ATI Technologies 100 437807 - Radeon X1950 Pro HD PCI Express 256MB Video... User manual

Radeon®X1950 Pro
User’s Guide
P/N 137-41129-20
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Copyright © 2006, ATI TechnologiesInc. All rights reserved.
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trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and/or product names are trademarks and/or
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change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in diagrams.
Reproduction of this manual, or parts thereof, in any form,without the express written permission of ATI
Technologies Inc. is strictly prohibited.
Disclaimer
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documentation described herein, for any act or omission of ATI concerning such products or this
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of the ATI hardware, software, or other products and documentation provided herein.
ATI Technologies Inc. reserves the right to make changes without further notice to a product or system
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relates, ATI disclaims all express or implied warranties regarding such products, including but not limited
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Macrovision
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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.
LIMPORTANT 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.
•Antenna Installation - When installing an outside antenna system,
extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines
or circuits, as contact with them may be fatal.
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Table of Contents
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installing Your Graphics Cards 2
Using Multiple Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Display Configurations 3
Using TV Display and Capture Features . . . . . . . . 7
Using TV Out 7
Connecting to HDTV 9
Using Your ATI HDTV Video Cable 11
Using SCART Connectors for European TVs 11
Capturing Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Catalyst®Control Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Launching Catalyst®Control Center 19
Help 21
CrossFire™ 22
CrossFire™ FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Welcome to CrossFire™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
CrossFire™ Overview 27
CrossFire™ Rendering Modes 27
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Troubleshooting 35
Product Registration 39
Customer Care 39
Additional Accessories 40
Compliance Information 41
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Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
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1
Getting Started
Congratulations on the purchase of your ATI Radeon®X1950 Pro graphics
card. We hope that you will enjoy countless hours of trouble-free computing.
System Requirements
External Connections
• Dual-link DVI-I output
• Dual-link DVI-I output
•S-video
Hardware • Intel®Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon®.
• 512MB of system memory; 1GB or more for best
performance.
• Optical drive for installation software (CD-ROM or
DVD-ROM drive).
Operating
System •Windows
® XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2).
•Windows
® XP Professional x64 Edition.
•Windows
® 2000.
•Windows
®Vista Ready.
Monitor • High-resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency monitors
or any other type of VGA monitor.
• Digital flat-panel (DFP) displays or digital CRT display.
CrossFire™
Requirements To implement a CrossFire™ system that includes the
Radeon®X1950 Pro, the following are required:
• A CrossFire™ certified motherboard with two (2) PCI
Express®x16 slots and correct PCIe™ chipset driver. A
second Radeon®X1950 Pro graphics card.
• Two CrossFire™ bridge interconnects.
• A specialized PCI Express®550 watt or greater power
supply recommended. Consult your computer system
manual to ensure the power supply is designed to
accommodate a high-end graphics card with a peak
dissipation above 75 watts.
For a list of CrossFire™-certified motherboards and power
supplies, click to ati.com/crossfire.
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2 Installing Your Graphics Cards
Installing Your Graphics Cards
The instructions that follow assume that the Radeon®X1900 family
CrossFire™-ready graphics card has already been successfully installed. If
you have not already done so, see the Getting Started Guide that came with
the graphics card for installation instructions.
For a list of compatible power supplies and the latest information, consult the
CrossFire™ Web site at:
ati.com/crossfire
LConsult your system builder or OEM to ensure that your system has an
adequate power supply. A 550 watt or greater power supply is
recommended. Consult your computer system manual to verify that the
power supply is designed to accommodate a high-end graphics card with
a peak dissipation above 75 watts.
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Display Configurations 3
Using Multiple Displays
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, please use
either SurroundView™ (for more information see the SurroundView™
manual) or an additional PCI graphics card.
Your Radeon®X1950 Pro graphics card provides hardware support for two
DVI-I monitors and a VGA monitor using the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA
adapter. It also provides TV output via the S-video connection in composite,
S-video, and component TV formats.
Thefollowingtable showsdisplayconfigurationsavailable whenCrossFire™
is not enabled.
Display
Configuration Connector(s) Used Comments
Single CRT
display DVI-I connector with DVI-I-to-VGA
adapter
CRT- cathode ray tube analog display.
Single DFP
display DVI-I connector DFP - digital flat panel display.
Single TV S-video out The S-video out can also support a
composite connection via the S-
Video-to-Composite adapter.
