Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution

noel75 · Aug 8, 2009, 08:49 PM

Hi everybody,

I have a Thinkpad T41 with port replicator II at office and just bought a 22" widescreen LG monitor (W2242TE-BF).
The monitor resolution is 1680x1050 and I'm using Win XP.
I'm using the latest original IBM/Lenovo drivers for the ATI mobility radeon 7500 card inside my laptop.
I can drive the monitor with the analog VGA connector but the image quality is very bad.

I would like to use the DVI-D connection but the maximum resolution for this port is only 1280x1024.
I've read somewhere on the web that the limitation is a problem of the DVI physical (HW) drivers but some people, using mod SW drivers, could go over this resolution.

Is there anyone who can explain me how can I safely use the DVI-D output to drive my monitor at full 1680x1050 resolution?
Which drivers do I have to use and which is the correct installation procedure?

Thanks a lot,
Noel75

swimtech · Aug 8, 2009, 09:14 PM

You could get the Catalyst 6.11 set from ATI available Right Here, then download and run, according to the instructions, the DH Mobility Modder avaialble Over Here. That will probably be the best you can do.

noel75 · Aug 9, 2009, 03:09 PM

Swimtech,
thanks for the quick answer. Just a couple of questions:
- It seems that Catalyst 6.11 does not support radeon 7500 serie (I've read the Catalyst 6.11 release note). Is it true?
- Is DH Mobility Modder the new version for DHmodtool from Patje?

swimtech · Aug 9, 2009, 07:58 PM

Gee, I read the release notes and the Cat 6.11's did support the desktop 7500 - the Modder will add support for the Mobile 7500. Just to be certain, I downloaded the set I linked you to and checked the .inf files. Support for the desktop 7500 is in there, see:

[ATI.Mfg.NTx86]
"RADEON 9200 Series" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C63&SUBSYS_0640148C
"RADEON 9200 Series Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C43&SUBSYS_0641148C
"RADEON 9250 Series" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C61&SUBSYS_0640174B
"RADEON 9250 Series - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C41&SUBSYS_0641174B
"RADEON 9200 Series " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C63&SUBSYS_064017AF
"RADEON 9200 Series Secondary " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C43&SUBSYS_064117AF
"RADEON 7000 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV100, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5159
"RADEON 7000 Series " = ati2mtag_RV100, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_515A
"RADEON 7200 SERIES" = ati2mtag_default, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5144
"RADEON 7500 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5157
"RADEON 8500 SERIES" = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_514C
"RADEON 8500 SERIES " = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4242
"RADEON 9000 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV250, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4966
"RADEON 9000 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV250, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_496E
"RADEON 9100 SERIES" = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_514D
"RADEON 9200 SERIES " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5961
"RADEON 9200 SERIES " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5964
"RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5941
"RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5D44
"RADEON 9250" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5960
"RADEON 9250 - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5940
"RADEON 9250/9200 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5962
"RADEON 9250/9200 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5942

Yes, the latest version of the Modtool from Patje should get you there.

I'm working on a little thing with my Macbook Pro, X1600 graphics, and had to use a special Legacy version of the Cat 9.3s that has support for the desktop version X1600 - the Modtool worked perfectly with that driverset to enable the Mobile X1600 for me. No support in that driverset at all for your 7500 though - I checked, or would have recommended that. Apple did have a driver for the X1600 for Windows in the latest BootCamp version, but I needed the latest and greatest...

I'd used it a lot years ago too - superb tool. There's probably more experience here amongst the community of folks with mobile driversets and mods thereto than anywhere, AMD included - but the community here includes some of those guys, and they help out too.

My hope for you is that the desktop Cat 6.11s with all their features, using the Modtool, will allow you to your DVI output thing 'cause the desktop version of the driver should allow for the most external output possibilities available - not so limited as your Lenovo driverset.

noel75 · Aug 10, 2009, 01:05 PM

This morning I've followed your suggestion and now it works!!!!
Now my DVI output drives the monitor at 1680x1050 without any problem!
The quality of the image is now much better.

Thanks Swimtech for your great support!!

swimtech · Aug 10, 2009, 02:05 PM

That's why we're here - my pleasure! Always nice to help someone use their stuff like they want, and for me - because I've been here a long time and learned so much - it really was easy to help with your situation.

Thanks for joining in, and welcome to DH!

