ATI Technologies FIRE GL 8700 User manual

Fire GL 8700
User's Guide
Version 1.0 P/N 137-50003-10 Rev. A
© Copyright 2001, by ATI Technologies Inc.
All rights reserved, including those to reproduce this guide or parts thereof, in any form without
the express written permission of ATI Technologies Inc.
Products may not be exactly as shown. Features, performance, and specifications may vary
depending on operating environment and are subject to change without notice. Trademarks
and/or registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated, which may be registered in
certain jurisdictions.
ATI is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States and/or
other countries.
Fire GL is a trademark of ATI Technologies Inc. in Canada, the United States, and/or other
countries.
MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, DirectDraw and Direct3D
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries.
Pentium is a registered trademark and AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is a trademark of the
Intel Corporation.
OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
AutoCAD, AutoShade, 3D Studio and HEIDI are registered trademarks or trademarks of
AutoDesk Inc.

ii
Disclaimer
The manufacturer (MFR) reserves the right to make changes to this document and the
products which it describes without notice. The MFR shall not be liable for technical
or editorial errors or omissions made herein; not for incidental or consequential
damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
The MFR makes no representation that the interconnection of products in the manner
described herein will not infringe on existing or future patent rights, nor do the
descriptions contained herein imply the granting of license to make, use or sell
equipment constructed in accordance with this description.
Documentation Updates
ATI is constantly improving its product and the associated documentation. To
maximize the value of your ATI product you should ensure that you have the most
up-to-date documentation. ATI’s documentation contains helpful
installation/configuration tips and other valuable product feature information. To
access the latest documentation for your product visit
http://www.ati.com/online/docupdate.

iii
Table of Contents
Getting Started.......................................................................1
Using this Guide ...................................................................................................... 2
Viewing the User's Guide Online...................................................................... 3
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's Guide? ....................................... 3
Fire GL 700 Features ............................................................................................. 4
System Requirements and Tools.............................................................................. 5
Quick Installation..................................................................................................... 6
Installation Steps............................................................................................... 6
Installing the Hardware and Software..................................7
Installing the Hardware............................................................................................ 7
Preparing your Computer.................................................................................. 7
Installing the Card........................................................................................... 12
Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation................................. 16
Installing the Software........................................................................................... 19
Before you Start: Information, Tips, and Hints............................................... 20
Software Installation for Windows NT4.0...................................................... 21
Software Installation for Windows 2000 and Windows XP ........................... 23
Using Your Fire GL 8700 .....................................................25
Changing the Video Settings.................................................................................. 26
How to Switch to the Display Properties? ...................................................... 26
Setting Resolution, Color Depth and Refresh Rate......................................... 26
Setting a DualScreen Configuration................................................................ 2
Selecting your Monitor ................................................................................... 31
Adjusting the Monitor Display ....................................................................... 34
Configuring Application Profiles........................................................................... 37
How to switch to the Configuration dialog? ................................................... 37
Activating a configuration profile:.................................................................. 37
HYDRAVI SI ON for Fi re GL

iv
Reference .............................................................................40
Removing the Fire GL 8700 Drivers...................................................................... 40
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................... 42
Technical Details ................................................................................................... 45
Features and erformance............................................................................... 45
in Assignments ............................................................................................. 47
Video Modes................................................................................................... 49
Compliance Information ........................................................................................ 51

1
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
The FIRE GL™ 8700 is an entry-level workstation 3D and 2D
graphics accelerator. The card is ideal for complex MCAD and
digital contents creation applications.
The FIRE GL™ 8700 features include:
• OpenGL® double-buffer overlay support
• Full suport for DirectX® 8.1
• Dual monitor support
• Pre-configuration to maximize the performance of most
popular operating systems and CPUs
IN THIS CHAPTER
! Using this Guide on page 2
! Fire GL 8700 Features on page 4
! System Requirements and Tools
on page 5
! Quick Installation on page 6