Single HDTV
display S-video out to HDTV (YPrPb)
cable
HDTV - High Definition Television
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4 Display Configurations
CRT display +
HDTV DVI-I connector with DVI-I to VGA
adapter + S-video
out to HDTV
(YPrPb) cable
DFP display +
TV DVI-I connector + S-video out
DFP display +
HDTV DVI-I connector + S-Video Out to
HDTV (YPrPb)
cable
CRT display +
DFP display DVI-I connector with DVI-I to VGA
adapter + DVI-I
connector
CRT display +
CRT display DVI-I connector with DVI-I to VGA
adapter + DVI-I
connector with
DVI-I to VGA
adapter
The DVI-I connector can support a
CRT display using the DVI-I-to-VGA
adapter
CRT display +
DFP display +
TV
DVI-I connector
with DVI-I to VGA
adapter + DVI-I
connector + S-
Video Out
The TV display will “clone” the image
of one of the other two displays
CRT display +
DFP display +
HDTV
DVI-I connector
with DVI-I to VGA
adapter + DVI-I
connector + S-
VideoOut to HDTV
(YPrPb) cable
Display
Configuration Connector(s) Used Comments
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Display Configurations 5
Connecting Your Monitors
Note: If you use multiple graphics cards, the Radeon®X1950 Pro card
must be the primary graphics card. Normally, the system BIOS
determines which graphics card will be the primary.
Note: Both DVI-I connections are dual-link.
Connections and Adapters for the Radeon®X1950 Pro Card
1 Standard VGA Monitor Connector. To connect a VGA monitor
to the DVI-I connection plug the supplied DVI-I-to-VGA adapter
into the DVI-I connector, then plug your monitor cable into the
adapter.
2DVI-I-to-VGA Adapter.
3 DVI-I Connection. To connect a digital display.
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6 Display Configurations
Note: Some Radeon®X1900 graphics cards have one DVI-I connector
and one VGA connector.
To connect your monitors
1Power off your computer and monitors.
2Plug the monitor cables into their appropriate connectors.
3Power on your monitors first, and then restart your computer so that
Windows®can detect the new hardware settings.
4When the New Hardware Found Wizard appears, at the appropriate
prompt insert the ATI Installation CD to load the drivers for your
Radeon®X1950 Pro card.
To set up a multi-monitor display
1From the Start button click Control Panel, then Display. Click the
Settings tab to access the basic multi-monitor configuration settings.
Note: ATI provides Catalyst®Control Center software that provides
many additional configuration features. It can be accessed by clicking
the Advanced button from the Display Properties > Settings tab.
2Select the Monitor icon identified by the number 2.
3Click Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.
4Set the Screen Resolution and Color Quality as appropriate for the
second monitor. Click Apply or OK to apply these new values.
• Refer to your Windows®online help and documentation for further
information on using the Settings tab.
Note: When you use multiple monitors with your card, one monitor will
always be Primary. Any additional monitors will be designated as
Secondary.
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Using TV Out 7
Using TV Display and Capture Features
This chapter describes how to use the TV display and video capture
features of your Radeon®X1950 Pro card.
Using TV Out
Your Radeon®X1950 Pro has TV Out capability.
Viewing Your PC Display on a TV
You can attach your Radeon®X1950 Pro to a TV and a monitor at the same
time. You can also connect it to your VCR and record your monitor’s
display.
Note: A TV can only be connected to one DVI connector.
TV-out display is ideal for giving presentations and watching movies, or
playing games on a screen larger than a typical monitor. The following tips
will help you get the most out of your TV Out feature.
Connecting to a TV or VCR
To connect your Radeon®X1950 Pro card to a TV or VCR, use an S-video
cable. Many TVs (and VCRs) have a composite video input, in which case
you can use the supplied S-video-to-composite video adapter. If your TV
has cable input only, you can connect your graphics card to your TV
through your VCR or an RF modulator that is available from most
electronics stores.
LIMPORTANT INFORMATION for European Customers
Some PC monitors in Europe cannot be used simultaneously with TV
display. When you enable TV display in Europe, the refresh rate for the
monitor and TV is set to 50 Hz. Some monitors may not support this
refresh rate and could be damaged.
• Please check the documentation supplied with your monitor to see if
your monitor supports a refresh rate of 50 Hz.
• If your monitor does not support 50 Hz (or if you are not sure), turn off
your monitor before turning on your PC when using your TV as a
display.
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8 Using TV Out
To connect S-video Out
1Power off your computer and your TV (or VCR).
2Determine if your TV (or VCR) supports either an S-video or
composite video connection.
