Re: [gentoo-user] New machine: Contents of display are offset around 2 inches from the left hand side.

[Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>]

Hello, Michael.

On Sun, Aug 25, 2024 at 22:04:05 +0100, Michael wrote:
> On Sunday, 25 August 2024 20:37:37 BST Dale wrote:
> > Alan Mackenzie wrote:

[ .... ]

> > > I'm convinced this isn't a problem in Linux.  It's something having got
> > > wedged in the motherboard's firmware, seeing as how the blank strip
> > > appears even when going into the BIOS.

> The plot thickens!  If the resolution in the BIOS menu is also wrong and 
> offset, it sounds like an MSI bug of sorts - "Try disabling CSM" in your UEFI 
> settings:

> https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/low-resolution-boot-uefi-bios.3530375/

> https://superuser.com/questions/1209012/uefi-and-therefore-linux-console-isnt-displayed-at-native-resolution

> I have no idea why CSM affects the video resolution of the firmware, but it 
> may have to do with how much space is available on the NOR flash chip where 
> the UEFI firmware is stored.  Enabling CSM may be eating up some/more 
> resources, leaving less to initialise and run the graphics capability of the 
> MoBo.  :-/

The CSM setting actually can't be enabled on my MB for some reason.  I
tried, but it wouldn't go.  Worth a try, but it hasn't gone anywhere.

> > > I suspect I'm going to have to reinitialise the CMOS ram, which I
> > > really don't want to do, though Michael doesn't think that's the
> > > problem.  We'll see.

> I wasn't aware this display issue is present *before* the OS has even loaded.  
> This is not a linux issue and the linux driver itself does not seem able to 
> correct it.

> OK, in the first instance disable the CMS in the UEFI settings and reboot.  
> Some boards do not lose some of their cached settings when you simply 
> shutdown.  Remove the power cable, depress and hold the power button for 10-20 
> seconds.  Any capacitors will discharge.  Reconnect the power and boot 
> normally.

That didn't help either, I'm afraid.

I've had a reply from MSI's support.  It's along the lines of "buy new
cables, don't use an adapter, and don't use a KVM box".  In other words,
not at all useful.  I'm trying to work out whether it's worth trying to
supply MSI with the extra information about the excess numbers of pixels
being multiples of 16 in both the horizontal and vertical directions.  I
suspect I'll just get the runaround from them, no matter what.

Or, I could go back to the shop that built the machine.  Maybe I should
try it connected directly to an HDMI monitor.

> If the above gymnastics do not fix it, then you'll have to try resetting the 
> MoBo.  Make a note of any changed settings and check the CSM option is left 
> disabled.

I think this is what I will try next.  I don't know which of the settings
has been changed, so I'll need to make a note of practically every
setting.  Most of them are still defaults.

> > Ahhhhh.  If it does it in the BIOS, it's either a monitor or video card,
> > or mobo if video is built in, problem.

> On modern APUs video graphics chips are integrated within the CPU die itself 
> as separate graphics cores.

It seems such a graphic core is supplying 2112x1116@60Hz, rather than the
correct 1920x1080@60Hz.  Hopefully the fault is in the firmware, not in
the graphics unit.  ;-(

[ .... ]

> Let's hope this is an MSI/CSM specific issue rather than a hardware fault.

Given MSI support's attitude, it's looking like my machine is going back
to the shop that made it, unless resetting the CMOS RAM does the job.
That's the thing to try out next.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).