Radeon 7500 or 8500 flickers

Support knowledgebase (sliesch_radeon80)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Version 8.0

Situation

You have a graphics device with a Radeon 7500/8500 chipset. After configuring the graphical interface, your tube-type monitor flickers.

ATI's retail versions are delivered with an adapter that allows you to connect a tube type monitor to a DVI port. Bulk versions or cards with this graphic chip of other manufacturers are often delivered without such an adapter.

If you have a DVI/VGA adapter, connect the adapter to the DVI port and the monitor to the adapter. Usually a configuration with SaX2 succeeds without causing any difficulties. If the manufacturer does not supply this adapter, proceed as described below.

Procedure

Configuration with SaX2

Start SaX2. Go to the menu "Graphics Device Setup" and select Properties -> Expert. Scroll down. Click the arrow under the menu item "Miscellaneous" and select the option crt_screen. Confirm with "OK" and continue with the procedure. The final server test should now be performed successfully. If you started SaX2 from the graphical interface, the X server has to be restarted to apply the changes.

Manual Configuration

Open the configuration file 
        /etc/X11/XF86Config
as root on a console, for example, with the editor mcedit: 
/usr/bin/mcedit /etc/X11/XF86Config

Search for the section "Device": 

        Section "Device"
        BoardName    "Radeon 7500"
        BusID        "1:0:0"
        Driver       "radeon"
        Identifier   "Device[0]"
        VendorName   "ATI"
        EndSection

Add the following line: 

        Section "Device"
        BoardName    "Radeon 7500"
        BusID        "1:0:0"
        Driver       "radeon"
        Identifier   "Device[0]"
        VendorName   "ATI"
        Option       "CrtScreen"
        EndSection

Save the changes with F2 and exit mcedit with F10. Restart the X server for a check.

Further information on setting up the graphical interface with SaX2 can be found at:

"X Server Configuration with SaX2" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/wessels_sax2.html)

You might need to update SaX2 first as described at "Monitor not properly detected" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/wessels_sax2-80.html).

See also:
o X Server Configuration with SaX2
o Monitor not properly detected
Keywords: FLICKER, X11, SAX2, GRAPHICS DEVICE, MONITOR, RADEON, 7500, 8500
Categories: XFree86 , Graphic cards , X Server
SDB-sliesch_radeon80, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 16. Mai 2002
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 22. Mai 2002 by glazzar (sdb_gen 1.40.0)