3Looking at the back of your PC, locate your S-video out. Using an S-
video cable or the supplied adapter cable, attach one end of the cable
to your graphics card and the other to your TV (or VCR). Refer to the
illustration.
4Power on your TV (or VCR) first, then your computer.
Using a Monitor vs. Using TV Display
Using your TV for your computer’s display can be useful, however, the
display on your monitor may change or looked squashed. This distortion
occurs because the display adjusts to fit the dimensions of your TV. To
correct the monitor’s display, use the monitor’s control buttons to adjust its
display size and position.
Connecting Your S-Video Out to a TV or VCR
1S-video connection on graphics card
2TV or VCR
3S-video cable (with or without S-video-to-composite adapter)
4Computer
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Connecting to HDTV 9
Some single-frequency monitors may not work with TV display enabled. If
you experience problems when TV display is enabled, disable TV display
to restore your monitor’s display.
Viewing Text on a TV
A TV is designed primarily to show moving images. The large dot pitch of
a TV will yield poor quality static images. The small text sizes commonly
used for PC desktops can appear blurred or unclear on a TV. You can
compensate for this degradation by using larger fonts.
Using a TV as the Only Display
If you plan to move your computer to a place where you are using TV
display only, make sure that you have the TV display feature enabled prior
to removing the monitor.
The maximum display resolution for TV is 1024 x 768. Choosing a
resolution higher than this will cause the TV display to disappear if it is the
only display device.
Using Games and Applications
SomeoldergamesandapplicationsmayprogramyourRadeon®X1950Pro
directly to run under a specific display mode. This may cause your TV
display to turn off automatically or become scrambled (your PC monitor or
portable LCD display will not be affected). Your TV display will be
restored once you exit the game or if you restart your computer.
Connecting to HDTV
View computer output directly on your High Definition Television
(HDTV) or other component input device. Provide a big-screen experience
for your computer that is ideal for playing games, giving presentations,
watching movies, and browsing the Internet.
HDTV uses YPbPr connectors to receive input. YPbPr stands for the
following:
• Y = Green
• Pb = Blue
•Pr=Red
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10 Connecting to HDTV
The HDTV Component Video Adapter can be used in place of the standardA/
V Output cable to connect to an HDTV or other component input device,
using component video cables.
Note: Input and output cable lengths should not exceed 50 feet (15m).
LYou must have a monitor attached to your computer before installing
the ATI HDTV. For proper operation of your ATI Component Video
Adapter, ATI display drivers must be correctly installed.
ATI HDTV Cable
1ATI HDTV Video Output Cable
2Backplate of the ATI Graphics Card
3Male RCA Patch Cables – available from consumer electronics dealer
4Typical HDTV Video Input Connections
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Using Your ATI HDTV Video Cable 11
Installing your ATI HDTV video cable
1Turn on your component input device, and set it to YPbPr input.
Note: See your HDTV or component input device manual for
configuration information specific to your device.
2Turn on your computer.
Note: Your TV will not display anything until Windows starts. This can
take several minutes.
Using Your ATI HDTV Video Cable
Use the HDTV Video Cable to watch DVD movies and play video games on
your High Definition Television.
For maximum performance when you watch DVD movies or play computer
games on your HDTV, you should find the mode and screen resolution that
provide the best result on your TV, and use those settings exclusively.
Using SCART Connectors for European
TVs
The SCART connector supports only the composite video format, which
means you must use an S-video-to-composite video adapter cable if your
European TV does not support S-video.
If your European TV has S-video in, you can use an S-video cable (available
in most consumer electronic stores) rather than the SCART connector.
The following illustrations show how to connect your PC to a European TV
using a SCART adapter, using either an S-video to composite cable with
adapter, or using a separate S-video to composite adapter, in addition to using
standard audio cables.
LCopy-protected DVDs restrict playback to 480i and 480p modes.
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12 Using SCART Connectors for European TVs
S-video to composite cable with adapter
S-video to Composite Adapter (Plus Audio Connections)
1S-video out connection
2S-video to composite adapter/cable
3Composite cable
4SCART adapter
5Audio mini-jack connection
6Left and right RCA audio connectors
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Using SCART Connectors for European TVs 13
S-video to composite adapter
S-video to Composite Cable Using an Additional Adapter (Plus Audio
Connections)
1S-video out connection
2S-video to composite zdapter/cable
3Composite cable
4SCART adapter
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14 Using SCART Connectors for European TVs
5Audio mini-jack connection
6Left and right RCA audio connectors
S-video to Composite Cable Using an Additional Adapter (Plus Audio
Connections)
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