Question Game won't run using DVI to VGA adapter

[MiChina]

Hello, so I have a problem where the game just crash/won't run when using DVI to VGA adapter in Nvidia GeForce GT 530.
My monitor only has VGA port and my Nvidia GeForce GT 530 has DVI and HDMI port, that's why I had to use DVI to VGA adapter like this:
https://images.tokopedia.net/img/cache/700/VqbcmM/2023/5/18/2f56c201-10de-4f07-9977-6034e8aa2295.jpg

And then I removed the Nvidia and then plug VGA into motherboard VGA port, using IGPU Intel HD Graphics 4400 and the game runs fine.

The thing I noticed when using DVI to VGA adapter is:
1. Windows detect native resolution as 1024x720
2. Even though my monitor set to 1366x768, some game doesn't support 1366x768 and monitor goes to "Input not supported"
3. Monitor name isn't detected by Windows.
All of these 3 problem is fixed when I plug into motherboard VGA, it's detected as 1366x768, monitor name are detected by Windows.

Is there a reason why using DVI to VGA has problem like this? Even game can't run when using this adapter.
And also is there workaround to make the game can run with DVI to VGA adapter? The game is Resident Evil 5.

 

[General_Cool]

DVI to VGA connectors do not work unless they are active. DVI is a digital signal; VGA is analog. They cannot be converted by passive adapters.
What type of adapter do you have? Brand and model.

This is an example of something that would solve your problem. It takes in an HDMI (digital) signal (which you said you have on your card) and converts it to a VGA (analog) output for your monitor. Its not too expensive. https://a.co/d/ex9Cv1c

 

[stonecarver]

I don't know where your located but is it possible to just get a good used HDMI monitor. Your PC must be a small form factor as your card has the breakout VGA that your card would have if it was a desktop model. Google pics of your GPU.
But at the same time the card itself does better on low resolutions look at this page to see the card is happier at 1280x720 and that's pushing it at that.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-gt-530-oem.c630

 

[MiChina]

DVI to VGA connectors do not work unless they are active. DVI is a digital signal; VGA is analog. They cannot be converted by passive adapters.
What type of adapter do you have? Brand and model.

This is an example of something that would solve your problem. It takes in an HDMI (digital) signal (which you said you have on your card) and converts it to a VGA (analog) output for your monitor. Its not too expensive. https://a.co/d/ex9Cv1c

This is what I'm using now, no brand and model.
What do you mean by unless they are active? It's active though, I can play other games and it displayed on monitor, just some game refused to works when using this adapter.
Is there other solution besides buying new hardware?

 

[stonecarver]

Set game at a lower resolution and monitor at that same low resolution.

 

[MiChina]

Set game at a lower resolution and monitor at that same low resolution.

Yep it's still same, I set Resident Evil 5 and display resolution to even 800x600, it's still won't run.

 

[ITBrad]

DVI to VGA connectors do not work unless they are active. DVI is a digital signal; VGA is analog. They cannot be converted by passive adapters.
What type of adapter do you have? Brand and model.

This is an example of something that would solve your problem. It takes in an HDMI (digital) signal (which you said you have on your card) and converts it to a VGA (analog) output for your monitor. Its not too expensive. https://a.co/d/ex9Cv1c

DVI-I has analog pins and can pass through a passive adapter no problems.
DVI-D is digital only and requires an active adapter, but passive DVI-D to VGA adapters don't exist.

It isn't possible to plug a passive DVI-I adapter into a DVI-D output as the DVI-I adapter will have the 4 analog pins (male end) and the DVI-D output will not have receptacles for these (female end).

The mistake you've described, and assumed of the User, is not possible as far as I am aware.

On top of that, due to the fact that the User has confirmed the adapter has/does work with other games, I'd say the most likely culprit for their issue is incompatible default resolution from the game itself.

(the rest of this is less of a reply, and directly to OP instead)

What I think is most likely occurring is that the game is choosing default settings based on the hardware profile, and getting "unknown" for the native resolution info due to the adapter. So since it's not sure what your native resolution is, it's picking a "safe" one. But since we're talking about a very old 1366x768 screen (a very rare resolution to see outside of older laptop screens) that "safe" resolution doesn't work on your screen. So it just shows nothing.