2 Getting Started
Using this Guide
For your convenience, this online User’s Guide has been
formatted as an Adobe®Acrobat®PDF file. This format gives
you great flexibility when using this documentation.
Many hyperlinks provide easy access to any information you
may want. To make it useful in a printed format, too, a -
hyperlinked - table of contents and page numbers are provided.
Because it was designed to be used online and printed, some of
the images may not print clearly or appear very clearly on
screen.
The organization of this Guide is as follows:
Installing the Hardware and Software on page 7 provides
instructions for installing your Fire GL 8700 card and software
and connecting video output devices to your card.
Using Your Fire GL 8700 on page 25 explains how you can
take advantage of the advanced software utilities of your Fire
GL 8700.
Reference on page 40 provides troubleshooting tips and
regulatory compliance information for your card.
HYDRAVISION for Fire GL provides information on
installing and using ATI® HYDRAVISION™, a desktop
management utility to control multiple display desktops.

Getting Started 3
Viewing the User's Guide Online
You can also read the User's Guide online—important
hypertext links, such as Table of Contents entries, World Wide
Web, and email addresses are active.
Place your mouse cursor over Table of Contents entries or main
headings. If the hand icon changes to a pointing index finger,
simply click and you will move to that place in the document.
Some email or World Wide Web addresses inside this manual
may be active as well. Go directly to a Web, FTP site, or email
program simply by clicking on an active link. Displaying the
provided bookmark and thumbnail views may help you with
the orientation and navigation in the User's Guide.
This manual might be displayed with slightly-reduced
magnification in your Reader. If you experience any difficulty
reading certain files online, use the Reader’s Zoom To feature
from the View menu and increase the magnification to about
150%. To view some screenshot images perfectly clear you
may need a larger magnification.
Do you Need a Printout of the Online User's
Guide?
You can easily print this User's Guide to access it off-line. The
manual then will look like any standard document with a table
of contents and page numbers.
For printing the User’s Guide, a print resolution of 600 dpi -or
higher - is recommended.

4 Getting Started
Fire GL 8700 Features
• RADEON™ 8800LE GPU and 64 MB DDR memory
• CHARISMA ENGINE™ II supports Transformation,
Clipping and Lighting (T&L)
• PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, the 3D rendering engine, ensures
fast fill rates in 32-bit true color resolution
• Full DirectX 8.1 support
• High resolutions up to 2048 x 1536, 32-bit
• DDC1/2b/2b+ monitor support on all operating system
platforms
• Dual monitor resolutions up to 2x 1600x1200, 32-bit
• Monitor support:
- Dual screen Analog + Digital
- Single screen Analog
- Single screen DVI (Digital)
• Optimized OpenGL® software drivers for advanced
workstation performance
• Increased productivity in a stable 3D model environment
• Customize and tune applications to meet your specific
requirements using the display profile utilities
Note:
For more detailed information on features and
performance please refer to the section Technical
Details on page 45.

Getting Started 5
System Requirements and Tools
Computer
system
• Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM; AMD®
K6/Athlon® or compatible
• 128 MB of system memory
256 MB for best performance
• Motherboard with free AGP 2x/4x slot
• CD-ROM drive
Operating
system
• Windows® NT 4.0 with Service
Pack 5 (or higher),
• Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 1
(or higher)
• Windows® XP
Service Pack
Information for
Windows NT 4.0
and
Windows 2000
You must be running Windows NT 4.0,
updated with Service Pack 5 (or higher) prio
r
to installing the Fire GL 8700 drivers.
For some languages you can perform the
Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack update from
the Fire GL CD when you run the Quick
Start utility.
You must be running Windows 2000,
updated with Service Pack 1 (or higher) prio
r
to installing the Fire GL 8700 drivers.
The Service Packs are available from
Microsoft's web page, www.microsoft.com.
Tools
• A screwdriver to remove and reinstall
the PC cover screws and card
mounting screws. See your PC
manual for specific requirements.
• Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL 8700
Monitor
• High-resolution MultiSync or multi-
frequency monitors or other VGA
monitors.
• Digital flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD
displays and digital CRT displays

