ATI X1200 works in compatibility mode only

[fasdewx]

Hi,

I'm a complete noobie to linux, but attempted to install Mint 14 on a laptop with an ATI Radeon x1200 graphics card yesterday. Is there a at-all straightforward way to get graphics to work properly on this card?

The normal version (booted from USB) and any installed-to-HDD version just give me a black screen (usually with the mouse cursor on it). I can get an image if I use the nomodeset arguments, but I'm stuck in 1024x768 resolution. I have also tried (and failed) installing the proprietary driver.

I would have ditched the idea of linux long ago, except that running Mint from Compatibility mode off a USB appears to work perfectly.... This seems to indicate to me that it can, and should, work properly, without too much effort, if I only knew what compatibility mode was doing differently.

I understand this is a common-style question, but I've spent 12 hours reading (and trying answers to) similar questions and got nowhere.

Is there a at-all straightforward way to get graphics to work properly on this card, or should I cut my losses? I currently have a clean install.