Also, I noted that you said you set the game resolution and the monitor resolution to both be 800x600 and it still would not display... I am curious - how did you set/change the in game resolution without being able to display the game?

The reason I ask is because - if you're using the integrated graphics (mobo VGA out) in order to change the in game settings... I don't think that will properly work. I'm not 100% sure without being able to test, but I THINK that since the software sees that as a different GPU it won't save/apply the same resolution settings. (I have a KF processor - no integrated graphics - I literally can't test this for you or I happily would)

What I would try is this:

Go in to whatever control software for whatever GPU you've got (e.g. nVidia control panel/AMD equivalent - is it still "catalyst"?).

Look through the categories, likely under "display" or something like that, for a setting that lets you set/change the resolution manually. Then make sure it's set to 1366x768 (or something that you know your screen is capable/compatible of).

Hopefully this will workaround the issue caused by the adapter, by manually setting that "unknown" variable.

If that doesn't work... then I suppose I'd try to force the game to launch in windowed mode to see if I could at least get it running with my display connected via my GPU (or maybe you already did this, and that's how you changed the settings? if so - you're too smart to be asking for help here! LOL)

If you're using steam - here's a guide on how to force windowed mode and also force resolution of the window.

https://blog.pcrisk.com/windows/13599-how-to-open-steam-games-in-windowed-mode

Hope this helps! Let us know if you figure it out

 

[MiChina]

DVI-I has analog pins and can pass through a passive adapter no problems.
DVI-D is digital only and requires an active adapter, but passive DVI-D to VGA adapters don't exist.

It isn't possible to plug a passive DVI-I adapter into a DVI-D output as the DVI-I adapter will have the 4 analog pins (male end) and the DVI-D output will not have receptacles for these (female end).

The mistake you've described, and assumed of the User, is not possible as far as I am aware.

On top of that, due to the fact that the User has confirmed the adapter has/does work with other games, I'd say the most likely culprit for their issue is incompatible default resolution from the game itself.

(the rest of this is less of a reply, and directly to OP instead)

What I think is most likely occurring is that the game is choosing default settings based on the hardware profile, and getting "unknown" for the native resolution info due to the adapter. So since it's not sure what your native resolution is, it's picking a "safe" one. But since we're talking about a very old 1366x768 screen (a very rare resolution to see outside of older laptop screens) that "safe" resolution doesn't work on your screen. So it just shows nothing.

Also, I noted that you said you set the game resolution and the monitor resolution to both be 800x600 and it still would not display... I am curious - how did you set/change the in game resolution without being able to display the game?

The reason I ask is because - if you're using the integrated graphics (mobo VGA out) in order to change the in game settings... I don't think that will properly work. I'm not 100% sure without being able to test, but I THINK that since the software sees that as a different GPU it won't save/apply the same resolution settings. (I have a KF processor - no integrated graphics - I literally can't test this for you or I happily would)

What I would try is this:

Go in to whatever control software for whatever GPU you've got (e.g. nVidia control panel/AMD equivalent - is it still "catalyst"?).

Look through the categories, likely under "display" or something like that, for a setting that lets you set/change the resolution manually. Then make sure it's set to 1366x768 (or something that you know your screen is capable/compatible of).

Hopefully this will workaround the issue caused by the adapter, by manually setting that "unknown" variable.

If that doesn't work... then I suppose I'd try to force the game to launch in windowed mode to see if I could at least get it running with my display connected via my GPU (or maybe you already did this, and that's how you changed the settings? if so - you're too smart to be asking for help here! LOL)

If you're using steam - here's a guide on how to force windowed mode and also force resolution of the window.

https://blog.pcrisk.com/windows/13599-how-to-open-steam-games-in-windowed-mode

Hope this helps! Let us know if you figure it out

"how did you set/change the in game resolution without being able to display the game"

I set the game resolution through config.ini of game file and for monitor resolution I set it in Nvidia Control Panel.

"Look through the categories, likely under "display" or something like that, for a setting that lets you set/change the resolution manually. Then make sure it's set to 1366x768 (or something that you know your screen is capable/compatible of)."