6 Getting Started
Quick Installation
• Brief instructions on how to get to work with the Fire GL
8700 in the shortest possible time.
• Recommended for experienced users and system
administrators only.
• For more detailed information on installation and operation
of your graphics accelerator, please refer to the
corresponding sections of the Fire GL 8700 User’s Guide.
Installation Steps
1 Un-install the drivers and software for your old graphics
card.
2 Set the display driver to Standard VGA (only for
Windows NT 4.0).
Disable any on-board graphics solution on the
motherboard.
3 Shut down and disconnect your computer system.
4 Remove the installed (AGP, PCI, or ISA) VGA card.
5 Install the new Fire GL 8700 card.
6 Reassemble and connect your computer system.
7 Install the Fire GL 8700 drivers and configuration software
from the Fire GL CD:
• automatic Quick Start utility or
• Start > Run > X:\START EXE
where Xis the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive

7
CHAPTER 2
Installing the
Hardware and Software
IN THIS CHAPTER
! Installing the Hardware on page 7
! Installing the Software on page 19
Installing the Hardware
The hardware installation includes the following steps:
• Preparing your Computer
• Installing the Card
• Connecting the Cables and Completing the Installation
Preparing your Computer
Turn off the power to your system and discharge your
body’s static electric charge by touching a grounded
surface—for example, the metal surface of the power
supply—before performing any hardware procedure.
The manufacturer assumes no liability for any
damage, caused directly or indirectly, by improper
installation of any components by unauthorized
service personnel. If you do not feel comfortable
performing the installation, consult a qualified
computer technician.
Damage to system components, the accelerator card,
and injury to yourself may result if power is applied
during installation.

8 Installing the Hardware and Software
Information Before you Start
What do you need to
use your Fire GL
8700?
System Requirements and Tools
• Motherboard with free
AGP 2X/4X slot.
• 128 MB of system memory
256 MB for best performance
• System interrupt (IRQ) which is
free. This may have to be
reserved in the computer’s BIOS.
For help with this subject, refer to
the manual for your mainboard
• Pentium® 4/III/II/CeleronTM;
AMD® K6/Athlon® or compatible
• Supported operating system
- Windows® NT 4.0 with Service
Pack 5 (or higher)
- Windows® 2000 with Service
Pack 1 (or higher)
- Windows® XP
• A screwdriver to remove and
reinstall the PC cover screws and
card mounting screws. See your
PC manual for specific
requirements.
• Fire GL CD-ROM for Fire GL
8700

Installing the Hardware and Software 9
What type of
monitors do you
need?
Your Fire GL 8700 is optimally
configured to be combined with digital
flat-panel (DFP) TFT LCD displays and
digital CRT displays. You can also
connect the Fire GL 8700 to high-
resolution MultiSync or multi-frequency
monitors or other VGA monitors.
Notes: (1) You need a Plug-and-Play
monitor that supports VESA’s Display
Channel specifications (DDC1 or
DDC2) to take advantage of the
DDC1/DDC2b+ features
(2) You can use the full power of the
graphics card only if your monitor
supports the horizontal (kHz) and
vertical (Hz) refresh rates as required
by the graphics card. Refer to your
monitor's documentation for
recommended refresh rates
Where are the
drivers?
• Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000
and Windows XP drivers are
provided on the Fire GL CD.

10 Installing the Hardware and Software
Are you planning a
multi-monitor
system?
• You may connect two monitors
to the Fire GL 8700.
• If DDC support is available, the
respective resolution and refresh
rate for each monitor is
automatically detected.
• Desktop Management utilities
HYDRAVISIONTM
DualScreen
Are you installing
your Fire GL 8700 in
place of a card from
another
manufacturer?
Before you install your Fire GL 8700
card, we recommend that you first
uninstall the the driver for your current
graphics card.
Windows NT 4.0: Reconfigure your
operating system to use the standard
display driver (VGA). For more
information about changing to the VGA
driver, see your operating system
documentation.
Do you have an
integrated graphics
solution on the
motherboard?
Please refer to the manual or contact
your motherboard manufacturer to
determine how to disable your on-
board graphics.
Plug-n-Play? The card has been designed to take
advantage of 'plug–n-play' without
requiring additional hardware
installation or configuration.
The illustrations do
not show your card?
The illustrations provided in this
section are for instructional use only;
the card shown may look different than
the one you purchased.

