AMD ATI Radeon HD 2900 Series User manual

ATI Radeon™
HD 2900 Series
User’s Guide
P/N 137-41328-20

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Important Safety Instructions
•Read Instructions—All the safety and operating instructions should be read
before the product is operated.
•Retain Instructions—The safety and operating instructions should be retained
for future reference.
•Heed Warnings—All warnings on the product and the operating instructions
should be adhered to.
•Compatibility—This option card is for use only with IBM AT or compatible UL
Listed personal computers that have Installation Instructions detailing user
installation of card cage accessories.
•Grounding—For continued protection against risk of electric shock and fire, this
accessory should be installed only in products equipped with a three-wire
grounding plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a
grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert
the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace the obsolete outlet. Do
not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug.
•Secure Attachment—All card securement pins shall be completely tightened as
to provide continuous bonding between the option card and the PC chassis.
•Lightning—For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or
when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the
wall outlet, and disconnect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent
damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges.
•Power Lines—An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of
overhead power lines or other light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such
power lines or circuits.
Note: This graphics card is for use only with compatible UL Listed
personal computers that have installation instructions detailing user
installation of card cage accessories.

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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements 1
Installing the Graphics Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Before You Begin 3
Record the Serial and Part Numbers 3
Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers 4
Install the Graphics Card 5
Installing and Configuring Displays . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connections 9
Adapters 9
Supported Display Configurations 10
Installing and Configuring Displays 11
Installing Software and Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
ATI Catalyst™ Control Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Help 16
Using TV Display and Capture Features. . . . . . . 17
Viewing the PC’s Display on TV or HDTV 17
Connecting to a TV, VCR, or HDTV 18
Capturing Video 29
Connecting a media device for video capture 31
Avivo™ Video Converter 32
CrossFire™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CrossFire™ Requirements 37
Install CrossFire™ Graphics Cards 37
Enabling CrossFire™ 42

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Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Troubleshooting 45
Determine the System Card Bus Type 48
Updating your AGP Motherboard/Chipset Drivers 49
Reinstalling Drivers 51
Product Registration 52
Customer Care 52
Additional Accessories 53
Compliance Information 54
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

1
Introduction
This guide will help you get your hardware and software installed. Use the
ATI Catalyst™ Control Center to access the comprehensive help system,
generate a problem report, and get the software version information.
System Requirements
Hardware • AMD Athlon® or Intel® Pentium® 4
• 512MB of system memory; 1GB or more for best
performance.
• Optical drive for installation software (CD-ROM or
DVD-ROM drive).
• A 550 Watt or better power supply with two 2×3-pin
PCIe™ power connectors. For optimal performance
and flexibility for CrossFire and ATI Overdrive support,
we recommend a 750W power supply with both 2x3-pin
and 2×4-pin PCIe™ power connectors. For a list of
certified power supplies, see
ati.amd.com/certifiedpsu
CrossFire™
Requirements To implement an CrossFire™ configuration using the ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series, requires:
• An CrossFire™ certified motherboard with two (2) PCI
Express® x16 slots and correct PCIe™ chipset driver.
• A second ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series graphics
card.
• Two CrossFire™ internal bridge interconnects.
• A specialized PCI Express® 750 watt or greater power
supply with one 2×4-pin and one 2×3-pin PCIe™ power
connector is required. Consult your computer system
manual to ensure the power supply is designed to
accommodate a high-end graphics card with a peak
dissipation above 150 watts.
For an up-to-date listing of CrossFire™ certified
motherboards, see
• ati.amd.com/products/certification
For an up-to-date listing of certified power supplies, see:
• ati.amd.com/certifiedpsu

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Installing the Graphics Card
This topic guides you through the installation of the graphics card.
Before You Begin
Before you begin installing the graphics card, do the following.
• Record the Serial and Part Numbers on page 3.
• Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers on page 4.
When you have completed the above procedures, do the following:
Install the Graphics Card on page 5.
Record the Serial and Part Numbers
To register the graphics card, you need the serial number and part number
printed on the graphics card.
1Look for the serial number and part number on the graphics card.
Note: They are usually located on a sticker on the back of the card,
and are shown in boldface and underlined in the illustration that
follows.
Sample serial number and part number arrangement
2Write down these numbers before installing the graphics card.