I already set it to 1366x768 via Nvidia Control Panel, set the game resolution through config.ini to also 1366x768 and it still won't run, when I run it it will open with blank for like 1~3 seconds and then it closes itself.

"If that doesn't work... then I suppose I'd try to force the game to launch in windowed mode to see if I could at least get it running with my display connected via my GPU (or maybe you already did this, and that's how you changed the settings? if so - you're too smart to be asking for help here! LOL)

If you're using steam - here's a guide on how to force windowed mode and also force resolution of the window.
Https://blog.pcrisk.com/windows/13599-how-to-open-steam-games-in-window
ed-mode"

Okay I'll try this and the game now in Windowed mode but still won't run, it's display 1~3 blank screen and the close, the game isn't fault because when I plug into IGPU it can run.



Is there other workaround besides buying monitor or hardware? 🙁
Also did you notice in my post that Windows detect the native resolution as 1024x720 and then some game doesn't support 1366x768 it's said "Input not supported" even though I set my display resolution to 1366x768.

 

[stonecarver]

Also did you notice in my post that Windows detect the native resolution as 1024x720

You have one of those weird and hard to please monitors. I had 2 of those back in 2010 on a cheap black Friday sale. Most games worked no issue. Mostly anything 2009 or older played just fine 2011 forward it was a hit or miss. Vampire Masquerade from 2004 hated that monitor.

It was Skyrim that pushed both of those monitors out the door. Monitor out of range message all the time. Fix it life goes on and it would repeat.

Do you have a family HDMI TV to test PC and game on to see if your monitor is the heart of your issues or the GPU.

 

[MiChina]

You have one of those weird and hard to please monitors. I had 2 of those back in 2010 on a cheap black Friday sale. Most games worked no issue. Mostly anything 2009 or older played just fine 2011 forward it was a hit or miss. Vampire Masquerade from 2004 hated that monitor.

It was Skyrim that pushed both of those monitors out the door. Monitor out of range message all the time. Fix it life goes on and it would repeat.

Do you have a family HDMI TV to test PC and game on to see if your monitor is the heart of your issues or the GPU.

I tested with Nvidia GeForce 210 it has VGA port and now the native resolution is 1366x768, so I guess the culprit is the DVI to VGA adapter.

 

[ITBrad]

"how did you set/change the in game resolution without being able to display the game"

I set the game resolution through config.ini of game file and for monitor resolution I set it in Nvidia Control Panel.

"Look through the categories, likely under "display" or something like that, for a setting that lets you set/change the resolution manually. Then make sure it's set to 1366x768 (or something that you know your screen is capable/compatible of)."

I already set it to 1366x768 via Nvidia Control Panel, set the game resolution through config.ini to also 1366x768 and it still won't run, when I run it it will open with blank for like 1~3 seconds and then it closes itself.

"If that doesn't work... then I suppose I'd try to force the game to launch in windowed mode to see if I could at least get it running with my display connected via my GPU (or maybe you already did this, and that's how you changed the settings? if so - you're too smart to be asking for help here! LOL)

If you're using steam - here's a guide on how to force windowed mode and also force resolution of the window.
Https://blog.pcrisk.com/windows/13599-how-to-open-steam-games-in-window
ed-mode"

Okay I'll try this and the game now in Windowed mode but still won't run, it's display 1~3 blank screen and the close, the game isn't fault because when I plug into IGPU it can run.



Is there other workaround besides buying monitor or hardware? 🙁
Also did you notice in my post that Windows detect the native resolution as 1024x720 and then some game doesn't support 1366x768 it's said "Input not supported" even though I set my display resolution to 1366x768.

Well... that sucks, because those were the simple solutions. There's some specific feature of the GPU/Monitor combo it doesn't like - just have to figure out what it is.

If you're already comfortable editing the config file, go in and turn everything off or low. Definitely make sure vsync is disabled.

I'd also clear any custom settings inside of nvidia control panel (personally I have run into many modern games that will get stuck at a black screen during launch if you've got 'fast sync' enabled in the control panel).

We know the game install works through the integrated graphics, we know the monitor works, we know the GPU and adapter work for other games - we've eliminated hardware failures - all that is left is software/driver compatibility issues.

I'm sure you've already run the common bases - clean driver install, verify game files, etc.

Def a head scratcher.