Installing the Hardware and Software 11
Setting the Display Driver to Standard VGA
To avoid possible driver conflicts between your old and new
graphics card, install the standard VGA driver for your
operating system. Install the standard VGA driver before you
shut down your computer and remove the installed (AGP, PCI,
or ISA) VGA card.
Note: Installing the standard VGA driver is not required for
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Installing the Standard VGA Driver for Windows
NT 4.0
1 From the Start menu, go to Start > Settings > Control
Panel, then double-click on Display. The Display
Properties sheet appears.
2 Click the Settings tab; then click the Display Type
button.
3 Under Adapter Type, click the Change button. The
Change Display window appears.
4 Under Manufacturers, select (Standard display types).
Under Display, choose VGA compatible display adapter.
5 Click OK. You may need to insert your Windows NT 4.0
CD-ROM.
6 Click Close and OK as often as necessary to accept the
changes.
7 Windows asks you if you want to restart your computer.
Click No.
8 Shut down your computer. You are now ready to remove
your old graphics card and install your new Fire GL 8700
card.

12 Installing the Hardware and Software
Installing the Card
To install your graphics accelerator card, follow these steps:
1 Switch off your computer and all external options (monitor,
printer, and others). Then disconnect all cables from the back
of your computer. Unplug all power cables from the electrical
source.
Note: If you are disconnecting a peripheral from the computer or
are removing a component from the system board, wait 10 - 20
seconds after disconnecting the computer from the electrical
outlet before disconnecting the peripheral or removing the
component to avoid possible damage to the system board. To
verify that all power has been removed from the system, make
sure that the standby power light-emitting diode (LED) on the
system board has gone out.

Installing the Hardware and Software 13
2 Remove the computer cover. If necessary, consult your
computer system manual about removing the cover.
1 Power Supply
Remember to discharge your body’s static electricity by touching
the metal surface of the computer chassis
3 Remove any existing graphics card from your computer.
If the old graphics card sticks rock it gently from end to end.
Remember to save the screw.
If your computer has any on-board graphics capability, you
may need to disable it on the motherboard. Refer to your
computer’s manual for more information.

14 Installing the Hardware and Software
4 Insert the card into the AGP slot.
Note: You can use the Fire GL 8700 in either AGP 2x/4x or
AGP 2x slots.
• Locate the AGP 2x/4x slot. Compare the expansion slots in
your computer with the following illustration:
• If necessary, remove the metal slot cover from the AGP
slot.
Save the screw to secure the graphics card later.
• Align the Fire GL 8700 with the AGP slot, and press it
in firmly until fully seated.
1 Fire GL 8700 card
2 AGP expansion slot
AGP cards are designed to fit one way only. Be sure your card is
properly aligned
Grasp the card by the top edge and carefully seat it into the AGP
slot. Be sure the metal contacts are completely pushed into the
seat

Installing the Hardware and Software 15
• Align the slot in the mounting bracket of the card with the
screw hole in the rear panel of the computer case.
• Use the screws you removed from the expansion slot cover
or a previously installed graphics card to secure the card in
place.
• Secure ribbon cables and gently push them down and out
of the way before you replace the system cover.
• Replace the computer cover.
• Reconnect any peripheral equipment cables you may have
disconnected.
5 Replace the screws to fasten the card in place.
6 Reassemble your computer.

16 Installing the Hardware and Software
Connecting the Cables and
Completing the Installation
Connecting the Monitor Cables
You may connect one or two monitors, either analog VGA or
DFP/digital CRT to the Fire GL 8700.
The Fire GL 8700 supports the following monitor
combinations:
• single monitor – VGA
• single monitor - DFP/digital CRT
• dual monitor - VGA + DFP/digital CRT
Connecting analog VGA Monitors
Securely attach the monitor’s data cable to the 15-pin VGA
output connector (1) on the card. Attach the cable to the
monitor according to the monitor's instructions.
Note
The Fire GL 8700 does not support the following dual
monitor combinations:
• DFP/digital CRT + DFP/digital CRT
• VGA + VGA