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Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers
To ensure successful installation of the graphics card driver, uninstall the
graphic drivers for the existing graphics card before removing the graphics
card from the computer.
Depending on the operating system, choose either the Windows® XP or
Windows Vista™ uninstall procedure:
• Uninstall old graphics drivers (Windows® XP) on page 4.
• Uninstall old graphics drivers (Windows Vista™) on page 4.
Uninstall old graphics drivers (Windows® XP)
1With the current graphics card still in the computer, close all open
applications.
2From the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs.
3Select the current graphics card drivers, and then click Add/Remove.
The Wizard helps remove the current display drivers.
Note: If the previously installed graphics card has any additional
software installed, it may also be removed at this point. For example,
DVD player or multimedia applications.
4Turn off the system after removing the drivers.
Uninstall old graphics drivers (Windows Vista™)
1With the current graphics card still in the computer, close all open
applications.
2From Control Panel, double-click Programs and Features, and
then select the graphics card driver from the list of software programs.
3Click Uninstall.
4If the Programs and Features uninstall confirmation dialog
appears, click Yes.
Note: If the previously installed graphics card has any additional
software installed, it may also be removed at this point. For example,
DVD player or multimedia applications.
5Turn off the system after removing the drivers.

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Install the Graphics Card
1Make sure the computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices are
off.
2Unplug the computer power cord and disconnect cables from the back
of the computer.
Caution! To avoid possible damage to the motherboard, wait
approximately 20 seconds after unplugging the power cord before
disconnecting a peripheral or removing a component from the
motherboard.
3Remove the computer cover.
If necessary, consult the computer manual for help removing the
cover.
Caution! To avoid possible damage to the computer components,
discharge your body’s static electricity by touching the power supply
case or the metal surface of the computer chassis.
4Remove any existing graphics cards from the computer.
Warning! Some graphics cards can get hot while
operating. Wait about five minutes after turning off the
computer before touching the card.
5Locate the appropriate slot for the graphics card and, if necessary,
remove the metal back-plate cover.
Note: High-performance graphics cards require good airflow to
prevent overheating. Ensure adequate airflow around the card.
6Align the graphics card with the slot and press it in firmly until the
card is fully seated.
7Fasten the graphics card securely.

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Connect the power connectors
8Locate the power connections on the graphics card as shown in the
following illustration.
Power connectors for the graphics card
9Connect either two 2×3-pin PCIe™ power connectors, or one 2×3-pin
and one 2×4-pin PCIe™ power connector to the graphics card.
When connecting a 2×3-pin PCIe™ power connector to the 2×4-pin
connection, the connector should cover the 6 pins of the 2×4-pin
connection that are farthest away from the 2×3-pin connection on the
graphics card.
Note: For optimal performance, and for ATI Overdrive, Overclock,
and CrossFire™ configurations, use one 2×3-pin and one 2×4-pin
PCIe™ power connectors on a 750 watt or better power supply. For
Legend
12×3-pin + 2×4-pin power connectors.
22×3-pin + 2×3-pin power connectors.

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more information, see Force Full Performance in the ATI
Catalyst™ Control Center.
Note: The computer will beep, possibly show a warning message on
your display, and the boot process will stop if the graphics card is not
correctly connected to the power supply.
10 Make sure the cables are not interfering with anything inside the
computer (for example, a cooling fan) and then replace the computer
cover.
11 Reconnect any cables you have disconnected, connect the monitor,
and then plug in the computer and monitors power cords.
12 Turn on the monitor and then the computer.
Note: For information on connecting monitors, see Installing and
Configuring Displays on page 9.
Note: For troubleshooting information, see Reference on page 45.
Note: If you are installing a CrossFire™ configuration, see
CrossFire™ on page 37.

