Riva 128 PCI (Diamond Viper V330) screen position problems \ VOGONS

Riva 128 PCI (Diamond Viper V330) screen position problems

Topic actions

Post a reply

First post, by ux-3

Posted on 2024-05-11, 07:32

ux-3 Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 619
Joined: 2004-05-12, 18:39

I am currently building a simple super socket 7 PC to cover most of my remaining DOS games (and perhaps interim) games. It will be hooked up to a Dell 1280x1024 TFT through analog VGA. Here is my current problem:

The board uses the SIS 530 onboard AGP chipset. This 530 works nicely so far with the TFT and provides build in VESA detection in my older titles. It can be deactivated with a jumper. The board does offer PCI slots but no AGP. There is no urgent reason not to use the 530 but one: I do own a Diamond Viper 330 Riva 128 PCI (Revision D).

But the Riva gives me some problems.
1. The Riva screen image is shifted all over the TFT in every mode. I am constantly using auto-adjust to get it centered. This is a problem I don't really have with the onboard 530. This is too bothersome to really use the card.
2. Riva is Vesa 3.0 complient, but this complience is not detected by some older games. Which means these games work just fine ONCE they are configured, but require another card (i.e. 530) for configuration.

I seek solutions for these problems. If I can't solve #1, I need not worry about #2. I am kind of puzzled with the screen issues I face. Why does the 530 work well, while the riva is shifted all over the place?

I have seens some reference to screen positioning software for the riva 128 but I am not sure what it is and if it can change hardware settings. After all, I want this card to work mostly in DOS, without much interference or TSRs.

If you have any idea how to tackle issue #1, please let me hear it.
Thanks in advance.

Retro PC warning: The things you own end up owning you.

Reply 1 of 6, by ux-3

Posted on 2024-05-11, 14:20

ux-3 Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 619
Joined: 2004-05-12, 18:39

I have just kind of found a solution to #1 that completely bypassed the card: I made a factory reset on the TFT.

Which brings me to #2, finding a UniVBE or similar that makes the card visible for older software.

And in a way to #3: Is there any point in not using the SIS530 instead?

Retro PC warning: The things you own end up owning you.

Reply 2 of 6, by dominusprog

Posted on 2024-05-11, 16:05

dominusprog Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 429
Joined: 2022-07-02, 00:52
Location: Innsmouth

ux-3 wrote on 2024-05-11, 14:20:

I have just kind of found a solution to #1 that completely bypassed the card: I made a factory reset on the TFT.

For the VGA input you can use the auto button on the LCD panel.

A-Trend ATC-1020 V1.1 ❇ Cyrix 6x86 150+ @ 120MHz ❇ 32MiB EDO RAM (8MiBx4) ❇ A-Trend S3 Trio64V2 2MiB
Aztech Pro16 II-3D PnP ❇ 8.4GiB Quantum Fireball ❇ Win95 OSR2 Plus!

Reply 3 of 6, by ux-3

Posted on 2024-05-11, 20:41

ux-3 Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 619
Joined: 2004-05-12, 18:39

dominusprog wrote on 2024-05-11, 16:05:

ux-3 wrote on 2024-05-11, 14:20:

I have just kind of found a solution to #1 that completely bypassed the card: I made a factory reset on the TFT.

For the VGA input you can use the auto button on the LCD panel.

I know. But before, I had to use it for practically every mode the card fired up. With a factory reset, the display adjusts to the card automatically at first. And then is seems to stick.

Retro PC warning: The things you own end up owning you.

Reply 4 of 6, by badmojo

Posted on 2024-05-13, 05:51

badmojo Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 4064
Joined: 2011-10-11, 04:14
Location: Australia

ux-3 wrote on 2024-05-11, 14:20:

Which brings me to #2, finding a UniVBE or similar that makes the card visible for older software.

What do you mean by 'finding'? The later versions of Scitech Display Doctor (UniVBE) will detect with the Riva128 and does indeed help with compatibility in some instances. The registered version is free too which is most excellent.

Life? Don't talk to me about life.

Reply 5 of 6, by ux-3

Posted on 2024-05-13, 18:14

ux-3 Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 619
Joined: 2004-05-12, 18:39

badmojo wrote on 2024-05-13, 05:51:

ux-3 wrote on 2024-05-11, 14:20:

Which brings me to #2, finding a UniVBE or similar that makes the card visible for older software.

What do you mean by 'finding'? The later versions of Scitech Display Doctor (UniVBE) will detect with the Riva128 and does indeed help with compatibility in some instances. The registered version is free too which is most excellent.

OK, I just downloaded Version 6.53. The driver recognized the card and reports installation of the card.

The results are however irritating. Now the setup program works and allows me to pick 1280x1024. But the game program won't run with this setting. Without univbe, it is the opposite.

The SIS530 onboard runs both without drivers.

~~Is this Software hosted somewhere here too?~~ Found it.

Edit: Switched to 6.7. Now it works for both cases. The package also contained a tool to adjust position by video mode, which might help to allign the univbe output to the same position that the card delivers without univbe.

Many thanks for your helpful input.

Retro PC warning: The things you own end up owning you.

Reply 6 of 6, by badmojo

Posted on 2024-05-14, 00:08

badmojo Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 4064
Joined: 2011-10-11, 04:14
Location: Australia

ux-3 wrote on 2024-05-13, 18:14:

Edit: Switched to 6.7. Now it works for both cases. The package also contained a tool to adjust position by video mode, which might help to allign the univbe output to the same position that the card delivers without univbe.

Excellent! There are lots of tools out there that help with this era of card and games - there's a good list of them included at the end of this amazing compatibility matrix: https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/

Life? Don't talk to me about life.

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to Video

Main menu

Common searches