Frequently asked Questions about Boca Research SuperX VGA Adapter Product code SVGAX3 ===================================================== This document is arranged in the following sections: (A) - General Information about the SuperX VGA (B) - Specifications (C) - Common Video Problems (D) - Configuration Questions (E) - Windows 95 Questions Section A - General Information about the SuperX VGA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What is the SuperX VGA? The SuperX VGA is a 24-bit true color Windows video accelerator with 1MB DRAM. 2. What is bundled with the SuperX VGA? - SuperX VGA driver diskette 3. Where can the SuperX VGA be purchased? Boca Research enhancement products are available worldwide through authorized Boca Research retail stores, distributors, or many end-user catalogs. To purchase Boca Research products or for more information, call your local distributor or Boca Research sales staff at (407)997-6227. 4. What kind of warranty does the SuperX VGA have? All Boca Research products carry a five-year warranty. Section B - Specifications ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What are the system requirements? - 286, 386, 486 or Pentium based PC with standard ISA slot. - 4MB minimum RAM recommended for Windows and 4-6MB for Autodesk applications (minimum) - Video monitor capable of the desired resolution 2. What resolutions and colors does this video board support? - Supports resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 - Each resolution supports the following Max. colors: 640 x 480 with 16 Million colors 800 x 600 with 65 Thousand colors 1024 x 768 with 256 colors 1280 x 1024 with 16 colors (i) 3. What refresh rates does the SuperX VGA support? - 640 x 480 - 60Hz, 70Hz - 800 x 600 - 56Hz, 60Hz, 72Hz - 1024 x 768 - 60Hz, 70Hz, 87Hz(i) - 1280 x 1024 - 87Hz(i) Note: (i)=interlaced 4. What other features does the SuperX VGA support? - Standard 1MB DRAM - Hardware graphics cursor and Bit Block Transfer (BitBLT) - VESA BIOS- Supported in ROM No TSR needs to be loaded in the system for VESA applications. - VESA Feature Connector Allows the use of Multimedia products. - Supports both interlaced and non-interlaced monitors. - 24 bit true color capabilities - Up to 72Hz (non-interlaced) refresh rate - Supports 132 column text mode in 16 colors 5. What chipset does the SuperX VGA use? The SuperX VGA uses a Cirrus Logic CL-GD5428 chipset Section C - Common Problems ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are a list of common video problems: 1. There may be a software conflict with the version or type of video that you have on your system. 2. The video drivers may be corrupt. 3. The video card may be poorly seated. 4. A newly added hardware device may be conflicting with the video. 5. The monitor may be incorrectly configured with the video on your system. 6. The wrong type of video may be selected in Windows 7. Environmental factors within the area may be causing distortion. 8. The old video drivers are still loading at startup. Monitor operation - Before troubleshooting video problems, make sure that your monitor is turned on and is operating properly. Monitor configuration - If your monitors refresh rates are not set correctly with the video that you have, the display in Windows and other graphical environments may appear scrambled. Use the CLMODE.EXE utility to select the refresh rate used by the SuperX VGA adapter. Environmental distortion - Electrical interference from other devices such as televisions, radios, microwave ovens, etc. can cause your monitor screen to "jump" or "shake". Interference can also make the display appear blurry or fuzzy. If the system is close to a fluorescent light, turn the light off or move the light away from the monitor. If the system is plugged into a surge protector, unplug the system and reconnect it to the wall outlet to see if the video improves. Try degausing the monitor or adjusting the pincushioning of your monitor. Try moving the system to another location to see if the distortion clears up. Booting the system clean - If you are having trouble with the video display on the system, try booting the system clean. This will help determine if there is a software or device conflict with the system's video. By booting clean, you bypass the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files so any new software settings are not loaded. Software conflict - It is important to determine if the video problems you are having are isolated to one application or throughout the system. If the video problems are with a single application, contact the manufacturer or vendor of the software for further assistance. If the application you are having problems with is a Windows application, try changing the video driver to VGA. This will help determine if the video drivers on your system are corrupted or conflicting with the application. Newly added hardware - If you started to experience video problems after you added a new hardware device to the system, power down the system and remove the latest device. Once you have the device removed, power up the system to see if the video returns. If it does, power down the system and reseat the video card as it may not have been properly seated. If a cable or device is poorly seated, it may intermittently fail or give you poor reception in the case of a video card. Section D - Configuration Questions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. How do I get the latest drivers for my video adapter? The latest video drivers are available several ways. You can download the drivers from file area 2 on our BBS, at (407)241-1601. The drivers are also available in Library 2 of the Modem Vendor Forum (GO BOCA) on Compuserve. You can also download the drivers from our Internet Web Site at http://www.boca.org/. 2. Do you have a VESA driver for the SuperX VGA? VESA compatibility is built into the video BIOS and supports the current VESA 1.2 standard. A VESA driver is not required. If you are having problems with applications that require VESA compatibility, you may have a memory conflict. Try excluding memory locations A000-C7FF from your memory manager. 3. My monitor flickers at higher resolutions. If you get flicker when running at higher resolutions, then you may need to select a higher refresh rate using the CLMODE.EXE utility. You should select the highest refresh rate supported by your monitor. Refer to you monitor's guide for vertical refresh rates that are supported by your monitor. Section D - Windows 95 Questions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What driver should I select in Windows 95? Windows 95 should detect the SuperX VGA and configure the drivers automatically. If the video card is not detected automatically, then go to Windows Control Panel and select the Display icon, then Change Display Type. Select Boca Research as the manufacturer and Boca SuperX (Cirrus Logic) for the card type. 2. Will the CLMODE.EXE utility still work in Windows 95? Yes. This utility can still be used to set the vertical refresh rate under Windows 95. 3. What resolutions and colors are available in Windows 95? - 640 x 480 with 16 - 256 - 65 Thousand or 16 Million colors - 800 x 600 with 16 - 256 or 65 Thousand colors - 1024 x 768 with 16 or 256 colors