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Installing and Configuring Displays
Connections
The following illustrates the connections on the ATI Radeon™ HD 2900
Series graphics card.
ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series Connections
Adapters
The following illustrates and describes the adapters you can use to connect
the graphics card to other display devices.
Legend
1DVI-I Dual Link connection
2S-Video connection (Video In/Video Out)
3DVI-I Dual Link connection (Provides audio and video digital
signals. It provides HDMI™ output that is compatible with most
HDMI™ devices.)
DVI-to-VGA Adapter

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Supported Display Configurations
To ensure the highest possible performance, only one display device is
supported when CrossFire™ is active. When CrossFire™ is active other
display devices connected to the other DVI connections on both graphics
cards are rendered inactive.
If additional displays are required when CrossFire™ is active, use either
SurroundView™ (for more information see the SurroundView™ manual)
or an additional PCIe™ graphics card.
The ATI Radeon™ HD 2900 Series graphics card provides hardware
support for DVI-I and VGA monitors (using the supplied DVI-to-VGA
adapter) and HDMI™ DTVs (using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter). It also
provides TV output via the S-Video VIVO connection in composite, S-
Video, and component TV formats.
ATI DVI to HDMI™ Adapter
The HDMI™ adapter is a proprietary adapter
manufactured and sold by AMD approved
manufacturers (like Wieson Technologies Co., Ltd.)
that has a specific detection mechanism to allow
properly configured graphics cards to pass HDMI™
signals through a DVI connection to an HDMI™
compliant device.
DVI-to-HDTV Adapter
ATI 9-Pin Cable for Video Input/Video Output)
9-pin HDTV Output Cable

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The following table shows display configurations available when
CrossFire™ is not enabled.
Installing and Configuring Displays
Connect the monitor
1Make sure the computer and monitor are off.
2Plug the monitor cables into their appropriate connectors.
3Power on the monitors first and then restart that computer so that
Windows® can detect the new hardware settings.
4When the New Hardware Found Wizard appears, at the appropriate
prompt insert the installation CD to load the drivers for the graphics
card.
Once the drivers and software have been installed, configure the
display.
Display Connections
Cathode ray
tube analog
display
• DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter and VGA
cable
LCD display • DVI-I connection and DVI cable
• DVI-I connection and DVI-I-to-VGA adapter and VGA
cable
TV • DVI connection and DVI-to-HDTV adapter and RCA
cables
• S-Video connection and S-Video cable
• S-Video connection and ATI 9-Pin HDTV Output Cable
and RCA cables
HDTV display • DVI connection and DVI cable
• DVI connection and DVI-to-HDTV adapter and RCA
cables
• S-Video connection and ATI 9-Pin HDTV Output Cable
and RCA cables
• S-Video connection and S-Video cable
HDMI™ HDTV • DVI connection and DVI-to-HDMI™ adapter and HDMI™
cable

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Configure the display
1Navigate to the Control Panel and choose Display,or right-click on
the desktop and choose Properties.
2Choose the Settings tab and select the screen resolution and color
depth that best suit your requirements and your display’s
performance.
3Click Advanced and then select the Monitor tab.
4Choose a refresh rate from the drop-down list.
Caution! Choosing a refresh rate unsupported by your display may
damage your display. Consult your display’s documentation if
necessary.
5Click OK to return to the desktop.
Once you have configured the main display you can configure any
other displays that are connected.
6To configure another display, do the following:
a) From the Start menu click Control Panel, and then click
Display.
b) To access the basic multi-monitor configuration settings, click
the Settings tab .
c) Select the Monitor icon identified by the number 2.
d) Click Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.
e) Set the Screen Resolution and Color Quality as appropriate
for the second monitor. Click Apply or OK to apply these new
values.
Note: When using multiple monitors with the graphics card, one
monitor will always be the Primary display. Any additional monitors
will be designated as Secondary.
Note: You can also enable and configure multiple monitors using the
ATI Catalyst™ Control Center.

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Installing Software and Drivers
Software is provided to take advantage of all the features of your ATI
graphics card, including:
• Graphics card driver
• ATI Catalyst™ Control Center
• HydraVision™ software (included in the Custom install)
• SurroundView™ software (included in the Custom install)
• Avivo™ video converter software (included in the Custom
install)
Install the software
To install or remove the drivers, you must have administrator rights or be
logged on as a user with administrator rights.
Make sure your monitor cable is properly connected before you begin.
Note: The installation dialog displays in English if your operating
system’s language is not supported.
1Insert the ATI installation CD into the computer.
If Windows® runs the CD automatically, proceed to step 3.
2Double-click the CD, double-click ATISETUP, and then click OK.
3Follow the on-screen instructions, and then select either Express or
Custom Install.
Note: Not all software components are installed using the Express
installation. Custom installation allows you to select individual
software components for installation.
Tip! If the installer fails to install the driver or you have a software
conflict, you can download the latest software from ati.amd.com and
then install it.

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