Aug 8, 2009, 08:49 PM	#1
noel75 HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution Hi everybody, I have a Thinkpad T41 with port replicator II at office and just bought a 22" widescreen LG monitor (W2242TE-BF). The monitor resolution is 1680x1050 and I'm using Win XP. I'm using the latest original IBM/Lenovo drivers for the ATI mobility radeon 7500 card inside my laptop. I can drive the monitor with the analog VGA connector but the image quality is very bad. I would like to use the DVI-D connection but the maximum resolution for this port is only 1280x1024. I've read somewhere on the web that the limitation is a problem of the DVI physical (HW) drivers but some people, using mod SW drivers, could go over this resolution. Is there anyone who can explain me how can I safely use the DVI-D output to drive my monitor at full 1680x1050 resolution? Which drivers do I have to use and which is the correct installation procedure? Thanks a lot, Noel75

Aug 8, 2009, 09:14 PM	#2
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Re: Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution You could get the Catalyst 6.11 set from ATI available Right Here, then download and run, according to the instructions, the DH Mobility Modder avaialble Over Here. That will probably be the best you can do. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Aug 9, 2009, 03:09 PM	Thread Starter #3
noel75 HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Re: Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution Swimtech, thanks for the quick answer. Just a couple of questions: - It seems that Catalyst 6.11 does not support radeon 7500 serie (I've read the Catalyst 6.11 release note). Is it true? - Is DH Mobility Modder the new version for DHmodtool from Patje?

Aug 9, 2009, 07:58 PM	#4
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Re: Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution Gee, I read the release notes and the Cat 6.11's did support the desktop 7500 - the Modder will add support for the Mobile 7500. Just to be certain, I downloaded the set I linked you to and checked the .inf files. Support for the desktop 7500 is in there, see: [ATI.Mfg.NTx86] "RADEON 9200 Series" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C63&SUBSYS_0640148C "RADEON 9200 Series Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C43&SUBSYS_0641148C "RADEON 9250 Series" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C61&SUBSYS_0640174B "RADEON 9250 Series - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C41&SUBSYS_0641174B "RADEON 9200 Series " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C63&SUBSYS_064017AF "RADEON 9200 Series Secondary " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5C43&SUBSYS_064117AF "RADEON 7000 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV100, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5159 "RADEON 7000 Series " = ati2mtag_RV100, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_515A "RADEON 7200 SERIES" = ati2mtag_default, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5144 "RADEON 7500 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5157 "RADEON 8500 SERIES" = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_514C "RADEON 8500 SERIES " = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4242 "RADEON 9000 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV250, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4966 "RADEON 9000 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV250, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_496E "RADEON 9100 SERIES" = ati2mtag_R200, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_514D "RADEON 9200 SERIES " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5961 "RADEON 9200 SERIES " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5964 "RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5941 "RADEON 9200 SERIES - Secondary " = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5D44 "RADEON 9250" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5960 "RADEON 9250 - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5940 "RADEON 9250/9200 SERIES" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5962 "RADEON 9250/9200 SERIES - Secondary" = ati2mtag_RV280, PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_5942 Yes, the latest version of the Modtool from Patje should get you there. I'm working on a little thing with my Macbook Pro, X1600 graphics, and had to use a special Legacy version of the Cat 9.3s that has support for the desktop version X1600 - the Modtool worked perfectly with that driverset to enable the Mobile X1600 for me. No support in that driverset at all for your 7500 though - I checked, or would have recommended that. Apple did have a driver for the X1600 for Windows in the latest BootCamp version, but I needed the latest and greatest... I'd used it a lot years ago too - superb tool. There's probably more experience here amongst the community of folks with mobile driversets and mods thereto than anywhere, AMD included - but the community here includes some of those guys, and they help out too. My hope for you is that the desktop Cat 6.11s with all their features, using the Modtool, will allow you to your DVI output thing 'cause the desktop version of the driver should allow for the most external output possibilities available - not so limited as your Lenovo driverset. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it. Last edited by swimtech; Aug 9, 2009 at 08:43 PM.

Aug 10, 2009, 01:05 PM	Thread Starter #5
noel75 HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Re: Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution This morning I've followed your suggestion and now it works!!!! Now my DVI output drives the monitor at 1680x1050 without any problem! The quality of the image is now much better. Thanks Swimtech for your great support!!

Aug 10, 2009, 02:05 PM	#6
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	Re: Thinkpad T41 DVI resolution That's why we're here - my pleasure! Always nice to help someone use their stuff like they want, and for me - because I've been here a long time and learned so much - it really was easy to help with your situation. Thanks for joining in, and welcome to DH! __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.