This is normal behavior since an SVGA monitor does not have any sense pins like an Apple monitor does. To workaround this, select All in the Colors and Resolutions panel. Select a resolution that works with the SVGA monitor. Be sure to check the documentation for the SVGA monitor for compatible resolutions and scan rates as there is no easy way to recover from selecting one that is not compatible.
Changes to the color depth and resolution of your monitor will not take effect until you log out. By default, only the recommended resolutions are shown in the resolution list. Recommended resolutions are those resolutions that the system has determined are compatible with your monitor. The system is not aware of all types of monitors, however, and may sometimes only show a severely limited subset of resolutions as recommended.
To enable the Show All resolutions feature, you can type the following command in a Terminal window:
defaults write Preferences NSEnableShowAllDisplayModes YES
Warning: If you attempt to use a resolution that does not work with your monitor, your display may become unusable when you log out.