ones really. Tried about eight or nine different ones and no luck. Figured if I could try someone's that definitely works I could rule my card BIOS in or out the equation. Count yourself lucky with your 1280x1024, you should see how bad most themes are at 800x600!

[distantstorm]

Just an update here... I'd like to say problem is solved but it is now explained....

My 8800GT is connected from DVI on the card to HDMI on my monitor (my monitor doesn't have DVI input and came with a DVI-HDMI cable). This is all well and good when booted into OSX (or Windows) and the drivers are all up and running but not when it comes to software using VESA such as Chameleon. It would seem to be the HDMI interface itself that doesn't support the resolutions through VESA. I can't really justify a new monitor for a bootloader so now I need to find a theme that doesn't overlap etc at 800x600. Urgh!   

[Blackosx]

Thanks for this info distantstorm.

I have just caught up with this thread after not seeing it for ages and your info got me thinking. I have an MSI 8800GT 512MB OC and I used a DVI to VGA converter to connect my monitor via VGA, and I also had limited video mode options through Chameleon. But I have now just removed the DVI to VGA connector and connected directly using DVI and I can at last use 1680x1050. Brilliant!

So Thanks again